“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  – Matthew 5:10-12
Repetition is a very helpful tool.

In literature it draws emphasis on a point. In athletics it solidifies foundational mechanics to strengthen one’s skills.  In conversation it reveals a person’s priorities. In family life the of seed repetition can eventually sprout into a meaningful family tradition. No matter how you look at it, repetition has significant impact.

With this in mind, it should be said that our final beatitude is stated twice by Jesus. Perhaps there is something to be gleaned from the fact that the most difficult beatitude to process and embrace is the one He repeats. Nevertheless, it’s important to note that Jesus not only repeats and elaborates on the difficult part but also repeats the blessing as well.

Friends, this message is one that my soul desperately needed. It’s one that can change the course of your current outlook and even the very course of your life. This life is short, but eternity is long. And the way we invest our time on this earth is less about the number of days we live and more about the impact we make for Christ for each of those days.

This beatitude is charging us to embrace the rest. To say blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake is to say happy are those who suffer for living out the first seven beatitudes.  As we come to this Sunday, may I ask you to make a commitment to prepare your heart and listen closely to God’s Word this week? This is a message where we need the Lord’s Spirit and His Word to do the teaching and calling in our lives. Indeed, Jesus is calling for us to invest our lives. He longs for our every breath and heartbeat to be entrusted to Him. For when we trust Him to that level, when we say Lord do with my life whatever you choose, it’s then we can rest in the security of His plan. For the one who gives up His life for Christ will be the one who gains all things in eternity. My soul is burning to preach this message. I pray yours will be too after you hear what Jesus has to say.

Be sure to listen to the worship set!

Love you, Church

Jerry Lingenfelter
Senior Pastor

SUNDAY PLAN
9:00 AM  – Worship Service Online & On Campus (Lancaster Campus)
9:15 AM – Worship Service On Campus (Myerstown Campus)
11:00 AM – Worship Service Online & On Campus (Lancaster Campus)

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SUNDAY RESOURCES
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