Hello friends! Welcome back to my latest blog post. Today was the first day of my women's Bible study class. It was an amazing, enlightening time of learning, sharing, and growing. We are going through a study book called *The Way of Jesus: Living the Sermon on the Mount*.
It is such a blessing to be around other women in Christ and to share our thoughts about Bible passages and how to apply them to our daily lives. I enjoy being around other sisters in Christ. I loved today because it reinforced that we need to be in the Word daily and keep our focus on the Lord and not the world—to live in faith and not by sight. He is our Savior, peace, and Father. We must all repent and follow Him, putting aside our ego, pride, and selfishness and submitting to the Lord. When we submit and follow Him, we are blessed and will bear fruit. As Matthew 5:3-11 says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." We realize that without Him, we are nothing. We need God in our lives. No matter how rich we are in money, how many designer bags we buy, or how many materialistic things we accumulate to make us happy, they are only temporary. Nothing gives us everlasting happiness and peace like Jesus. As described in Luke 16:19-31, the richest man in the world who doesn't have the Lord will be the poorest in spirit compared to a homeless man who knows the Lord.
To put it bluntly, those without the Lord love their sin; they just won't admit or take responsibility for the truth, which is to repent and follow Jesus. They love living in their sin, rebelling and denying Him, but when life is gone, it is too late to repent to the Lord. It will be too late to call out to your family members about following Jesus. There are many chances that God gives us to follow Him in this worldly life, but not when our flesh ceases to exist. People without the Lord will always be constantly seeking validation and purpose in worldly things and feeling lost when the purpose is Jesus.
Repenting and following Jesus also requires us to think differently and change our minds—not to depend on others' validation or worldly things but to trust in God and His plan. Living the Jesus way, not our way, is how to approach it. Ever since becoming a Christian, I have never felt so whole, happy, and loved. The Lord does wonderful things in our lives. He is righteous, gracious, loving, patient, and our Savior. It is important not to be distracted in our lives by worldly things but to keep our focus on Him. We have more clarity with Jesus. From my study today, the word "blessed" is defined as "more than a temporary or circumstantial feeling of happiness; this is a state of well-being in relationship to God that belongs to those who respond to Jesus' ministry. The poor in spirit are those who recognize they are in need of God's help. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven." - ESV Study Bible.
Overall, Heaven and Hell are both real, and it is never too late. We must continue to spread the Gospel and His great word. Show others through our behavior and actions the love, grace, peace, patience, kindness, and righteousness that He provides us. Jesus is the way, the truth, the life! (John 14:6)
