KINGDOM JOY NOW

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and he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: "blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of god. "blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. "blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. "blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the son of man! rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
luke 6:20‭-‬23 ESV

¶Our purpose is to live prophetically, to import the "not yet" into the "already", to transform future reward into current rejoicing, not just to speak of future fulfillment, but to live fulfilled lives. Jesus wants to influence our present perspective not only with the promise of future reward, but also with past example. God used the prophets of old not just through what they said, but through how they lived their lives, how they suffered. What near-blasphemy it is to bestow upon us the honor due to them. Yet that is where we are headed if we belong to Christ.

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