12 BOCNEWS.com OCTOBER 2017 How to Live a Blessed Life Are you blessed? I’m going to share with you on how to live a blessed life. We are looking at one of the attributes of God, and in fact, one attribute of God that makes Him God. This attribute is what makes Him different from any other god. You can’t find this attribute in Mohammed; you can’t find it in Buddha and you can’t find it in the Hindu gods—no, it is what makes Him different and what makes Him God. It is the attribute that makes Him greater, richer, stronger and holier than any other god. And this attribute is His mercy. When God appeared to Moses in Exodus 34:6, He appeared to him in a visible manifestation, and then God spoke about Himself to Moses. As I read that, I found it interesting that God did not start by saying, “I am holy.” He didn’t say, “I am powerful.” The first attribute that God revealed to Moses when he saw the glory of God was His mercy. He said, “The Lord, the Lord God. Merciful.” Wow. That means that God is merciful at the very foundation of His being—at the very core of His life. He is merciful. Usually His first response to us, even when we go to Him over and over again, is mercy. Do you know that God is a blessed God? The Bible says, “Blessed be God,” so my God is a blessed God, and He wants to bless us. He also wants to see to it that not only are you blessed, but that you begin to live a blessed life. If you want to live a blessed life, then you must pay special attention to what I am going to say. Let us turn to Luke 6:27-38 (NKJV) 27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. 32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. 37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Let me give you a little back- ground here: there are three dif- ferent groups of people in Luke 6. If you read it on your own you will find them. Number 1, there is the crowd that gathered. Remember that Luke 6 is a con- tinuation in the teaching of what we call the Sermon on the Mount, which you can see in Matthew 5, 6, 7 and almost to 8—it’s almost the same thing. So, the crowd was there. Number 2, there was the multitude who followed. The crowd gathered while the mul- titude followed. Look at verse 27 (NIV): 27 “But to you who are listen- ing I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, This is the third group that was there." Another transla- tion says, “Those who were there to listen.” I under- lined those three groups in my Bible. So not everybody that comes to church comes to listen. And when Jesus wants to tell us the secret of how to live a blessed life, He narrowed it down to only those who want to listen. Jesus says, “But I tell you who hear Me. Those who listen to Me.” You can hear me and yet not hear me. The word ‘hear’ means ‘listen with an intention to obey’. Look at it in the Message translation: 27 “To you who are ready for the truth, That’s so plain, isn’t it? In other words, not every- body is ready for the truth. If Jesus could have some people going to Him that were not ready for the truth, who is Ade Ajala to think that everybody that comes to him is ready for the truth? To you who are ready for the truth I say this. I’m not talk- ing to the whole crowd. I’m not talking to the whole multitude; I’m only talking to those who are ready for the truth. Are you ready for the truth? Because in the last days, the Bible says, believers will grow itchy ears looking for preachers who will preach what they want to hear. He said, “This is not for everybody. This is not To Whom It May Concern—this one con- cerns somebody.” It concerns only those who are ready for the truth. Go back to the NIV. Some came just to see what’s going on. Some came because they were interested in what He had to say. But Jesus says, “My focus is only on those who truly want to listen. To you who want to listen,” He said, “I say.” The most modern NIV says, “But to you who are listen- ing I say.” Because this is not going to be easy. This is not a message where you can say, “Kumbaya, let’s go.” This is a message of, “Ouch.” Because there is nobody that doesn’t have something in their life that this message will say to them, “Brace up.” He speaks to those who will listen and those who will obey. Now in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “Blessed are you. If you are mourning you are blessed. If you are poor in spirit you are blessed.” And I began to wonder, “How can you be blessed like that?” But He said, “Yeah, because it is your position. You have been positioned for blessing.” When you are broke, you don’t go around announc- ing that you are broke. When you are broke it’s because God has positioned you for your financial breakthrough. He said, “Blessed are you. You are blessed.” But are you ready to receive blessing? So, He prescribed what it is to be blessed in the Kingdom. Now, He’s about to tell them how to live a blessed life. Let me give you a summary of the whole thing: if you are ever going to be blessed, as you can see in verse 38, you must be a bless-er. You must be someone that blesses others. He said that you and I can choose to be blessed, so to live a blessed life is a choice. You might be blessed and not be living a blessed life, because it’s a choice. Deuteronomy 30:1 (NIV): 19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, He turns around and says, “Choose life.” Isn’t that interesting? Choose life, so that you and your children may live. In other words, it’s your choice. “It is your choice, but I advise you—choose life.” He said, “I’m setting before you blessings and curses, but I want you to know that I’m not just making mouth. I’m using the heavens and the earth as witnesses that I’ve set before you today life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life.” In other words, when you choose life you choose blessings. Choose life so that you may live. So, God said, “I give you a choice: you can choose life or you can choose death.” The implication is that to choose life is to choose blessing. If you are ever going to be blessed, as you can see in verse 38, you must be a bless-er. You must be someone that blesses others. He said that you and I can choose to be blessed, so to live a blessed life is a choice. You might be blessed and not be living a blessed life, because it’s a choice. SCRIPTURE By Rev. Dr. Ade Ajala Ade Ajala God do a new thing. I have to quit talking about what you did to me. I can't stay at this address any longer. I've lived on this mountain long enough. I've walked in circles long enough. I have to release you so God will release me. It’s time for me to step in to the blessings of God. You can stay depressed if you want to. You can stay bitter and resentful if you want to. You can walk around with a chip on your shoulder if you want to. But I have decided that I've stayed on this mountain long enough. I’ve been down long enough. I’m ready to move into a new beginning. Elisha was tired of getting up every- day and plowing behind some smelly oxen. He knew that God had more for him than that. He wanted to do more with his life than plow the fields. He wanted to be used by God. Elijah came along and said let’s do something for God. If you are going to follow God, you have to get out of the clubs and casi- nos and kiss your past good-bye. I’m talking about going to a new place with Him. Sometimes you have to give up an old boyfriend that you can see for the heavenly boyfriend you can't see. If you are going through the same financial problems year after year, you need to cut up your credit cards, put yourself on a budget, make God a part- ner by tithing and put God first. It's time to make some decisions that will bless your future. Nothing will change until you decide to get off this mountain and make changes. Nothing will improve until you quit being resentful and let God take you to a new place. If you are putting the Lord first, you don't have to worry about finding that car. That car will find you. If you are putting the Lord first, you don't have to worry about finding a husband. He will find you. LONG ENOUGH ... continued from page 10 Continued on Page 17