Upside-down

my coo-coo family

"Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because you are My followers." (Matthew 5:11 GNT)

So, what's wrong with this snapshot of my coo-coo family? Obviously, it's upside-down.

After a 40-day fast in the wilderness and a fierce battle with the devil, Jesus launched His ministry proclaiming, "Repent! The Kingdom of Heaven is here!" 

The Kingdom of Heaven is here? What does that look like? 

Well, in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5-7, Jesus describes in detail how the Kingdom of Heaven looks. It looks completely upside-down in comparison to the kingdom of this world.

image by The Bible Project

In the Kingdom of Heaven or Kingdom of God, you can be happy when you're sad because God will comfort you. In the Kingdom of God, you can be happy when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you for following Jesus, because a great reward is awaiting you in heaven. In His Kingdom, if someone slaps you on the right cheek, let 'em hit the left one, too. 

Say what?

Yep, and love your enemies as yourself. Treat others the way you want them to treat you.

And the reality is?

Jesus said, "Anyone who hears these words of Mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain poured down, the river flooded over, and the wind blew hard against the house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock."

"But anyone who hears these words of Mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain poured down, the rivers flooded, the wind blew hard against the house, and it fell. And what a terrible fall that was!" (Matthew 7:24-27)

So, beloved, where are you in life? Rocking on the unstable sands of the world or standing firm in the upside-down Rock-solid Kingdom of Jesus Christ?