Beatitudes - The Be-Happy Attitudes from Bible - Robert Schuller

What is beatitude?

Beatitude is blessedness. God has blessed you. The state of a person who is blessed by the God is blessedness.

Understand from the opposite of it.


The opposite of beatitude is misery.
Misery means being afflicted unwillingly with painful sufferings.

Beatitude is happiness and bliss. It is an attitude toward things that happen in our life on earth. Jesus preached the beatitudes for the Kingdom of Heaven.

While the Beatitudes of Jesus provide a way of life that promises salvation (peaceful and blissful life after death), they also provide peace in the midst of our trials and tribulations on this earth.
( http://www.jesuschristsavior.net/Beatitudes.html )


___________

___________


Book

The Be-Happy Attitudes: Eight Positive Attitudes That Can Transform Your Life
by Robert H. Schuller

Schuller gave very good explanation and illustrations of the use of beatitudes in every day life and happiness.

Some of the Schuller's explanation is available in this document.

Sermon on the Mount - Primer

About Robert Schuller




Be Attitudes - Explanation of each beatitude - Mason United Methodist Church

1. Be poor in spirit - Accept that you are poor in comparison the God. Accept that you are poor in  comparison to the society - the universal spirit.

2. Mourning - May be you are mourning - Believe for the best in future

3. Be Meek  - Meek is translation for Greek - praotes.

Aristotle defines meekness, praotēs as the mean between orgilotēs,
which means excessive anger, and aorgēsia, which means excessive
angerlessness.

About Lent - Christian Religious Rituals Period

The season of Lent spans 40 weekdays beginning on Ash Wednesday and climaxing during Holy Week with Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday), Good Friday, and concluding Saturday before Easter.
( http://www.cresourcei.org/cylent.html   )

The period of Lent in terms of calendar days changes from year to year. For 2013; the days are


February 13 - Ash Wednesday
March 24 - Palm Sunday
March 28 - Maundy (Holy) Thursday
March 29 - Good Friday
March 31 - Easter Sunday (Western Christianity - Roman Catholic, Anglican Communion, Protestant Churches, etc.)
May 5 - Easter Sunday (Orthodox Christianity - Eastern Orthodox Churches)

( http://christianity.about.com/od/easter/qt/easter2013.htm   )

There is difference in dates between Western and Eastern churches
(  http://christianity.about.com/od/faqhelpdesk/qt/whyeasterchange.htm       )

The period of Lent is to be observed by the persons who want to join the christian faith and it also to be  observed of the christian community to accept the new person into the faith. It is used as a period of reflection and repentance for sins committed.

Intensive Study of Bible During Holidays (Advent)

Authors

• Narayana Rao

Published

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License

Version 6

Last edited: 11 Dec 2008

Exported: 26 Nov 2011

Original URL: http://knol.google.com/k/-/-/2utb2lsm2k7a/580

The Theme

 

Do an intensive study of some chapters in Bible during holidays.

 

 

Advent is a spiritual season of preparation before Christmas celebrated by many Christians.

 

Advent is a time of preparation that is marked by prayer. Advent’s prayers are prayers of humble devotion and commitment, prayers of submission, prayers for deliverance, prayers from those walking in darkness who are awaiting and anticipating a great light

 

In Western Christianity, the season of Advent begins on the fourth Sunday prior to Christmas Day, or the Sunday which falls closest to November 30, and lasts through Christmas Eve, or December 24.

 

THE "BOOK" METHOD of Studying Bible
      1. This consists of an intensive study of a single book of the  Bible
      2. Since the Bible was written a book at a time, this is probably  the best way to study the Bible

 

By taking a chapter each week to read and study daily,  you can cover the New Testament in depth over a five year
            period

 PRAY AS YOU STUDY...
      1. Begin your study with prayer 
      2. As you study, ask God for the wisdom and strength to  understand and obey His Word 
      3. End your study with prayer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

http://executableoutlines.com/cw/cw_05.htm

 

 

http://www.cresourcei.org/cyadvent.html

 

A Related Knol of Interest

 

Quotations From Bible for The Power of Positive Thinking

The Qur’anic Call for Social Consciousness

Authors

• Narayana Rao

Published

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License

Version 4

Last edited: 20 Nov 2008

Exported: 26 Nov 2011

Original URL: http://knol.google.com/k/-/-/2utb2lsm2k7a/509

The Qur’an exhorts: “Be good to parents and near of kin and orphans and the needy and to the neighbor who is related to you and the neighbor who is alien and to the companion by your side and the wayfarer” (4:36).

 

This Qur’anic verse does not differentiate among gender, ethnicity, religion or background.

 

 

Reference

http://www.islamicamagazine.com/Online-Analysis/AKDN-Profile.html

The Spirit of Religions

The Spirit of Christianity ,The Spirit of Hinduism ,The Spirit of Islam, The Spirit of many other religions - Buddhism,

Islam
 

This article is motivated by the article published in The Times of India 9.6.2010 with the title "The Spirit of Islam."

 

The article was concluded with the statement "The spirit of Islam lies not in compulsion, but free will, not in punishment but forgiveness, not in justice but compassion, not in extremism but moderation."

(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Home/Opinion/Edit-Page/The-Spirit-Of-Islam/articleshow/6020724.cms)

 

 
Christianity

Ideas Expressed by His Holiness The Pope in 1947

 

"We place all our faith in God and after, God, we look towards the faithful of the world."

Our fundamental principles are to co-operate unreservedly towards social justice.

The idea of church is to establish peace really worthy of men.

It is certainty that Christ lives and works in each of us.

The future belongs to the energetic who think and act boldly and not to the timid and irresolute.

The future belongs to those who love and not to those who hate.

 

( Social Justice - A Message by His Holiness The Pope in 1947    )

Hinduism

The world needs, at times, criticisms, even fierce ones, but that is only for a time and the work of eternity is progress and construction, and not criticism and destruction.

"That science is the greatest which makes us know Him who never changes."

(Swami Vivekananda, The Common Bases of Hinduism, Lecture delivered at Lahore, From the Book Youth of India, Fifth Edition, Advaita Ashrama, 1972)


-----------------------------








-----------------------------

___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Original knol - http://knol.google.com/k/narayana-rao/the-spirit-of-religions/2utb2lsm2k7a/ 2571

Lord Save us From Your Followers - A Documentary Film

I came to know about this film through a blog on the documentary film in my search on North Central College, Naperville, Illionois,  Website .

 

The blogger wrote:

(http://blogs.northcentralcollege.edu/mesmith/)

 

It is a controversial and informative film with its basis in the fact that many Christians in today’s world have been going about living their faith on a day to day basis in a not so Christ like manner. The film quotes Gandhi, as saying “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ” and in my opinion, this is a great summary of the film in general.

 

It’s stressing the fact that we as Christians are not living like the Christ we proclaim to follow. Many times we choose to ignore the problems that would greatly disturb Jesus, and do not treat the people Jesus would most likely be friends with if He were here today with any respect or kindness. In essence, this film “explores the collision of faith and culture in America”. Again in this documentary, big names such as Al Franken, Rick Santorum, Bono, as well as many more voice their opinions on the matter. Whether you are a Christian or not, this is a great documentary to view that brings to light many of the shortcomings of today’s Christianity.

 

I think the statement applies to many religions. Most of the founders of religions are kind people. They showed love and affection for the poor and downtrodden. They might have resisted the attempts of the powerful to oppress the weak. But now wars are fought in the name of religion and whole regions are put in a state of conflict, pain and destruction.

 

Any further information on the documentary is welcome. The documentary can be extended to comments from people of many religions.

Children's Video on Life of Jesus - YouTube -

_____________ _____________

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m26lJVKGsQ

One hour twenty minutes video