Rejoice And Be Exceeding Glad - Matthew 5:12

 Rejoice, And Be Exceeding Glad

Matthew 5:12
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

    Laughing in the face of danger will cause consternation and frustration to some of those who come against us. But a few will wonder where our strength lies. They will seek us out to speak with us, to hear about our faith in our God and His gospel. 

    In the cover of night Nicodemus came to Jesus with his questions. [John 3:1-21]. And Jesus answered him. 

    In the dark of night Judas betrayed Jesus to a crew of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees. [John 18:3]. They didn't seek Him out to know Him better: they were there to arrest Him. 

    It is not the night that gives us away. It is the motives of the heart which determine the seeker's intentions towards God and God's people. 

    Every prophet of God from Old Testament times into these New Testament times, who remains faithful to God in their hearts and their actions and their words, has been or will be, a thorn in the unbelieving heart. 

    For example, Elisha was minding his own business, walking through town headed towards the religious school in that area, when he was accosted by young boys shouting at him, making fun of him for being one of God's prophets (and thereby mocking The God Elisha served). [2 Kings 2:23,24]. 

    The men who answered to Daniel were jealous of his position in the king's court and sought to denigrate him with the king. Hence, the decree which King Darius signed without considering the consequences. One might think this an unkingly thing to do, but kings are just people, too, and they make mistakes. [Daniel 6]. 

    Obadiah, the shortest book in the Old Testament, written about a vision that prophet had concerning the destruction of Edom, Esau's descendants who also inherited Esau's hate for Jacob/Israel. Though on the surface they appeared to ally themselves with Israel, beneath that exterior brewed hate and envy towards her. [Obadiah 1 {cf} 2 Chronicles 20]. 

    Hate and envy. Towards God's people and the relationship they have with their God. Towards God for the blessings He gives some, but not others. Yet, if they who hate God would only revere and love God, these same blessings which God has given His people, would be given to they who once were not His people, but now are become His people. 

    The Light Shining In The Darkness will shine His Light into the hearts of men and women who seek to know Him and Who He Is. Rejoice, and be glad. Be overly filled with such great joy in the knowledge of God's saving grace within us that the abundance of grace which God has blessed us with pours into someone else's life. 

WELCOME HOLY SPIRIT - Hilde M. Bedsvaag

LORD REIGN IN ME - Vineyard Music

    

Blessed Are They Which Are Falsely Accused

 Blessed Are They Which Are Falsely Accused

Matthew 5:11

Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake.

    Someone, somewhere, at some point in time is going to tell lies about you and your faith in Christ. It's already started, you know. We are hated for our intolerance against sin. 

    But we do not hate in return. We do not retaliate. We do not speak out against the people who are lying about us. We can hold our heads up and face the raging voices with honor and integrity, for we are Christ's. We are in Him and He is in us. 

    To be reviled is to be censured, criticized and condemned for the sake of Jesus' Name. To be persecuted is to be subject to hostility and ill-treatment. Understatements those are. Hostility is anything from a mean word to a weapon aimed in our direction. Ill-treatment can be rudeness, being ignored, and being cruelly afflicted. 

    In Christ we have become the righteousness of God and we are seen as enemies of this world and enemies of all the religions, gods, idols and idolatry which are practiced in this world. Which, in Truth, we are. For whoever is not with God is against God. [Matthew 12:30; John 15:23; Luke 10:16].

    In Christ we are called to suffer for righteousness' sake. Before Christ ever took up His cross, He had already suffered tremendously for our sakes. It is only fitting therefore, that when we take up our cross and follow Him, we, too, should suffer for the sake of the cross. [Mark 8:34; 1 Peter 2:21]. 

    2 Timothy 3:12

Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

    1 Peter 4:13

But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory. 

    It is a blessing to be counted among the sufferers for the sake of the gospel. It is a joy and a great reward to be numbered among the saints who lived by faith in The Word of God. We rejoice! to belong to God in Christ Jesus! Great is His faithfulness to us who believe. 

    

Blessed Are The Persecuted For Righteousness' Sake

 Blessed Are The Persecuted For Righteousness' Sake

Matthew 5:10

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of God. 

    Persecuted can be anything from being made fun of for choosing Christ over the pleasures this world offers to actually being killed for being a Christian, a Christ-follower. The pain and agony of being ignored for the sake of the gospel is minor compared to the pain and agony of dying without knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 

    Righteousness' sake is the knowledge that Jesus Christ is our Righteousness. [1 Corinthians 1:22-31]. What the world deems foolishness, crazy, intolerant and hateful is that which God has chosen to save those who believe in His Son for their salvation. 

    The Righteousness From God

Philippians 3:7-9

    7. But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ. 

    8. More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish (dung, refuse, dregs), that I may gain Christ

    9. and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, The Righteousness from God on the basis of faith.

    2 Corinthians 5:21

God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become The Righteousness of God. 

    Romans 3:21-24

21. But now, apart from the law, The Righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.

22.  And This Righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction

23. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24. and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

    As Paul wrote, " For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Gentile/Non-Jew), For the gospel reveals The Righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” [Romans 1:16,17]

    

Blessed Are The Peacemakers

 

Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

    This verse is the only verse in the Bible which uses this term. It means 'One who bravely declares God's terms which makes someone whole'. 

    Therefore, a peacemaker is someone who declares The Truth of God's Word to a lost and dying world. Lost without knowledge, without wisdom, without understanding. Dying in sins which could have been forgiven and washed clean out of a person's heart, if they had only believed on The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation. 

    A peacemaker counts the cost of sharing the Love of God with someone. That cost is a lost soul dying and never having another opportunity to hear how much God loves them. That cost is not allowing self-preservation to get in the way. That cost is speaking His Name into the mindset of someone who does not know His Name properly. 

    A peacemaker is brave, strong, and courageous. For The Holy Spirit of God dwells within them, leading and guiding through The Word: revealing God's nature, God's Names, and God's character to us. Not just to enrich our souls, but that we might be able to share this enrichment with others. 

    A peacemaker knows God's terms of salvation and holiness. 

GOD's TERMS of SALVATION

John 3:16-18>Believing that His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ is The Way 

Romans 10:9-13>Calling On Jesus' Name for our salvation

John 14:6>Believing that Jesus is The Way to The Father

Hebrews 10:19,20>Believing that Jesus Christ is The New And Living Way by His blood which He shed for us

1 John 5:11,12>Eternal Life is in God's Son

THE ROADMAP

       God is the ultimate Peacemaker. Ephesians 2:13-16 "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For He is our Peace, Who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us;  having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,  that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity." 

    Colossians 1:19,20

For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.

    God loves you. And He wants you to spend eternity with Him. Come to Jesus. 

 

Blessed Are The Pure In Heart

 

Matthew 5:8

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

    Who are the pure in heart? 'Cause I want to be one of them. I want to see God and live. I don't want to see God and die. To see God once and never see Him again is a horrible thing to imagine. 

    For God is Light, unimaginable, blindingly brilliant Light which lights up a whole nation, not just a single room. [1 John 1:5; Revelation 21:23]. He is The Father of Lights [James 1:17]. 

    His glory, His holiness, outshines the sun, the moon and the stars combined [Isaiah 60:19,20; Revelation 22:5]. It is this same holiness of God that demands God's people to be holy, for without The Righteousness of Christ upon the hearts and souls of the believer, The Light of God will not be seen by us. For it is Christ and His Spirit Who work together to make us holy. 

    If we want to be pure, we must allow God to do His work in us. It is He Who washes us clean of the contaminating destruction of the devil's work on our hearts and our souls. It is God The Son Who cleanses us from ALL unrighteousness, and makes us presentable to Himself. 

    He purifies us in His furnace, removing all the dross and iniquities from us, holding us up in His hand, turning us this way and that, seeking to see if He can see His reflection in that which He holds in His hand. If not, then we are put back into the fire to remove even the least little scratch, the smallest blemish which keeps us from being perfected by His work. 

    God is The Potter and The Refiner. It is He Who sits and works on His creations, ever creating anew moment by moment the clay in His hands. He smoothes, shaves, sands, breathes on, shapes, covers, carves, designs, colors, pours on and sets fire to His ever changing vessel. 

    There is pain and there is joy. There is sorrow and there is laughter. There is mundane and there is wonder. There is failure and there is progress. There is distress and there is peace. There is disappointment and there is hope. 

    Each facet of being molded into what God is preparing each of us to be is worth going through the fire for. For I would rather be in God's holiness process fire, than in the fires of His judgment. It is after I have gone through the final fire, that I am made perfected in Him. It is then that He will see His glorious reflection in me. It is then that His smile lights up this vessel of honor. 

    Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 

    O Lord, 

Make me pure in heart. Make me holy for I want to see You and live. I yearn to be in Your presence for all of eternity. No more sorrow, no more pain, no tears will ever run down my face again, for You will wipe away all tears. You are The Loving God Who forgives every time I ask You to. You are my Father and I love to be in Your presence. You are unchanging and all who come to You, seeking an audience with The King will be received by You. Receive me, Lord, and revive, give new life, to this heart of mine. Set me on fire, Lord. Set me on fire for more of You. Amen. 

Blessed Are The Merciful

 

Matthew 5:7

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

    Merciful: compassionate, love in motion

    Those who do not forgive will themselves not be forgiven. In that same rule, they who do not show mercy, will themselves be shown no mercy. 

    If we want to reach others for Christ, we need more than mere words, we need to be actively living Christ-filled lives, that our words may mirror our hearts. Had God not loved us so much, He would never have sent His Son to be our Savior in such a horrendous way as The Way of The Cross. 

    But God shows us mercy as we come to the cross and look upon His Only Begotten Son, seeing a Savior Who died obediently for us. He surrendered to God's will that God's compassion might be poured out upon each one who gazes upon the cross and sees The Lord Jesus Christ. With this same compassion we are to have The Love of God bubbling up within us, pouring out into someone else's life, that they, too, might come to the cross and see Jesus. 

    The merciful are just. The law applies to all, therefore, mercy is applies to all. The Law of God reveals sin, but the mercy of God washes away sin when we come to the cross and believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. 

    Paul writes that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" [Romans 3:23]. And again in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." That's mercy. 

Death is the judgment against sin. Mercy is the reward on the repentant sinner. 

    Are we showing this same mercy to one another? Are we showing compassion to the enemies of the cross? For there was a time before we came to the knowledge of saving grace when we were enemies of the cross and someone had mercy on us. How we treat one another is indicative of the level of mercy that has infiltrated our hearts. 

    In their time the disciples of Christ turned the world upside-down, by preaching a gospel of repentance and salvation through Christ Jesus, Who had died on the cross, yet rose from the dead and walked out of the grave. And Who extends His mercy to all who will receive it. Are we turning our world upside-down by sharing this same Jesus with all we meet? 

    We live in a topsy-turvy world, where 'evil is good, and good is evil' [Isaiah 5:20-24; Romans 1:26,27]. In fact, it's the law of the land here. But it is not God's law. In fact, it is completely and irreverently against God's Law. For in God's Law is God's Mercy. We need to be out and "about The Father's business", speaking and doing God's Mercy message of repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ with a heart that is so full of His Love we cannot but help ourselves to speak of such Grace.

    Blessed are the merciful, for we shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the compassionate, for they shall be shown compassion. 

Blessed Are They Who Hunger and Thirst For Righteousness

 

Matthew 5:6

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 

    This is the kind of hunger and thirst that cannot be satisfied with mere food and beverages. The intake of the spiritual food and spiritual beverages are what sustains a Christian, a servant of God.

    When Jesus was at the well, after He had spoken with the Samaritan woman, He explained to His disciples that His meat was "to do the will of My Father" [John 4:34]. We also know that Jesus Himself is our Bread of Life [John 6:35,48]. That His Holy Spirit is a Wellspring of Life within the believer [John 4:14; 6:35; 7:38]. 

    In Jesus is our hunger and our thirst satisfied, but never quenched. We pursue Him daily, choosing to spend time with Him instead of squandering the time we have been given on vain pursuits. 

    We rise early in the morning, before dawn breaks and the sun spreads its rays over us, to spend our waking hours with Him [Psalm 63:1]. Early in the morning, while it was still dark out, Jesus rose and went into the garden [John 20:1]. Early in the morning Jesus waited and watched and prepared a fire for His disciples, who had returned to fishing [John 21:4-14]. 

    Not only were their stomachs filled when they obeyed Jesus' call to them, but their knowledge increased for they recognized that this was their Teacher, Jesus. This was He Whom they had followed and listened to for the last three years. This was their Friend and they are about to understand and realize just Who Jesus Is. 

    This is Jesus Who was born in a stable and laid in a manger. A humble birth for The King of Kings. This is Jesus Who taught with Authority the gospel message of salvation through repentance. This is Jesus Who was tortured and beaten and nailed to a cross to pay the penalty for our sins.        This is Jesus Who forgave the people who did this to Him. This is Jesus Who loved us enough to die for us, so we wouldn't have to bear the repercussions of sin-stained souls: death and the grave and hell. 

    This is Jesus Who calls out now to those who would hear The Word of The Lord, listen to what He is saying, and obey His commands with love and respect for Him. The heart is stirred by His Spirit, the mind is enamored with His Name. His voice whispers near us and His Spirit nudges us, convicting us of sin where necessary, and strengthening us with God's grace at all times. 

    To hunger and thirst for righteousness is to be on fire for God and the things of God, even if that fire within us is a spark, an ember, or a roaring flame, the hunger and the thirst increase the closer we are to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

MY PORTION - Mark Barlow

BEEN A FIRE - Hi-Rez & Jordan Meyer

FOR WE SHALL BE FILLED 

    Psalm 107:9

For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

    John 6:35

Jesus answered, “I Am The Bread of Life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst."

THAT I MAY KNOW HIM

    Philippians 3:8-12

8. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

9. And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

10. That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death;

11. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

12. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

MILK OR MEAT?

    Hebrews 5:12-14

12. Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to re-teach you the basic principles of God’s Word. You need milk, not solid food! 

13.  For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. 

14. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.

Blessed Are The Meek

 

Matthew 5:6

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

    The Amplified Bible states it like this:

  Blessed [inwardly peaceful, spiritually secure, worthy of respect] are the gentle [the kind-hearted, the sweet-spirited, the self-controlled], for they will inherit the earth.

BLESSED

    Here, blessed means more than happy. We are peaceful for we have the peace of Christ living within us. We are spiritually secure for we have Eternal Life through Jesus Christ, Who loves us and died for us. We are worthy of respect because of our faith in God through The Name of His Only Begotten Son. 

    Our blessing comes from God and because of this we are persecuted by anyone who is not of God. Though our persecutors rail against us by their words and their actions, we are still blessed of God when we allow Him to have the victory. We choose to let Him fight our battles for us by praying for those who come against us, by speaking The Word of Life over them and to them in the love of God Which is alive in our hearts and minds. 

ARE THE MEEK

    With Christ Jesus as our example, we are gentle, for He is gentle.

    Matthew 11:29

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

    Philippians 2:5-8

5. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:  

6. Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 

7. but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.

8. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.

    We are self-controlled, for we have His Holy Spirit teaching us how to be so and speak so, following Christ's example for us.

    Isaiah 53:7

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.

    1 Peter 2:23

When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

    It is difficult at times to not want to brashly respond to someone who is unjustly coming against us, even in our own homes [Psalm 38:12-15]. Our feelings get hurt; we are gaslit by a loved one; we are abused or slandered. Yet, as Christ's beloved we must maintain a gentle heart, if we are to advance God's directive in this world. For we must remember, this world in which we live is not our home.

    Hebrews 11:13

All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

    1 Peter 2:11,12

11. Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.

12. Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles (the unbelieving} that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.

    We need God's Holy Spirit in us that He may instill within our hearts and minds His precious fruit: Galatians 5:22,23 "Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Temperance."

    These are not just attributes of the believer, they are blessings from God The Father upon His chosen people [1 Peter 2:9], His flock [John 10:27]. 

    Love: Agape-"a holy, self‐giving disposition that originates in God, is displayed perfectly in Jesus Christ, and is implanted in believers by the Holy Spirit" [John 13:34]

    Joy: Chara-" the settled, Spirit-given delight that arises from the redemptive acts and abiding presence of God" [Nehemiah 8:10]

    Peace: Eiréné- "it is the positive, covenantal state that flows from God’s redemptive work in Christ and is applied by The Holy Spirit to individuals and communities" [Ephesians 2:14]

    Patience: Makrothumia- "a God-centered restraint that endures provocation without surrendering to resentment or retaliation. .. A purposeful waiting that preserves righteousness and seeks the good of others. .. Spirit-empowered resilience" [Colossians 1:11]

    Kindness: Chréstotés- "the Spirit-produced goodness which meets the need and avoids human harshness; meeting real needs, in God's way, in His timing. A supernatural product of regeneration. " [Titus 3:4,5; Romans 2:4]

     Goodness: Agathosune- "the goodness that comes from God; spiritual, moral excellence:  virtue actively expressed in generosity and righteous initiative toward others. Moral integrity" [Ephesians 5:8,9; 2 Thessalonians 1:11,12]

    Faithfulness: Pistis- "reliance upon Christ for salvation; being daily filled by God with additional faith to accomplish His purposes" [Romans 12:2,3; Ephesians 2:8,9; Hebrews 11:1] 

    Gentleness: Prautés- "meekness, humility; begins with The Lord's inspiration and finishes by His direction and empowerment. It is a divinely-balanced virtue that can only operate through faith: inner strength under Holy Spirit control" [Isaiah 42:2; Galatians 6:1; 1 Peter 3:15,16]

    Temperance: Egkrateia- "proceeding out from within oneself, but not by oneself; the Spirit-enabled mastery of desires, impulses, and habits so that they serve rather than rule the believer." [Romans 12]

THEY INHERIT THE EARTH

    Not this world, this earth, but the new earth which God will create after His purposes have been accomplished on this earth. 

    Romans 4:13

For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

    Isaiah 57:13

When you cry out, let your companies (idolatrous heaps) deliver you; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, and shall inherit My holy mountain.

    Isaiah 65:17

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

    Revelation 21:1

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

    And, as Peter reminds us, the believers, in 2 Peter 3, there is coming a day when all of this earth and all of her skies and seas will disappear. With this announcement comes a warning to all, believer and unbeliever alike: God is Judge and will judge all on a day that is yet to be declared. [2 Peter 3:1-7]

    We must endeavor to maintain our relationship with God through Christ Jesus and His Holy Spirit. The days in which we live now, though hard days, are more comfortable to us than the days we have yet to live, which will be nearly insufferable; yet suffer we will. Through it all, we are to keep hold of our faith and live holy and godly lives. [2 Peter 3:8-13]

    And he wraps it all up neatly [2 Peter 3:14-18] by exhorting, encouraging, the church of believers to (1) Be found at peace {spotless, blameless}; (2) Remember the Lord's patience which leads to salvation; (3) Be on our guard against false doctrines; (4) Grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

    Let this same exhortation be to us, as well. Let us be seen as "the blessed of The Lord God". Let us be known as meek in every aspect of the word. Let us be longing for our mansions which The Lord is preparing for us. 

    Let us work together in unity of The Spirit and the freedom thereof that the will of God be accomplished through our actions. Let us express our hope and our yearning for that day in which we will be reunited with our Groom. And let us take as many of our family and friends, strangers and enemies, as we can, with us. For all have been invited. The invitation has gone out and The Groom and The Father are waiting for a response.

    Come to Jesus and Live.  

    

    

    

    

    

Blessed Are They That Mourn

 

Matthew 5:4

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

    From The Topical Lexicon:

The verb appears ten times in the Greek New Testament and consistently depicts profound sorrow that is either godly—aligned with repentance and dependence on The Lord—or worldly, lamenting the loss of earthly pleasure and prosperity. 

    In Genesis 37:34 Jacob mourned the loss of his son Joseph. Here the word mourn is associated with a visible display of personal bereavement (grief, sorrow, sadness, trauma, deprived of someone's presence). It is a heartfelt, vocal state of being. 

    He tore his clothes. He put on sackcloth, a coarse, uncomfortable fabric usually used for bags and sacks that held grains. He mourned: he lamented, bewailed. His cries of pain, suffering, and loss were impossible to ignore and yet he could not be silenced. Cries of irreparable grief at the suddenness of this calamity on his son filled the air. His heart was broken and his plans for his son were shattered into nothing. 

    This is the state of mourning in a seeker's heart when they come to God through the cross of Christ. We recognize that we are unholy, unrighteous, unable to save ourselves. We throw ourselves on The Rock, begging God to forgive us. The stained garment of flesh which clothes us is inappropriate to wear in His holy presence. We need Jesus to cover us with Himself. And He can only do so when we ask Him into our hearts and give Him the reins of our lives. 

    This mourning, this lamenting, over the ruination of our souls brings us to Jesus on the cross, Jesus in the tomb, and Jesus in the garden. It is in the cross we are saved. In the tomb we are conquerors over death. In the garden we are clothed with resurrected bodies, we are covered with grace and salvation. 

    In such a state of mourning God does not leave His flock. He sends us His Comforter to teach us how to be His holy people. To teach us what it means to live a righteous life; to live the fruit of The Spirit. [Galatians 5:22,23]. To fill us with power to witness of God's saving grace through Jesus Christ that we may carry the message of this blessed Hope to all nations. [Acts 1:8; 2:1-4]. 

    The Lord God comforts us in times of sorrow and grief. He fills us with His Hope, His Peace, His Joy, His Love, His Presence. Through His Holy Spirit God fills us with more of Himself, taking away the darkness of loss and replacing it with The Light of His Love. 

    And, not wanting to see anyone perish in their ruination, we speak The Truth, proclaiming to all who hear, that Jesus Christ is Lord. Come to Jesus. And Live. 

Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit

    Matthew 5:3

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

    The poor in spirit have good company. God tells us in Isaiah 57:15 "For thus says The One who is high and lifted up, Who inhabits eternity, Whose Name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite." 

    God dwells (lives) with the humble in spirit. He restores the spirit of the lowly. He revives the heart of the contrite. Don't you want God to say that about you? I know I do. The humble in spirit are the poor in spirit. We know we lack what we need (a Savior) and we know we can't obtain it for ourselves (salvation). 

    The poor in spirit are also 'the humble in spirit'. We are contrite in our hearts: we know we have sinned and we repent of our wicked ways against God: our evil thoughts, the iniquity in our lives, the transgressions against His Word. We recognize that only God can forgive us for the sins we have committed against Him, so we come to God with humble hearts, seek His face, beg His mercy. And God FORGIVES us! Such Love God has for the seeker, the one who never knew Him until now! Amazing Love God has for the prodigal, the one who used to know Him, left, and has now returned to be embraced by a loving, forgiving Father! 

    Though salvation is freely given to us, it cost Jesus Christ His life: His whole life. Being nailed to a cross was the end of His earthly life, but it wasn't the first time He was come against in His earthly life. From the time He began His ministry of preaching the gospel of salvation through repentance, His words stung the hearts of the many thousands who heard Him speak. And not all of them received His authority to speak in such a manner. 

    The religious rulers of His day conspired with one of His friends to betray Him, someone Jesus chose to surround Himself with. At any point after the betrayal, Judas could have repented and been forgiven. After all, he had been traveling with Jesus for three years, he had heard the gospel message of repentance shared many times over. But he never believed it, so he could not receive it. 

    I believe it and I have received it. I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. Therefore, I have received Him into my heart and given Him my life, my whole life. I believe that Jesus Christ is God's Only Begotten Son, that He died on the cross in my place, taking the punishment for my sins. I believe that Jesus overcame death, conquering hell and the grave, when He walked out of the tomb and into a new, resurrected body. 

    I believe that one day I will see my Savior after death takes my body or in the day God sends Him to gather the church home with Him. Whether by way of the grave or way of the air, I'm getting ready to meet Jesus and remain with Him permanently. Are you going with me? It would be lovely if we could go together. 

    James 2:5

Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? 

    We are the poor of this world. You know why? This world is not our home. Therefore, nothing we have in this world is really ours: it's borrowed, loaned out to us for our temporary use. Even this flesh draped across our skeletons and muscles is temporary: we won't need it where we're going. 

    New bodies await us: new spiritual bodies. Here, we worship Him Whose handiwork we see. There, we will worship Him Whose face we will see. Here, we congregate to praise Him, hear His Word and be changed by His Word. There, we will join the great congregation of witnesses and angels to praise Him, hear Him speak and be completed in Him. 

    As Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." [1 Corinthians 13:12]. 

    2 Corinthians 3:18

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of The Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from The Lord, Who is The Spirit.

    I saw a post that said, "I'm proud to be a Christian." Let me tell you now, that if there is pride in your heart for anything of the sort, get rid of it. That type of post takes glory away from God. The only reason we are Christians is because we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord: in our hearts, in our thoughts, in our lives. 

    That is nothing to be proud of. It is, however, something to be humbled by. The kingdom of heaven is mine because I believe that God sent His Only Begotten Son to give me eternal life. [John 3:16].

Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit - Bessie Griffin

    

    

Christianity

   

     Christianity began in The New Testament in Matthew 4:19, when Jesus said, "Follow Me" and the people He called to follow Him, answered His call to follow. That's what Christian really means you know: Follower of Christ. Hearing what He has to say and doing what He says to do. Simple. 

    We could go back farther, though, before Christ was born in that manger, before The Word was born in flesh. We could go back to Genesis 4:26, when Seth began to call on The Name of The Lord. "And to Seth was born a son, and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon The Name of The Lord." 

     

     The Name of The Lord has not changed in power, in description, in Name. The Name of The Lord saves: Romans 10:13. The Name of The Lord is to be praised: Psalm 145:1-2. The Name of The Lord is to be feared: Isaiah 59:19. The Name of The Lord is to be revered: Numbers 15:30. The Name of The Lord is to be glorified within the church, and thus, the Christians who make up the church: 2 Thessalonians 1:12.

    The Name of The Lord is Jesus Christ. He is Savior. He is Praise and ascribed praise. He is Fearful. He is ascribed Honor. He is The Unveiled Splendor radiating outward from the inward change which faith in His Name has wrought within the believer. 

    Christianity is when we fulfill that call to Follow Christ and choose to have The Word of God LIVE in us by the power of His Holy Spirit. We choose to display the fruit of The Spirit in our lives that others may see the Goodness of God in us and be drawn to The Light of His Love and The Joy of His Communion. We make a conscientious decision to be obedient to The Word of God and allow His Holy Spirit to not just modify our behavior, but radically change us. 

    From the beginning people were made in the image of God. From conception each of us are stamped with His image. But from the age of understanding and reason, we are each faced with the decision to either follow Christ or reject Him. This age is different for everyone, though some children understand Who Christ is and what He did for them from a very young age (3); yet the basic age of understanding and reasoning out for ourselves is usually around 12-13, when we begin to question what is real, what is right and what is truth. 

    Christianity builds itself on The Chief Cornerstone, Jesus Christ. It is built on the patriarchs and prophets, who foretold of the birth of Christ, the ministry of Christ, the death of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, and the Kingship of Christ. 

    Christianity is to give ourselves to The Lord. Isaiah 44:5-We take His Name to ourselves. Deuteronomy 26:17, 18-We call Him our God and He calls us His people. 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20-We are His temple and have been bought with a great price. Romans 14:8-In life and in death we belong to The Lord. Galatians 3:29-We are heirs according to the promise [Romans 9:8].

    Acts 11:26 tells us that we were first called Christians in a town called Antioch, the third-largest city of the Roman Empire and the capitol of Syria. Followers of Jesus. Setting us apart from any ethnicity (for whether we are Jewish believers or Gentile [any non-Jew) believers, we are all believers in The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ.           We are set apart from community organizations, for our reasons for coming together are to exalt The Name of The Lord in worship and in testimonies; in service and in sharing the gospel and hearing the gospel. 

    Christianity is exclusive. It does not partake of any other religion's activities, nor that religion's beliefs. It does not join itself to another's religion in any way, sense or form. For CHRIST JESUS is ABOVE all gods. And His Name is Jealous. Chrislam is blasphemy against God. Christian Nationalism is blasphemy against God. Mixing any religions' "best qualities", including Christianity, into one's personal religious faith is blasphemous. Be very careful and make wise choices. 

    Christianity is not inherited. Each one of us make a decision to believe in The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for ourselves. Grandma and Grandpa's belief on Jesus' Name will not save you or I. Momma taking us to church every time the doors opened will not save us. Tradition and familial resonances will not get us into Christianity. Only Christ and following Him upon belief in Him plants us in Him. 

    Today is the day you must make a decision for Christ, if you have not done so already. Hebrews 3:15 "As it has been said: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion.” (cf. Hebrews 4:7; Deuteronomy 30:19, 20; Joshua 24:15). 2 Corinthians 6:2 For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

CALL YOUR NAME - Dan Bremnes

WHEN I CALL ON JESUS - Nicole C. Mullen

 

Seeker's Heart - Strait and Narrow

 

Matthew 7:14

Because strait is The Gate, and narrow is The Way
that leads to Life, and few there be who find it.

Luke 13:24

Strive to enter in at The Strait Gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

    Why won't people be able to enter The Strait Gate and The Narrow Way? Because that Gate and that Way is through Jesus Christ. 

    John 10:9

I Am The Door (The Gate). If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 

    Just like in a garden fence there is a gate to open and go in, go through, there is also One Gate, One Door, to go through to get into Eternal Life Through Jesus Christ.  Right now this Gate is open, but the day is near and close at hand, when this Door will be closed. And many who will be left out will not be able to get The Door open on their own. 

    Just as the ark's ramp/entryway/door was closed by God, so, this entrance into the spiritual ark will be closed by God. God ordains events to happen at certain times of His calendar. Just as Noah could not open the door to let people in when the earth flooded, so, too will God's Door not be able to be opened to let 'just one more' in. 

STRAIT IS THE GATE

    A fine line to walk on and live in according to the plan of Salvation and Sanctification which God has laid out for us. Luke writes that we are to strive to enter in at The Strait Gate. A few translations say, "Make every effort". 

    Strive: Earnestly pursue, endeavor to accomplish, labor intensively

But do so now, while we still have our faculties. While our minds can still comprehend and understand the need to enter in. While our eyes can still read The Word. While our ears can still hear The Word. While our hearts can still pursue The Word. 

    While we have preachers who are not afraid to preach The Whole Word of God according to The Word of God. While we, as yet, have teachers and expositors, who break down The Word, sometimes one word at a time, just to know that we know what we know. 

    Let us seek The Lord "while He may be found". [Isaiah 55:6]. Once The Gate closes, The Lord will not be found anywhere on this earth. Nor will The Holy Spirit of God be here. For when The Bridegroom comes to get His bride, His Best Friend will go back home with Him. [Matthew 25:1-13; John 3:29]. 

NARROW IS THE WAY

    Narrow does not mean what you may think it means. 

    Narrow: suffer tribulation, suffer affliction, distress, trouble

 Luke 9:23, 24

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whosoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whosoever loses his life for My sake will save it."

    Carrying a cross requires an inordinate amount of strength and self-discipline. While we will carry whatever our cross may be for the most part, there will be times when we need someone to help us carry it. Regardless, the cross we carry will be heavy and we may want to lay it down and just stop. Don't. The destination is worth the journey. 

    The cross we carry is designed by God. We may not always recognize it as such, but the burden of carrying such a load surely weighs on us just the same. Taking up the cross daily means we have set aside worldly desires and goals, so that we can accomplish godly goals. 

    I've Got My Mind Made Up my heart is fixed, I'm going with Jesus all the way!

        

FEW THERE BE 

    Why will only a few find The Gate and The Narrow Way? The Way of Holiness means anything unholy cannot be found in it. No sin of any kind can touch it. No unrighteousness may enter The Narrow Way, for The Way is holy and pure. The one who believes he or she is not a sinner is lying to themselves. 

    Who cannot enter in at The Strait Gate: 

John 8:19; 14:7; 1 John  - Those who do not know Jesus cannot know God

John 3:5; Titus 3:5 - Those not born of water and of blood

Revelation 20:15 - Those whose names are not written in The Book of Life

Revelation 21:8 - The fear-driven [lacking fortitude {determination and dedication in following Christ}, they who give into persecution and deny Christ], and unbelieving [faithless, the unpersuaded soul], the sexually immoral, the unrepentant, the murderers [those who willingly shed innocent blood], sorcerers [incantationers, those who practice witchcraft & make magic potions, illusionists who deceive by twisting Scripture], idolaters [both those who make idols, those who sell and buy idols, those who worship idols], liars [deceivers, opposers to divine Truth] 

    Everything Jesus is, The Narrow Way and The Strait Gate are. Because JESUS CHRIST IS THE STRAIT GATE. JESUS CHRIST IS THE NARROW WAY. 

    John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I Am The Way, The Truth, and The Life. No one comes to The Father except through Me."