The Peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lies within you, live peaceably with all men. Romans 12:17-18
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

Peace. A much sought after product, but seldom found by today's diggers. What does it mean to be a peacemaker? They who promote peace, instead of war, instead of division. They who introduce peace by way of the gospel, instead of hate. 
To be a Peacemaker is to reflect the heart of God, for God is Peace. "But now is Christ Jesus, you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by 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....For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father." Ephesians 2:13-14, 18
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6
Peacemakers are trouble-brokers, they settle disputes, disperse justice and judgment fairly. They disperse blessings on their attackers instead of vengeance: peacemakers do not  get even. Nor do they sue the wrongful, but leave everything in a situation in God's hands and let Him settle things, beginning with themselves. 
In this way, the Christian is recognized as a child of God. For only a true Christian, a true follower of Christ, will be proven by their actions and words of peace and blessing where none would be expected to be found. 1 Peter 2:8-9 "Finally, be you all of one mind, having compassion on one another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that you are thereunto called, that you should inherit a blessing." 

Blessed are we who bless each other and are a blessing to each other, who show compassion and mercy fairly, with guileless hearts: for we shall be called the children of God. 

The Pure In Heart

Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

So, in studying this verse out it took me to Psalm 15:2, which describes even further what it means to be pure of heart; it is more than good thoughts and generosity.
To be pure of heart is to walk uprightly and work righteousness, to live a moral life and use the powers we are given to bless people whenever we can, not use our powers against others. Whether the power we wield is social, economical, or political we are to use it to be a blessing not a curse.
This verse took me Genesis 17:1 where God tells Abraham that in order to walk With God, Abraham must back up his faith in God with obedience to God. And the righteous? They who honor God by placing Him first in every aspect and decision of their lives, which means they follow His will.
The pure in heart speak truth in their heart and truth is spoken through them. They don't lie to themselves, nor anyone else for that matter. So, how do I read this with understanding?

Blessed is the one who is pure in heart: who uses his blessings to bless others, who wields justice and mercy with compassion and not regard. Blessed is the one who puts God first in every way, and consults Him first in decision-making. Blessed is the one who backs up his faith in God with actions that align with his faith.

Seeing God fact to face is our reward for living a pure and holy life. God sees us always, but Hebrews 12:14 says that someday we will see God just as clearly as He sees us. Now, that's something to look forward to!

They That Mourn

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

Matthew 5:4

So, as I study through this portion of the sermon on the mount, the Beatitudes, I see that Luke 6:20-23 is referenced for most of it. And what does Luke have to write that confirms what Matthew is saying? He also speaks of the poor, the weeping, the persecutions, and rejoicing. Jesus is speaking to the crowd about the state of the believer. It is a hard and difficult life but the reward is worth it all.

They that mourn. It is not just the grieving heart that will be comforted in due time, it is the repentant, broken heart that is referred to, as well.  The word "mourn" is from the Hebrew word 'Pentheo' which means: to lament, I grieve, feel guilt; manifested grief so severe it takes possession of a person and cannot be hid. 

How does such grief find relief? In Jesus. The word 'blessed' all by itself goes beyond mere emotional status and into the spiritual well-being and 'distinctive spiritual joy of they who share in the salvation of the kingdom of God. Are you blessed in such a way? Come to Jesus. 

This past Wednesday Karl taught on Psalm 51 which shows the mournfulness of King David after his sin against God with Bathsheba. Here was grief manifested. And what did David do? He ran to God and repented of his sins. And what did God do? God forgave him. A reminder that when we sin, we should turn to God and seek His forgiveness. And God will forgive the truly repentant soul; the soul of a person will be comforted in the knowing of such forgiveness. 

God is merciful and will show mercy to whomsoever He chooses. King David lusted after a woman who. in my opinion as a woman,  shamelessly bathed on the rooftop of her house, where all could see her. He had sex with her, she got pregnant. So he manipulated the death of her husband and married her. Through it all he remained unrepentant and God judged him. Afterwards, David repented, received forgiveness and came into the joy of his salvation through God. Knowing God can forgive David for all his wickedness, we should run to God whenever sin gets into our hearts that God might forgive us, too. 

When we know the difference between what is right and what is wrong, we become accountable to God for how we choose. In this day and age of accessible technologies, there is no excuse for not being informed of the right way to live according to God. Bibles and Scripture passages can be accessed right on a person's cell phone. 

(I have downloaded Bible Hub on mine. There is also Bible Gateway, which is a great resource for study. I use Bible Hub on b  my PC daily because my Strong's Exhaustive Concordance has such tiny font that I need to use a magnifying glass to read it. Though I will still use it occasionally, but it is so doggone heavy. I am paying the price for growing older.)

Anyway, let's come back to our verse today. How do we seek God's forgiveness? It's easier than you think. On our knees, face downward acknowledging God's holiness and righteousness. Jesus gives us an example of how to pray, which is commonly referred to as The Lord's Prayer, but is merely an example of How To Pray. 

We can come to God as our Father. A good, good Father who resides in heaven, whose Name is HOLY. 

We pray for His kingdom to come to us, the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. We pray that God's will be done to us here, that we repent of our wicked ways, turn from them to God and walk out this life in His glory: that all may see that God is just in His love and merciful. We pray that God's will be done here just as His will is done in heaven where He reigns.

We pray for our daily Bread, for a daily walk with Jesus in this life we now live for God. Daily we will read His Word and seek His face. 

We pray for God to forgive us, as we have forgiven others. Whoa! That right there is a loaded prayer. How have we forgiven others, how have we treated the people who do us wrong? If we have not forgiven anyone who has mistreated us, then God cannot forgive us. We must forgive all those who sin against us, that God will forgive all the sins we have committed against Him. Only an honest heart will repent of all uncleanness, all unrighteous acts and thoughts that have kept us from the presence of God: for God is HOLY and sin cannot be where God is.

We pray that God keeps us from temptation, knowing that He will make a way for us to escape said temptations in our life. How do we know this? Because He says so. For the kingdom is His, the power is His and the glory is His. Not ours, nor anyone else's, regardless of what other folks might think, believe or say. 

Dear Heavenly Father, I repent of all my wicked ways, the words I have spoken and the thoughts which Your Spirit reveals to me. Forgive me of all my sins, bring me into Your kingdom and Your kingdom into me. Take me into Your heart, wash me clean and make me Yours.  Teach me Your ways and Your will that I might live a holy and righteous life in Your sight. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Poor In Spirit

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

Matthew 5:3

To be poor in spirit is to have humility before God. Since everything we do and say is seen and heard by God we need to be aware of this and consider how we will react to the words being spoken against the believer, the actions being brought against the believer's faith in Jesus Christ. 

To be poor in spirit is have joy in our relationship with Jesus Christ. It is a knowing of who He is, who He is in us and who we are in Him. It is joy in our salvation through Him. Why do we rejoice in such salvation? Salvation through Jesus Christ is necessary to not only reach God, but stay in God's eternal presence, in His heaven for all of eternity. 

When we die, our bodies are not just buried and that's it. Cremation may turn the body to ash and the winds may blow it to the four corners of the earth, but that's not the end either. A living person has three integral counterparts: the body, the soul and the spirit. 

The body is the physical part. The spirit is breath. The soul is our mind, our will, our emotions. The soul is the spiritual part of the body, the heart of the body that makes decisions and causes the body to go where the heart wills. 

When the body dies, the spirit, the breath, leaves the body. So does the soul. But where does the soul go? If you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, that He died on the cross and rose from the dead, and lived according to the Word of God on how a Christian (a follower of Jesus Christ) should live (precepts), then your soul is going to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

If, however, a person never believes that Jesus Christ is Lord, then that soul will go to hell. God clearly outlines what is required to enter into His kingdom and what happens when that requirement is not met. Hell is not one big party. If all of your friends are there, they don't want you there with them. It is a horrible, nasty, dry place without love, without relief. As a person lived in life, so that person will die in death: selfish and prideful. (see Luke 16:19-31)

What is the kingdom of heaven? A gift from God to those who believe that He sent His Son to Earth to take our punishment for sin by surrendering His will to His Father's will. (see John 3:16, 17; Luke 22:42) 

The kingdom of heaven is God's dwelling place, where God lives and abides. The believer is given the keys to the kingdom (Matthew 16:19). And lives according to kingdom rules (Matthew 7:21). 

But just remember: however you believe while you still draw breath determines the eternal destination of your soul. God does not send a person's soul to hell according to how 'bad' a person has been in this life, but how that person believed: God can see our hearts: our thoughts, our decisions. You cannot blame God for your actions. When He created us, He created us with the power to choose. We can choose life in Jesus Christ and be saved or we can choose not to believe and be condemned. 

I am a Christian. I choose to follow Jesus Christ and live according to godly precepts. I am a believer. 

Immeasurable

     (per a conversation I had with a friend a couple of weeks ago, this study has been burning in my heart. this is part one)

     Talents can be added to, multiplied. decreased and divided. Talents are goods, possessions, commodities. They can be traded with the intent to gain increase or banked to gain interest, depending on the type of commodity in question. 

     The talents spoken of in Matthew 25:14-30 are given by The Lord God as stated in verse 14 "the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country". The kingdom of heaven denotes sovereignty and kingship. And, who is King but our King? who is God but our God? Psalm 113:5 " Who is like the LORD our God, the One enthroned on high?"

     Who receives these talents? The Lord's servants (V.14). Who are His servants? Exodus 19:5,6a "Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." 1 Peter 2:9 "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." 

     What determines who receives each quantity of talents? (V.15) "To every man according to his ability." Talents are not abilities. Ability in this instance means "miraculous power, might, strength" according to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. God knows the hearts of His servants and to each of us He has given a portion of His goods. Not bury in the ground and hide away (V.25), but to increase such goods that God would be glorified by our actions. 

     Since it is God who determines what is given to whom, we are not to wonder, envy, nor judge what has been given but help one another to increase the talents. But the talent (talanton) is not a monetary unit, but a measuring unit by which all commodities are weighed, such as by scale, as each country has it own coin and trading system. 

     We are each given a measure of faith (Romans 12:3), a portion (territory, tract of land) of our inheritance, our reward. But it is up to us to multiply our measures, that when our Lord returns for what is His we are able to give Him the bounteous harvest He is looking for on His return. 

Not Offended

And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me. Matthew 11:6

Christ being a stumblingblock to many who had difficulty believing this poor Galilean man was the answer to the Old Testament prophecies. While Christ's teachings offended many, the people who believe and are not offended in Him are the happiest of people, for their faith leapt over the stumblingblock of unbelief into eternal life through Jesus Christ. 

Isaiah 28:16 "the one who believes shall not be shaken"
Romans 8:33 "whosoever believeth on HIm shall not be ashamed."
1 Peter 2:7 "to you who believe this Stone is precious."
1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculliar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out darkness into His marvelous light."

But to them who do not believe that Jesus Christ is God's plan of salvation, He becomes a stumbling block, a 'Rock of Offence'. 

We are not to be offended when people revile us for the sake of the gospel. When we are mocked for the choices we make in our everyday lives. When we become the joke and the punchline amongst our families and friends/former friends, we are not to be offended.
Yes, it can be painful at first. But hurt feelings need to turn to Christ for strength. And when Jesus wraps us into His loving embrace, all offenses just melt away. 
Eventually, our hearts become so filled with His love that we are not offended. We are able to love like Jesus simply because it is Jesus loving they who reject Him in us. 
Blessed/Happy is the person who is not offended by the grace which God has given them. 
Blessed am I because I am not offended by the extension of grace which God sent to the world. 
I am saved becaue the blood of Jesus Christ washed away my sins.
I have eternal life because Jesus Christ overcame death and the grave.
I have everything God promises through Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ lives in me; I live in Him; and He lives in God.