In tough times...

Folks, we've been gearing up for this one since we started the Ten Commandments, whether you realize it or not, and it is the one that just sends me a-soarin!  It is the culmination of the promises made to us all, and it comes with the ultimate prize and place to call home... HEAVEN!

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs."

Matthew 5:10

From a literal aspect, let's just look for a second at Christ with this one, shall we?  Did He suffer?  Oh yes.  And is He the King of kings, seated at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven?  Certainly.  Is it He that will reign in the millennial kingdom?  Indeed.  Therefore, Jesus is blessed for His sufferings... and He is our example... so we might suffer if we do the right thing all the time like He did... but we would be blessed for it!

What baffles me about this is that certain people would have you believe that we are intended to live a life of ease and lavish comfort, because we are the saved Christians.  But our Example did not have such a life, did He?  He was tormented, hated, tortured, dismissed, ignored, reviled, beaten and murdered an innocent Man.  I don't see a lot of comfort there.  We are called to serve, and called to suffer, and that is a privilege. 

When we suffer and we are persecuted for chasing righteousness with fervor, we should always say a quiet prayer of thanks for the privilege to stand against the evil of this world.  Each and every time, we are given the blessing to stand up for our convictions and beliefs, and we are always better for doing just that.  It is for His glory that we suffer, and to His glory that we will be brought after we finish our earthly race.  And that is an amazing timeline of events, if you ask me.

The point is, friends, that we need to acknowledge that the "health, wealth, and happiness" preachers and preaching has little validity in the lives of the Christian.  The most powerful saints I currently know are suffering under all kinds of different ailments and diseases, losing loved ones sooner than they think necessary, facing all manner of opposition in the world... but they are blessed and joyous, no matter what, because their reward is NOT on this earth in mansions or in large and puffed up bank accounts, but in Heaven!  They understand that the things of this earth will pass away, but the Word of our LORD stands forever!  They are not concerned with the car they drive or the clothes they wear or any other such ridiculous nonsense... because they are focused solely on the end game, the reward in Heaven, the righteousness of Christ!

Now, make no mistake, there are times when you will be happy, healthy and perhaps even wealthy, according to the standards of the world... but we are not called to measure ourselves against the standards of the world, are we?  Does that pinch a little too tight for you like it does for me?  Wise stewards may be blessed to have the privilege to oversee more blessings, but those wise stewards with much will be in the same Heaven as those wise servants with little, and neither will have any greater status than as a child of the Most High God and co-heir with Christ.  Always remember that the ground is level at the foot of the cross... and while we suffer here, we will inherit the kingdom of heaven and be residents in true paradise!

God bless you all!!!

They will be called...

It's an ironic thought, because as you will read shortly from the text, they clearly have been called already to the task at hand.  The people spoken about in this verse are on a mission... one that all Christians should endeavor to take on... and that is the mission of peace.  This one, like the one in verse 7, has to do with an outward action toward the world at first glance, and that is a solid application.  It also has to do with a similar inward glance, like verse 8, and that is a solid application, as well.  But either way, the goal is the same: peace.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God."

Matthew 5:9

In a seminar last year, I learned that there is a drastic difference between a peacemaker and a peace-faker.  Those people who truly seek to make peace are filled with compassion for those they meet, and they forgive as God forgives: completely, 100%, for all time, never to be brought up again in an argument about something recent that is reminiscent of some past transgression... forgiven.  These people breathe grace freely upon others, and they serve as an inspirational model for the brothers and sisters around them at all times.  They are vital, because conflict exists in all our lives, and we need to know how to forgive and make peace.

And then there's a whole other set of peacemakers... the ones who make peace with the Father by accepting Christ as Savior.  These people (we'll call them, oh I don't know, how about "Christians") have all come to the realization, through the leading of the Spirit, that they are incomplete apart from God.  They grew tired of being set apart FROM Him, and yearned to be set apart TO Him, and therefore admitted that sin was real and frightening, and that they needed a Redeemer capable of bridging the gap between them and the Father.  That Redeemer, of course, is Christ Jesus, Emmanuel, the Messiah.  And in accepting Him as Lord and Savior, do you know what they all have done?  It's the same thing you and I have done.  Each and every one of us has made peace with ourselves in the truth that we are born sinful and horrid things, and that we cannot ever escape that.  We have accepted that we are incapable of ever earning the grace bestowed upon us through Christ's Atonement for our sins.  And in doing so, by calling upon Him to save us, we become co-heirs with Him.

Further, to be called "sons of God" carries some weight with it, right?  Not weight you can throw around like the son of a wealthy businessman or an heir to an earthly throne might, but rather weight that we must carry with us.  It is the weight of responsibility and accountability, to God, to His Word, to the truth, to each other, and to ourselves.  Our lives become weighted in this sense by being known to be Christians, followers of the Bible... but the weight is actually freeing and allows us to move faster and better than before, because we have shed that which is nothing yet outweighs everything in life: fear.  We have no reason to fear anything eternally as sons of God, for we know where our placement is.  And that means that we can pursue righteousness, His righteousness, with reckless abandon!

In that pursuit, the engaging of others should follow the pattern in which Christ engaged people He met, and that is one of peacemaking and forgiveness.  Christ forgave many, many people who were (by our very human and limited understanding) certainly not worthy of it, right?  I mean, that guy up on the cross, begging for blessing right before death as a convicted criminal?  But you see, his earthly crimes and conviction were accepted by him in that moment, and he made peace with his fate while at the same time acknowledging that Christ had done nothing wrong, certainly nothing to deserve this punishment... and for accepting himself as flawed and seeing Christ as perfect, for humbling himself before the Son of God, that man was granted freedom and peace everlasting with Christ in Heaven.

Since He is the one and only Son of God, I do feel it necessary to point out that He made peace for many people, following this precise model and its results.  And has it sunk in yet that one of those people for whom Christ stood in the way of hell and death was you?  We often think that we're "not that bad" simply because we haven't ever gone to prison or been in a courtroom facing conviction like the man beside Christ on a cross, but we are... we really are.  And He made peace for us with the Father, so that we could be reconciled back to Him.

Are you a peacemaker?  Am I?  Hopefully we can answer that question in the positive, but if we cannot, then at least we have something to pray about today.  So join me in the prayer to become more of a peacemaker, more of a grace breather... more Christ-like in life and living.

God bless you all!!!

What you see...

You know, it occurs to me that God always sees us.  He sees us in all things, everywhere, at all times, in all scenarios, and there is never ever a time or a place that we can hide an act or thought or word from Him.  Does that scare you a little?  It kinda scares me, honestly, because I know that I have not been honoring 100% of the time with no fear of discovery of actions or thoughts or words not taken/thought/spoken in public.  But here's the kicker with this... do you see Him?

"Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God."

Matthew 5:8

In my Bible, on this page, I have written above this section, "He sees me, but will I see Him?"  I must confess that in my flesh, I am certainly NOT pure in heart.  I am a human being, and that means that I am incapable of purity, as I was born... I was conceived into sin, with a sin nature, by parents under that same nature, in a world rampant with the same sin and more.  My thoughts and intentions of the heart have aided me in violating all ten of the Ten Commandments on multiple occasions, and not once have I been able to say for any sustained period of time that I am "pure in heart."  And there are countless reasons that the omnipotence and omnipresence of the Father make me quite nervous.  Is it just me?

Oddly, also referring to this page in my Bible, of the Beatitudes, this is the first one I have underlined.  The others have notes beside them, but this one is singled out, underlined and highlighted, because this one gives me pause.  And if we're all truly honest, I would bet that it should make everyone shudder a little.  The notion of a "pure heart" in a human being is simply not possible, because we all are jealous, power-hungry, advancement-minded, selfish beings who tend to follow that one rule that is nowhere in the teachings of Christ, "God helps those who help themselves."  (Yeah, for all of you who live by that one, it's time to let it go [including me], because it is NOT a Biblical attitude or principle.)

But here's the best part of this particular portion of the Beatitudes... have you ever prayed the "Sinner's Prayer?"  You know, the one where you ask Jesus to "live in my heart?"  I have, and I'm fairly certain you have, too.  And guess what happened when you and I, broken and humbled before the Lord, sought redemption and forgiveness in the Name above all names?  He moved in, set up shop, and made us PURE!  Let me be clear, though, in that we are not pure beings, but we are purified through Him.  To say that another way: He didn't make us perfect and inerrant, but He stands in the way when the Father looks at us, and therefore, as God looks upon Him and His sacrifice to save and purify and redeem and reconcile us, we are MADE PURE through the Crucifixion. 

It's the same as the age old argument of whether or not a person can be holy.  God charges us to be holy, and if you ask random people, they would probably refer to holy as an attribute acquainted with stoicism.  They would say that people in long flowing robes who speak in Latin and never smile and never have fun are holy.  But the truth is that if Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, you have been MADE holy by Him and His presence in your life.  You are set apart to the Lord, from the moment you confess that Jesus saves.

It is with this level of backing that I encourage you today, in that if you are a Christian, and you are a Christ follower, and saved by His Name, then you are made pure in heart, and you will see God.  Better still, you will not have to wait to get to Heaven to see Him, because the purity that is blessed into you allows you insight into the movement of the Creator and the Spirit right now.  You notice and discern wisdom and miracles and blessings for what they are... good and perfect gifts from above!  You recognize love, just as it should be recognized.  You see sin for the evil and cancerous beast that it truly is, rather than just assuming it's "not that bad," or "just this once."  He sees you... and through Christ, you see Him.

God bless you all!!!

A promise...

Going through these has been amazing so far, and this one today is nothing short of that feeling!  We are shown here that what we given is what will be given to us.  Three out of four before this one speak of states of being, such as mourning and broken spirited and hungry... but this one speaks of an attitude towards others, just as the other one of the prior four does.

"Blessed are the merciful, because they will be shown mercy."

Matthew 5:7

Mercy... I remember playing a game as a child where one would clasp hands with another, oppositionally interdigitated in position, and see who had the stronger forearm and wrist.  The idea was to make the other person ask (or beg) for "mercy," at which point the contest would cease.  I won as many as I lost, and as children we probably all thought it was fun, or at least funny.  But we were children.

I also recall a character from a TV show, one I cannot remember the name of, who would exclaim, "have mercy" whenever he saw an attractive person.  I would imagine this is a small jest towards the person or the fates, asking that the temptation be removed from the moment... but I don't write sit-coms, and that is more than likely not at all what the intention was.  It was probably more equal to that of a construction worker whistling at a woman, as though she were a pet.  Not the greatest display of "mercy."

And then there was this Guy... perhaps you've heard of Him... His name is Jesus Christ.  And He happened upon a woman of ill repute, one who was caught in acts that were worthy of stoning (according to the law at the time, as it was misinterpreted and misrepresented by the religious elite who were more concerned with status than with the things of God), and He stood in front of the woman and dared anyone who was free of all sin to throw the first stone.  He also had a crowd follow Him all over the countryside, and stopped to feed them all (5,000 men plus women and children) with five loaves of bread and two fish, even though His disciples wanted to send the crowd away.  Further, He told a Gentile woman at His feet that her understanding and faith had saved her, as she humbled herself before Him.  And then He did something else that you may have heard of... He died for you, me, and every other person on earth.  He bore the punishment, the weight of all of our sin, and made us clean by His perfect sacrifice.  THAT is mercy.

A friend tells me that grace is getting what you do not deserve, and mercy is not getting what you do deserve.  I agree fully with that statement, and I am humbled every time I think about it.  So I would ask you today to think for just a moment... just one moment... about who it is in your life that needs mercy.  Further, I would ask that you expand that from only the people you know closely, and think about who in the world needs mercy.  I'm afraid you will find, as I did, that everyone needs mercy, and that we should be showing it both early and often, with no reservation.  Do you know why?  Because that's how Jesus showed it to you.

I know, I know, "some people are beyond that and don't deserve it and they've just done too many wrong things."  Incorrect, Christian sibling... because as violators of the Ten Commandments, which we all are guilty of in every single aspect, we are all "beyond that and don't deserve it," but Christ showed it to us anyway.  In His mercy, He breathed grace upon grace over all who have called upon Him as Savior.  And we should, following His teachings and His example, do the exact same thing.

And, yes, it is a scary thought to be that openly merciful with another human being.  But did you catch what happens to those who step out in faith and show it?  They give mercy, and will receive mercy.  And I would venture to guess that this mercy they will receive is not mercy from men, but from the Father, and that is worth all the risk and then some more!  So go forward today, not back, and show mercy freely to all you encounter... because at one point when you cried out and needed it, Someone with every reason not to show it to you made the choice to have mercy on you anyway.

God bless you all!!!

The filling...

Hunger is an interesting sensation, is it not?  For some strange reason your stomach begins to twist, and then there are odd noises (which only seem to happen at inopportune times), and then you finally find something to eat.  Thirst is no different, really, except that you begin to experience "dry mouth," and you will tire quickly.  Yet for some reason, we find the means with which to satiate these needs for food and water... but what about when we are hungry and thirsty for Jesus?

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be filled."

Matthew 5:6

Sticking with our analogy, if you wake in the morning and know that you have cereal in the house, and then you discover your stomach telling you to eat, what do you do?  Chances are that you probably go and fix a bowl, regardless of size, and have breakfast.  And while there is milk in the bowl, most people I know have some other beverage in the morning: coffee, tea, juice, water, or whatever the choice may be.  But you see, there is a present need, a feeling that accompanies it, and action to fulfill it.  The hunger and thirst that accumulates overnight are not ignored, but are removed through the act of eating and drinking.

Have you ever noticed that same feeling in your soul?  That ever-sinking pitfall feeling that tells you that you NEED Jesus?  It comes to all that He calls, whether immediate and powerful or slow and steady in approach, and it reaches us all in the way that we need to be reached... because He meets us where we are, rather than expecting us to leap to His level.  But this hunger is blessedly different in one specific way, and that is that when you begin to feed it, it grows ever-stronger.

In filling the first minor need, you find that God the Father is not a subject one can consume in a single sitting.  He is so much bigger than even the best of us will ever be able to describe or imagine, and so we take in what we can.  But, like any muscle, as we continue to take Him in, we are able to grow in what we take in, how much, and to what degree.  And before too long, we grow from hungering for answered prayer requests to the point of hungering and thirsting for His righteousness to fill us and cover us!  We grow into servant-minded people, seeking the will of the Father first, in all things.

Hunger and thirst for righteousness is to literally hunger and thirst for Jesus and for the Word of God to fill you.  Now I wouldn't recommend that you eat scrolls like Ezekiel, but the symbolic nature of that moment should never escape even the newest of Christians: the Word is what fills our souls!  And in the act of consumption of the scrolls, Ezekiel literally took the Word into his body, into his bloodstream, into all of himself.  As I said, I wouldn't recommend trying this exactly, but here is what I would say you do.  READ!!!  Read the Bible, the living and breathing Word of God, inerrant and perfect as inspired through men by the Holy Spirit.  Read about the righteousness for which we all yearn, and be filled by the Spirit.  

And please notice, like every other Beatitude, this does not say that you "might" be filled, or that you will be filled "eventually," does it?  No.  It says you will be filled, and it is a promise!

God bless you all!!! 

Change in thinking...

Today we will look into one of the most profound statements in the Beatitudes, based upon the culture into which it was spoken.  It is a fundamental shift in thinking, which is what Jesus came to earth to bring about in the first place, but this one specifically goes straight to the primal being within us all.

"Blessed are the gentle, because they will inherit the earth."

Matthew 5:5

The gentle?  What happened to the survival of the fittest, or the old truism that "God helps those who help themselves?"  Well, friends, here's a painful truth for you and me both: neither of those things are in the Bible.  They sound pretty neat, and they are things we've created for ourselves to believe, but they are not found in the Bible.  And if they are not in the Bible, then they cannot be "Gospel Truth," and we should probably look to what actually IS in the Bible for how we should live... don't you think?

Further, in the culture the Hebrews lived in at the time, the misplaced belief was that the Messiah would be a military leader, one coming to free the people from the oppression of Rome.  This man was to be a brilliant strategist, holding no mercy for anyone except the Jews, and bringing forth the wrath of God upon all the enemies of the Jewish people.  And with that teaching in mind, for Jesus to tell these Jews that the gentle would be the ones who are blessed would be almost insulting.  Meekness wasn't something they looked upon with great admiration... until now.

And of all the possible people who could be "gentle" and "inherit the earth," doesn't it seem appropriate that Jesus was so very gentle?  His love and compassion and teaching and preaching and sharing of the Truth of God to all who would come to hear speak volumes about His character, and He is the Son of God, able to do more than we could ask or think... that means that He could have just said, "Nope, I'm taking over and putting an end to it all to straighten things out," but He planned to gently lead us.  And His gentleness is to be our model.

But for those of you who are naturally gentle, and you give and give and give without thinking of return or repayment, I want to extend an encouragement to you from this.  Your giving is seen, and your life as you live it is blessed, because you understand that giving to all who are in need, as we see in Luke 6, is what it means to be more Christ-like.  Also, for those who give like the poor widow in the Gospels, please know that the giving Jesus speaks about and the gentleness in spirit with which you do it has NOTHING to do with your financial status... in other words, you don't have to be a wealthy philanthropist to give away freely.  Just give of yourself, from your heart, because THAT is the measurement of how you give: for what reason and in what attitude.

And I know, as Americans we get all "HOO-RAH, we're the greatest nation on Earth," and we get competitive and confrontational about anything that we choose, really.  But what if we were to break that mold, the one that the Jews lived under (and we saw how that went for them) of believing that we are the best and no one can stop us just because of our birthplace?  What if we responded in gentleness and kindness to all things?  What if we looked at the world and saw people who need gentleness, rather than people who need American ideals?  I'm proud of my country, and I love that I live in a place where we are freely allowed to worship and read and study and blog... but I'm saved by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, and my calling through that salvation is to spread His Good News, and that must be done gently.

God bless you all!!!

Yesterday's Beatitude... continued...

I was given an idea yesterday from a mentor of mine, and I told him that I just had to write about it.  He had a whole different take on the Beatitude than I did, and my initial thoughts proved his point almost effortlessly... but we'll get to that in a second.

"Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted."

Matthew 5:4

So, have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus, being fully man and fully God, might be talking about a bigger type of mourning?  What if, like the clarification of the Commandments, He was referring to the mourning deep inside the heart of each and every person?  Think about that, and follow me for just a moment.

You and I, we live in an awful world.  Sin is rampant, injustice is everywhere, there's never enough money for those who need it and never enough satisfaction for those who have it.  We see the flaws in the world, as plainly as the noses on our faces... and we accept them.  I know that sounds like a challenging statement, but think about what you've done in the last week to right a serious and offensive wrong in your life and immediate circle.  Anything?  If you have, then kudos to you, and I pray that you continue.  However, if all you've done, like most probably have, is mention that it's offensive and wrong while the commercials are on before your favorite show starts, then you might not like whatever it is, but you have accepted it.  And do you know what that causes???  Mourning.

And then, for those people that are Christians and in fervent study, we not only see what is going on, but we can attest to its wrongfulness from a Biblical standpoint.  We know that the world is headed down a darker and darker path, and that we must remain vigilant and show the love of Christ to the world that we encounter, regardless of the circumstances.  And we know that we must stand and fight against the evils in the world, as well as prayerfully fight against the enemy and his legions.  But that doesn't change the human feeling that exists when we don't see (in our limited understanding) progress.  The toughest part, though, is that because we are aware of the Truth, we know and recognize these things more quickly than those who do not have Him, and that brings about what???  Mourning.

Worse than that, though, is what happens to us Christians that really dig and find accountability to the Word, rather than to people that we can persuade with our words and emotive expressions.  We realize that without Christ or apart from Him (in those times that we wander), we are helpless, hopeless, wretched, filthy, horrid things that have nothing, nothing, nothing at all to look forward to in life or death.  We find that we are incapable in our flesh to live the life to which we are called, and this... the realization of our own individual inability to achieve a goal... brings about deep mourning.

However, true to the promise made, we the Christians realize in that moment that we are fueled by the power and grace of Jesus Christ, and His atonement for us and our sins.  We recognize that it is He, and He alone, who saved us and brought us from death into life.  We see the troubles, but we also see the answer, and that is Jesus!  And, in that moment, we recognize that when Jesus says we will be comforted, we already have been.  We are more aware, because of our Christianity, of the faults that exist... but we are also keenly aware that He has overcome them all, and we are in Him as He is in us... and THAT, my blessed friends, is comfort!

Now, as to how I proved my mentor's point effortlessly, if you look back to the previous segment, you will notice that I wrote all about what it means from the standpoint of MY profession, MY experience, and MY understanding of it through the years I have watched people grieve over the loss of a loved one.  I took it straight to ME, and did not exegete the larger picture of it all, proving that we are self-centered beings (even as saved Christians).  And in recognizing my own actions in that, I realized that I was mourning my initial approach, because of the selfish nature in which it was written.  And that makes for one amazing slam dunk... but if you see this in yourself, as I did yesterday, will you step outside of it and reflect upon it to learn?  Will you stand afar off from your own thoughts for just a moment, and think about the remainder of the people on the planet, and how {fill in the blank} relates to them?  It's difficult, but I feel so at peace for having done so, and I know you would, as well.

(Thanks, Brother... you always help me to remain accountable to the Truth, and I praise God for your insight and friendship.) 

God bless you all!!!

A different mountain... continued...

It is interesting that the law and the promises were given on different mountains, is it not?  The law was given at Sinai, in the old Southern Kingdom, and the promises (Beatitudes) were given somewhere outside Galilee, in the old Northern Kingdom.  And they are such powerful and different passages of Scripture; one describing how we are to live (while at the same time pointing out our need for a Redeemer, since we cannot ever hope to keep even one of the Ten, let alone all of them), and one describing the opposite view that God and Christ have, versus our own limited human understanding (since we tend to view wealth and status as more important than most things... we all do at times).  However, for those that know me personally, you will know why I say that this is probably my favorite of the Beatitudes.

"Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted."

Matthew 5:4

In my profession, I have the opportunity to see many, many people who mourn.  I watch them almost daily, walking into the building in all manner of moods and attitudes, yet all in mourning.  Some adopt the stance that they are crying because they really miss/will miss the person that has passed away.  Others assume the posture of the "strong one," going through the celebratory practices our modern culture had built in.  And then there's the ones who walk in with no expression at all, looking as if they are ambivalent to the moment or the circumstances.  In truth, these are all mourners... but they mourn in their own way.

The best part of that, though, is that they will each be comforted in their own way, in the way that only God knows will benefit them the most!  That comfort is sometimes evident and obvious to others, and sometimes it is not seen by anyone.  But, as with many things in our lives as Christians, just because it isn't seen does not mean that it isn't there.  And, as this entire passage suggests, our view of things is pretty backwards from the way it should be, and we don't have any grasp on how God actually works.  We never will truly understand all of that this side of Heaven, but we need to have the faith necessary to know that it does still happen!

And for all those who mourn, please know that there are people in my profession... a lot of them... who mourn with you.  We do not have the same understanding of the precise reason for your mourning, but we mourn with you anyway.  And I would encourage anyone who wishes to be that "strong one," believing that this means that they cannot mourn or grieve, to go ahead and let it out.  Mourn, grieve, cry... say what you need to say, and don't let it fester. 

And as you release whatever it is, whether in solitude, in confidence with a trusted friend/pastor/mentor, or in public in eulogistic form, you open the door to be comforted.  As that door opens, acknowledging that God works in mysterious ways in, to, and through all of us, all I would ask is that you remain open to the comfort that will come your way, regardless of whether or not you thought "that person" was capable of bringing comfort to you. 

Also, for those of you feeling the urge to say something comforting to someone, just say it!  Your education and experience in this matter is irrelevant, so long as you speak from the heart.  So pour it out, and allow God to work through you to bring comfort to someone... because that's how it actually happens, you know.

Please make note, it does not say that those who mourn "might" be comforted, or that they "probably" will be comforted... it says that you and I, when we mourn, WILL be comforted.  It's a promise we can rest upon, and I thank God for that.  I give thanks on behalf of every family I have had the privilege to serve, and on behalf of my own family, who have been through mourning and received that comforting.  Thank you, Father.

God bless you all!!! 

A different mountain...

So we went through the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai... and then we even covered the 11th one, delivered centuries later.  We have looked into the law as it was handed down, and we have seen that no one is capable of actually completely keeping any single one of them Commandments perfectly, let alone all ten.  Hopefully, two things have happened: first, we are more aware that we have things (individually) that we need to work on, and second, we are more focused on fixing ourselves (individually) than others. 

For this reason, I would like to continue that same line of thinking and accountability by uplifting us all through the teachings of Christ know as the Beatitudes.  It's hard (at least it is for me) to see just how much we lack in keeping the Commands of the Father... but Jesus is the greatest Encouragement of all time, and these teachings prove it, through and through.

(I will tell you that I am switching back to my preferred Bible version, the HCSB, for this one, folks.)

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

Matthew 5:3

Isn't it interesting that the way the world views things is completely backwards sometimes?  We (flesh-born, sinful, human beings, every single one of us) see those who are down-trodden and wonder what happened, right?  And that's 100% out of the desire to lift them up and makes things better, right?  Wrong, and if you say otherwise, you are fooling yourself.  In our flesh, we see what we do not wish to have happen to us.  And while we may wonder what happened, it is usually from the place of wondering how to avoid it, rather than of how to uplift the poor person standing before us.

Contrary to this view, though, is Christ's interpretation of those same people, both on that mountain in Galilee and those right beside us today.  He says that they are "blessed," and that the kingdom of heaven "is theirs."  You know, I remember something about that being written somewhere else... something about being last to be first... something totally contradictory to the American way of thinking... oh right, it was when Jesus said:

"Jesus called them over and said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and their men of high positions exercise power over them. But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all."

Mark 10:42-44

Now, I'm gonna go out on a limb here, but if Jesus says something that clearly, it probably has some merit.  I mean, this is, after all, the One who was and is, and is to come (Isaiah 6:3, Revelation 22:13), the heir of Jacob (Luke 3:34), the Son of God (Luke 1:32-33, Matthew 14:33, Acts 9:20), the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8b), one with the Father (John 17:21), the only Name that brings salvation (Acts 4:12)... He is the holy and most high Messiah (Isaiah 6:3, Revelation 4:8).  If He says you are blessed, even though poor in spirit, then you are blessed!  And if He says that you have to be last to be first, then you have to be last! 

And I'll separate this statement for emphasis, so that no one misses it: to find yourself contrary to ANYTHING that Jesus Christ says is to assume that either you know better (which you do not), or that He failed in explanation (which He cannot).  These assumptions are akin to Him being more man than God (which is false), and include the potential for Him to be fallible (which is impossible).  Therefore, should you believe that Jesus is incorrect in any way at all, that is blasphemy.  Let me say it again: THAT IS BLASPHEMY!

Today, I would ask that you find one person you know who is poor in spirit.  And don't be satisfied with people "looking fine and clearly not needing my encouragement of prayer," because the odds are that those people have something going on that does need prayer, and they need encouragement.  Remind that person that the kingdom of heaven in theirs, and that it is so because Jesus Christ said so!  Then spot someone you don't know, whether at church or out in the world, and either ask them if they need prayer, or just pray for them.  God knows what they need, which means we don't have to be nosy.  So find one person today, and become an instrument or prayer for them, thereby serving them... and pray harder than you have in recent days that God will blow a breeze of peace over them.

God bless you all!!! 

Number eleven... surprise!

Many of you probably were just waiting for this one, given that it is not a member of the original set.  And for those that weren't waiting for it, and thought we were done with the Commandments... well, this one needs to be covered, so it will actually be the last one.

One thing I will point out, though, is that it seems to me that there was a reason this one was given by Christ, and not on the mountain to Moses.  It was done this way because following Christ is more important than following the law.  Christ came to perfect the law, after all, not to destroy it (Matthew 5:17).  And that is how we arrive at number eleven.

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."

John 13:34

One thing I will make clear on this point, and I will not back down from it, is that this Commandment from Jesus does not in any way excuse or exclude the Ten given from the Father.  In fact, it expands the Ten given from the Father exponentially.  Think about it for a second, if you will... seeing the love that Jesus shows, and modeling that love for all that you encounter, knowing that Jesus is God in the flesh, and that imitation is the highest form of flattery... putting all that together means that we are certainly focused on God as God first, recognizing that He loved us; we are not giving credit or homage to anything other than the Father; we certainly are not using His name in vain; this love would extend to the honoring of our parents, the reason and love with which we would look upon any and all offenses, the protection of our marriages, the truth that we must tell, and the contentment that we would have.

And we should note that it is Jesus who gives us the definition of which people are classified as "neighbors" in the world, and it is ALL PEOPLE!  Anyone you come into contact with, regardless of race, creed, religion, lifestyle, age, or any other such ridiculous and human characteristic is our neighbor.  And as His love is unconditional and covers completely, so should the love of those who follow Him be. 

You see, there is a difference between believing in Him and believing Him.  Believing in Him acknowledges His place and purpose.  It defines that He is Savior and Lord of all, the Son of God, the Messiah, the only Name that saves, Jesus Christ, Emmanuel!  But believing Him means that you trust in what He says He will do, and that you follow what He tells you to do... and that means that we show love that is unbridled and unconditional, pouring grace upon grace upon grace onto all people with reckless abandon to the glory of God the Father.  Because if you keep thinking about it, when you look (as I have recently) at what you actually deserve and have earned in response to the nature into which you were born, there will NEVER be a time that either you or me or any other person on this planet can say that they "deserve" the love that is shown from God and from Christ.  Further, if you (as we have recently) look into the law as it was given and recognize that it was given with the precise purpose to show that we are INCAPABLE of keeping it, you bring yourself back down to the level at which we all should be... we are the creature, and He is the Creator.

Go out today, and show love to all as Jesus shows it to you.  Do not hold back any more than He did, and do not stop any shorter than He did.  Make certain you forgive every area that He forgives, and listen just as well as He listens. 

With that, I'll say that I love you all, and there's nothing you can do to stop it!  And, as always, I pray grace and peace over each and every one of you.

God bless you all!!!

Number ten...

And so we come to the final one in the list of our Big Ten.  Some will say that it is at the end, and that means it carries less weight than the prior nine, but I would disagree vehemently on that particular suggestion.  You see, we are simply incapable of keeping any of these perfectly (or at all, if you want to be really honest), but this tenth one... I think you'll see in a moment just how easy it is to violate.

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour's."

Exodus 20:17

The simple message is not to covet.  Coveting something means that you want it... badly.  And, drawing upon previous discoveries of who counts in the classification of "neighbour," we all fall short of this one.  I say this, because we walk into someone's home and think, "Man, I'd love to have a house like this."  That is coveting.  We see or admire something in someone else's spouse and think, "Gosh, I wish my spouse was more like that."  That is coveting.  We look upon people who have more help, whether at home or at work, and think, "I wonder when I will get to that level and have the extra help for myself."  That is coveting.  Or we walk into that same house and see some item, any item, and think, "I really wish I had one of those."  That, too, is coveting.

This one is easy to break, because we refer to our thoughts in this manner as future planning or dreaming big or something of that sort.  That keeps us from feeling bad about the fact that we are literally perpetuating the idea that we should keep up with the Whoever-This-Is's that we are visiting.  And while we say that we are not covetous, and that we merely "saw something that we liked," the reality of it goes much, much deeper than that: we are not content with what we have currently.

So I'll pose to you a thought, and stop me if you've heard it before.  There was this guy who was leading this group of people around, and nothing that they had satisfied them.  Their shelters weren't enough, the food and water wasn't enough, the journey took too long, etc., and they were on their way to the greatest place they could ever have imagined!  However, since they were never content in their situation, they saw it as decrease in their expectation... and subsequently, their entire generation was told flatly that they would not see the destination.  Know this story yet?  Grumbling and groaning, always saying things like, "You should have left us there to die... at least then we wouldn't be out here with nothing," the Israelites refused to acknowledge that God was providing for them every step of the way.  And those complainers, coveting both what they left (which was slavery, so that says a lot) and what they were headed towards (without even having seen it before) all died before reaching their promised land.

Contentment, like the rest of the ideas before it, is a matter of the heart.  And I think that if we (especially my own generation, who are known to seek out the bigger-better-faster-stronger) would take a second and really count all the blessings we have, we might just see some contentment in our own situations.  Sure, we could have more money or a nicer house or a better job... but who really governs all of those things?  What you study/work to become determines a lot of those factors, as does how you handle your money.  It would stand to reason, therefore, that the fault in not having those things that we covet is our own, would it not?

I'm taking stock today, right now, and giving thanks for the things I have.  I am not looking forward, because no man can know the future.  I am not looking back, because the past is done and gone.  I am looking at right now, today, what God has entrusted me with.  And I think that if I honor Him in the way that I should with the things I currently have, then I will find more contentment than I could imagine.  And the things I have may be increased by Him if He chooses to do so; they may also be decreased, if He so chooses.  But, whether up, down or at current level, I ask you all to join me today in giving abundant thanks for all the things that are blessings in our lives... right down to the very beating of your heart and the air you breathe.

God bless you all!!!

Number nine...

It has been a restful couple of days, but I have to tell you that I have been left pondering on the first eight since last I typed.  And had this morning not been so hectic, this would already have been done, but I was quite tied up, and would not have been able to give my full attention to this important topic.

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour."

Exodus 20:16

So, the simple part of this is that we should not speak falsely about our neighbor.  And this means that we should not stand and attest to false accusations against them, also.  Are you ready for the tough part, though?  It also means we cannot gossip.  It means we cannot spread rumor.  It means we cannot talk about folks behind their backs.

And who are our neighbors?  Everyone.  To be a Christian (which, frankly, is the only context I have to go on with respect to this) means that we are to be the salt and light that goes out into the world to spread the Gospel and share Christ!  We cannot do that if we are busy tearing others down, just as we cannot do it if we are false in our portrayal of ourselves.  That's right, folks, I said it: we cannot gossip about other people.

After all, gossip is rumor, and most rumors (while possibly carrying some small portion of fact) are inflated from person to person until they are unstoppably large.  And when that gossip reaches the person about whom it speaks, which it inevitably will, it will be a looming monstrosity that is filled with guile and deceit and negative approach.  And at that point, the only two options are to own the mistake or continue to juggle it.

Ready for it to be even worse, though?  This also means we cannot think it!  We cannot give any conscious thought to gossip or rumor or lies... similar to adultery and murder and dishonor, the heart is what truly matters here. 

We must retrain ourselves to think of the positive things, and look past the negative ones.  Does that sound a tad familiar?  Can you think of or pinpoint a time when Someone looked past all of your faults and failings, saw only what was beautiful within you, and then loved you unconditionally for that?  Can you admit, even if only privately to yourself and God (because NOTHING is hidden from Him), that you were and still are as I am, completely undeserving of the blessing of salvation and grace which has been poured onto us all through one Man?  And, seeing yourself in that light, are you still bold enough to gossip about another?  I am not.

Remember that even if you think you know all there is to know about a person or situation, you can never know that person's heart.  And, as God is the only one who does know the heart and mind of any and every person, that would further mean that you and I are not God... God is God, friend, and we cannot and will not ever operate on that level.  But, having every reason to bear true witness against us, He still sent Christ to save us.  Shouldn't we do the same?

God bless you all!!!

Number eight...

Today will also be a day that breeds either anger or accountability, depending on whether or not you are ready to hear this.  But it is, as yesterday was and all prior have been, necessary.  And yes, that does include the necessary hurt that will come along with it.

"Thou shalt not steal."

Exodus 20:15

Like with all previous Commandments, this one speaks to the intent of the heart.  It literally means that we shouldn't take things that are not ours, but I'm going to try and put the finest point on it I possibly can, so that there is no confusion.  For starters, clearly we should not steal or rob or burglarize anything ever.  This goes from the big stuff that is so romanticized in movies like robbing banks and casinos all the way down to grabbing a quarter out of someone's car door without asking.  All of that, along with any degree in between, in theft.

American law separates certain kinds of theft into felony and misdemeanor crimes, making some things (stealing gum from a grocery store, for instance) less bad than others (like robbing a bank).  It also has stipulations that come into play if violence is added into the mix, and there are all kinds of mitigating circumstances that are considered... but this doesn't say that we are not to steal with violent intent only large things that could truly harm the economy or a person in it, does it?  No.  It says (paraphrasing in my own words) DO NOT STEAL.

Are you ready for the tough part of it, though?  Stealing is not limited to physical items, and the planning or action of taking something that does not belong to you is an act of deception, whether overt or covert, because you are attempting to "get away with it" without being caught.  And, for those of us (yes, I said "us") that have ever falsely called in sick to work, we have stolen from the company we work for.  Taking pens and paper from your office, supplies clearly purchased by your company, is also theft.  But we look past those items, thinking that they can't be that bad, because it's not like we're embezzling millions, right?  

Here's the good rule of thumb for this particular Commandment, friends: if it wasn't purchased by you, or by a member of your family as a gift for you, then it does not belong to you.  And if that is the case, then the answer to whether or not you may use said item as you please is simply "NO."  You should use said item for the purpose for which it was purchased, and for nothing more.  And as for the misrepresentation of health and time spent at work, if you are at work then you should be working.  That is what you are paid for... as it is what I am paid for. 

And, if I could ask... when a waiter forgets to charge for something on a bill, or your cashier fails to ring up an item at check-out, do you point it out?  We are obligated to through this, you know, so it's not a freebie from the universe.  Or when you complain about food or service to try and get a discount, even though everything did meet the basic expectations, are you aware that that, too, is theft?  The work was performed and the products were delivered, and if you used/ate/drank whatever it was, you should pay for it.

Better still, have you ever known someone who had their entire life and reputation stolen away through the act of gossip?  Interesting...

In summary... Do.  Not.  Steal.  Whether time or money or physical object or trust or friendship or ideas or anything, anything, anything that is not yours by nature or ownership or agreement through purchase or trade... Do.  Not.  Steal.

God bless you all!!!

Number seven...

I'll be honest, I have been apprehensive about approaching this particular one.  It is going to be pretty rough on anyone who has ever looked at anyone and had any thought that was born of desire or lust.  It is no respecter of person, gender, age, status... it is, like the other nine, a matter of the heart that must be taken into account for every human being, and it is inarguable.

"Thou shalt not commit adultery."

Exodus 20:14

Adultery is defined today as it was when this was written, and it is any person in a marriage who violates that marriage covenant by engaging in a relationship with a person other than their spouse.  So for all of you super faithful folks out there, raise your hands and be glad you've never had this problem, right?  Wrong.  Like I said, this one is going to sting a little for everyone.

Jesus spoke on this Commandment specifically in Matthew 5:27-28 and said (paraphrasing) that while we know we're not supposed to commit the physical act, if you've looked at someone and THOUGHT IT, you're already guilty.  In case you missed that, let me say it again so that there is no misconception: if you have ever had a lustful thought about someone, you are an adulterer.

Please notice, it does not say that any married man who looks upon a married woman, or vice versa, and neither of this duo is mentioned as being either married or single.  It says:

"Ye have heard that it was said of them by old time, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery': But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

Matthew 5:27-28

So then... any single person (individual, not relationship status) who looks upon any other person with lustful thoughts, even for an instant, is guilty of adultery.  And that, my friends, comes straight from the mouth of the Son of God, the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.  You as humbled as I am yet?

One thing you should know, though, is that on the most basic level of our very nature, we cannot help it.  Men joke around a lot about that "first glance" being automatic, and sometimes it is... sometimes.  Sometimes, probably more often than anyone would admit openly, it is more likely that the person looking is contemplating the thought of, "I would go through with this, if given the opportunity."  But the decision to take the second glance is the more important factor.  That second glance communicates clearly that the decision has been made to either agree with forward motion, or to seek opportunity for forward motion.  A dear friend told me once that he believes that each of us is born with a cross to bear, and that this cross is representative of the thing we must strive to overcome every second of every day, to the glory of God.  For some people, that cross has the word "lust" written across its beam.

The main point here is that we should be very, very careful when we point fingers and attach titles to people for overt acts... because the covert acts that simply have not yet been discovered by PEOPLE are not hidden from the Father, and we, each and every one of us, like it or not, are absolutely guilty.  But take heart, because Jesus saved us anyway, forgave us all for all things for all time, and loves us unconditionally! 

God bless you all!!!