Week One - Observation 3

OK guys!  I REALLY need some feedback!  Please let me know your thoughts, comments, things you see differently...I so want this to be interactive and not just a one-sided dialogue!  If I'm not making you think and question, then I'm not doing my part in opening up God's Word to you.  If my statements are confusing, if the material is too long, then I need to know that!  Please let me hear something back from you TODAY!  If you're trying to use the comment feature on the blog and it is not working, I need to know that too - if that's the case you can e-mail me at janicehodges1356@gmail.com.  Also, if you'd rather just send your comment direct to me rather than posting, you can do that via e-mail.  Or if it's easier to comment on Facebook under the link for the day, that's fine too.  Just let me hear from you! Please!

Remember our question to consider this week:
"Once we entrust our lives to God, are we exempt from the pain and difficulties of life?  Does our relationship with Him provide protection against suffering?"

And our first passage to memorize:
Philippians 1:29  "For it has been given to you on Christ's behalf not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him.

OBSERVATION 3

1 Thessalonians 1:6-7; 2:1-2, 2:14, and 3:4

 

1:6-7 "And you became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with the joy from the Holy Spirit.  As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia."

2:1-2 "For you yourselves know, brothers, that our visit with you was not without result.  On the contrary, after we had previously suffered and been outrageously treated in Philippi, as you know, we were emboldened by our God to speak the gospel of God to you in spite of great opposition."

2:14  "For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, since you have also suffered the same things from people of your own country."

3:4  "In fact, when we were with you, we told you previously that we were going to suffer persecution, and as you know, it happened."

What Kay Arthur would have you do right now is to read and re-read the above passages, and as you are re-reading to circle all of the pronouns that refer to the believers in Thessalonica and to draw a box around the pronouns that refer to Paul and/or those who were with him.  Then read the passage for a third time and underscore all the references to any type of persecution, tribulation, mistreatment, or suffering.  

When you look at these patterns, what does it tell you about the believers in Thessalonica and about Paul and his fellow evangelists?  

What I see is that the believers of Thessalonica understood from the get-go that their belief would invite severe hardship into their life, and yet they "welcomed the message" with joy...a supernatural joy that came from the Holy Spirit.  This Holy Spirit-driven joy was what allowed them to be the kind of people that Paul could brag about for their flourishing faith and their love for one another.  That joy will override the desperation that the world wants us to feel in light of our opposition. 

I see that the Thessalonian Christians were being persecuted not by foreign invaders or outsiders, but by their own countrymen, probably their own neighbors, possibly their own families.  This is something that for someone my age (64) is harder to get my head around at times.  For so much of my life, the United States was a Christian nation, and you really didn't encounter much opposition to your Christian faith and beliefs.  That is no longer the case.  We are now a nation of pluralism and inclusion - peoples belief systems are all over the board, and Christians, especially evangelical Christians, are becoming a minority.  With that change in status, we are seeing things change in the way our belief systems are viewed from those outside of our faith - we are seen as intolerant and judgmental.  I believe that the future may see these new views of Christians result in a much more restricted display of our faith and we will need to be prepared to stand strong in the face of potential opposition from our friends, neighbors and family.  

I see Paul telling them that even though he and his companions had just come from being abused and persecuted by sharing the Gospel in Philippi, they came to Thessalonica emboldened by God to share the Gospel there even though they were being overtly opposed and threatened. When you know your message is true, when you know your message is life-giving, and then when someone tries to stop you and you recognize the opposition as being driven by our ultimate enemy, Satan.....well then you realize your mission is important enough to engage the enemy, that your mission is critical and that you must keep going!  Where does all of this "realization" come from - just as Paul said, they were "emboldened by God."  God opens eyes that are looking to Him to see what is really going on and just how important the work is.  

I see that Paul knew in advance that they would undergo persecution for their ongoing mission, but that knowledge did not deter them or cause them to slow down - they just kept on preachin' the Word!!   It is why Paul was placed where he was, it is why we are still here and it is why Jesus has not yet returned - there are more to be brought into the Kingdom.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to be the one who shared the Gospel to the last new believer right before the trumpet sounds and we are gathered up with Jesus?

My observations today:

1.  We need to continually request the Holy Spirit to infuse us with His joy that makes us alive and vibrant and unable to be discouraged even though outside forces are opposing us and working against our Gospel-mission.  

2.  We need to be prepared for persecution/opposition from those immediately around us.  

3.  Persecution feeds our courage to be bold and keep going.  

4.  Knowing that persecution may/will result should never deter us from proclaiming the Gospel to a dying world.  Fear not!

OK - challenge on!  Someone share an observation, comment or argument!!  I hope to hear from someone soon - either below, on FB or e-mail me at janicehodges1356@gmail.com.

In His Amazing Love,

Janice

Week One - Observation 2

Looking back at yesterday's observation, I realized that my observations from 2 Thessalonians 1:3-5 might not have been totally clear.  My observations were:

1.  That it takes an active, growing, flourishing faith to truly persevere difficult times in a victorious manner, a faith full of trust in our loving Father; 

and that
2.  It takes an active, loving Christian community encouraging one another during difficult times to cultivate an atmosphere of victory in which all can

Now those are my observations - they do not necessarily have to be yours!  Did you get something else out of this passage that I missed?  Please add comments!  It makes this a lot more interesting for me if you will share!  If you have any problems leaving a comment, e-mail me at janicehodges1356@gmail.com.

OK - now moving forward!

Remember our question to consider this week:
"Once we entrust our lives to God, are we exempt from the pain and difficulties of life?  Does our relationship with Him provide protection against suffering?"

And our first passage to memorize:
Philippians 1:29  "For it has been given to you on Christ's behalf not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him.

OBSERVATION 2:

2 Thessalonians 1:4-8 "Therefore, we ourselves boast about you among God's churches---about your endurance and faith in all the persecutions and afflictions you endure.  It is a clear evidence of God's righteous judgment that you will be counted worthy of God's kingdom, for which you also are suffering, since it is righteous for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to reward with rest you who are afflicted, along with us.  This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful angels, taking vengeance with flaming fire on those who don't know God and on those who don't obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus."

Paul continues his praise to his Thessalonian brothers and sisters - again about their endurance/ perseverance and their faith throughout their persecutions, afflictions, and suffering.  

These are our three key words for today:

Persecutions = diogomos (Greek) = "hostile persecutions.  It involves being pursued by enemies"

Afflictions = thlipsis = "to crush or to squeeze.  It refers almost invariably to something that comes upon one from outward circumstances"..."To be afflicted is to be oppressed with evil."

Suffering = thilbo = "to press or to be troubled.  It indicates sufferings due to the pressure of circumstances or antagonism from others."

What do you see in common from these expanded meanings of these three words?  

These are troubles coming from outside forces, these are persecutions, afflictions and sufferings caused by strong opposition, both from people and from spiritual forces.  Note that "suffering" can also include the pressure of circumstances --- I think this is what Jesus referred to in John 16:33 when He assured us that in this world we would have troubles.  Our earthly sufferings caused by natural circumstances (illness, death, natural disasters, accidents) are sometimes equally hard to bear, but they are not what is being talked about in this passage, I do not believe.  I believe this passage is dealing entirely with outside forces, both human and demonic, causing Christians hardship due to their belief in Christ.

That context is reinforced by the following verses regarding God's future actions in light of their current sufferings.  

First Paul throws in a verse that, to me, is confusing and causes me some concern (2 Thessalonians 1:5).  It seems to be saying that by God's judgment on them they can prove themselves worthy of His kingdom, for which they were suffering.  But that doesn't line up with other Scripture (Ephesians 2:9 "For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast.")  When I get caught on a verse, I like to read Matthew Henry's Commentary - he always helps me see something a little clearer.  On this verse he says, 

"Their sufferings were a manifest token of this, that they were worthy or meet to be accounted Christians indeed, seeing they could suffer for Christianity. And the truth is, religion, if it is worth anything, is worth everything; and those either have no religion at all, or none that is worth having, or know not how to value it, that cannot find in their hearts to suffer for it. Besides, from their patient suffering, it appeared that, according to the righteous judgment of God, they should be counted worthy of the heavenly glory: not that they could merit heaven, but they were made meet for heaven. We cannot by all our sufferings, any more than by our services, merit heaven as a debt; but by our patience under our sufferings we are qualified for the joy that is promised to patient sufferers in the cause of God."

I know, Matthew Henry writes like someone from way, way back - because he is - he died in 1714!  But his words bring light to this verse for me - they tell me that God's righteous judgment was that these Thessalonians were up to the task of suffering for their faith, that their faith was true and would be proven true through their sufferings; and that through their sufferings they would become more like Christ and more suitable for life in God's eternal kingdom.  Suffering for our faith proves our faith - not to God, but to us and to those around us.  Suffering for our faith changes us into more of the person God designed us to be for eternity.  Suffering for our faith is something that we should not dread - but something of which we should see eternal blessing.

And then Paul goes on to explain that their suffering is not going unnoticed nor will their persecutors go unpunished.  God will repay those who oppress His children, and He will give His children relief and rest.  

Revelation 6:10 "They cried out with a loud voice: “Lord, the One who is holy and true, how long until You judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth?”

    

                                

Paul tells the Thessalonians as he tells us, our relief will come when "the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire."

Until then, Christians of all ages, from the first century to present, have had to deal with persecution and affliction.  As Christians in the United States we have been blessed with a country that has allowed us freedom to worship our Father God without fear of persecution. I sometimes question if that has been a true blessing or not, as I'm afraid we have developed a soft faith that may not be able to stand the threat of affliction.  I pray that I'm not right on that.  I pray that should we see persecution and affliction come to us here in America, that we will be counted worthy to withstand and hold firm to our faith, for as Matthew Henry reminded us, "Religion, if it is worth anything, is worth everything."

My observations today:

1.  Christian persecution, affliction and suffering come from outside forces, intent on destroying our faith.  These forces are both human and demonic.

2.  Those who live through Christian persecution have been counted worthy to do so and are refined in the process to a higher degree of Christ-likeness.

3.  We can trust God to deal with the sources of persecution and those who oppose Him.

4.  We should ask God to start changing our perspective on suffering for the Kingdom - to move from a position of dread to a position of absolute trust in our Father who sees and knows all.

Repeating, those are my observations - they do not necessarily have to be yours!  Please add comments!   If you have any problems leaving a comment, e-mail me at janicehodges1356@gmail.com.

In His Amazing Love,

Janice

Week One - Observation 1

So - are we ready to start?  As I said, I'll be utilizing "Living Victoriously in Difficult Times" by Kay Arthur and Bob & Diane Vereen.  All quotes are taken either from this book or from the HCSB of the Bible.  The study will take six weeks, meaning that we will be at the end of August when we finish.  Can't think of a better way to get through the rest of this weird, unusually difficult summer than to spend time in God's Word hearing from Him how to handle our lives in a victorious manner, during this time or any future times of difficulty.

I'll be posting five "observations" each week.  Also, each week I will select one core Bible passage for our memorization for that week.  When I started this blog over nine years ago, my primary goal was to memorize key Scriptures so that I would have them with me whenever I needed them...if I had my Bible handy or not.  I cannot claim to have kept all 100 of those verses "hidden in my heart", but I am very appreciative that the Holy Spirit works within me to bring many of those verses to my mind when the situation calls for them. 

So, it is still a critical purpose of this blog to memorize Scripture.  I need it and you do too.  Don't let memorization intimidate you.  Just go through the process of understanding what you're storing and you'll find that the words will start to flow naturally and easily.  And don't worry about saying them word-for-word perfect.  We certainly want our memorization to keep the intent of the verse, but, for example, if you memorize "the love of each of you toward another" instead of "the love of each one of you toward one another", you've got the true meaning and you don't need to worry about the missing "ones"!  Also, I'll be using and quoting the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), but feel free to use and memorize any version with which you are comfortable.

First week question to consider:
"Once we entrust our lives to God, are we exempt from the pain and difficulties of life?  Does our relationship with Him provide protection against suffering?"

First passage to memorize:
Philippians 1:29  "For it has been given to you on Christ's behalf not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him."

As we go through this week, this verse will become more and more meaningful to us, I believe.  There's more in there then you might first realize, so start memorizing it now and let it start soaking into your heart where you will hide it forever!

OBSERVATION 1; 

Paul was certainly no exception to a life of suffering, nor were the early Christians who came to belief through him and to whom he wrote many words of explanation and encouragement so they would understand that difficulties would be encountered and how they, and WE, should view them.

2 Thessalonians 1:3-5 "We must always thank God for you, brothers, which is fitting, since your faith is flourishing and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.  Therefore we ourselves boast about you among God's churches - about your endurance and faith in all the persecutions an afflictions you endure.  It is a clear evidence of God's righteous judgment that you will be counted worthy of God's kingdom, for which you also are suffering."

These were Paul's brothers (and sisters) in the faith - he was thankful for them and wanted them to know that.  And this Christian family of Paul's was undergoing persecution, primarily from Jews who opposed their conversions to Christianity (Acts 17:1-10) , but most likely also from Gentiles living there who saw them as radicals opposed to their immoral lifestyle and idol worship. 

Two things of note about these early Christians:  They had not just come to faith and stayed babies - their faith was flourishing - it was growing and affecting others.  Secondly, they were bound together in Christian love.  In times of difficulty, it is important for us to be in a community of believers.  This is one way the Holy Spirit supports us and grows our faith - through each other.  We are not meant to live out our Christian faith by ourselves, especially when times are rough.  I think both their active, growing faith and the strong bond of love that existed among them is what enabled the Thessalonian Christians to endure and persevere the persecution they were going through.

So now about that perseverence (endurance in HCSB)...one of the things I really enjoy about Kay Arthur's studies is that she always explains the real meaning of words in their Biblical context.  Perseverance is the Greek word hupomone, which means "patience or endurance in difficult circumstances."  In our current difficult circumstances (both personal and global), how are we doing in that regard?  Are we handling them patiently, knowing that God is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:8), or are we grumbling, moaning and voicing dismay over what we think the future may hold?  Persevere doesn't mean to just make it through the difficulty, it means to make it through patiently...and what I read into that as well, is to make it through with peace and contentment.

Which brings us to the other attribute Paul brags about regarding the Thessalonian believers: their faith.  The Greek word used for faith in this verse is pistis, which means "to believe, to be fully persuaded; belief with the predominant idea of trust."  When we have this kind of faith, not a baby faith of first belief, but a strong conviction of the truth of God our Father, Jesus our Savior and the Holy Spirit our Comforter; when we have come to a maturity in our faith where we can sincerely say we trust our lives to our God, then we can accept less than ideal circumstances and accept the trials that may come to us, knowing that God is good, that God knows all, and that He is walking with us through whatever we are going through.  Our faith in God also reassures us that it is His strength that will allow us to persevere, not ours, and that we can lean into Him when we are weak.

As I've come to say, "Whatever happens to us here, it's only our little earth story - one which will seem very unimportant the minute we cross into eternity." 

In closing, here's a question to ponder:  "If Paul were describing your faith, in what ways would his description differ from or be similar to what he has to say about the Christians of Thessalonica?"

Love to hear your comments!  Let's use this time to share and grow with each other -

In His Amazing Love,

Janice

Getting Started Again - in Difficult Times!

My good friend, Terrie Rogers, encouraged me to start writing again during what is a very difficult time in my life, and during what is certainly a most unusual time in all of our lives.

My personal circumstance is this - my husband of almost 33 years was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis six years ago.  This diagnosis was surely not good news, but also not surprising news.  When Robert was diagnosed in summer of 2014, it was after his brother, Jimmy, had died of IPF in 2007, and after his younger brother, Gary, had been diagnosed a year earlier in 2013.  IPF is not "hereditary", but they have determined that there can be familial propensities toward the disease, and the Hodges' brothers have proven to fall within that category.  Unfortunately, Gary succumbed to the disease in October 2014, leaving Robert as the last living brother of what had been a robust family of five boys and one girl.  Robert's younger sister, Mary (Gary's twin), shows no signs of the disease and, other than some controlled heart issues, is healthy and active.  Robert's oldest brother, Bill, died at age 84 of an apparent heart attack and his brother, Don, died at age 80 of acute leukemia after battle myelodysplastic syndrome for the last three years of his life.  Don did, however, have some fibrosis in the lower lobes of his lungs that was discovered during treatment for his other condition, but IPF did not contribute to his death.

Robert was very, very fortunate that in 2014 his doctor, aware of the family history, encouraged him to start a new drug, OFEV, which was not available for Jimmy in 2007, and for which Gary had progressed too rapidly to take advantage of.  Doctors feel this drug, and Robert's tolerance for it, (it can have debilitating side effects)  has extended Robert's healthy years over those that Jimmy and Gary got to enjoy post diagnosis, as they both died approximately two years after being diagnosed.  Robert is now six years post-diagnosis, and four years of being on OFEV.

All of that lengthy explanation is to bring us to May 2020 when Robert suddenly became extremely short of breath.  We were certain he had pneumonia (he had a case of pneumonia and flu in January) and his medical provider agreed and treated aggressively (after testing for COVID, of which we were really concerned!).  But four days later he wasn't any better, actually worse, and we went back to see his provider.  At this time, Robert's oxygen saturation was not sufficient for him to be sent home, which meant admission to the hospital, which meant due to current COVID guidelines, I could not be with him while he was in the hospital.  He was admitted and during his one-week stay it was determined that he had had an acute exacerbation of his IPF.  This was the longest week of my life - knowing Robert was by himself in the hospital and not knowing everything that was going on or exactly how he was doing!  I would talk to him on the phone and he would sound so weak and discouraged.  We both seriously questioned if he would get to come home.

He did come home one week later to the whole new world of being oxygen dependent with home concentrators and oxygen tanks that go with us wherever we go.  I had never fully appreciated the restrictions that oxygen dependency places on someone, but I now know.  The first few nights were terribly scary for me, thinking the concentrator would stop, or that Robert wouldn't be able to breathe for some reason or another.  But we got through those nights and before we knew it, he had been home a week, then a month and now we're almost two months home from the hospital.

That time frame is significant because when he was in the hospital one of his medical providers told him that he probably only had four to eight weeks to live.  While we understood the seriousness of an exacerbation with IPF, we were not even remotely thinking of only weeks of remaining life.  But then we talked with our physician at National Jewish Hospital who told us there was absolutely no way of knowing how this disease would progress, that Robert had gone beyond what his brothers' patterns of progression had been, and that there was good reason to continue to believe the OFEV would hold us here at this new, decreased level for a period of time.

So that is where we find ourselves today - Robert has held at the same level as post-hospitalization, even has improved somewhat in his capacity to walk without having to stop for breath as quickly as he was.  Until it became unbearably hot here in the Texas panhandle, we were spending a lot of time on our patio and taking afternoon drives in our little convertible, enjoying the sun in our face and the wind in our hair.  He is still 24/7 oxygen dependent, but life right now is "normal" enough that Robert is sitting at his desk, furtively finishing up our 2019 Income Tax return so he can hit "send" and be done with that prior to tomorrow's deadline.  (We both have a tendency to procrastinate and this is our very "normal" income tax schedule!)

Doctors would say that OFEV is probably the reason that Robert has had these years of life post diagnosis, and I agree that it has been a blessing...but a blessing given to us by God, and that His will is the absolute reason that Robert is still here and doing as well as he is.  I am convinced that there is purpose in each and every day of life we are given, both for Robert and for me.

As I've been working from home since March 19 (my boss is incredibly considerate of my situation and insisted that I take no chance of bringing COVID-19 home to an extremely vulnerable husband), I have found it very challenging to determine God's purpose for me in this time of isolation and stillness.  After Robert's hospitalization, my purpose became clearer - I was very much needed as his hands and feet since getting up to get anything required way more energy than he was capable of producing.  But since he's been gaining some strength and getting around a little better, there have again been times of, "What am I supposed to  be doing?", and asking God for His direction.

Now we are finally back to Terrie's suggestion that I mentioned at the beginning of this very lengthy introduction!  I think it is time to start writing again.  I'm asking God to direct me and to encourage me - and to stop me if the time isn't right or if I'm not saying the things that He wants me to.

I picked up a little Bible study that I bought years and years ago to do on my own - I had started it, but not finished (there's a pattern there!) and the name of the study made it seem perfect for right now:  "Living Victoriously in Difficult Times" by Kay Arthur and Bob & Diane Vereen.  I've always enjoyed Kay Arthur as a Bible study teacher.  I am going to be working my way through this study and asking you to come along with me.  You don't need to get the book, as I think I'll be covering it fairly thoroughly.  (It is available on Amazon, if you wish to have a copy.)

I think this study will appeal to a lot of you, because even though Robert and I are going through a difficult time, we all are.  I know you are all feeling the pressure and stress of one of the most difficult times of our lives.  The threat of pandemic bringing with it illness and sometimes even death; the unrest that we see in our country due to racial strife and division; and throw in on top of that an election year that always seems to bring with it discussions that can go from calm to fiery in a matter of minutes...or in a matter of a few comments!

So if you're like me, you would like to look back on this time and think, "God, you taught me so much, and I did live in victory, even though it was a really difficult time," rather than, "That was a terrible time, hated every minute of it and gained nothing in my walk of faith."  I don't want to waste this time that I know God has purpose for and I'm sure you don't either.

I hope you'll join me as we utilize this timely study for God's purposes in our lives right now - I'll borrow my friend Candy's current shout of encouragement, "Let's Go!"

Yesterday was Friday - tomorrow is Sunday - but what about today?

As Christians, we observe Good Friday in somber tones, remembering the day our Savior was crucified.  And we celebrate on Easter Sunday because that same Savior has risen, showing victory over death and over sin - our two great enemies.  But what about that day in between - silent Saturday?  What about this day, the day the disciples sat in hiding, not knowing, wondering what was to become of them and, more importantly, what had become of the man they had given their lives to for the past three years.  The one that they had thought would deliver them from their oppressed lives under Roman rule.

What about this day that we sit, waiting for Easter.  Where are our thoughts?  We remembered Christ on the cross yesterday, do we remember Him in the tomb today?  Do we contemplate what our lives would look like had He stayed in that tomb?  Or are we more consumed with plans for Easter dinners, what we (and remembering years gone by, what our children) will wear to services tomorrow?  Have we grown complacent in the fact that we know what tomorrow brings and that because Christ has risen, we have been guaranteed eternal life?  Because, just for a little while, let's pretend we're the disciples and we don't know.  Where would we be if silent Saturday had stretched into forever silence and Jesus had not burst forth out of the tomb?

This is where we would be:  We would be like followers of other religions that quote an earthly leader who may have also shared good and honorable ideas, but without any proof of their deity, without any proof of Godly power to announce to the world that they actually were God, living here on earth, to show us the way to Him.  Jesus in the tomb is the human side of Jesus - one of us - nothing more.  Others were crucified on Good Friday, right by His side.  They, too, laid in graves, silent on this Saturday, no different than Jesus of Nazareth laying in the tomb given to Him by Joseph of Arimethea.  Jesus, a man crucified, dead and buried.

This is where we would be:  As Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15, we would be objects of complete pity and futility.  For if Saturday had not given way to Resurrection Sunday, our faith in our resurrection would be void.

v. 12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 

17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

So, just for this Saturday, spend some time thinking about Christ staying in the tomb, wondering about how differently your life would look if He had.  Contemplating, along with the disciples, what your future would look like without Him.  Let your heart break for what you thought you had found.  

And then tomorrow, when you first hear those most joyful of words, "He is risen!", let your heart overflow with the assurance that your faith is valid, that Jesus is Lord, Immanuel, "God with us".  He is NOT like any other man who has ever lived - He is ALIVE and sitting on the right hand of God Almighty.  He will return for each of us, and if we believe in His resurrection, we will experience resurrection.  Don't miss celebrating the difference from Saturday to Sunday - from life without Christ, to life with Christ forever.  

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth... Romans 1:16  

Matthew 5 - Finishing up the Beatitudes

We have looked at the first five "blessed" groups that Jesus identifies in this portion of the Sermon on the Mount: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the gentle, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, and the merciful.  There are three more groups that bear Jesus' descriptive word of "blessed" - the pure in heart, the peacemakers and those persecuted on His behalf.  We will continue to see that blessings in Jesus' perspective do not necessarily equate with what this world that we live in deems as being blessed.  For Jesus has told us that we are to view everything differently.  We are to see things through eyes that have been opened to the vision of His kingdom.  We are to see things through eyes that have gone beyond temporal and tangible and into the eternal and promised, matters of faith.  (Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.")

Today's first words of blessing are directed to the "pure in heart."  Do you qualify?  Their reward is great, for "they will see God."  I know we all want that blessing.  So who are in this group?  Is it who the Psalmist describes in Psalm 15:1-2:  "LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart."  That would probably rule me out...for while I long for a blameless, righteous life, I look back and see many times of sinfulness.  And while I pray for a truthful heart, filled with pure motives, I know there have been times when my sinful nature has risen up and caused my personal goals to override those that are pure.  I join with Paul and say, "For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do...what a wretched man I am."  Paul does not seem to feel blessed at this point, does he?  But Paul doesn't stop there...for he knows that there is hope.  And there is hope for you and for me, too.  For while we have not been blameless, and while we have not been righteous, and while we have not always spoken truth from our heart...we have now been cleansed from all of our unrighteousness and we have been made pure in heart.  Our righteousness comes from the One who is proclaiming the blessing, for He will become the purity that He knows we so desperately need in order to see God.  Paul goes on to say, "Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit's law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin's domain, and as a sin offering, in order that the law's requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."  Let us accept the sin offering of Jesus Christ to cover our impurity and bring to us His purity, and continually turn from walking in our flesh and walking according to His Spirit living in us.  That is where our purity is found...in Him alone.

Next group - the peacemakers - they will be called children of God.  I heard Beth Moore say one time, "Note that the description is not 'peacekeepers'...it is peacemakers.  Sometimes it's easier to be a peacekeeper than to be one who does the hard work of  'making the peace'.  Making the peace takes effort."  I think what she is saying is that we are to be those who lovingly and kindly approach people to repair the hurts, amend the wrongs that may have been done, and work through the issues that are preventing a peaceful relationship.  It is much easier to "keep the peace", ignoring the problem and never really resolving anything than it is to "make peace" by getting to the core of the issue.  This is the only place in the whole New Testament that this particular word is used...eirenopoios...meaning "loving peace."  We are to be people who long for peaceful, sweet relationships without discord or drama.  Why will this group be called "children of God"?  I believe because God is the ultimate peacemaker.  He showed us this by sending Jesus to save His creation...He longed to make peace with sinful mankind....and He did it!  He did whatever it took to restore peace, and that is what He is asking of us, as His children.  Long for peace, with others, and for others.  We should be peacemakers who bring God's peace to those who are still in the dark.  Tell them of God's perfect peace. The peace that Jesus spoke of to His disciples, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." 

The final group that Jesus closes His blessings with are the persecuted, those persecuted for righteousness and because of Him.  He says that the kingdom of heaven belong to these people and He equates them with the prophets of the Old Testament who suffered persecution for standing true to God and His Word.  There is currently more worldwide persecution against Christians than ever before in world history.  People are being tortured and killed for their faith in Christ.  Brave, faithful Christians are choosing to go into areas where they know it is likely that they will come under some type of persecution in order to take the saving message of Jesus to these dark areas.  Unlike other religions who claim favored status for those who kill those who oppose them, Jesus says that those who place their own lives in danger for His sake, for His message, for trying to save others, will be rewarded.  "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been." Revelation 6 

We serve a God who blesses those who this world would never reward.  We are called to look at things differently...to look at people as God sees them, to honor what He honors.  What He blesses, we should bless.  Let us live life differently than we have, let us value things that make eternal differences.

Blessings to you, my Christian brothers and sisters.  God's eternal blessings!

Matthew 5 - Picking up where we left off in the Beatitudes....

Our last post covered the first three "blessed" groups that Jesus defines in His Sermon on the Mount. They were the poor in spirit, those who mourn and those who are gentle.  If you didn't get a chance to read the last blog covering those groups, you might want to go back and do that now.  Let me know what you think...Jesus changes our perspective on the categories of people that we usually do not view as blessed in this world.   But then again, Jesus is teaching us to look at things differently, eternally vs. temporal.  Looking through "born again" eyes is the only way that we can start to see the Kingdom of God.  (John 3:3)

Now we move to the next groups of blessed people that Jesus points to.

First group today is those "who hunger and thirst after righteousness" with their blessing proclaimed as "they will be filled."  Who falls into this category of blessing?  Do I? Do you?  Shouldn't we want to?  The word used for "hunger" in this passage carries with it the metaphorical meaning of craving ardently, or seeking with eager desire.  "Thirst" here also has a more intense meaning..."painfully feel the want of, and eagerly long for, those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, strengthened."  So we get the idea, this group is not those who casually want a righteous life; this group is comprised of those who desperately, intensely seek righteousness in their life.  So then we get to asking, "and what IS righteousness?"  Righteousness, in its purest form, is being in a condition that is acceptable and pleasing to God.  That is what we are to hunger and thirst after.  We should so desperately want to please our Father that it becomes our driving force.  As we progress through the Gospels and through the other books in the New Testament we will find that Jesus IS our righteousness, that only through Him can we attain perfect acceptance by God.  But that should not keep us from desiring a life that comes as close as possible to God's good pleasure.  Because the promise that comes to people who fall into this category is to be filled....to have their desperate, intense longing for righteousness satisfied:  they will no longer be hungry or thirsty, they will attain the righteousness that they have longed for...they will live in the perfect acceptance of God Almighty, and they will know that Jesus is the One who brought complete righteousness to them.

Next group is those who are merciful.  Mercy!  Don't we all want it?  I tend to equate mercy with grace...but they are different.  I have heard it said that grace is giving you something that you don't deserve, while mercy is not giving you what you do deserve!  The word that is used for "merciful" here is only used one other time in the New Testament and that is in Hebrews when the writer describes Jesus as "a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people."  Jesus was merciful to us.  He looked down on us in our pitiful state and said, "I don't want them to get what they deserve...I will take their punishment for them."  The promise to the merciful is that they will obtain mercy.  I certainly cling to the mercy that Jesus has provided for me...am I willing to look at people who I might consider "unworthy" and let them break my heart in the same compassion that Jesus had for mankind?  And what is the most merciful thing I can do for others?  To share the wonderful news that Jesus' mercy extends to everyone who accepts Him as their wonderful, merciful, Savior!

We will pick up next time with the final groups of Jesus' blessings.  I hope you are seeing, as I am, that what Jesus is proclaiming is that we are to be people who desire different things than the world would tell us should be our goals.  We are to be people who exhibit His attitudes and His love.  Let us pray for a more intense desire to become more like Him!