4-30-2014 Vol. 8 Part 4 The Beatitudes How to be Happy According to Jesus (Matthew 5:5)

Note: To download/print the document, click on the title below.

The Beatitudes

How to be Happy According to Jesus

4-30-2014Vol. 8 Part 4 

Psalms 119:150-159 They draw near who follow after wickedness; They are far from Your law. You are near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are truth. Concerning Your testimonies, I have known of old that You have founded them forever. Consider my affliction and deliver me, For I do not forget Your law. Plead my cause and redeem me; Revive me according to Your word. Salvation is far from the wicked, For they do not seek Your statutes. Great are Your tender mercies, O LORD; Revive me according to Your judgments. Many are my persecutors and my enemies, Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies. I see the treacherous, and am disgusted, Because they do not keep Your word. Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.

Father God, show us when we are puffed up and haughty so we can repent, amend our ways, and abide in your Grace abundantly. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!

Matthew 5:5 NKJV

This Beatitude is about being “meek”. The definition of meek is:

1. Mild of temper; soft; gentle; not easily provoked or irritated; yielding; given to forbearance under injuries. (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all men. Numbers 12:3 Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.).

2. Appropriately, humble, in an evangelical sense; submissive to the divine will; not proud, self-sufficient or headstrong; not irritable and apt to complain of divine dispensations. (Matthew 11:29 Christ says, "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls.")

How well do you practice meekness in your life? Are you quick to anger? Do you get irritated over something of insignificance easily? Are you gentle and soft spoken, or stand out in a crowd? Are you yielding to others or always have to have your way? In a relationship can you give and take, or is it always taking? If someone wrongs you, do seek revenge? Can you truly forgive and express that forgiveness to the person you wronged? Are you self righteous, or open to new things? Are you self-sufficient, or do you let others help you? Are you too proud in your opinions or can you accept what the Bible teaches and believe it? Are you humble enough to be totally submissive to Jesus and His word?

These are all very good questions and questions we should ask ourselves often. They are Christianity check questions. Let’s see what this Beatitude has in store for us spiritually and fleshly.

5  Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are the meek; Meekness goes against what the world promotes. Modern day society says to do whatever it takes to get what you want, even if it means stepping on people. When was the last time you were in a meeting at work and the boss promoted meekness for the company to succeed? Have you ever heard a football or basketball coach inspiring the team to go out there and be meek to win? Is meekness a trait that politicians have and exercise? What about a commander in the armed forces, does he send his troops up the hill with a charge to, “be meek?” Being meek is not something looked upon as a success factor. Most people look at meekness as someone without a spine, non-confrontational, submissive, subservient to a fault, but meekness is the way of God’s Word.

Meekness is patience in the response of injuries whether physical or mental. It is not meanness or a surrender of our rights, or cowardice; but it is the opposite of sudden anger, of malice, of long-harbored vengeance; self righteousness. Christ insisted on his right when he said, John 18:23 ……"If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?" Paul asserted his right when he said, Acts 16:37 ……… "They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out."  Jesus was the very model of meekness. It was one of his characteristics being holy; Matthew 11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart (meek), and you will find rest for your souls. Jesus and Paul endured a great deal of wrong, and endured it patiently. They bore all patiently. They did not press their rights through thick and thin, or trample down the rights of others to secure their own.

Meekness is the reception of injuries with a belief that God will vindicate us. “Vengeance is his; he will repay,” Romans 12:19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. It is not our place to take on the role of God when it comes to vengeance, and to do what he has promised to do.

Meekness produces peace. It’s proof of being rooted in Jesus Christ, and true greatness of soul. It comes from a heart too great to be moved by little insults. Meekness is not a personality trait of constantly being agitated by every little insult or injury that comes ones way. A person that is not meek is like a raging river that has no peace.

Peter gives us a prime example of Jesus meekness. 1 Peter 2:21-24 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:  22 "WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH";  23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;  24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. As a human being Jesus submitted wholly to God His Father.

The first two Beatitudes referred to, “poor in spirit” and “they that mourn”. They both were in reference to our inherited sin nature. When a person comes to the realization that they were born with a nature that separates them from God (poor in spirit), it brings them to the state of repentance and asking Jesus into their heart to rule and reign. At this point in a new believers spirit they mourn over their past life, now knowing they were sinful by nature and separated from God’s Grace. As a result of the first two Beatitudes, meekness is born in the heart of the new Born Again Saint. So “meekness” is not possible to those who are not “poor in spirit” or do not “mourn” over their spiritual poverty.

For they shall inherit the earth; What Jesus is saying here is not that the meek would own great property or have many lands here and now, but that they would possess special blessings. The special blessings pertaining to Born Again Saints at some point in time, would inherit the earth after the Second Coming of Jesus when He will rule and reign after the Battle of Armageddon.

Many times in common life a meek, patient, mild person is the most prospered. An impatient and quarrelsome man raises up enemies; often loses property in lawsuits; spends his time in disputes rather than in sober, honest industry; and is harassed, vexed, and unsuccessful in all that he does. 1 Timothy 4:8 Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. 1 Timothy 6:3-8 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness,  4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,  5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.  6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.  7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. A meek person has great wealth within their inner being.

Old Testament Meekness; In Psalm 37 there are 5 places where the Beatitudes, that Jesus gives us has reference.

·         Verse 9; “….those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.”

·         Verse 11; “But the meek shall inherit the earth....”

·         Verse 22; “For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth….”

·         Verse 29; “The righteous shall inherit the land….”

·         Verse 34; “Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land….”

In verse 9 & 34 did you notice the word “wait”? Wait/patience go hand in hand with meekness. Another verse from the OT that fits right in is in Exodus. Exodus 14:14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."

Here are three individuals of the OT that practiced meekness because they lived by faith in God. They trusted in God for all things and knew that God would provide for them. They didn’t worry or fret, because they trusted in God.

Job is the first one; he lost everything, his children, livestock, wealth, and respect. He still had his wife, but if you know the book of Job you know she surely didn’t give him any support. She told Job to curse God, but Job’s faith was strong and he was patient, even though he didn’t understand the reason for the things that were happening to him. His faith was in God to bring him through the tribulation; he waited and was blessed for his faithfulness and meekness. Job 1:21 And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD." Job 13:15 Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.

Mary, the mother of Jesus was a meek person. As a teenager in her culture to discover that she found favor with God, and was to give birth to His Son, she responded with meekness, “Behold, the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” She could have protested, asked many questions, collapsed in fear, fretted about what others would think, worried about the shame brought upon the family, worried about being stoned to death, and also worry about what Joseph would think, but no, in meekness she consented because she lived by faith in God Almighty and she knew He would see her through it all.

The greatest example of meekness is Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. (PS this is still the OT. Jesus death and resurrection starts the NT.) Jesus could have argued and refused to be our sacrifice, but even with the weight of the sins of the world bearing down on Him, He conceited that the Fathers will be done, and not His.

We must wait on the Lord, commit ourselves to Him, allow Him to control our lives, trust in Him for all things, and believe all will be well. By trusting in Him, we will inherit the blessing of His fulfilled promise for our life. We will inherit the earth one day.

New Testament Meekness;      

The OT is different than the NT in the aspect that in the OT, the patriarchs are viewed as walking with God. In the NT the comforter (Holy Spirit) enters the person’s heart when they accept Jesus as their Saviour. In the OT God controlled, NT Holy Spirit controlled, but of course God is in control in both the old and new because of the Trinity and the Holy Spirit is the 3^rd person in the Trinity. Galatians 5:22-24  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  23  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  24  And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Jesus defined himself as “gentile and lowly in heart”; Matthew 11:29. In doing this He brought to life a perfect definition of NT meekness, “power under control”. A meek person can feel righteous anger in the right situations, just like Jesus did; but a meek person never flies of the handle, out of control with his anger in a self-centered way. A meek person acts with power under control.

Many people make Jesus out to be a kind, loving, gentle, soft spoken person that never got angry. These people have missed all the times Jesus raised his voice against the Scribes and Pharisees, or the times He ran everyone out of His Father’s house with a whip. What about when He healed a withered hand on the Sabbath and the Pharisees criticized Him? He rebuked them Mark 3:5. What about the time the disciples were keeping the little children from coming to Him? He rebuked them Mark 10:14. What about Jesus stating that anyone hurting one of the little ones, it would be better off if that person had a millstone around his neck and drown in the sea Matthew 18:6. These and many more are examples of power under control or righteous anger found in the New Testament, and not just with Jesus, but with the Apostles too. This anger it is not anger centered on self, but anger focused on sin that is enmity toward God. It is anger that stands up against evil. It is anger that stands up against others self-centered, fleshly desires. We may get angry at others words and actions, but still love the person because they are God’s creation. This is unconditional love.

Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,

visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.

All things were created through Him and for Him.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,

unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

http://jesus-christ-spiritual-food.blogspot.com/

Bill Wiesbrock https://www.facebook.com/bill.wiesbrock?ref=tn_tnmn

The Lighthouse Full Gospel Church

Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!

“Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner.  I confess my sins to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness of all of my sins.  I believe that only you can forgive sin.  I commit my life to you and ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life.  I believe that you died to set me free from my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my Savior.”  I believe this and have faith you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”  (John 3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom. 1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)

4-23-2014 Vol. 8 Part 3 The Beatitudes How to be Happy According to Jesus (Matthew 5:4)

Note: To download/print the document, click on the title below.

The Beatitudes

How to be Happy According to Jesus

4-23-2014Vol. 8 Part 3 

Psalms 119:140-149 Your word is very pure; Therefore Your servant loves it. I am small and despised, Yet I do not forget Your precepts. Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth. Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, Yet Your commandments are my delights. The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; Give me understanding, and I shall live. I cry out with my whole heart; Hear me, O LORD! I will keep Your statutes. I cry out to You; Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies. I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word. My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word. Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness; O LORD, revive me according to Your justice.

Father God, teach us to mourn so that a true healing can take place. We pray for those in mourning to find healing through Jesus. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!

Matthew 5:4 NKJV

The Beatitudes can be understood in at least four ways:

·         They were a code of ethics for the disciples and a standard of conduct for all believers.

·         They compare Kingdom values (what is eternal) with worldly values (what is temporary).

·         They compare the superficial "faith" of the Pharisees with the real faith that Christ demands.

·         They show how the Old Testament expectations will be fulfilled in the new Kingdom.

These Beatitudes are not multiple choice, we can’t pick what we like and leave the rest. They must be taken as a whole. They describe what we should be like as Christ's followers.

Each beatitude tells us how to be blessed by God. It implies the fortunate or happy state of those who are in God's Kingdom whether here on earth or in Heaven. The Beatitudes don't promise laughter, pleasure, or earthly prosperity. Being "blessed" by God means the experience of hope and joy, not dependent on worldly things. Follow Jesus no matter what the cost will result in blessed hope and joy.

With Jesus' announcement that the Kingdom was near in Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.", people were naturally asking, "How do I qualify to be in God's Kingdom?" Jesus said that God's Kingdom is organized differently from worldly kingdoms. In the Kingdom of Heaven, wealth and power and authority are unimportant. Kingdom people seek different blessings and benefits, and they have different attitudes. Are your attitudes a carbon copy of the world's selfishness, pride, and lust for power, or do they reflect the humility and self-sacrifice of Jesus, your king?

4  Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.

This Beatitude is capable of two meanings:

1.    People are blessed who are afflicted with the loss of friends or possessions.

2.    Or, they who mourn over sin are blessed.

Happiness comes to those that mourn over their own sins; Jesus came to preach repentance, to stimulate people to mourn over their sins and to renounce sin. It is this that He is alluding to, the sinful nature of man when He stated this Beatitude, but the first will also bring happiness on a temporary basis. 2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. At the time of mourning the gospel only, can give true comfort to those in affliction, whether it be a sinful or personal loss. Luke 4:18 "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE HAS ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR; HE HAS SENT ME TO HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED, TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET AT LIBERTY THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED. Other sources of consolation do not reach the deep sorrows of the soul. They may dull the senses, but they do not point to the true source of comfort; the God of mercy; the Saviour; the peace that flows from the hope of a better world, and true consolation through Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

So those that grieve over sin they have committed, and are sorrowful they have offended God, shall find comfort in the gospel. Through the merciful Saviour our sins may be forgiven. In him the weary and heavy laden soul shall find peace. Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." The presence of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit in one’s life will comfort a repentant heart. The phrase, “For they shall be comforted,” refers to what the Holy Spirit will give to those who evaluate their spiritual poverty with sincerity.  John 14:26-27 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.  27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Dr. David Jeremiah states this on the mourning over a sinful lifestyle: “Have you ever come to God so brokenhearted over your failure that you wept? The Bible says that doing so is a cleansing step toward holiness and happiness in life. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. The man who cannot mourn over his own sin can never know the comfort and forgiveness of God. The Lord doesn’t forgive sin we won’t confess. But when we come to God, acknowledging what we have done and weeping in realization that it was our sin which helped nail Christ to the cross, God begins the healing process in our lives. Our hurt leads to the blessing of God’s comfort.”

The Apostle Paul went from a state of opposing Jesus to a close relationship with Jesus during his life. The relationship he had with Jesus grew, and as it grew Paul realized what a sinner he was. His ministry started out with himself proclaiming to be an Apostle, Galatians 1:1; seven years later a letter to the Corinthians he viewed himself as the least of the Apostles, 1 Corinthian 15:9; eight years later to the Ephesians he viewed himself as least of the Saints, Ephesians 3:8; later in 1 Timothy 1:15 he claimed he was a chief sinner. Just in a few years Paul went from an Apostle to a chief sinner. The closer he got to the Lord, the more he realized what the sin nature does to the soul. Blessed are those who mourn and weep over their own sin, but also know the great joy and peace knowing that God cares and forgives them, they shall be comforted. This is the main point of this Beatitude!

What about number one above, “People are blessed who are afflicted with the loss of friends or possessions”? As adults we are grieved over many things beside the loss of loved ones/friends and possessions, such as our children and grandchildren in certain things that happen in their lives. I will touch on this farther down in today’s lesson, but the answer it is always Jesus that comforts all situations.

When we sacrifice the present for the future, happiness is found; It is the Holy Spirit within our heart that provides comfort for all types of mourning. It’s knowing what joy awaits us in God’s world. In the story of Lazarus and the rich man, the rich man in torment cried out to Abraham for help, but Abraham’s response to the rich man was, you had your glory when you lived on earth. Students can relate to this scripture, because when they have a final exam coming up they can choose to be studious and study hard or not take the exam seriously and go party. When the test day comes those that studied will rejoice with a passing grade, while those that partied will be in the misery of failing and facing parents, friends, and having to retake the semester. Jesus understood this human character; happy are the hurting, for they shall be comforted. Happiness is discovered when we sacrifice the present for the future.

We discover happiness when we sympathize with those around us who suffer; How can we find happiness through sympathy? This sounds slightly strange, but Jesus was often portrayed as having compassion for those around Him. It is through love for others that we hurt for their conditions and the things they go through. Sorrow is a product of love. Matthew 19:19  'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER,' and, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'  It is this commandment that Jesus obeyed and practiced throughout His ministry. It is the love He had for the humans that He created that caused Him grief because of their sinfulness and separation. As a person grows in their relationship with Jesus, they develop a deeper love for their fellow human beings. It is through this love and relationship that a person learns to sympathize with others, other than their family and close friends. They find themselves listening and consoling those that are going through a tribulation. It is the love of Jesus that shines through, and the person doing the consoling finds happiness by being able to help even if it is just listening.

As we go through life we gain many experiences by the trials and tribulations we go through. Going through these life events we can comfort and console those that go through the same type of tribulations. Just as God helps us through our troubles we can then help others. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,  4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. Happy are those who can sympathize with the sorrowing people around them.

Happiness is discovered when we suffer the losses and the crosses of life; We learn from sorrow and take it for granted, like a true friendship may develop between two people because of the loss of a loved one and the support given by someone. We may learn how deeply rooted our faith is in God through some type of tribulation. We may have found our faith is shallow when all along we thought it was deeply rooted in Jesus. The saddest thing in the world is not a soul that sorrows, but a heart so selfish and dull nothing touches it.

How do you deal with sorrow and grief, whether it be the loss of a loved one, divorce, loss of job, disease, etc.? Many times we are told or think it must be God’s will for this to happen, when in reality we are the ones that bring on the situation. God doesn’t want us to be inflicted with sorrow and pain, His original creation plan was for everlasting life until the serpent showed up on the scene. I would venture to say that what happens in our lives is a result of the way we live, thinking we have all the answers. We should examine our life often and determine if the way we are living is based on scripture and what scripture truly means, not what we think it means. God has not changed with time, and His precepts are what we are to live by. For instance if we disregard living according to good health practices, and we are inflicted with disease, then, is it God’s will or our way of living that caused the situation? Are the things that happen in our lives a wakeup call for us to deny ourselves and accept Jesus whole heartily as our Saviour?

Don’t suppress your grief, express it; Jesus expressed His grief several times, He wept over the death of Lazarus. Expressing feelings is and emotional release, offering cleansing and freeing us to begin the journey toward hope.

Don’t replace you loss, face your loss; many times society says to get busy and take your mind off of your loss. This only allows the person to bury the loss and never come to closure. We need to think it through, and talk to friends and Jesus about our losses, and then the healing will take place.

Don’t retreat from others, reach out; again society leans toward leaving a person alone to grieving. We need each other during a grieving period. The Apostles did not grieve alone after Jesus death they grieved with each other, for three days they were together and then Jesus appeared to them? Of course some alone time with our Lord is needed also, otherwise it is too busy with people around all the time and the busyness may actually keep the person from truly getting through the situation. There has to be a balance of support and alone time.

Don’t depend on the calendar, depend on the Comforter; the old saying is, “time heals all things”, but the Bible says the Holy Spirit is the healer of all things and all situations. Heal means to grow sound; to return to a sound state; to be made strong. Many times, if we could recognize the little messages from God, we might realize through mourning He is making us stronger for what lies ahead in our lives.

One thing is for sure, at some point in time there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain. Revelation 21:4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,

visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.

All things were created through Him and for Him.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,

unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

http://jesus-christ-spiritual-food.blogspot.com/

Bill Wiesbrock https://www.facebook.com/bill.wiesbrock?ref=tn_tnmn

The Lighthouse Full Gospel Church

Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!

“Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner.  I confess my sins to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness of all of my sins.  I believe that only you can forgive sin.  I commit my life to you and ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life.  I believe that you died to set me free from my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my Savior.”  I believe this and have faith you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”  (John 3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom. 1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)

4-16-2014 Vol. 8 Part 2 The Beatitudes How to be Happy According to Jesus (Matthew 5:1-3)

Note: To download/print the document, click on the title below.

4-16-2014 Vol. 8 Part 2 The Beatitudes

Howto be Happy According to Jesus 

Psalms 119:130-139 The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. I opened my mouth and panted, For I longed for Your commandments. Look upon me and be merciful to me, As Your custom is toward those who love Your name. Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me. Redeem me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Your precepts. Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes. Rivers of water run down from my eyes, Because men do not keep Your law. Righteous are You, O LORD, And upright are Your judgments. Your testimonies, which You have commanded, Are righteous and very faithful. My zeal has consumed me, Because my enemies have forgotten Your words.

Father God, we rejoice in your grace that you have made available to each of us. We ask that you chasten us in humility so that we can be exalted in the end. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!

Matthew 5:3 NKJV

Chapter five starts out with these two verses: Matthew 5:1-2 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

Multitudes of course is referring to a vast number of people that were following and craving the teachings of Jesus at the start of His ministry, which of course this is the beginning of his ministry. Jesus started his ministry with a sermon on a mount and also ended his ministry with a sermon on a mount. This mount is not identified and probably by the Sea of Galilee, but the mount that Jesus gave His last sermon on was Mount Olivet which we know about, and can read about it in Matthew Chapters 24 & 25. This sermon that we are going to explore could have also been given on a hill side at the base of a mountain, we really don’t know. Jesus probably went up so that he could see out over the multitude of people and this way the people could also see Him.

It was customary for the teacher to sit down when teaching, and when Jesus sat down, the disciples recognized that He was going to teach so they came closer to Him and probably sat down also. When Jesus opened His mouth and began to speak it was the Spirit of God within, that spoke and what a message He spoke. It wasn’t at all what the people were expecting.

Why did the vast number of people follow Jesus at that time? Was it the miracles and healings He performed? Was it the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth? I believe the answer is yes to both questions. Even as a young lad Jesus amazed the Jewish leaders with his wisdom. Luke 2:46-47 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.  47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.

The definition of “beatitude” is supreme blessedness or exalted happiness.

The Beatitudes are made up of three elements: a declaration of blessing, a quality of life, and a reason why the recipient should be considered blessed. The first element is found in the word Blessed, which introduces each beatitude. The second element does not describe different groups of people, but a composite picture of the kind of person who will inherit Christ’s kingdom. The third element looks ahead to some aspect of the coming kingdom.

Blessed; (Gk. makarios) This Greek word is derived from the root mak, which means “large” or “lengthy,” and means “fortunate” or “happy.” The Greek word was used in Greek literature, in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), and in the New Testament to describe the kind of happiness that comes from receiving divine favor. The word can be rendered “happy”. In the New Testament it is usually passive; God is the One who is blessing or favoring the person.

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

Jesus began his sermon with words that seem to contradict each other. But God's way of living usually contradicts the world’s way. If you want to live for God, you must be ready to say and do what seems strange to the world. You must be willing to give when others take, to love when others hate, to help when others won’t, not go along with the crowd when you know it is wrong, be willing to be laughed at, etc. In other words a Christian will stand out from the crowd and be thought of as a weirdo or Jesus freak. Just like me doing these Bible Studies, some think ill of me.

What does “poor” refer to in the verse above? Is it poor financially like some think when they read Luke’s gospel? He simply states, blessed are the poor. Or is it poor in spirit meaning “humble” which is how it is stated in Matthew’s gospel? It has been disputed whether Christ meant poor in reference to the things of this life, or to the humble. We do know the gospel is said to be preached to the poor, (Luke 4:18  "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE HAS ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR; HE HAS SENT ME TO HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED, TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET AT LIBERTY THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED; and in Matthew  Matthew 11:5  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.. It was also predicted by Isaiah the Messiah would preach to the poor, Isaiah 61:1 "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;), but that’s not the case here. In studying this out it is in reference to the poor in spirit meaning being humble. To be poor in spirit is to have a humble opinion of ourselves; to be sensible that we are sinners, and have no righteousness of our own; to be willing to be saved only by the rich grace and mercy of God; to be willing to be where God places us, to bear what he lays on us, to go where he bids us, and to die when he commands; to be willing to be in his hands, and to feel that we deserve no favor from him. It is opposed to pride, vanity, and ambition.

It is very evident that the meaning is humble, because scripture supports humble. We aren’t to stand on street corners and pray to draw attention to ourselves, we are to go into our prayer closets and pray. Matthew 6:5-6 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Matthew 6:5-6 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. This is just a couple verses that support humility. James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. Matthew 23:12  And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. 1 Peter 5:6  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.  Job 22:29; Psalm 113:7, Psalm 147:6; Luke 14:11, Luke 18:14

The idea of God blessing the humble and resisting the proud can also be found in Proverbs 3:34 Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.; James 4:6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."; 1 Samuel 2:3 "Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the LORD is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed.; Psalms 138:6 Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar.; Proverbs 6:16-17 These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:  17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,; Proverbs 29:23 A man's pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor.; 1 Peter 5:5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."

Those that are poor in spirit realize money is not the answer to Happiness; So does God not want us to be wealthy? No, because He does bless some with wealth, but wealth is not a sign of holiness. God only gives us what we can handle and maybe some are wealthy because they use the wealth to support the kingdom of God here on earth. I would venture to say that some people, if they were to become wealthy, like winning the lottery, would squander it on the things of the world that they think would make them happy, but this only satisfies the flesh and the inner soul still longs for true happiness.

Those who are poor in spirit will realize their emptiness apart from God: A person that isn’t poor in spirit will one day realize they are missing something on the inside. They may have all types of worldly things and these things only make them happy for a short period of time each time they are engaged in the activity, but when the activity is over, there is a time of deflation whether it be an hour, day, or week. Eventually, I hope these people will realize that something is missing deep within their heart and they will start to seek true happiness that can satisfy their inner being, and that of course is Jesus Christ.

Those who are poor in spirit will reach out to others with a spirit of love and compassion: The world tells us to develop thick skin and to keep other at a distance so they can’t hurt you, don’t cry it is a sign of weakness, be strong, take what you want you deserve it, you can do anything you want, grab the gusto because life is short, you don’t need anyone else, stand your ground, don’t compromise, don’t forgive, hold a grudge and get even, etc. Does this sound like a spirit of love and compassion? Is this what the Word of God teaches? Does this portray a humble person? This type of worldly spirit is what our society promotes and is not of God, but is a result of our inherited sin nature.

Dr. David Jeremiah states this: (The kingdom of God is completely different from the kingdom of this world. A self-centered person won’t notice anyone else; his concern is only for himself. He cannot be sensitive to those around him for fear their pain may ruin his happiness. But a person who is poor in spirit will look to minister. He will seek out those who are hurting so that he can heal the lives of others. A person filled up with himself is unable to reach out to others, for he loves only himself. A person who is poor in spirit will reach out to others in love.

When the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he scolded them for being so proud of their spiritual gifts. They went around full of pride, talking about all the good qualities they had, but Paul’s question was simple: “Who gave you those gifts?” God did. Why walk around acting proud as though your spiritual gifts were somehow earned when they were simply given by the grace of God? The poor in spirit person is humble, thanking God for all grace and mercy, not because they are earned. Show me a man who is ungrateful, and I’ll show you a man who isn’t poor in spirit. Show me a woman who is unthankful, and I’ll show you a woman who doesn’t understand the first Beatitude.)

Those who are poor in spirit will reach their highest joy in serving: Jesus gives us many examples of how he served in the Bible, in fact to make a strong point of it He washed His disciples feet at the last supper. He commanded them to serve and not to be exalted, in other words be humble. John 13:5-16

We have all heard some individuals say how happy and good they feel after leaving a good paying job and going into the mission field, or serving food and helping other at shelters in their off time. They found what the world could not satisfy, but through serving others their hungry soul is fed.

So don’t search for true happiness outside of God’s Kingdom, you will not find it. That happiness is only temporary. Seek the happiness found in Heaven that is given freely through God’s Grace. A true happiness found through faith in Jesus and not faith in ourselves or of the world.

In closing do we have to be poor in spirit to become one of God’s children to inherit His Kingdom? Yes, we have to humble ourselves and come to the realization that we are born with the sin nature and that it is the sin nature that separates us from God. We need to repent of our sins and lifestyle and ask Jesus into our hearts to rule and reign our life. Then we will find inner peace and happiness.

Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,

visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.

All things were created through Him and for Him.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,

unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

http://jesus-christ-spiritual-food.blogspot.com/

Bill Wiesbrock https://www.facebook.com/bill.wiesbrock?ref=tn_tnmn

The Lighthouse Full Gospel Church

Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!

“Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner.  I confess my sins to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness of all of my sins.  I believe that only you can forgive sin.  I commit my life to you and ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life.  I believe that you died to set me free from my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my Savior.”  I believe this and have faith you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”  (John 3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom. 1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)

4-9-2014 Introduction to the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12)

Note: To download/print the document, click on the title below.

The Beatitudes

How to be Happy According to Jesus

4-9-2014Vol. 8 Part 1 

Psalms 119:121-129 I have done justice and righteousness; Do not leave me to my oppressors. Be surety for Your servant for good; Do not let the proud oppress me. My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation And Your righteous word. Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy, And teach me Your statutes. I am Your servant; Give me understanding, That I may know Your testimonies. It is time for You to act, O LORD, For they have regarded Your law as void. Therefore I love Your commandments More than gold, yes, than fine gold! Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way. Your testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul keeps them.

Father God, we rejoice in your grace that you have made available to each of us. It is through your saving Grace that our spirit finds joy and happiness living in this world, when you’re Spirit joins with our spirit. It is then and only then at that moment of a Spiritual Birth that we have eternal peace and long to see your face. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!

Introduction to Matthew 5:1-12 NKJV

In reading the verses below, they take on two different meanings depending on your relationship with Jesus.

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

4  Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.

5  Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.

6  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

7  Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

8  Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

9  Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.

10  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11  "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

12  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

To the Born Again Saint he/she sees happiness and doesn’t get discouraged because their trust and faith is in Jesus Christ. They don’t have a problem talking about Jesus and what He did for mankind to strangers when given an opportunity because they are believing and have the assurance of everlasting life through Jesus. Their goal is Heaven and they know what happens here on earth is secular. The joy one finds here on earth will only make a person happy for a little while, but the true believer lives for eternal happiness knowing that this type of happiness will satisfy the soul and last for eternity. It is this kind of happiness that feeds the spirit within and creates a happy inner being by looking forward to the Rapture or death because the result is Heaven. So the true believer does not live for earthly riches.

Those that don’t have the right relationship with Jesus, meaning knowing Him with their mind like a storybook character instead of knowing Him with their heart, they live for things here on earth like, material/activities to bring them happiness. These types of things only bring a temporary happiness that will fade away with time and then these people will be seeking something else to quench their thirst to make them happy. Things like making more and more money. People of this nature watch the stock market, their business yearly profit of how much was made, even though the business is doing well and they don’t have to be concerned, but it is the greed of money and the desire to make more money that satisfies them temporarily. If the stock market is down their inner being is down and if the market is up their inner being is in an uplifted state. The same holds true with anyone that places a lot of emphasis on something here on earth that cannot be taken with them when they die. Things that people get obsessed with are shopping, gambling, Facebook, the internet, alcohol, always going places instead of taking care of things at home, fishing, guns, sports, cars, boats, making sure every blade of grass in the lawn is right or every speck of dust in the house is wiped up, etc. the list goes on and on and on. It is these types of things that people focus on instead of Jesus and eternal life. Of course Satan loves this because it keeps people’s minds busy about these things instead of Jesus knowing that at some point in time these people will be in his kingdom. Not only do these things occupy our minds and our focus is taken off of Jesus, but many times the focus is shifted to selfishness of pleasing self and not wife and family. Satan also loves this because marriage and family are sacred to God and anything Satan can do to destroy these precepts of God pleases him.

A gentleman named Leonard Griffith once wrote, “The trouble with you Americans is that you have to be so confoundedly happy. You have dedicated yourselves to the pursuit of happiness. And you boast about it as an inalienable right, as though happiness were the supreme and absolute goal of all existence. Surely there are more important things in life than just to be happy.”

Our Declaration of Independence proclaims that we are to pursue happiness right along with life and liberty. Is that why so many people live their lives today pursuing happiness? Is that why so many people from other countries come to America, in pursuit of happiness? I don’t know. Was the statement “Pursuit of Happiness” a mistake in our Declaration of Independence? Has it caused people to seek material happiness and not Jesus happiness? All very good questions, and no I believe the statement, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” was not a mistake. We are very fortunate living in America and I pray it remains a good thing. It is our inherited sin nature that pulls us away and prevents us developing a right relationship with Jesus. The root cause is Satan.

Life could be compared to an amusement park where all types of fun rides and things are going on. As long as one stays in the amusement park they are happy. If they go outside the security fence all of a sudden reality and fear sets in. They say I want to go back inside, there is fun and laughter inside the security fence, there is so much unknown out here it is fearful and worries me. Life is the same way we get caught up in our lifestyle and what we were taught growing up. As we age we find it very difficult to step out of the box we have created and we fear stepping out of the box. This is why it is so difficult for people to truly accept Jesus as their Saviour who will give them true happiness. They know Jesus and who and what He did, but to give their heart to Jesus they have to deny what they know whether it be lifestyle, religion, and century old ritualistic customs, etc. to accept Jesus with their heart. It is the fear of the unknown to give it all to Jesus that holds one back from totally trusting in Him.

True happiness is part of God’s purpose for us; Did you know that true happiness is part of God’s purpose for us? Jesus gave us these Beatitudes which are characteristics of a Christian life. As we study them carefully we will discover some surprising truths. Some people think if you are not sad you can’t be holy. That’s dead wrong, Jesus said this in John, John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. Jesus wants us to have a more abundant life and that being the joy in our heart knowing we are one of his. Jesus didn’t make us to have a joyless life, but a life full of His abundant Grace. Jesus enjoyed banquets, and gathering of friends. He enjoyed the little children, he mingled with the publicans and sinners, He didn’t hide himself. Have you ever stopped and thought about some of His parables and that they must have been humorous to some of his listeners, like a plank hanging out of your eye.

Those that paint a picture that Jesus was sad and morbid, have miss the complete picture. This is why He gave us the Beatitudes so we can realize we are to be happy. Have you ever been around someone that is always happy? That no matter what’s happens in their life they take it in stride and keep and uplifted attitude about the situation? Have you ever had anyone come up to you and ask, “why are you always so happy?” It is probably because they have Jesus in their heart and they give it all to Jesus knowing that Jesus will take care of all of their needs.

The pursuit of true happiness is an innermost journey; and the criteria is Matthew 5:3-12. Reviewing these verses is completely opposite to what we think happiness is all about. There isn’t one reference to financial security, health, employment, houses, friends, income, love, hunting, shopping, boating, camping, guns, TV’s, fishing, sports, etc. Now don’t get me wrong these things do bring happiness to the flesh and are temporary, but the soul still longs for true everlasting happiness. Jesus completely reverses the concept of happiness because He is speaking of what gives a person happiness that lasts a life time and give the soul something to yearn for while here on earth. He is saying the bliss of the poor, joy of the persecuted, exaltation of the hungry and thirsty, happiness of the sorrowful, etc. To the unsaved they would think this doesn’t sound like happiness, but to the saved it takes on a whole different meaning because of the love of Jesus within their heart.

The Pharisees of Jesus time also thought happiness were things of the flesh because they viewed their Messiah as one that would come and take control of the Roman government and other governments, and then they, the Jews would prosper, but Jesus turned their world and thoughts upside down with His teachings, therefore the Jewish people rejected Him as their Messiah because He didn’t fit their idea of a Messiah. We also do this today in believing in our culture, upbringing, and religion instead of trusting in the finished works of the Cross and practicing faith and not religion.

The pursuit of true happiness is not a goal, but a by-product; Many times we find true happiness in things we do as a by-product of our actions. For example a Missionary finds true happiness when the people he is working with learns to read, or acquires a new skill like carpentry, or dress making, or agriculture, or accepting Jesus into their heart. It is that gift of giving by doing work for the Lord. The Missionary doesn’t have a fancy house, car, or lots of money, but what he does have is the love of Jesus that brings peace and happiness into his heart by seeing the hard work of his labor.

True happiness will lead ultimately to Jesus Christ living in your heart; When a person is Born Again they will experience an inner peace and happiness that is not found here on earth. All of a sudden the things of this world will not matter anymore and the focus or goal will be Heaven because they will realize we are just passing through this time zone and life is a test to see where we will be spending eternity. When the business fails that one has invested his lifetime savings, he will find joy; when a child that turns south instead of north, there will still be gladness; when people reject you and turn against you, you will still find happiness in Jesus; when one becomes ill with a disease, they will still have comfort; when one loses a loved one, they will still have consolation.

It is the love of Jesus in ones heart that will give a person true happiness, joy, and comfort knowing they can trust in Him for all things.

Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,

visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.

All things were created through Him and for Him.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,

unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

http://jesus-christ-spiritual-food.blogspot.com/

Bill Wiesbrock https://www.facebook.com/bill.wiesbrock?ref=tn_tnmn

Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!

“Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner.  I confess my sins to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness of all of my sins.  I believe that only you can forgive sin.  I commit my life to you and ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life.  I believe that you died to set me free from my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my Savior.”  I believe this and have faith you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”  (John 3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom. 1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)