Organized by Homeless Services Network of Central Florida and hosted by Northland Church at Longwood, Project Homeless Connect helped hundreds of individuals in need today.Dozens of nonprofit agencies, faith-based groups, government agencies and businesses participate in these events. Each participant (or VIP) was paired with a “shepherd” so that everyone felt welcome and received assistance. Available services included medical care, haircuts, employment opportunities, substance abuse and mental health counseling, assistance with benefits, ID cards and legal issues, housing information, vision screening, hygiene kits, meals, and spiritual care.

Some of my friends and VIP’s that were at served today:

 This is one of our shepherds and my friend Juanita (Juanita also helps me set up each Wednesday at Grace and Grits) –>>

<<– This is one of our shepherds and my friend Hattie Mae

This is one of our shepherds  and my friend Andrew –>>

<<– These are my friends AJ and George. (AJ is a tattoo artist…as if you couldn’t guess,  great guys! )

These are my friends Katie and Bette –>>

<<– These are my friends Skip and Kenneth (Skip is a great encouragement and is a man after God’s heart)

Todd…….that’s a live wire! (looks like he’s havin’ fun, huh? I think he enjoy’s this!)

Thank you Rich and crew for getting the electrical work done in our offices.

Thank you Brian and Greg for the fine work on the wall!

Over the last eight weeks we have been looking at probably the greatest sermon that Jesus ever preached. We started with the very basics…….the BE-ATTITUDES. Why did Jesus start with the teaching of the Beatitudes? The answer lies in their nature…….the Beatitudes are all about the inner person. Jesus is telling us that we are to BE something before we DO anything. To be happy in life….to be fulfilled in who we are…. and what we do……..we have to put our lives together from the inside out.

As we look at this wisdom, as we look at these attitudes of the inner self that Jesus tells us make us whole…..as we start to apply these attitudes that deal with the inner person…the inner you and the inner me……we will find that regardless of our external circumstances, our lives can be meaningful…….we can find happiness and joy…..we can find fulfillment. Our lives won’t be any more enjoyable than our “inner person”. We can experience happiness and fullfillment regardless of the outward conditions in our lives, and I believe that as we apply these lessons of the inner self….that even these will improve.

Let’s look further at what Jesus taught to the multitudes of followers on that day on a mountainside in Galillee. We are going to learn more about how we are to live out our lives in happiness, joy, and fulfillment.

Matthew 5:13-16 ( TNIV )
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

In the Beatitudes, the inner attitudes of our inner being, Jesus helps us to get our lives together so that we can demonstrate His power to the world in which we live. A power which transforms lives and indeed transforms this world for the better. Both of these statements (salt and light) are positive challenges for us to do something about the world in which we live.

Let’s look at the qualities of being Salt of the Earth.

Matthew 5:13 ( TNIV )
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

Salt has different qualities. The first quality of Salt is that it is a preservative. It has this capability of preventing decay to whatever it is applied to. Jesus is telling us in many ways here that we are to help prevent the decay of our society. Consider what our country would be like if we removed Jesus’ influence: Look at all that is happening in Afghanistan and Pakistan…..look at how women are treated, Look at the skewed sense of justice.

Here’s a second quality of salt: When it is applied……it enhances flavor. Food taste better when salted. The same is true of Jesus. When Jesus is in our lives, when we follow, not just simply believe, when we seek to live like Him in word and deed…it brings out the very best in life and it flavors the lives of those around us.

The third qulaity of salt is that it creates thirst. When we live out the Beatitudes, we create a thirst in those around us.Every where that Paul went people developed a thirst to know Jesus. One man….by living out the Gospels….by loving others….by telling others about the Savior of this world started numerous churches…throughout the Roman world and led thousands to a different life in Christ

It’s interesting here that Jesus tells us, “if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?” Scientifically it is impossible for salt to lose its flavor. Salt is Sodium Chloride. However, the salt in Jesus day was mixed with many impurites…so….when the sodium chloride was leached away, all that was left was the impurities….and Jesus tells us about them……..they are, “no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

Isn’t our life like that?  If the salt, which is our “Christlikedness”, is the preservative in our lives…if it enhances the flavor of our lives….when the salt is washed away it leaves only the impurities in our lives. What is left is not worth much at all. In other words, if we become contaminated with the impurities of this world…..addiction, lust, self centeredness, and so many more….we lose our influence. What’s left is a shell of who we could be. We need to “keep that saltiness” the “Christlikedness”.

Jesus also tells us here to be the Light of the World.

Matthew 5:14-16 ( TNIV )
14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Jesus tells us to follow Him and to be the light of our world, a light that can’t be hidden. In the very beginning of the Gospel of John, The apostle and disciple, John, is telling us about Jesus:

John 1:1-5 ( TNIV )
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  2 He was with God in the beginning.  3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all people.  5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

It’s the nature of light that light drives back the darkness. When we live up to this challenge of Jesus we push back the darkness in this world. The stronger our light, the greater the amount of darkness we can penetrate.

John 8:12 ( TNIV )
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

What Jesus is telling us is that through Him we can depart from the darkness in our life and have the light of life. So very often, as we follow Jesus, we are like the lights on a runway at the airport. Guiding planes full of people to the safety of the ground. We help keep others from crashing and burning. We help keep others from experiencing the dangers of landing the wrong place. This is all a call to positive living. It starts with our inner attitudes (the Beatitudes), when we live with the Joy of Jesus in our hearts. When we do this we automatically drive back the gloom and doom of our world. As the light of the world we demonstrate that when struggles come we can find hope and help.

Let’s look again at verse 16: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

What are these “good deeds” Jesus is talking about? I believe strongly that Jesus is talking about a few things here: These deeds, or good works, are works of love as well as works of faith. Believing, confessing and teaching the truths that we find here in the Scriptures….the truths that we find in Jesus….are works or deeds of faith. Works and deeds that Jesus is talking about. They give evidence of what God, the Holy Spirit, indeed, Jesus, is doing in our lives. People see this and it glorifies God. Again, these good deeds, or good works, are works of love: practical, visible deeds of compassion towards others. When people see our love for others, our compassion, our “mercy” (which is grace in action), God is glorified. Because this compassion and love that we show to God and others embodies the Good News of Jesus love in our lives and this world, the love that we proclaim.

Being salt and light to the world around us brings a happiness and fulfillment to our lives, as well as it guides others through the rocky waters of this life.So very often, as we follow Jesus, we are like a lighthouse. We are a beacon to safety. We help keep others from running aground….we help keep others from experiencing the dangers of this life.

<< –There is a lighthouse in Massachusetts called “Minot’s Light”. The light flashes a nautical code that spells “I love you”. That’s how the light of Jesus is in our lives. As we are the light…we flash… “I love you”

As we take Jesus words to heart…as we are the Salt and the light in this world. We are not to conceal the truth we know, or the truth that we are. We aren’t to pretend to be anything other than what we are. But we must be willing to let who we are, and who we are becoming in Christ, to be the salt of this the earth…the light of the world.

And here’s what’s important:  To be effective in our lives…we must retain that “Christlikeness” ……we must be that salt…..by letting Christ show through in our lives. People will recognize that it is by the grace of God that we are what we are. That our light…is His light. That our works are His works done in and through us. It’s the light that we praise…it’s not the lamp that bears that light. As we understand that, and as we apply that, we become a beacon to this world…..we guide others simply by being who we are in Christ…. to a safe place…away from the dangers of this world…..the dangers of sin that separate us from God.

My challenge to you is to be the salt of this world….to help prevent it from decaying. My challenge to you is that, as you live the Beatitudes, that you also be the light of this world. So that those who are struggling can find the way to safety….so those that have become lost in this life…can find a joy and a fullfillment that transcends understanding.

Throughout history, people have so often been unwilling to do the things that would prevent disasters from occurring later in their lives. Look at the whole Katrina disaster……..Scientist and engineers had warned over and over that the levies were not strong enough to withstand a big hurricane. The city was destroyed and many died because they didn’t heed the call.

I was reading that in 1993 in Davenport, Iowa…….the city was flooded by the Mississippi River because the people didn’t want to build a levy that would ruin their view of the river. I mean…what a reason not to build a levy….yet we make those kinds of decisions all the time..don’t we?

We have been looking at simple truths….indeed….”divine wisdom” from Jesus Himself….. that are great building blocks for life, and that if applied and adopted, can prevent disaster in our lives.

It’s important to remember that each one of these eight Beatitudes builds on, and depends upon, what is underneath it.

Let me illustrate how these attitudes………how these blessings that Jesus is telling us about build on each other.

In the last post, we looked at verse 8, the sixth Beatitude. If we look back, remember, “Blessed are the pure in heart” means without hypocrisy, not just being “outwardly” clean… but it is being “inwardly” clean….. in the secret recesses of our heart. I would note that some of the other Beatitudes can be imitated……..but purity of heart can’t. How do we receive this pure heart?  Well….with me….it started with recognizing that God is control….…it started with trusting God and relying on Him.   The first Beatitude….“Blessed are the poor in spirit”.

This helped me to truly care for other people and it opened my eyes to the pain caused by the sins of the world, sins that drag people to places that hurt each other. This causes me to grieve. The second Beatitude,  “Blessed are those who mourn”.

With this awakening in my heart, I have learned to have God’s strength in my life…strength enough not to have to always defend myself and argue with others. The third Beatitude, “Blessed are the meek”.

At this point, the point that I started to have Christ’ strength…I felt a freedom…yes a freedom to pursue the righteousness of God in my life, the strength to do what was right and yield to temptation less. The fourth Beatitude, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness”.

As I realized that doing what was right was really fulfilling, (wow, God is pretty wise, isn’t He?), and as I saw the pain caused by doing what was not right (both in my own life as well a sin the world)…I gained strength to do something about it. It became easy to show mercy to others that are struggling by giving them encouragement and helping to meet their needs. The fifth Beatitude,  “Blessed are the merciful”.

At this point…the point that I started to adopt these things in  my life…..being pure in heart wasn’t so hard to achieve. It wasn’t an impossible goal. The sixth Beatitude, “Blessed are the pure in heart”.

These first Beatitudes are glimpses into our inward heart condition. Today……..we are moving on with an even stronger outflow of that inward condition.

Adopting and applying the “Be-Attitudes” to our lives is a process and part of our journey. At any time…..I can look at myself and ask what Beatitude I am struggling to apply and achieve now. It often varies from day to day. I look at it like I am in God’s classroom…I am His student. Each situation I am in, each day…the journey gives me new insights…..into God’s heart…into my own heart…and into the hearts of others. Indeed, as I am talking to God every day, and asking for His help and provision, He answers with situations that help me to achieve these attitudes…..and to not forget.

The blessing are more than promises. I don’t believe that they are gifts bestowed upon me from God…..I believe that the blessings are simply the results of living as my creator intended me to live. 

Let’s take a look at the last two of the eight Beatitudes. Jesus tells us in verse 9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” 

I am reminded that the working of God in the lives of Christians…….. is often beyond the comprehension of those who do not serve Him. If the heart is pure…….envy, self-centeredness, greed, and all this other stuff in our lives….if it’s been dealt with. …it becomes easy to be peaceable people. Peacemakers are happy and they seek to create an atmosphere of peace.

The Greek word here translated as “peacemakers” is “eirenopoios” [i-ray-nop-oy-os]  and it really means “someone who loves peace”….or a “reconciler”…someone who “reconciles” peace in their lives and the lives of others.

I find it interesting that in the Old Testament…..the Hebrew word for Peace is “Shalom”. It’s a Jewish greeting and it means basically “a state of being in peace”. The rabbi’s used it as God’s gift for His people.

There are different types of peace: Peace within ourselves…….peace with others…..and peace with God. To be a “peacemaker” is to “promote” well being.

1 Corinthians 7:15 ( TNIV )
……. God has called us to live in peace. 

1 Peter 3:11 ( TNIV )
Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.    

Hebrews 12:14 ( TNIV )
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy….

Romans 12:18 ( TNIV )
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  

As we look at the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles….indeed the wisdom of God…..it becomes very clear that we should never ourselves seek conflict or be responsible for it. We are called to actively pursue peace. We are to strive for peace with all people. The key to being a peacemaker is being at peace with ourselves. This comes as a result of being “pure in heart”  (remember verse 8?). And to understand that through Jesus….we have peace with God.

Colossians 1:19-20 ( TNIV )
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,  20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Ephesians 2:14-18 ( TNIV )
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,  15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,  16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.  17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.  18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

It doesn’t surprise me one bit that the blessing that comes from this attitude is it that “they will be called children of God.”……… Because….in living this way….we are seeking to do what God has done…we are seeking to love people with His love. It’s the devil who is the troublemaker!

In the last of the eight “Be-Attitudes”…..Jesus tells us in verse 10….”Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”.

And the, Jesus expounds on the thought…let’s look at verse 11 and 12:
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute  you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

This one sounds tough…….doesn’t it?  How can we be happy while being persecuted and mistreated? The qualifying thought here is “because of righteousness”. However hard we try to make peace………when we try to do what is right…… and often even when we try to be kind to others…..some people will simply refuse to live in peace with us.

<<— Kevin playing base…..now he is here to serve.

Look at the flak we get from the business community here in Sanford for feeding the homeless. We are doing more than feeding people food. We are also building relationships so that we can help people see light and hope in lives that are often dark and hopeless. And all through the love of Christ. While, I believe due to the current economic situation, we are seeing more homeless…over the years I have seen more and more take those important steps to get their lives straight by seeking the other helps we guide people to…..recovery from addiction……job preparation and job programs. Through prayer and loving kindness we help people see the light of Jesus….and the light in themselves that often times they thought was forever extinguished. We see so much humanity here…not only in those we serve…but also in those doing the serving. Many of those being served….become server’s. They come back, not as much for the meal, but to serve others…I see it quite often….Ruth, Juanita, Kevin, and many more.

“Persecution” is simply a clash between two value systems. The values of this world….money….power…..self interest………………………and the values of God…..love…compassion…kindness…selflessness (to name a few).

When someone is angry at me for wanting to do right, for feeding those that are hungry, for being kind to someone they feel doesn’t deserve it, or maybe even for being kind to them when they have wronged me…and they can’t figure out why……..whatever it is…..well….to me…it’s a badge of honor. Not one that I wear proudly in the sense of “in their face”…..but one that I simply cherish because I know I earned it for doing what God wants me to do.

And what’s the result of this persecution Jesus tells us about? I love this….look closely….very closely…….we come full circle again…….. “for theirs IS the kingdom of heaven.”

Remember the first Beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs IS the kingdom of heaven.” Well, here we have Jesus telling us in the very last Beatitude, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs IS the kingdom of heaven.”

The kingdom of heaven here is in the present tense. This is because believers, followers of Christ, can, and already do share in the kingdom by living out Jesus’ words. Look closely:

Luke 17:20-21 ( TNIV )
20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed,  21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.” [or "is within you"]

 I find this amazing. And as I live these attitudes….struggle with them at times…strengthen myself….and continue on in life, as I make these my “BE-attitudes”, I have found more peace and fulfillment to my life than I could ever have imagined. Do I struggle at times…yes. Life inherently is a struggle. But I have learned to struggle in strength and Joy. The strength of knowing that God is in control and the joy of being loved and loving.

WE CAN SHARE IN THIS KINGDOM by living out Jesus’ Words….indeed…God’s wisdom to us…His children.

I am so excited as we move our offices to “The Loft”! I will have a new office overlooking the exciting downtown lake Mary.

<<– This is the “before” shot….the walls are going up, new outlets, new carpet coming….the works! We have a great and talented crew of volunteers doing the work. I am so thankful!

This is me trying to “will” the wall up……..didn’t do to bad with the framing…but the drywall is the hard part! Actually…thank you James G. and Chuck C. for the framing. It is solid! When I shake the studs…the rest of the building shakes around me…solid…real solid!   —–>>

When I was younger I set out to conquer the world in many ways. I wanted a good and fulfilling life…….someone to love me and someone I could love. I wanted peace in my life, happiness and joy. I think that is what most of us want….fulfillment……peace……. happiness and joy in our day to day lives. As I look back…… I didn’t know any better…and I sought those things without really knowing how to achieve them. I sought them through work….if I worked hard enough…I would be somebody. I sought them through my friends…..only somehow…my identity became intertwined with who I thought everyone wanted me to be. When life hit back at me….I sought to counterbalance the pain with pleasure….money, sex, drugs. I could never figure out why…. what I wanted most in life always seemed just out of my reach. All my relationships seemed to be strained in one way or another, day to day life become hard to handle. I always had this deep faith down inside me….a God shaped hole that I could never fill…..that I didn’t know what to do with…I loved God…..but it came to a point that I felt that I blew it……how could He love me? I cried out in my heart and in my solitary moments when I was all alone.

It wasn’t until I realized that life wasn’t about the quantity of things I did……. the “exploits” I had……… the pleasures I kept pursuing…….. BUT ….. that it was about the “quality” of my daily walk in life and my daily walk with God.  And that, I believe is so much what the Beatitudes are all about. You’ll notice that each of these attitudes that Jesus tells us will bring fulfillment to our lives….is an outward attitude toward others…….. as well as an inner strength.

Here is something we can all agree on, tough times come into the lives of everyone. At some point, everyone walks through the valley of sorrows. Jesus makes it very clear that when difficult things come to all of us….. and they will………He will sustain us…….. so that we can enjoy life again. The key to experiencing sustaining joy and fulfillment in life is found in our faith in God.

We have looked at the first four principals that Jesus said would bring happiness and fulfillment to our lives regardless of what’s going on in the world around us. While we can’t control what’s happening around us, we can prepare ourselves to survive anything that happens in our lives. The life that we have with Jesus is something that happens in the center of our beings. 

Let’s take a look at the next two Beatitudes:

In Verse 7, Jesus tells us, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

So….what is “mercy”? I think we can understand it better if we first compare it to  “grace”. Grace is an exemption……”grace” is shown to the undeserving and is often associated with people who are doing the wrong thing. “Mercy” is “grace in action”.   “Mercy” is exercising “grace”….it’s not simply feeling compassion….it’s doing something to alleviate the the pain or what’s going on in someones life.

I had a friend who was laid off and was struggling financially. I really felt bad for him…..that is “Grace”…….I said to wife…“I feel bad about $100 for this family”…. She agreed…….that’s “mercy”.

Jesus gives us the best imagery of “mercy” in the story of the Good Samaritan.  Let me set the background here….Jesus has just been asked how can someone inherit eternal life. His answer is prolific,

Luke 10:27 ( TNIV )
……‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Then he is asked, “Who is my neighbor”? Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan. It is important to understand that Jesus was talking to an expert in Jewish law….and in the time of Jesus, there was a lot of animosity between the Jews and Samaritans…they were practically enemies. So, Let’s look at how Jesus answers this devout Jewish expert in the law to his question, “who is my neighbor?”.

Luke 10:30-37 ( TNIV )
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.  35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

On the Cross, Jesus extended “mercy” when He, being crucified with criminals crucified on a crosses to His left and to His right, looked at the crowd and said:

Luke 23:34 ( TNIV )
…“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”

Happiness and fulfillment in life comes through realizing that in the same way that we are merciful to others God is merciful to us……He looks at us with mercy and compassion. The word “merciful” implies generosity….forgiveness…. and compassion…. and it includes a desire to remove the wrong as well as alleviate the suffering.

Jesus tells us in verse 8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

The “pure in heart “ do more than just do the right things when it is convenient….Jesus is very clearly putting emphasis on the purity of our inner being. The root of everything that we do day to day is our inner person. This is why Jesus calls for purity. If our hearts are pure, we have no problem doing the right things.

Psalms 24:3-4 ( TNIV )
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 Those who have clean hands and a pure heart….

 What does it mean to be pure in heart? One thing that it means is to live “without hypocrisy”.  Hypocrites are miserable…they truly are not very happy with themselves. Purity of heart is not just being “outwardly” clean…it is being “inwardly” clean in the secret recesses of our heart. If we have a pure heart, we have one purpose—to glorify God in all that we do.

In 1981 There was woman who was effectively blind from birth….she could only see blurs and outlines…nothing was in focus. A surgeon was able, with today’s advances, to operate and restore her sight. The newspaper reported that ……” she found that everything was ‘so much bigger and brighter’ than she ever imagined”. In the same way….when we adopt these attitudes in our lives…… and sometimes even struggle to make them a part of our being……..”everything is so much bigger and brighter , life is more robust than we can even imagine. “ Life comes into focus. We start to see with so much more clarity. Jesus promised it right here…..”we can see God”.

I think this is what blind and deaf Helen Keller meant….. when someone bluntly said to her…..“Isn’t it terrible to be blind?” ……she responded, “Better to be blind and see with your heart, than to have two good eyes and see nothing.”

Jesus’ words tell us how to get 20/20 “spiritual vision”. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

The “BE-attitudes”….these attitudes are building blocks that….if we apply this wisdom……..will bring peace and fulfillment to our lives.

Let’s look at the next two building blocks in our attitudes that….if we apply this wisdom……..will bring peace and fulfillment to our lives.

Matthew 5:5 (TNIV)
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

This concept, of “meekness”,  runs totally counter to the emphasis of the world in which we live. (again…it’s the truth upside down). The world takes the position that powerful, controlling people are happy. I often find that people who fit that mold (powerful, controlling people ) are often essentially miserable…….lonely inside…….always searching for a little piece of heaven……yet it always seems just around the corner (in other words….can’t find it yet).

I contend that he Beatitudes call us to BE something before we DO anything.

Let’s look at meekness. When I ask people what “meekness” is….I often get the answer, “weakness”. However, this is probably the furthest thing from the truth. Meekness should not to be misunderstood as weakness.

Weakness is a lack of strength. However…..meekness is strength under control, not flaunting your strength.

If we look at the Greek word translated as “meek” we find the word “praus” [prah-ooce]. ”Praus” is also often translated as “humble”. It’s interesting that meekness is very much compatible with great strength….. meekness is very much compatible with great authority and power. However, meekness is that strength, that authority and/or that power that is under control, not flaunted…a power and control that is used and understood for what it is…a gift from God…a blessing.

As far as I could find, there are only two people in the Bible that are actually described as meek. Both had great authority and power. And both understood that all they had was by God’s grace. They both exhibited great strength in the face of struggle, and they both had authority and power that they used for the good, that they didn’t flaunt. These two people were Moses and Jesus Himself.

In Numbers 12:3 ( ESV ) we read,
“Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.”

Yet Moses manifested great courage and leadership. He was the greatest man of the Old Testament. ……He certainly wasn’t weak.

Matthew 11:28-29 ( TNIV )
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble [“praus”] in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 

Jesus was meek and humble…..but He wasn’t weak. He was gentle, loving and kind. Yet he had tremendous courage to confront the false teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. He had the courage to drive the greedy moneychangers out of the temple. He had the courage to walk to the cross…to knowingly allow Himself to be crucified when. Jesus was anything but weak!

It has been said that meekness comes from a true view of oneself. Meek people do not exalt themselves….they don’t think of themselves as above others. Meek people are not always on the defensive. Since meek people are not constantly on guard to protect their rights or promote their interest…………….they are free to enjoy God’s presence. This brings happiness and fulfillment.

Matthew 5:6 ( TNIV )
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” 

First, let’s look at what is desired—“righteousness”. What is righteousness? Righteousness is living in accordance with moral standards, doing what is right. And NOTICE HERE that Jesus says  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness”. This is an attitude towards God…..when we “hunger and thirst” …we seek out and ask God….. we “hunger and thirst” for doing what is right.

Psalms 42:1-2 ( TNIV )
1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

Look at the result of that desire for righteousness —“they will be filled”. What does this mean…to be filled? The Greek word translated here as “filled” is “chortazo” [khor-tad-zo]. It conveys a meaning of being satisfied….to be fed and full…..to be filled. Isn’t that what we all want in life?

So….when we do what is right…when we live in accordance with moral standards….Jesus promises that we will be full…fed and full…..we will be satisfied! This is that truth upside down. Worldly wisdom tells us to pursue pleasure…….. to pursue happiness at any cost. Jesus tells us to “hunger and thirst” for doing what is right….and again…the result will be… that we will receive that happiness …that fulfillment………we will be satisfied!

Let’s look one more time at these words to live by, these attitudes to learn and use….and the result of a life lived in the will of God. This time we will look first at the attitude…then the results.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
Blessed are those who mourn,
Blessed are the meek,
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
Blessed are the merciful
Blessed are the pure in heart
Blessed are the peacemakers
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of  righteousness
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Jesus.

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
for they will be comforted.
for they will inherit the earth.
for they will be filled.
for they will be shown mercy.
for they will see God.
for they will be called children of God.
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Rejoice and we can be glad, because great is your reward in heaven……

The Beatitudes have been called the Preamble to the Christian Constitution. There are eight positive attitudes stated in the Beatitudes that, if adopted, change lives. It is impossible to have thoughts of resentment, jealousy, anger and ill will and still be happy. So, how do we get beyond these negative thoughts? We live the Beatitudes!

Before we get deep in the Beatitudes, let’s look at a little Scriptural background to Jesus’s great sermon, the Sermon on the Mount:

Luke 6:12-18 ( TNIV )
12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. [this mountainside is just to the west of the lake of Galilee] 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles……………….

17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon,  18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases.

Look closely here….a multitude of people from all over the region were there to listen to what Jesus had to say. It must be important! As is so often the case… Jesus was about to deliver “The Truth upsidedown”. A truth that is often full of paradox………the opposite of what the world would have us think….a truth that grabs us and shakes us up. A man once described the truth Jesus preached as , “truth standing on its head calling for attention,”….and boy is it true here!

Now, let’s look at the beauty of Jesus words….listen and meditate on the beauty of His wisdom, His heart and His hope:

 Matthew 5:1-12 ( TNIV )
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,  2 and he began to teach them.
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The attitudes expressed in the Beatitudes provide a foundation for a happy and fulfilled life. In order to have a happy and fulfilled life it is important for us to establish healthy attitudes toward all of the experiences of life. According to Jesus’ final words in the Sermon on the Mount, difficult situations come to everyone. The key here is to adopt these attitudes in our heart.

Matthew 7:24-27 ( TNIV )
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Some people might question the advantage of being a Christian if we’re still going to have troubles. The advantage is that Christian life is built on attitudes that help us to survive the struggles and the troubles. The Beatitudes clearly speak the inner person….that inner person is the real “YOU”.

The Greek word “makarios” [mak-ar-ee-os] is translated “Blessed” in the TNIV and can also be translated “happy, to be envied and spiritually prosperous”. It is interesting that in Greek literature, this word, “makarios“, was often used to describe the rich with the meaning “free from normal cares and worries”.

Jesus tells us in verse 3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” People who have this attitude find happiness, joy and satisfaction regardless of their circumstances.So, what does it mean to be “poor in spirit”?

The poor in spirit are those who recognize their total dependance on God…….and note that  Jesus tells us that “theirs IS the kingdom of heaven.”  …..in the present tense….. believers CAN…and ALREADY share in the kingdom (as far as it has been revealed) by living out Jesus’ words.

The world recognizes self-reliance, self-confidence, and self-direction. According to worldly wisdom…we either make it on our own or we fail. It puts all the pressure ON US……to live a happy and fulfilled life.

If we recognize the greatness of God and submit totally to Him…the pressure is off us. Like the birds of the air….we can free ourselves from worry because we know that God will give us what we need.

Matthew 6:26 ( TNIV )
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

There are quite a few good examples in the Bible of what it is to be poor in spirit. We’ll look at three.

First we’ll look briefly at Gideon (Judges 6):

Gideon recognized his weakness. He was a lowly farmer in the weakest Israelite tribe, at a time, for seven years, when the Mideonites were making raids at harvest time to snatch the fruits of their labors. God sent an angel to let Gideon know that the Lord was with him and to tell him that he would defeat the Mideonites. Gideon sent word to the other tribes and amassed an army of tens of thousands. Then God told Gideon to send back the army and reduced the group to 300. Listen to Gideons humble heart:

Judges 6:15-16 ( TNIV )
15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” 16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.”

Next let’s take a look at Isaiah. When Isaiah was called by God to be His servant, his humility was evident when he cried out to God:

Isaiah 6:5-8 ( TNIV )
5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.  7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Lastly, let’s look briefly at Moses. God tells Moses that he will lead his people out of bondage from Egypt. Listen to his humility as Moses talks with God:

Exodus 3:11-12 ( TNIV )
11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you£ will worship God on this mountain.”

So, I believe that to be poor in spirit means the absence of self-pride and the acknowledgement that we are nothing without God.

Let’s look at what Jesus tells us in verse 4, the second Beatitude, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” How can a person who is mourning be happy? When we walk through the valley of the shadow death, this is not just when someone dies….but means more at distressing times in our lives…..Jesus walks with us:

Psalms 23:4 ( TNIV )
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[of the shadow of death] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

The Hebrew word here translated as “the shadow of death” is “Salmawet”, which means time of deep gloom,  a time of darkness in our lives. We can be happy because we know that sorrow, that even in these deep times of darkness in our lives…..is survivable with God’s help. I would also point out that the attitude of mourning is an attitude of caring deeply……when we care deeply…we are cared for deeply by the Father. On another level, it also means that although we are sorry for the sinful state of the world, we recognize that there is hope. We realize that Jesus provided a cure for our sins and the sins of the world. This hope and acknowledgement provides happiness and fullfillment in life

CONCLUSION:
Jesus provides answers to conditions in our lives that we so often can’t figure out:
     Why is happiness and fulfillment so hard to obtain?
     Why is it so hard to get by day to day?

The first Beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Is an “Intellectual” attitude. So often….it is simply because we choose to “go it alone”, we rely on ourself, our own confidence and our own direction……we want to be “self made”. Jesus tells us that the true way….the way of truth and light…is to be “God-made”.We need to acknowledge our need and dependence on God.

The second Beatitude, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” addresses the same attitude from an “emotional” level. People who depend on God have this incredible ability to face whatever life brings…..and that produces happiness and fulfillment.

By adopting these attitudes that Jesus taught, the attitude of humbleness, being “poor in spirit, leaning on God and the attitude of leaning on Jesus every step of our lives……sets the stage and sets a foundation in our lives in which we can build a happy life. I guess that’s why they are called then “Beatitudes”…they are beautiful attitudes to have and to hold close to our heart.

The Audience is a band made up of our Worship Leader (Rob Gundling) on keys and lead vocals, our Lead Pastor (Phil Ayres) on bass and background vocals, one of our Elders (Greg Martin…also another of our worship leaders) on guitars and background vocals, and Rob Vance (tattoo artist extrodinare).

Turn it up and enjoy

The Audience – 3 Song Medley from Phil Ayres on Vimeo.

LifePoint is blessed

A friend of mine emailed me recently worried about a decision made to have an operation. As the day for the operation approaches, her heart is questioning her decision and worry is setting in.

I have been faced with situations similar to this, and sometimes different, yet still tough and I have learned to lay my worries aside and put my hope in Christ. This, of course, sounds easy….however…….it’s not always as easy on the ground…. right here…….while we are living this life. So, the question becomes to me…how can I rid myself of this worry….what steps must I take? This is what I have found as I applied God’s wisdom to my life:

My first realization, is that I need to know what God wants me to do. 
As I read the apostle Paul’s words to the church at Philippi in Philippians 4:6-7, I realized that like everything that we must do in life, but especially to combat worry (which sometimes really dogs us)…..we should turn to God in prayer, asking Him to help us not to worry. In time, I have found it easier to simply “not worry” because I have built an incredible trust in God through over and over again seeing the result of His wisdom applied to my life. Worry, like many things, is not something we can “wish” away. It’s there and it’s real. But God can give us a peace that transcends all understanding….simply by asking through prayer and petition, every day, over and over. I do believe that worry is something I can pray away….through my trust and relationship with God…knowing that He is in control of my life (which is better than me being in control of my life!)

The Greek word translated here as “anxious” is “merimnao“…which carries the meaning of anxiety or worry. To some degree, worry is unavoidable but…..it can be given a new orientation. Liberation from worry or anxiety comes as we casts it upon God, not because God grants every wish, but because prayer grants freedom from worry.1

Philippians 4:6-7 (NET)2
6 Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

The second realization, is that worry in itself serves no useful purpose (at least I don’t think it does).
I ask myself…if I worry about a situation…what does it gain me? Often the answer is heartache, other physical problems, lack of sleep, other physical problems, depression, did I say other physical problems? Does worry affect our relationships ever? Does it transform us in a positive way or deform us in a negative way? Usually the latter.

As we focus on God, as we focus on Jesus…instead of our worries…..they start to lose their grip on us. Jesus Himself tells us in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6, verse 23 this truth:

Matthew 6:27 (NET)2
And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life?

My third realization (which I have touched on above), is that it is better for me to live in God’s will rather than my own….because He cares about me!

1 Peter 5:6-7 (NET)2
6 And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand 7 by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you.

Humbling ourselves is not a negative act of self-denial, but a positive one of active dependence on God for help. 2

And lastly…….I have realized that there is not much in this world that compares with my relationship with God…both here as well as through eternity.

As I read what the apostle Paul shares with us in Colossians chapter 3, verse 2, I realize that my focus should be on the Kingdom….not of the worries of this life.

Colossians 3:1-4 (NET)2
1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, 3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him.

It is interesting to me that the Greek word translated here as “above” is “ano“….which has a deeper meaning than what we might think. It can mean “above” as in a place….heaven perhaps….or it can mean “above” as in “time”….the kingdom of heaven perhaps……the kingdom that Jesus told us was right here among us…right now….an eternal kingdom that we can choose to live in as we choose to follow Christ (not just to believe with our minds, intellectually…..but to follow with our hearts…..in obedience and love).

Okay….I do realize that we all worry. However….I believe that as we go to God each day in prayer and as we apply His wisdom to our lives, as we seek the Kingdom and our relationship with Him…..that we have nothing to worry about….because He is in control. Worry is not something we can instantly turn off…but it is something that I believe is expereinced less and less in our lives as we follow Christ. I really like that old saying….Don’t worry….be happy

1  Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1995, c1985). Theological dictionary of the New Testament.
2  Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The New English Translation Bible First Edition