Imitate Christ

Mat 5:2  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying…

 

Mat 5:20  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 5:21  Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

Mat 5:22  But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

 

 

We are being taught by our Savior.

 

The lesson-

 

Our righteousness must NOT be for show.

Our love for our fellow man must NOT be for show.

 

We can try to  manufacture our own brand of righteousness, we can do our best and none of that will be good enough. We - in and of ourselves - have no real saving righteousness.  We must learn of our Savior HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, we must learn of our Savior HIS LOVE FOR US.

 

His LOVE goes far beyond our strict interpretation of the moral law.

 

The Scribes and Pharisees worked it so they could get around the moral laws by adding their own interpretations of them.

 

When the law says 'Thou shalt not kill' , the scribes and pharisees hold that to be true but have NO law against feeling hatred towards others, NO law against wanting to kill others, NO law against bad mouthing others, NO law against demeaning others.   They might not have killed anyone in reality but they tortured them unjustly in other ways.

 

How many people out there are brutal towards others all the while patting themselves on the back for not being like those sicko psycho murderers that come along?  They are honestly believing they much better than a murderer because they don't take that life. Their brutality with their words and actions that can kill another in other ways, means nothing to them.

 

Our Savior clarified, He magnified the law. He put the law under that microscope and called on us to look at it closer, to see the TRUTH in it that goes far beyond merely staying our hands from ending a life.

 

LOVE is the truth.

 

TRUE love as HE LOVES.

 

We can't imagine our SAVIOR treating us brutally, can we?  Take a moment and think about it. Can you imagine Jesus Christ our Lord being viciously nasty, cruel, snide, hateful, unkind, unloving in any way towards us?

 

We can't imagine it because HE lived the law in it's fullest, in all it's LOVE.

 

He LOVED, He is LOVE, we can ONLY imitate that love and cling to HIM allowing HIM to love in the reality what we can only strive towards.

 

Eph 5:1  Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children

 

The word for followers is this--

 

- Transliteration: Mimetes

- Phonetic: mim-ay-tace'

- Definition:

1. an imitator

 

IMITATOR!

 

The Literal Translation of the Holy Bible - interprets Eph. 5:1 this way--

 

Eph 5:1  Then become imitators of God, as beloved children

 

Imitators of God.

 

What does it mean to be an imitator?

 

Webster-

Imitate

IMI'TATE, v.t. [L. imitor; allied perhaps to Gr. similar, equal.]

 

1. To follow in manners; to copy in form, color or quality. We imitate another in dress or manners; we imitate a statue, a painting, a sound, an action, when we make or do that which resembles it. We should seek the best models to imitate, and in morals and piety, it is our duty to imitate the example of our Savior. But as we cannot always make an exact similitude of the original,hence,

 

2. To attempt or endeavor to copy or resemble; as, to imitate the colors of the rainbow, or any of the beauties of nature. Cicero appears to have imitated the Greek orators.

 

3. To counterfeit.

 

This hand appear'd a shining sword to wield,

 

And that sustain'd an imitated shield.

 

4. To pursue the course of a composition, so as to use like images and examples.

 

*******

 

Eph 5:1  Then become imitators of God, as beloved children

 

As beloved children.

 

A beloved child  will imitate it's parents- you see it all the time. Right now I have a young 11month old niece a few weeks shy of being a year old and she imitates so much it amazes me!  We know that she is learning as she imitates, taking everything in, absorbing it all like a sponge as her intellect grows as she matures.   I have a step great niece three years old whom I've seen pictures of as she imitates her mother's hair stylist job.  Children imitate and as they do they truly are learning.

 

We are to imitate GOD, to imitate CHRIST! He is teaching us to do this! He wants us to do this! We can only truly strive to do this and in doing so we will learn to LOVE as HE would have us LOVE, as HE LOVES.

 

Our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the supposed religious leaders, those who claim to be closest to God, and the only way this can be is if we seek CHRIST and in seeking Him we seek to IMITATE HIM- we- His beloved children.

 

All by HIS LOVE!

All by HIS GRACE!

All by HIS MERCY!

Jesus said- Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets

Mat 5:2  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying-

 

Mat 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Mat 5:19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

 

The law.

The prophets.

 

Our Savior did not come to destroy all that had been built already. Our Savior's birth, life, death, and resurrection are all foretold by the prophets- to destroy them would be to destroy His own foretelling. Messages given by prophets long ago are relevant to us TODAY.

 

Jesus said this--

 

Mat_24:15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

 

Jesus is reaffirming the prophet Daniel who lived hundreds and hundreds of years before He took on flesh. A prophecy of Daniel's would be relevant to those in the future yet, not all of Daniel's prophecies had been fulfilled and Jesus is reaffirming this.  He did NOT come to destroy the prophets or their prophecies as some would have others believe. Some want to believe that the entire old testament is meaningless. Some want to believe Jesus came to give NEW teachings to replace all the OLD, doing away with the old. The truth is, Jesus EXPANDED on old truths, Jesus became the living sacrifice the old sacrificial system portrayed,  and Jesus lived all the truths, keeping all the moral laws of His own creation.  How could anyone claim Jesus DESTROYED the moral laws if HE LIVED THEM and HE is our EXAMPLE.

 

1Pe_2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps

 

If we are to follow in Christ's steps we must keep the LAW as HE kept the law, He magnified the law taking it to the next level, not letting anyone get away with merely keeping the letter of the law, but charging them to keep the spirit of the law as well.

 

Mat 5:21  Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

Mat 5:22  But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

 

The spirit of the law.

 

Mat 5:27  Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

Mat 5:28  But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

 

The spirit of the law.

 

Jesus did NOT come to destroy the law or the prophets.

 

Mat 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Mat 5:19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

 

 

He came to fulfil- to LIVE the law, to LIVE His life as foretold by the prophets.

 

In magnifying the law our SAVIOR brought it to life and taught us how we are to live the law.

 

If we break HIS commandments in any way- if we do not LOVE Him, if we do not LOVE others as we are commanded and do so in ALL our actions- every single ONE, teaching others these LAWS, these COMMANDMENTS of the purest love, then we will be held accountable.

 

Our SAVIOR is TEACHING US!

 

Mat 5:2  And he opened his mouth, and taught them

 

ARE WE LEARNING?!

 

By HIS GRACE may we LEARN all that we need to LEARN, all the HE would have us LEARN.

 

Please Lord, bless us, help us! Keep us in YOU LORD!

 

IN YOUR LOVE!

Salt of the earth

Mat 5:2  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying…

 

Mat 5:13  Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

 

Would you USE salt if it had no flavor to it?

What would be the point in using salt in our food if it added nothing to the food. In and of itself the salt isn't something we can eat very much of, but add it to our food and it gives it amazing new flavors. It can take a very bland meal and make it any thing but bland. Salt has amazing powers to transform the taste of the foods we eat. A lot of chefs will tell you that people make the mistake of using too little salt but that robs the food of it's potential flavor. Go to restaurants where they have no trouble adding a lot of salt to their food and people enjoy eating their immensely. They don't have to overly concern themselves with the amount of salt they are getting, it's a special treat. They're indulging themselves. Without the salt in most of our processed food, we would not eat much of it. Time and again I've tried low salt soups and inevitably there are complaints about it just not tasting good. Yes, it's probably healthier not to eat so much salt, but even recently there was an article in some magazine about how maybe, just maybe salt has been given a really bad rap-undeservedly and it's not quite as bad for you as it's been made to seem.  Of course that's neither here nor there, the fact remains that leave the salt out of your food and you will know right away that something is missing.

 

So back to the question- would you use salt if it had not flavor to it, if it added nothing to your food?

 

No.  There would be no point. It would be like adding tasteless grit for absolutely no reason.  You would not bother to add something to your food that brought no value to it. Every single ingredient put into the various recipes you make has it's purpose.  Even if that purpose is to add color to a colorless meal, it has a purpose.

Salt without it's ability to be salty would be useless just as the dirt of the ground, you wouldn't eat the dirt.

WE ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH.

 

As the salt of the earth we have something to give to others, something of great benefit.  If we do NOT have anything to give, if we've lost our ability to reveal Christ to others as we LIVE for HIM, SUFFER for HIM, MOURN for HIM, are POOR in SPIRIT for HIM, as we are REVILED and PERSECUTED for HIM, then we are as pointless as salt that adds NOTHING to the things being salted.

 

Our lives are to be revelations of CHRIST to the world.

Not just an hour a week part of us, not just a daily blog, not just a single day set aside, not just being good in many ways, not just about giving to the poor, helping the needy, or even reading God's word. Our ENTIRE lives are to be revelations of CHRIST.

 

If we are revealing Christ in our lives to others we are not Christ's. We can pretend to be Christ's, we can imagine ourselves as being His as we willfully sin over and over without any true repentance, but that's all it is- pretend.

 

Salt of the earth.

 

If you heard that saying in a movie, one person telling another they're the salt of the earth, what would you imagine it meant? That they were a good person, a worthy person, down to earth, reliable. 

 

Our Savior wants us to learn that being the salt of the earth with great savor, with something to offer to those around us is a great thing. To be someone who has nothing to offer others is not to be such a great thing at all.

 

The following verses go hand in hand with the lesson being taught-

 

Mat 5:2  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying…

 

Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Mat 5:15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

 

The light of the world.

A city on a hill- unable to be hidden.

A candle on a candlestick- not hidden under a bush but lighting up all around it.

 

WE are these things!

 

How are we these things?!

 

We have to let those around us SEE OUR GOOD WORKS-and know they are of GOD and glorify GOD.

 

Our lives are to be spent as living witnesses of CHRIST, not as self-absorbed, self obsessed, egotistical people. 

 

If all our lives do is reflect ourselves- there is NO GLORIFYING God in that, none.  He is to be GLORIFIED in us!

 

Others are to KNOW that any good that comes from us in reality comes from our GOD, we are not to take any glory for ourselves. We won't want to as we realize without our GOD we have nothing, we are nothing!

 

God is all things!

 

Those suffering can glorify God because they KNOW their suffering is for a purpose most likely far beyond their ability to comprehend, yet they TRUST in GOD, knowing HE is in CONTROL of ALL THINGS! The ETERNITY offered with HIM is the prize, the working towards that prize is all the pain and suffering, all the abuse we suffer here and now. Only comprehending this do we find a reason for life being what it is. Only in this comprehension can we find real HOPE.

 

This existence is NOT all there is for us and this is the message our Savior came to bring to the world. There is HOPE of existing with HIM in heaven, in a new earth!

 

Our HOPE is CHRIST and this is the HOPE we must share with the world! 

 

Our good works are the works that come from HIS lessons! Our good works are works that point to HIM!

By HIS grace and love, by HIS mercy and forgiveness, by HIS amazing existence we can have HOPE!

 

There is SO MUCH MORE THAN LIFE AS WE KNOW IT TO BE!

 

We are living the life of a caterpillar, slinking about on our bellies on short little legs right now but we have the HOPE of becoming butterflies, God's butterflies! He will transform us. We live untransformed here and now and we enter the cocoon of death's sleep and by GOD'S GRACE we will be awakened by HIM when He returns and transformed into new beings we will fly to meet Him in the air and EVER BE WITH HIM! 

 

Right now our lives might be great big messes in the worldly sense, but by faith in our God they can still be revelations for others of GOD'S LOVE, our lives can glorify GOD.

Reviled, persecuted, falsely accused

Mat 5:2  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying-

 

Mat 5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

 

Revile-   'Criticize in an abusive or angrily insulting manner.'

 

Persecute-   'Subject (someone) to hostility and ill-treatment.  Harass or annoy (someone) persistently.'

 

Say all manner of EVIL against you.

 

 Evil -

'1. Morally bad or wrong; wicked: an evil tyrant.

2. Causing ruin, injury, or pain; harmful: the evil effects of a poor diet.

3. Characterized by or indicating future misfortune; ominous: evil omens.

4. Bad or blameworthy by report; infamous: an evil reputation.

5. Characterized by anger or spite; malicious: an evil temper.

n.

1. The quality of being morally bad or wrong; wickedness.

2. That which causes harm, misfortune, or destruction: a leader's power to do both good and evil.

3. An evil force, power, or personification.

4. Something that is a cause or source of suffering, injury, or destruction: the social evils of poverty and injustice.

adv. Archaic

In an evil manner.'

 

*******

 

When you are criticized in an abusive, angrily, insulting manner, subject to hostility, ill treated, harassed, annoyed persistently, called evil in all ways- you are BLESSED.

 

BLESSED!

 

Again, it's so hard to imagine being blessed in those things! When you feel at your worse, at your lowest, degraded, bullied, beaten, emotionally, mentally, and often physically tortured you are being BLESSED in your agony.

 

People would easily say you are CRAZY if you really believe that. Crazy to believe that being abused in any way is a blessing.

 

The thing is… SATAN rules the world and has many, many subjects in us humans that outnumber God's subjects, and Satan will use every single one of his subjects to use any means possible to bring a person to despair- to hopelessness. How incredibly and unfortunately, heartbreakingly successful he's been at producing seemingly hopeless situations. He loves instigating hopelessness and he uses anyone he can to do this. The LAST thing Satan wants is for us to even have a spark of inclination that we are BLESSED in our tortured persecution!

 

Blessed in suffering!? No! Impossible! To believe that means we somehow accept the persecution, condone it in some tiny way even just by believing we are blessed in it.

 

Blessed in our agony.

Blessed in our abuse.

 

Horrific thinking that so many support groups, so many rights groups, so many people would get up in arms about because they just can't begin to imagine any sort of torture being a blessing, the mere idea is completely repulsive.

 

And torture in all it's many, many forms is repulsive, it's hideous, it's despicable, it's atrocious I could go on and on talking about it in all its degrading evilness- the fact that people can be blessed in torture does NOT negates its evil in any way.

 

Being blessed in torture is comprehending that THIS IS NOT THE END OF ALL THINGS, this is NOT WHAT DEFINES US and our LIVES, this horrific torture does NOT take away our HOPE, in fact it can in fact make our hope more real, especially when it is all we all, HOPE in CHRIST and all HIS MANY PROMISES that will be realized fully when HE RETURNS.

 

Stripping us of all hope is the most powerful tool there is because it not only destroys us now, but for eternity. Take away our HOPE of SALVATION IN CHRIST and we are left with NOTHING.

 

 

Mat 5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Mat 5:12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

 

There are right now, today in our world hundreds if not thousands of people being tortured for the sake of their belief in our SAVIOR.

 

There are right now, today in our world millions being tortured in some way- great or small, physically or emotionally, mentally and manipulatively all in order to keep them from gaining an awareness of their need of Christ. Satan doesn't want a single person loving Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, not one single person.

 

So what about all those who do not feel any abuse in any way at all? Could it be that Satan has them in another way?

 

We are blessed in our persecution, the prophets were persecuted, God's people are persecuted. 

 

Is it true you can be persecuted even if you are not God's? Yes. But every single human being has the chance of being God's, EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE WORLD!

 

The HOPE found in Christ this causes us to REJOICE in our suffering, the HOPE found in Christ this causes us to be EXCEEDING GLAD. The HOPE found in CHRIST is our REWARD in HEAVEN!

 

By HIS GRACE and MERCY, all through HIS LOVE may we have HOPE no matter what, no matter what!

 

This life is TEMPORARY to ETERNITY. Our suffering temporary to eternity.

 

Please LORD bless us, keep us in YOU always!

Persecuted

Mat 5:2  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

 

Mat 5:10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 

Persecuted.

 

'Strong's: A prolonged (and causative) form of a primary verb δίω diō(to flee; compare the base of G1169 and G1249); to pursue (literally or figuratively); by implication to persecute: - ensue follow (after) given to (suffer) persecute (-ion) press toward. '

 

As you are being persecuted you do not usually consider yourself blessed.

 

Over and over again we are being told that in this world we will SUFFER.

 

Why don't we accept this? Why do we fight our suffering? Why do we lament our entire lives because they aren't the idolized existence we truly desire? We have been taught that to be lucky- to be blessed- means having a good life. We say a person has been blessed when their lives are on an even keel, when they've accumulated contentment. How often have you ever said, or heard said by anyone else, that a person suffering is blessed?

 

It's practically unthinkable for us to tell anyone who is suffering that they are blessed. 

 

On the social network- Facebook- people are constantly updating their status to reflect things that are upsetting them, sickness, family members troubles. You'll see most responses along the lines of people praying for those having a hard time, thinking about them, caring for them, wanting to help. I've NEVER seen anyone say another is blessed in their troubles.

 

Yet we read right here - blessed are they which are persecuted, and we've already read blessed are those who mourn, another thing you'd never consider telling someone- they are blessed in their mourning.

 

Blessed in suffering, we just shake our heads in  disbelief because it is so contrary to how we view things.

 

The truth is we are blessed when ANYTHING good or bad happens to us that contributes to our growing ever closer to God.

 

If you are being persecuted for righteousness' sake then you are being persecuted for doing what Christ would have you do.  We really need to understand that we WILL suffer for right doing.  You might suffer for wrong doing- we are taught that as children aren't we? You do something bad and you'll reap the consequences of your actions. Bad guys commit bad acts and go to jail. Bad guys suffer- this is how it's supposed to be. You aren't supposed to be good and suffer for that goodness and yet we are told that we are BLESSED if we are persecuted for righteousness' sake.  We are told that when we do what is right we will suffer for it. We are being TAUGHT this lesson by our SAVIOR!  How important it must be that we learn it.

 

You will suffer.

God hasn't abandoned you because you suffer.

God hasn't marked you as evil because you are suffering.

You are not having a run of bad luck because you are suffering.

 

IF you are choosing to be GOD'S, if you are choosing righteousness, you are choosing to have suffering in your life.

 

We really shouldn't be surprised either. Our Savior suffered. God did not make everything wonderful for our Savior. Christ did not live in a life of luxury. Christ was not given a life of ease. So WHY do we think we deserve luxury and ease?

 

Will we ever get over the shock of -

 

Mat 5:10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 

BLESSED are they which are persecuted for RIGHTEOUSNESS' SAKE.

 

Theirs - those who are blessed in their persecution for righteousness' sake will have the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 

 

Life with our SAVIOR.

 

The rewards of living THROUGH this awful existence of pain and suffering in all its many, many forms is the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

 

The kingdom.

 

We live now in such horror that we can't even fully imagine anything different. We can HOPE for different, but not in this WORLD. Our HOPE must be in the KINDGOM of HEAVEN- JESUS CHRIST!

 

All in HIS LOVE!

Peacemaker

Mat 5:2  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

 

Mat 5:9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

 

Peacemakers.

 

2Co 13:11  Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

 

Rom 12:18  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

 

If it be possible.

As much as lieth in you.

 

Our SAVIOR knew and knows how hard it is for us to live in peace.  Not just in the world as in 'world peace' but simply among those we live with. It seems whenever and wherever there is interaction between people there arises strife.  I'm not talking solely knock down dragged out fist fights but even silent angst- this is strife as well. We may pride ourselves on not yelling but that cold shoulder is screaming out its silent ire loud and very clearly to its recipient. And even where there is silence there is no guarantee of peace. 

 

Living peacefully with each other.

 

This is somewhat ironic in that just today there was a somewhat major upset among my family. The tension was so thick, the pain of the upset so real, the division caused by the fuss was very evident and the lack of peace surrounding us was huge. 

 

Satan doesn't want us to have peace and will do EVERYTHING He can to cause upset.

 

God will use the upsets to TEACH us, to TEST us, to TRY us, to REFINE us IF WE LET HIM.

 

If we are consistently and sincerely praying for God's will to be done in our lives who are we to complain at His methods?

 

We are so quick to imagine that God has LEFT us when upsets comes.

He wants us to be QUICK to SEEK HIM, truly SEEK HIM when upsets come and not seek our OWN devices, not wallow in Satan produced emotional mire.

 

Are we learning? Are we too stubborn to learn? Are the challenges growing harder for us? Is the fire getting ever hotter? 

 

We need to be ever learning, we do NOT need to be too stubborn to learn. We have to praise God if the challenges are becoming harder and the fire hotter- it means we are being refined more and more, but ONLY if we are letting God work upon us as we walk in the fires of affliction.

 

Is it possible to go through all the pain of a learning experience and come out of it having learned nothing?  Yes.  It is very possible for us to suffer over and over all the while refusing to learn from our suffering. We choose - and when we are in the fire our thinking can often be very clouded. 

 

We know that upsets will come there is NO DOUBT. Maybe there are a few days angst free but that's rare. The upsets can start the moment you're awakened and continue until you are closing your eyes in sleep that night. Upsets can come one after the other. It sometimes feels as if we no sooner get through one upset then another is right there waiting for us. 

 

Is it any wonder at all we are told this…

 

Rom 12:18  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

 

If is be possible…  as much as lieth in you… live peaceably with all men.

 

 

The only REAL peace we can have is the KNOWLEDGE of our SAVIOR and HIS MESSAGE OF HIS KINGDOM.  To have peace in the world is not something we truly can look for.

 

 

Mat 10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

 

Joh_14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

 

Joh 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

 

Our good cheer must come from JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOR and HIS OVERCOMING THE WORLD, the same world that will give us tribulation after tribulation after tribulation.

 

Please LORD HELP us to find peace in YOU when our world is one filled with strife.

 

Help US LORD to have YOUR PEACE, not the peace we associate with the world.

 

We LONG to be called the CHILDREN OF GOD.

 

Mat 5:9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

 

Help us to be PEACEMAKERS- those who point to CHRIST for the source of our true PEACE.

 

Bless us LORD, KEEP US IN YOU ALWAYS!!

 

IN YOUR LOVE!

Pure Heart

Mat 5:2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Today's lesson from the Greatest Teacher to ever live-
Blessed are the PURE in HEART.

The pure in heart shall see GOD.

Jesus said this--
Mat 23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Mat 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Mat 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Mat 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Having a pure heart, being inwardly beautiful, inwardly clean.
Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites- OUTWARDLY they appeared RIGHTEOUS to others, but HE knew their inward parts, He knew their hearts.

Do you know people who appear outwardly righteous? We all do, don't we? We know of those we'd like to be more like and wish we could behave and live like they are. We are told that we shall know others by their works, and yet even then we are sometimes fooled by the works aren't we? This means really that sometimes it is blatantly obvious what a person's works are revealing. Yet other times things aren't quite on the up and up. I may see the good works of a man and he could be very corrupt, his works good only for his own gain. I may see the works of an evil man and this at least reveals little hypocrisy, right? The man who chooses to blatantly steal, lie, be contentious isn't hiding his evil deeds. When we hide our evil ways choosing to be evil secretly it's that much harder to ever be Christ's. We get so used to hiding our inward evil that it becomes very easy to simply ignore that it's very evil at all.

Blessed are the pure in heart.

Truly those whose hearts are opened to our Savior and made clean by HIM will see GOD.
Remember this--

Psa_51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
We need God to create a CLEAN heart in us.
We need to choose to allow our God to clean our hearts. We need to desire this cleansing, this spirit renewal.
Pure hearts.
Psa 24:3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
Psa 24:4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
Psa 24:5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

　
1Ti_1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned
　
2Ti_2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

　
1Pe_1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently

　
Please Lord, it is ONLY through You and Your righteousness that we can be made clean, that you can give us the pure heart that we need.

We want to have pure hearts! We need hearts cleaned by Your cleansing love! We desire to have UNFEIGNED love of others.

Help us to CHOOSE to be loving as we choose to be wholly YOURS.

Bless us LORD, only in YOU are our hearts make us pure!