June 27, 2014

"Blessed are the meek, they will inherit the earth." Matthew 5:5

The best test of meekness is found in the word attitude. I want to suggest to you that a test of three areas in which our attitude will reveal the degree of our meekness.

• Attitude Toward The Circumstances Of Our Lives

Too many face the difficulties of life by fretting. The Psalmist speaks to that problem in Psalm 37 saying, “Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity... (11) But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace... (22) For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off. .. (34) Wait on the LORD, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.” (Psalm 37:1, 11, 22, 34)

The point the Psalmist is making is that the meek person is the one who does not fret over circumstances in their lives but rather by faith cast all their burden on the Lord trusting that He will take care of them. Peter invites the believer in 1 Peter 5:7, “cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 

• Attitude Toward A Brother Who Sins.

Another area in which meekness is remarkably evident is in how one treats a fellow believer in sin. The Apostle Paul advises the believers in Galatia, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are to spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1) The standard is, to seek to restore the individual through gentleness and concern. Church discipline is never about punishment and is always about restoration. How one reacts to the sin of a fellow Christian reveals volumes about their own spiritual condition.

• Attitude Toward Those People Who Disagree With Us

“And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, (25) in humility (meekness) correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth.” (2 Tim. 2:24-25)

Meekness is that quality which is best demonstrated when you are dealing with unreasonable people. It’s not hard to be gentle when you are feeling good and have no pressure. One writer put this way, “Meekness is seen when you are under the gun, up against deadline, surrounded by problems, hip deep in alligators and no way to drain the swamp, and you feel yourself getting frustrated. If you don’t have it then, you just don’t have it at all.” [Ray Pritchard. “The Right Stuff.” Series on the Beatitudes]

If you think that meekness has anything to do with weakness, think again! Meekness is power under control - your power under His control. 

Will you surrender to His power?

June 26, 2014

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."  Matthew 5:5

Meekness is not, passive submission, not cowardice, not indecisiveness, nor is it shyness. The Greek word translated meekness (praus) and is used to describe a soothing medicine, a gentle breeze, colt that has been broken and domesticated and a mild or soft word (Proverbs 15:1). A soothing medicine brings comfort; the wrong medicine can bring death. A gentle breeze cools and soothes; a tornado kills. An unbroken colt is destructive; a broken colt is useful. A soft answer brings calm; an angry answer leads to more anger.

Tied up in the word meek is the concept of power under control, the idea of being submissive to someone greater than ourselves. Perhaps the idea of power under control is best translated by the English word "gentleness."

Meekness is power under control.

In case you ask yourself, "Why should meekness matter to me?", let me see if I can help you.

Meekness matters because it is one of the eight attitudes necessary to glorify God in His Kingdom. The Beatitudes reflect the mindset of those who wish to enter the Kingdom of God and live under the blessing of God's approval.

To appreciate the scope and significance of the Beatitudes remember why Jesus gave them to us. The purpose of the Beatitudes is not primarily for our happiness, they were given so we will know what makes HIM happy. Jesus reminded us that it is HIS Kingdom designed for HIS glory. As believers, His happiness should result in our happiness.

Let me ask you a  few questions:

"When you lose control of your emotions or your passions, do you bring glory to God?"

"Are you tired of doing damage to yourself and others by not being able to control your emotions/passions?"

"Do you often lose control and express your emotions/passions in hurtful ways?"

"Is it important to you that you be able to control over your emotions/passions in a way that brings glory to God?"

If those are concerns of yours, meekness should matter to you!

Kent Hughes in this book on the Sermon the Mount notes some practical benchmarks by which you can assess whether you are manifesting the meekness Christ's calls for...

• Harshness: If you are mean in your treatment of others, if there is an absence of gentleness in your treatment of others, take heed.

• Grasping: If you make sure you always get yours first, if being number one is the subtle driving force in your life, if you care little about how your actions affect others, beware.

• Vengeful: If you are known as someone never to cross, if you always get your "pound of flesh," be on your guard.

• Uncontrolled: If rage fills your soul so that life is a series of explosions occasioned by the "fools" in your life, watch out.

Again, this is not to suggest that you are not a Christian if you fall into these sins, but rather to point out that if they are part of your character, if you are a self-satisfied "Christian" who thinks that the lack of gentleness and meekness is "just you" and people will have to get used to it, if you are not repentant, you are probably not a Christian.” [R. Kent Hughes. “Sermon on the Mount: The Message of the Kingdom.” (Chicago: Crossway Books, xxxx) p. xx]

The meekness Jesus requires of His followers is power/passion/emotion under control - His control.

Will you place your power under His control today?

Will you ask Him to help you be angry at the right times and the right things and in the right way?

June 25, 2014

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."  Matthew 5:5

Meekness is not a highly valued virtue in American culture. There is no superhero known as "Meek Man!"

I doubt if there are any youngsters who tell their parents, "When I grow up I want to be meek!"

And yet in His teaching on the Kingdom of God, Jesus places a high value on the spiritual virtue of meekness.

So what is it about meekness that places it among the virtues that glorify God?

Let's begin our investigation with the Psalmist who sings the praises of meekness in Psalm 37:

"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.  Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;  for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. But the wicked will perish:The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish--vanish like smoke.The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off. If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip. The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives; but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial.  Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off. The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him."

What insights do you gain about meekness from this Psalm?

What blessings are gained from meekness?

June 24, 2014

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;  do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."  Philippians 4:4-8

The challenge of the second Beatitude is to grieve, to mourn, to be heart-broken over your sinful condition and each time you sin. 

I believe Jesus is calling for a zero tolerance policy against sin in your life. Obviously, that is not to suppose you will never sin, but it is to say you should never willfully sin AND the moment you do sin grief should flood your heart.

If you hope to be free from sin, you must guard your mind! Diligently stand guard over your mind and take every thought captive.

Be intentionally careful HOW you think and WHAT you think about! If there is something you shouldn't think about, don't give it a second thought! In fact, don't give it a first thought!

Only allow your mind to entertain thoughts of things that are true. If it isn't true don't give it entry into your thoughts.

Only permit things that are honorable to enter your mind. If it isn't honorable don't inflict your mind with it.

If it is not something that is just, don't give it a thought!

When something is not pure, it is not worthy of a thought!

Only meditate on things that are lovely, commendable, excellent or praiseworthy, fill your mind with those things!

You cannot have a corrupt or impure mind and have a pure heart.

Stand guard at your heart and mind! Do not allow any sin-inducing thought to dwell in your mind. Instead, nurture your mind with the true Word of God.

The best friend of a happy heart is a healthy mind!

June 23, 2014

"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” Psalm 8:3-4

Why did God create some 350 BILLION galaxies!

Because He can!

Here are just a few facts about ONE galaxy:

Our Milky Way galaxy is a spiral galaxy. A spiral galaxy is shaped like a flat disk with a thicker bulge in the center. Bright spiral arms start from the center and then coil outward like a pinwheel. All spirals rotate very slowly. The Milky Way completes a single revolution once every 250 million years.

Most galaxies are billions of years old. The youngest known galaxy is 1 Zwicky 18. At an estimated age of a mere 500 million years, it is a babe in diapers compared to the Milky Way at 10-14 billion years, which is the average age of the known galaxies (Some dispute these ages but even if they are correct only a matter of a few years in God’s timing).

The Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy is the closest galaxy to ours. It is actually contained within the Milky Way and only 42,000 light years form the galactic core.

A light year is the distance light travels in a year at a speed of 186,000 miles per second. That factors to about 6 trillion miles in a year! Now think about 42,000 x 6 trillion!

Now consider that is a relatively SHORT distance in space between galaxies – all 350 BILLION of them!

Uh………wow!

Why did God make everything SO Big?

Because He can!

Now think about the intelligence that knows just how much space that is needed to maintain the gravitational balance to keep everything synchronized and moving together at thousand of miles per hour without crashing into one another and without running out of space!

Who can do that?

God can!

There must be someone (or Someone) bigger than all that vastness and maintains control over it all! Whoever that is would necessarily be larger and more powerful than all of this! Who could be that infinite?

God is!

Whoever is that HUGE and that powerful had better be kind and holy or we would have a frightening threat hanging our heads!

God IS kind and holy and loving and has done everything He possibly can to reveal Himself to you as the powerful, personal and loving God He is!

Why would you not receive that love and embrace it and treasure it and surrender to it and grow in it and share it?

You can!

June 22, 2014

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field."  Matthew 13:44

Central to the teaching ministry of Jesus was the kingdom of God.

Why do you think that is so?

Could it be that until you acknowledge God as your king you can't actually acknowledge Him as your God?

You can't "kind of have Him for a God"! At least not as a capital "g" God.

So, for God to be your King you must commit to putting Him first in your life and make serving Him your chief passion! If He isn't your King then you aren't committed to His kingdom.

Being "kind of committed" is an oxymoron. It is like being "kind of pregnant" or "kind of dead" or "kind of married". You can't do it!

We have done a disservice to the kingdom and to Christians by implying that it is possible to be a Christian and not surrender to Christ. We have been negligent to allow believers to think that they can occupy the kingdom of God and not acknowledge God as King!

Jesus makes it quite clear with this story that those who wish to possess the kingdom must decide to make the kingdom their most treasured possession. The cost to enter the kingdom is exactly what this man did in the parable - sell out and buy in.

This man in the parable made a clear decision to treasure God's kingdom above all else. That is commitment! It cost him everything to cross the line into the kingdom.

There is no comfortable way to enter the kingdom and there is no comfort zone within. There is only a cross! There is only His cause!

You cannot comfortably arrange His kingdom around your preferences or your priorities. Do you think you could walk into the palace of a king and hand him your schedule and agenda and expect him to accept it? I don't think so!

So, how do you think you can presume on God to conform HIS kingdom to your comfort level? You cannot!

What part of kingdom do you not understand? What part of commitment do you not understand? What part of sell out do you not understand?

Could there be a connection between His great love and His kingdom? Could there be a connection between your lack of commitment and your lack of love?

Is it possible that trading your comfort for commit to His kingdom is the price of true love?

It was for Jesus! The cross was not comfortable! But it was the price of purchasing access to the kingdom for you and me.

Are you ready to sell out and buy in?

June 21, 2014

"Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted" Matthew 5:4

Here's a truth you may not have considered, you WILL mourn over your sin. Either you will mourn over the conviction of your sins and repent of them or you will mourn over the consequences of your sins.

Either way you will be brought to deep sorrowful grief over your sins.

The issue at stake in the second of Jesus' pronouncements known as "The Beatitudes" is whether your sorrow over your sin will bring you God's comfort or His condemnation.

Will you recognize that you are poor in spirit? Will you agree with God about your total moral depravity, repent of it and cry out for His mercy? If you will you will know His comfort. If not you will face His judgment and wrath.

If you are heart-broken over your sinfulness you will know the comfort of His peace, His presence and His promises such as:

"Here is the message we have heard from him and announce to you. God is light. There is no darkness in him at all.Suppose we say that we share life with God but still walk in the darkness. Then we are lying. We are not living by the truth. But suppose we walk in the light, just as he is in the light. Then we share life with one another. And the blood of Jesus, his Son, makes us pure from all sin. Suppose we claim we are without sin. Then we are fooling ourselves. The truth is not in us. But God is faithful and fair. If we admit that we have sinned, he will forgive us our sins. He will forgive every wrong thing we have done. He will make us pure.  I John 1:5-9

“Come to me, all of you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest. Become my servants and learn from me. I am gentle and free of pride. You will find rest for your souls.Serving me is easy, and my load is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

"if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." II Chronicles 7:14

These are just a few examples of the comfort God brings to those who are aware of their spiritual poverty and grieve over their sinfulness.

For those who trust in their own self-righteousness and who tolerate or celebrate sin in their hearts, they will never know His comfort.

"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." Romans 1:18-32

Each of us will mourn over our sin. There is no doubt about that.

The question is, "Will you mourn over your sin, turn from your sin and seek His comfort? Or, will you remain in your sin and face the horrible eternal sorrow of God's wrath?