Lessons From the Teachings of Jesus-Blessed Are the Pure in Heart (part 7)

What is a pure heart?

Pure: Clean, blameless, guiltless,
Heart: Not only physical but the center of spiritual life where thoughts, desires, purpose, will understanding and character reside.

Being pure in heart is having a singleness of heart towards God.It has no hypocrisy, no guile, and no hidden motives. And the only way to have a truly pure heart is to give our lives to Jesus and ask him to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

https://www.gotquestions.org/pure-in-heart.html

Most of us know the story of King David in the bible. He had seen a beautiful woman and wanted her. He got her pregnant and then to hide the fact, he had her husband killed in battle. He thought no one would know. But someone did. God saw it and he sent his prophet Nathan to confront David. And David did confess what he had done. He then wrote Psalm 51 asking God to create in him a clean heart.There were consequences to his sin but God, in his grace did forgive David and kept his promise to him that someone from David's family would rule forever.

Jeremiah 17:9 says that our hearts are deceitful. However, just as David, we too can have a clean and pure heart. But just like David, we too have to ask him to cleanse us from all deceit and he is then faithful to do it for us.

If you haven't already, ask God's forgiveness for your sin. Ask him to create a clean heart for you. If you are sincere, he will do just that. Sometimes our sin does call for consequences but praise Jesus, he does hear and wants to do that for you. He is ever faithful and he is just.

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Thanks for visiting me on this wonderful Lord's Day. May God richly bless you and yours!

Lessons From the Teachings of Jesus - Blessed Are Those That Show Mercy (part 6)

Mercy: Compassion or forgiveness toward someone to whom it within one's power to put in or harm.

Where would our world be without it? What if Jesus skipped over this beatitude leaving this one out?

Have you ever show someone mercy? Has anyone ever shown you mercy?

Of course, Jesus showed us ultimate mercy by dying on the cross to take the place for our sin We don't have to do that but why it so important for us to show it to others.

 Mercy is a remedy. It can be a cure for all bitterness within a family, other relationships or just in one's own heart and mind. It is extending forgiveness to someone who may not be worthy of your forgiveness just as we are not worthy of the forgiveness Jesus gives us because of what he did for us on the cross.

But mercy also demands action. Jesus gave an illustration in Luke 10: 25-37 that defines mercy for us.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance, a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.35 And the next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Out of those 3, it was the Samaritan that had compassion and mercy on the man that had been robbed and beaten.He did not just see that this man needed help. He did not go and tell someone else that there is a man laying out on the road that needs help, so go help him. He was the one that did help him.  Jesus told the people that they should go and do the same for others. Not just feel compassion or mercy for them but to do for them. 

I know what some might say. That in this world of so many scams how can you really know if someone is truly needful of mercy, or if they are trying to scam you? You should always be mindful of God that he would direct you in what to do. I could give you an example of that very thing a few years ago when we met a 20 something-year-old girl that tried to scam us. We were to find out that she was on drugs and she had a good story about a grandmother that led her to the Lord as a child. But when her stories proved to be false, we had to stop helping her. Once we saw through her and stopped helping her the way she wanted, she dropped us like a hot potato. And though I wish things could have been different, I knew God didn't want us to continue to allow her to do that. Ever since then, we have been careful and made sure that who we help, is who God would have us to. 

Mercy does not excuse or ignore sin. Therefore, we need to be merciful to those that need us but are not in some way using us and being deceitful. And I don't mean that we should not feed the hungry or help those in need, but we should always be vigilant about who is in a real need or who might be trying to pull a scam on us.. 

Again I ask, have you shown mercy to anyone? I know who has shown mercy to you. His name is Jesus Christ. He paid the ultimate sacrifice to us even though we don't deserve it. That is MERCY. That is LOVE. 

Luke 10:25-37

Thanks for your visit today Friends. Many, many blessings to you and yours. Come back tomorrow for the next beatitude "Blessed Are the Pure in Heart" Have a wonderful day!

Lessons From the Teachings of Jesus-Blessed Are They That Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness (part 5)

Righteousness: acting in accordance with divine or moral law-free from guilt or sin, morally right or justifiable.


What are you hungry for in your life? What are your passions? What drives you?

Is it to get rich? Is it to be married and have a family? Is it to travel the world?

Or is it to do the work of the Lord above all else?

Whatever it might be, we can be so filled with the desire to attain it, that we hunger after it. Doing the things that we strive to do or become, is ok so long as we first are passionate to do God's bidding first.
Why? Because if we are attuned to him, he will direct our paths. Proverbs 3:6. And he will give us the desires of our heart. Psalm 37:4.

It does not matter if we are saved or unsaved. All of us hunger and thirst for something or someone.
We all have the drive to get up in the morning. A desire. An agenda to meet, whether it be just to get through today, or a drive to get rich. Or anything in between.

Maybe our desire is even in our church. We worship there, we teach a class, we are in the choir or whatever else it might be. We love God and we are driven by the things that the church offers us.  But are we really driven by God or are we driven by the activity that goes on there?

Maybe you know the saying: Live like a Christian one day a week and like the devil the other six days.

Is that what drives you? Or do you really hunger and thirst after God's righteousness so that you try to follow him every day, hour and minute of your life? Because that he wants of us. Not that we are perfect and are able to follow him like that.Problems come up that bombard us with solutions that we have to work out. And we can get pretty frustrated. But when those things happen, we should always try to have God in the forefront of our minds and ask for his guidance. And when we fail, we need to ask God's forgiveness to get back on track.

To hunger after God and his righteousness, we must be in his word every day. Talk to him and have a personal relationship with him. We must want his will above all else and obey what it is. This is what it means to be hungry and thirst. And when we do this he will fill us, in whatever form he chooses to fit our needs and passions.

Because he knows what is best for us.Far above what we know. And that is the blessing that comes with wanting him above all else. In today's world, the terrible things that go on, isn't it better that we are passionate about God, who loves us and wants the very best for us? I know I can't imagine a life without him. Can you?

Thanks for visiting today folks. Please come back tomorrow for the next lesson in this series. Until then have a wonderfully blessed day!

Lessons From the Teachings of Jesus: Blessed Are the Meek (part 4)

Meekness: To be humble, gentle, kind, compliant 

It is an attribute that been lost in our society today by many people. We think meekness as weakness and it is not. It is a fruit of the Spirit by which all Christians should desire to be.

Jesus was the meekest person that ever walked the earth and he was not weak. Someone that would willingly lay down his life for the sins of the world, is not weak. Someone that did all the things he did is not weak.

The world does not see it this way. We would rather it be "Blessed are the strong" and That makes me think of that saying "Only the strong survive." Society tries to be fiercely competitive and aggressive so that we can gain respect and recognition. We want to be the best. Number One. And how many would admit to stepping on others, trying to outdo them, so that we can be the ones that make it to the top?

It is not wrong to work hard to get to where we want to go. However, it is wrong to try to push others out of the way, so that we can achieve that.

Romans 12:3  Do not think more highly of yourselves than you should. but rather think of yourselves with sober judgment in accordance with the faith God has given each of you.

Being meek, humble gentle etc will then rule out stepping over others to get to the top. And it is one way God blesses us.

Meekness is not weakness. It is strength. In all we do. It is gentleness and yet being strong. It is not proud, it does not boast in earthly things. After Jesus comes back to take his church home, he has promised that those that are meek, they will inherit the earth. Will you take part in inheriting the earth?

Thanks for coming by today Folks. Please come back tomorrow for another lesson Jesus taught on. In the meantime, be blessed!

Lessons From The Teachings of Jesus-Bessed Are They That Mourn (part 3)

To mourn: "To experience deep grief" At one time or another, we all mourn for some reason. Ecclesiastics 3:4 says there is a time to mourn. The longer we live, the more we experience grief as we watch loved one die. Or experiences other losses.

 It can come from any of the following.
Divorce
Personal Injury
Financial loss
Marital problems
Trust issues

These are just a few.The list can go on and on.We don't like the thought of grieving because it means we have lost something.Take divorce. I know a lady that some years ago, her husband just simply announced that he wanted one.

Linda,, (not her real name) might as well been shell-shocked. She thought things were fine with them in their marriage There was no doubt red flags that there were problems. But she had missed them. Maybe she was trying to ignore them. She begged and pleaded with him to not go through with it. To no avail. When that didn't work, she pretty much started a type of stalking him. Not that she wanted to hurt him, but using excuses just to talk to him or be near him, in hopes of winning him back That didn't work either and there came a day that she finally had to let him go.

But what she went through during that time was nothing short of profound grief. And I think that while she has moved on in her life, that pain from the divorce though perhaps hidden away still affects some of her decisions today.

Jesus himself was deeply grieved over the sins of man. So much so that as he prayed in the garden just before Roman Soldiers came to take him away, he sweated drops of blood. That is intense grief. And it showed the human side of him, that can understand today, the grief that we feel.

 We can feel, it over our own sin.When we come to the place where we are so sick of it in our lives, and we ask Jesus to be our Lord, it can be so intense an experience that his forgiveness can bring us to our knees and we realize that we are no longer bound by it. But sometimes, we are so sad knowing what Jesus had to pay for it.

Thankfully over time, God can replace it with comfort.Knowing that he does know best. My dad passed in 2005 and there are times that I still think of him and get sad.But I can be glad it has lessened and God comforts me because I can imagine him with my mother, waiting for me to join them.That is a happy thought as I go on with my life and wait for that time.

If you have gone through or are going through some type of loss, just know that God loves you. Hopefully, time will lessen your pain and you can know that what is ahead, is better than anything behind. Isaiah says it this way in 6:3 To grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

If you belong to God, he can and will be there for you in your grief and he will give you the comfort you need to get through it.

Have a wonderful day, Friends! Thanks for coming by!

Lessons From The Teachings ofJesus-Blessed are the Poor In Spirit (part 2)

Mathew 5:1-12

Jesus had been preaching and many people had been following him as he healed the sick of disease.
He then had gone to a mountain, and the disciples had come to him. And this was where he preached to them what is known as the SERMON ON THE MOUNT

He began with: Blessed is the poor in spirit. For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

But what did he mean by that, and how can we define it in our lives today?

When we come to God, it must be in a spirit of humility. Knowing and recognizing our sin and our need for a Savior. Until we do,, we are in spiritual poverty. We must not come to God with a proud heart. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. James 4:6  If we have a proud heart, God cannot bless us.

Pride can take on many forms and the worst is spiritual pride. The more material things we have, or the richer we might be, the more prideful we can become. "Look at me. Look what I have done. Look at my education. Look at how much money I have" etc, etc.  The emphasis there is on Me and what I have done. Not what God has done through me or what he has given to me.

And so after studying this, it does not surprise me that Jesus would start off preaching against being proud. We must get ourselves out of the way to receive his blessings. And as I said, we do this by acknowledging our sin, asking for his forgiveness and accepting him as our personal savior.

Have you done this in your own life? Have you turned away from sin? If not, you need to. It is the only way you can truly be blessed by God.

source:  https://billygraham.org/answer/what-does-it-mean-to-be-poor-in-spirit-as-jesus-said-we-ought-to-be/

Thanks for spending part of your busy day with me.I hope you will visit me tomorrow for part 3 on the Lessons From Jesus on the Sermons on the Mount. Be blessed!

Lessons From the Teachings of Jesus: The Beatitudes (Part 1)

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While Jesus was on earth, we know that he taught his disciples' many things. And those teachings were not left for them and the people of his day, alone. They were recorded for all of us down through the ages that would follow him.

Some of his teachings came from the sermons he taught on the mount. commonly known as SERMONS ON THE MOUNT or THE BEATITUDES

But what were these teachings, and what lessons can we glean from them for this modern day in which we live?. In the next 8 days following this initial lesson, I want to try to delve a little bit into what the teachings were and what they might mean for us today.

The first thing that I wanted to know was the location of where these beatitudes were taught. I found that the traditional location of the mount was in the low hills behind the region of Capernaum and other fishing villages along the shore.

Jesus had gone throughout all of Galilee during his ministry, preaching in the synagogues there, the gospel of God's Kingdom, healing all forms of sickness and disease among the people. His fame spread to Syria and great multitudes followed him from many cities-from Decapolis to beyond the Jordan where he was to eventually end up on the mountain teaching his disciples the beatitudes.

According to Wikipedia, the beatitudes were eight blessings recounted by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. Each is a proverb-like proclamation, without narrative. ... They echo the ideals of the teachings of Jesus on mercy, spirituality, and compassion.

These qualities gave a picture of the character of the true people of God that were truly a part of his kingdom. They would have the full blessings of God to look forward to.

So what were they? The short answers are:
1.Blessed are the poor in spirit
2.Blessed are those that mourn
3.Blessed are the meek
4.Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness 
5.Blessed are those that show mercy
6.Blessed are those that are pure in heart
7.Blessed are the peacemakers
8.Blessed are those that are persecuted because of righteousness

The longer answers will come starting with the next lesson tomorrow as we find some of these qualities can and do exist in those of us that are apart of the kingdom of God. I truly hope you will join me.

sources:   https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mathew+5%3A1-12&version=NIV
and:https://bible.org/seriespage/7-beatitudes-matthew-51-12  and    

Amen!

Thanks for your visit today Friends! Please come back tomoorw for part 2 in this series on the Beattuides!