“THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT – AND BEYOND !!!”

Beatitude #8: “Blessed are the persecuted – REALLY?”

“10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you,

and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven,

for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

—Matthew 5:10-12

We have come to the last of the 8 beatitudes of our Savior’s “Sermon on the Mount” {SOTM!) found in its entirety in Matthew 5-7. This study has a question mark (?) at its end – for who in his right mind would want any part of being persecuted? Sounds, well, PAINFUL!

“I HAVE MY RIGHTS!” Well, we’ve been through much – not only in the past year or so with the Covid-19 pandemic. In the past 30 plus years, we have been inundated with RIGHTS: Woman’s Rights (well, what about “men’s rights”? Just asking for a friend). Gay Rights. Animal Rights. Whale Rights. Manatee Rights. Raccoon Rights. To everyone involved in each of these issues, these are important rights.

BUT the worse rights of all: MY RIGHTS!

The Lord Jesus Christ approaches this subject in a most unusual way, through the eyes of…PERSECUTION!!!

What is it? Webster’s Dictionary defines “persecution” this way:

1. To harass with cruel or oppressive treatment
2. To maltreat or oppress because of race, religion, or beliefs
3. To annoy or harass

OK, I GET THAT. So who gets persecuted, according to the Scriptures? Let me give a few illustrations, right from the Word of God:

DAVID In the midst of persecution, he found encouragement in the WORD of God. See Psalm 119:86: “All Your commandments are faithful; They persecute me wrongfully; Help me!” And Psalm 119:161 “Princes persecute me without a cause, But my heart stands in awe of Your word.”

David also found hope through the WORKS of God:

3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;

He has crushed my life to the ground;

He has made me dwell in darkness,

Like those who have long been dead.

4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;

My heart within me is distressed.

5 I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all Your works;

I muse on the work of Your hands.

6 I spread out my hands to You;

My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah

—Psalm 143:3-6

PASTORS Listen to Jeremiah:

As for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd who follows You,

Nor have I desired the woeful day;

You know what came out of my lips;

It was right there before You.

17 Do not be a terror to me;

You are my hope in the day of doom.

18 Let them be ashamed who persecute me,

But do not let me be put to shame;

Let them be dismayed,

But do not let me be dismayed.

Bring on them the day of doom,

And destroy them with double destruction!

—Jeremiah 17:16-18

EVEN THE APOSTLE PAUL! Listen to a portion of his testimony:

8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—

—2 Cor. 4:8-9:

But the question must be asked, WHY DO THEY GET PERSECUTED? There is a common bond, a linking thread which connects all of the above: GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS, or, better, HIS RIGHTS (Matthew 5:10) and HIS SAKE (v. 11).

But what about MY rights? Have you read Isaiah lately?

But we are all like an unclean thing,

And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;

We all fade as a leaf,

And our iniquities, like the wind,

Have taken us away.

—Isaiah 64:6

So WHY do I get PERSECUTED? First, I have God’s righteousness! Have you read Psalm 4:1 lately? “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness.” How about Psalm 7:17? “I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.” And how about Psalm 15:1-2?

Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?

Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

2 He who walks uprightly,

And works righteousness,

And speaks the truth in his heart…”

God’s righteousness doesn’t leave me empty. In Him I have all things! I encourage you to read through the book of Proverbs each month! How? Read the chapter which corresponds with the day of the month! Today is the 5th, so today I read Proverbs 5! Look at Proverbs 28:25-26:

He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife,

But he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered.

26 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,

But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

Let’s wrap this up! Our text says “REJOICE” when persecuted for His rights. For His sake – NOT for our rights nor for our sake.

The Lord Jesus already gave us great insight in John 15:20:

Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’

If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they

will keep yours also.

The one who has turned over to God all of his rights, his goals, his ambitions, will find that the rights and glory of the Lord to be more than satisfying!

The one who makes God’s rights his own rights will become all that is summed up in one word: BLESSED! “Makarios”! “Happy” because I belong to the King of kings!

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you,

and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven,

for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

“CHALLENGES OF AN EARLY MORNING” (Matthew 28:1-7)

An Easter Sunday Message by Semi-Retired Pastor Jeremy Stopford

Originally preached April 12, 1998 (really!)

Beaver Meadow (NY) Christian Church

OUR TEXT: Matthew 28:1-7

1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn,

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.

4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid,

for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”

How many of you are MORNING people? You know who you are – you just love to get up as early as possible. You function best in the early part of the day. You’re the kind that when all your friends are just getting with it, you say, “I’ve got 8 hours of work done already!”. Then there are the NIGHT people! Are you one of those? You are the kind that think nothing of staying up well past midnight, sleep for 8 hours (or longer), and then start all over again.

The story of the Savior’s Resurrection Day is a morning person type of story. Matthew initially looks at the resurrection through the eyes of two people. No doubt, THEY are morning people! (My 20th century guess is that all people of the first century were “morning people” – what else did they have to do?). They are identified as “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary” (Matthew 28:1). We know a little about each one.

“Mary Magdalene”, or better, “Mary of Magdala” – a region in Israel – is set aside in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke as one “out of whom He had cast seven demons”. Who knows what horror her life “before Christ” was like!

But we DO know, according to Luke 8:2-3, that along with two ladies named “Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna” (and apparently many others) “provided for Him from their substance.” Whatever funds she had in her life now were under the Lordship of Christ! (ARE OURS? Hmmm.). John’s gospel gives a wonderful picture of the poignant meeting with the risen Lord and this Mary (John 20:11ff).

The second visitor to the tomb in Matthew’s account is a woman called “the other Mary”. The gospels of Mark and Luke describe her a little more fully as “the mother of James the less and of Joses”, disciples of the Lord Jesus.

Though little is known of these ladies, it is apparent that the Lord did a GREAT CHANGE in their lives – so great, they sought to be both at the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus and as well at His graveside even days later.

There are at least four brief lessons that every seeker or follower of the Lord Jesus should learn from the lives of these two women that first Easter morn.

First, we have the need to remember the day and still walk by faith! In the gospel of Matthew we have met these two Christ followers before. Do you remember when? Go back to 27:56 where these two were among those who beheld the events of the cross “afar off”.

And after the Savior died, they also sat “over against the sepulcher (27:61). They knew exactly where the Savior’s tomb was. They would remember that day. WHAT DAY? What day of the week was it? Well, we do know that the Savior rose “on the first day of the week” (28:1). That would be on the Jewish – and our – calendar as SUNDAY.

And we do know that He said He would be in the tomb “three days and three nights”, according to the prophecy of Jonah (Matthew 12:40). So on what day of the week did the Savior die? Our problem is that we look at this through Western civilization eyes and not through Jewish eyes.

Fortunately for us, we can understand time through the words of Jonathan, Saul’s son. Look at a blurb from 1 Samuel 20:12: “When I have sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day…”. So Jonathan saw time through today (Day #1), tomorrow (Day #2) and the third day (Day #3).

Through that visual, the day of the week that the Savior died was…FRIDAY! The Lord loves to challenge His followers through the use of the expression “the day” or “this day”. “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). “Sufficient unto the day is its own evil” (Matthew 6:34). “I must work His works while it is day”. (John 9:4). “Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). And the favorite of many, “This is the day that the Lord has made” (Ps. 118:24). Remember the day – and walk by faith!

Second, we need to be available to see the holy among the ordinary (re-read Matthew 28:2-5). Do you have any idea how often angels appear in Scripture? An amazing 283 times! Angels surrounded our Savior – we see them in Scripture at His birth, at the time of His temptation; throughout His earthly ministry; at His death; and now at His resurrection. These girls were in on a majestic viewing, weren’t they? That reminds me of the new pastor’s visit upon a younger woman of the church. He knocked on her front door. She was expecting one of her suitors and so shouted out to him, “Is that you, ANGEL?” The quick pastor responded, “No ma’am. But I’m from the same department!” And yet, Hebrews 13:2 challenges us: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” The ladies saw the holy – the angel – among the ordinary – a tomb. And so must we on a daily basis! We must have our spiritual eyes OPEN to the hand of the personal, loving God on each day! Have you put to practice the words of Psalm 119:62? “At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, because of Your righteous judgments.” Wake up in the middle of the night and can’t sleep? You should review the day you’ve just gone through. When did the Lord show Himself in real ways, yet you simply took those ways for granted? You pray for safety on the roads before leaving the house? Do you ever THANK HIM for giving you that safety once the trip is over? We need to see the holy among the ordinary!

Third, we need to cast aside earthly fear that we may see only Jesus (Matthew 28:6). Read that passage really slowly. Besides these two, there are the guards – ROMAN guards. They are there guarding an “empty tomb”. They were to FEAR no one! Yet when the angel appeared, “the guards shook for FEAR of him, and became like dead men.” But what about the girls? The angel brings comfort by saying those royal words of heaven, “FEAR NOT”. I looked it up – do YOU have any idea how many times the expression “FEAR NOT”appears in Scripture? An unbelievable 67 TIMES! Yet you and I live in a world filled with what? FEAR! What – or better WHO – is the Answer to the fear of man? The Lord Jesus! Just as these ladies found at the empty tomb the promise of eternal hope is through the Risen Savior, even so should we. And if we have, we should be like the woman at the well (John 4). When she met Jesus, she wanted to tell EVERYONE about Jesus! We need to cast aside earthly fear that we may see only Jesus!

Finally, we need to be obedient to simple tasks that higher purposes may be realized (Matthew 28:6-7). The angel’s words were simple: He’s not here…He is risen (as He said)…Come (see for yourselves)…Go (quickly!) and tell! Did the angel say “walk 1000 miles and tell everyone you see along the way that Jesus is risen?”. No, he began with a simple task: see for yourselves that what Jesus said would happen HAS happened! As the Apostle Paul would later define the gospel, in 1 Cor. 15:1-4, Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose again the third day JUST AS HE SAID. That is the gospel, the GOOD NEWS! The angel’s simple task was to begin with those with whom they were familiar – the one’s hurting because of life. The disciples – all of whom had fled at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion – were fearful men. But now, but NOW they would soon be not only in the presence of these first eyewitnesses. They would be in the presence of their risen Savior! Yes, God through this angel gave them a simple task. The resurrected Savior gave them the power to share. And Who gets the glory? HE DOES!

Remember the day – and walk by faith!

Be available to see the holy – among the ordinary!

Cast aside earthly fear – and see Jesus!

Be obedient to your simple assignments – and see the higher purposes!

And Jesus gets the glory!

Beatitude #7: “Blessed are the peacemakers”

“SERMON ON THE MOUNT – AND BEYOND !!!”

Jeremy Stopford, Semi-Retired Pastor

“Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.” (Matt. 5:9).

We have come to the 7th of the 8 beatitudes of our Savior’s “Sermon on the Mount” {SOTM!) found in its entirety in Matthew 5-7.

“Blessed”. Do you remember what “BLESSED” means? The Latin word for “blessed” is properly translated… “BEATITUDE”. AND the Greek word for “blessed” is “makarios”. “Makarios” is…GOD’S HAPPINESS, HIS JOY! It is GOD’S kind of “happiness” which is not dependent upon “happenings”. It is dependent upon…GOD HIMSELF!

So in this beatitude, the blessing is for the “peacemakers”. Do you remember one of the Old Testament titles for the soon coming Messiah? Remember carefully as you read these verses:

For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, PRINCE OF PEACE.

Of the increase of His government and peace

There will be no end,

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

To order it and establish it with judgment and justice

From that time forward, even forever.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. [Isaiah 9:6-7]

The Messiah, the Lord Jesus, is the One Who is the ultimate Peacemaker! He is the One Who can make peace between countries and even between peoples. But most importantly, because of the cross, He can make peace between God and me!

Jesus paid the price of peace! Listen to Isaiah 54:10,13 where the prophet Isaiah is looking forward to the day when the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, will be orchestrating peace because of the price He paid:

For the mountains shall depart

And the hills be removed,

But My kindness shall not depart from you,

Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,”

Says the Lord, who has mercy on you. [v. 10]

All your children shall be taught by the Lord,

And great shall be the peace of your children. [v. 13]

So our Savior is the Author of peace, which is effected when His death on the cross is applied to the sinner who trusts that that death and shed blood was indeed done in his, the sinner’s place!

Have YOU trusted the Lord Jesus as your Savior, your peace?

Have you ever heard the story of Peter Bilhorn? He was born in Mendota, Illinois in 1865 (and lived until 1936). Since his father died when Peter was about 8, Peter quit school and did all he could to support his mother. When he was 15, the family moved to Chicago so he could be near where his voice could be used as an attraction in concert halls.

But then at age 20 an amazing thing happened – he was converted to saving faith in the Lord Jesus! Over the remaining years of his life, he would be used to write songs or their music on behalf of such evangelists as Dwight L. Moody (founder of Moody Bible Institute, as well as a worldwide evangelist).

Peter Bilhorn was asked by a friend to write the words for a song. He asked the friend what the theme should be, and she replied “any sweet piece.” Years later, the music for a song came to him, but he didn’t have the words for it. Shortly afterwards, while he was riding on a train to Iowa, the train came to a sudden stop. A dead body had been found on the train tracks. As the body was carried away, it left behind a pool of blood.

A friend, Major Whittle, suggested to Peter, “Do you know that is all Jesus Christ left on this earth? His body rose for our justification, but His blood was left to atone for our sins.” Peter replied back, “Yes, that is what gives me sweet peace.” Here comes the song, “Sweet Peace, the Gift of God’s Love”:

There comes to my heart one sweet strain,

A glad and joyous refrain,

I sing it again and again,

Sweet peace the gift of God’s love.

Through Christ on the cross peace was made,

My debt by His death was all paid,

No other foundation is laid,

For peace, the gift of God’s love.

When Jesus as Lord I had crowned

My heart with this peace did abound

In Him the rich blessings, I found

Sweet peace the gift of God’s love.

Our Savior offers His PEACE to every sinner. And all who come to Him through the shed blood of Calvary’s cross will immediately have that sweet peace.

When we have that SWEET PEACE then we are called the “children of God”. Hmm…that sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Even the Apostle John records, in John 1:12-13:

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

We who have found that peace with God are called “children of God”, or better, “sons of God.” !!!

The early disciples were to make a difference in the world in which they lived. Perhaps in their limited “worldview”, they were thinking mainly Jerusalem, or even Galilee. But you and I can look back and see that in the BIG picture, when the Apostle John wrote in John 3:16 that “God so loved the WORLD”, He was talking about a picture well beyond the first disciples’ comfort zone!

But what are WE to do with that SWEET PEACE?

There are at least 3 pre-requisites to our being a peacemaker for Jesus:

#1—be at peace with God

#2—be at peace with yourself

#3—be committed to bringing others to Christ and showing them the Prince of peace.

Be at peace with God – IF/SINCE your have come to know the Lord Jesus as your Savior/your Peace, you have Peace with God! Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…”. This is a present position! It is not some future “hope so” but rather a present “KNOW SO”! We have peace with God.

But further, we are to be at peace with ourselves. That means that we have “nothing between our soul and the Savior”, as the old song says.

And then? We are to be committed to bring others to Christ, the Prince of Peace! We are to show our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, enemies, strangers, EVERYBODY – what Jesus has done for us, and for THEM! We are to have the Lord Jesus’ view of people. We are to look at people through His eyes. We are to be instruments of reconciliation between the sinner and the Savior, pointing the sinner to the cross and His available redemption in Him.

And when we do that, do you know what we’ll be? Yep! We’ll be…PEACEMAKERS! Because being a peacemaker is what God’s children are and do!

“Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God..”

Beatitude #6: “Blessed are the pure in heart”

“SERMON ON THE MOUNT – AND BEYOND !!!”

By Jeremy Stopford, Semi-Retired Pastor

“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” (Matt. 5:8)

We have come to the 6th of the beatitudes of our Savior’s “Sermon on the Mount” {SOTM!) found in its entirety in Matthew 5-7.

“Blessed”. Do you remember what this means? By way of review, our English word “happy” begins with 3 letters – “hap” – which show that our emotions are based upon …happenstance or better, circumstances, The Latin word for “blessed” is properly translated…you bet, “BEATITUDE”. But the Greek word for “blessed” is “makarios”. You are now Greek scholars, right? “Makarios” is…GOD’S HAPPINESS, HIS JOY! It is GOD’S kind of “happiness” which is not dependent upon “happenings”. It is dependent upon…GOD HIMSELF! Joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) which is a God-thing, created by Him for His purpose.

In today’s lesson, we are told that the blessed here are the “PURE IN HEART”.

(And did you remember: Dr. Becker’s 81st birthday was on Monday, March 8)

“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.”

So how do we illustrate this truth? Permit me a feeble attempt! The date was July 8, 1968, almost 53 years ago! A small group of about 30 of us high school students – along with several teachers and their spouses – spent the summer of 1968 touring France, Germany, and Spain, spending 6 weeks of our 8 week travel in a chalet in Switzerland. Studying, of course. I took one year of Spanish in those 6 weeks, and finishing the summer for a week in Madrid made for a wonderful opportunity to practice what I learned! One of our side trips while in Switzerland was to “Les Diablerets”, quickly and easily translated “the devils”. From the ground looking up, it simply looked like one of those New Hampshire mountains – only maybe a little higher. Well, maybe A LOT higher! It was 65 degrees at the base. A beautiful Swiss day! We all rode in “gondolas” (cable cars) up the side of the mountain. Straight up, mind you. At the top were two glaciers, and within seconds we were all…having a snowball fight! 20 degrees and a blizzard! Then minutes later, a biting wind blew the blizzard past, and then, and THEN…you could see forever – most of Europe the guide related – from the top of what once was the scene of a tremendous struggle!

So how do we apply this simple (simplistic?) illustration? Let’s work our way through this. The “BLESSED” were all of us finding a newfound joy in the journey. The “PURE IN HEART” was the fruit of being without the storms (and without the threat of being hit squarely between the eyes by a fast sailing snowball!). And those who “SEE GOD”? They are the ones who reach the goal – the experience of seeing the purpose of the journey up the mountain to the glacier. We made it through the trials, through the VERY harrowing gondola trip up the side of the mountain. We made it through the storm of the sudden blizzard. We even made it through the snowball “battle”! And then? As the song says, we could “see forever”. We could see the handiwork of God. Even though it would be another 3 years before I would come to the Savior by faith, that experience was HUGE in my visualizing the magnitude of the God of creation. And, according to Romans 1:20, “ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse…”. I was without excuse. God’s display on top of that mountain showed me His hand. His presence. Wow!

So let’s make some evaluations. “BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART”. For the Jew, it was part of the Scriptures to use a bodily part like the heart to display an attribute. For example, the “heart”, as one of my college professors wisely noted, “may be understood here as “the interior life of the personality.” Jesus used this same thought again in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your HEART will be also.” The heart, the seat of the emotions, as it were, can be either “PURE” or “IMPURE”. Do you remember what the Lord Jesus said to the Pharisees in Matthew 12:34-35? He was NOT very kind to those whose foundation was tradition and their own made up laws (613 of them in addition to the Jewish Scriptures!). Jesus said to them,

Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the HEART the mouth speaks.

A good man out of the good treasure of his HEART brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

And again in Matthew 15:19:

“For out of the HEART proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”

Thus, the born again Christian who is “PURE IN HEART” is one who realizes the above battles for that purity. How does the one who is “PURE IN HEART” access that hope, that goal for his walk with the Lord? The Bible says in Romans 10:17, “so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”! The battle between purity and impurity – between light and darkness of the heart – demands a heart that is transformed daily into the holy image of the Lord Jesus! And HOW am I to do that?

The Apostles Paul and Peter are quite helpful here. First Paul:

“Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a PURE HEART.” [2 Timothy 2:22]

And Peter:

“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a PURE HEART, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever…” [1 Peter 1:22-23]

“BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART”! Flee youthful lusts. Pursue holiness. Love one another because you’ve been born again by the living Word of God. It wasn’t until the Lord brought us through the (snow) storm that He surprised us young ones. He was there with us through the storm, even though we may not have appreciated that at the time! And then?

“FOR THEY SHALL SEE GOD”.

To “see God” is a two-fold experience for every man, woman, boy, and girl who has come to know the Lord Jesus as Savior. First of all, we can SEE GOD now!!! How? Listen to Philippians 4:4-5:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.”

What does it mean when Paul says that the Lord is “AT HAND”? Well, we’ve done this lesson far enough to know, don’t we? It means that we SEE GOD…NOW! We know His presence, His blessings regardless of the…HAPPENSTANCES that the world may have to offer. We are BLESSED…MAKARIOS…ENJOYING GOD’S JOY.

But there is another guideline. We can see God NOW only under one MAJOR condition, as the writer of Hebrews relays in Hebrews 12:14:

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which NO ONE WILL SEE the Lord…”

Peace with all people. Holiness before God and in the world. Rejoicing in the Lord. He is “AT HAND”!

But we are ASSURED to SEE THE LORD when we GO HOME TO BE WITH HIM!

In the midst of Job’s trials, sufferings, and tremendous LACK of comfort by those who were supposedly his closest friends, he utters some of the most classic words of the entire Old Testament, in Job 19:25-27:

“For I know that my Redeemer lives,

And He shall stand at last on the earth;

  And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,

That in my flesh I SHALL SEE GOD,

Whom I shall see for myself,

And my eyes shall behold, and not another.

How my heart yearns within me!”

Do I hear an “AMEN”?

We will close with 1 John 3:1-3, where the Apostle John expressed Job-like hope:

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for WE SHALL SEE HIM as He is.

And everyone who has this hope in Him PURIFIES HIMSELF, just as He is pure.

Now “Les Diablerets” is not for the faint of heart. Neither is life, for that matter. But our Savior invites us into His presence, to SEE HIM NOW. He invites us to His purity. He invites us to see Him every day – through the storms, in the valley, and occasionally from the mountaintop. And one day we will SEE HIM AS HE IS. Are you excited? Are you striving to be one of the “PURE IN HEART”?

“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” (Matt. 5:8)

“SERMON ON THE MOUNT – AND BEYOND !!!”

Jeremy Stopford, Semi-Retired Pastor

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matt. 5:7)

We have come to the 5th of the beatitudes of our Savior’s “Sermon on the Mount” {SOTM!) found in its entirety in Matthew 5-7. With even a casual reading of this verse, it wouldn’t take long to discover what the main words are here: “MERCY” and “MERCIFUL”.

What is YOUR understanding of “MERCY”? Amazingly, I was most surprised to read the word “mercy” in print yesterday in of all places, ESPN! It seems that it appeared in a spring training baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves. In the first inning, the pitcher for Boston threw 23 pitches (!). And then? The Red Sox manager called for the end of the inning! After the Red Sox had their time at the plate, the Braves came back to hit in the second. And guess who was pitching for Boston? YOU BET! The SAME pitcher who pitched for Boston in the FIRST inning! It seems that Major League Baseball has initiated a “MERCY rule” during spring training. Now I must confess, when I was in high school back in the dark ages (well, a few years after Dr. Becker!), the “MERCY rule” was called when one team went ahead by 10 runs. Then the game was over! But here in the major leagues, it is enforced in order to give the spring training pitcher practice!

And MERCY is our word for today!

When YOU hear the word “MERCY” or “MERCIFUL”, what first comes to mind? One of my college professors said that the word “MERCIFUL” describes “someone who has a genuine heartfelt compassion.” However, it means more than just to feel sorry for someone else. That same educator said that the Hebrew word is untranslatable into the English. Why? Because it would literally mean “getting right inside another person’s skin until we can see things with his eyes, think things with his mind, and feel things with his feelings.” The Savior is thus inviting each of us, imploring with each of us, even giving us a BLESSING (you DO remember “BLESSING” don’t you?)! Before we judge another person for whatever word said or action done that disagrees with us, take a moment and…try to see things as THEY see things! Get “inside their skin” and ask yourself, “what has caused them to say what they did, to do what they did, to feel what they did? What?”.

When our Savior talked about “MERCY” or “MERCIFUL”, our Savior’s hearers would immediately have a picture, a taste of what He was referring to! Their minds would instantly go to the image inside the veil of the temple to the “MERCY seat”, a gold plated “box”, if you will, which at one time housed the 10 commandments (yes, the original!), Aaron’s rod that budded – indicating his position as God’s representative inside the veil of the tabernacle, and a pot filled with manna – putting on display a picture of God’s faithfulness to the Israelites throughout their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. I would encourage you to read Leviticus 16:11-16. The people would have a vivid mental image of Aaron as High Priest going once a year inside the veil, carrying a pot of incense (representing our prayer AND God’s holiness), and ministering on behalf of himself AND the people before the Lord. He would confess not only the nation’s sins but also his own! He would be wearing bells at the base of his robe. The people outside the veil would be listening for those bells. For if they DIDN’T ring, it would mean both that would Aaron have died AND that his sacrifices – for himself and for the people – would NOT have been accepted before the Lord.

Do we have to do that today?Do we have SOMEONE Who extended MERCY toward us so that we don’t have to go into a temple and pay for our sins on a regular basis? Do the scriptures have ANYTHING to say about that?

HOW ABOUT THIS:

“For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, FOR THIS HE DID once for all when He offered up Himself.”

[Hebrews 7:26-27]

OR HOW ABOUT THIS:

“But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, HOW MUCH MORE shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” [Hebrews 9:11-14]

SO WHAT’S THAT TO ME?

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, YET WITHOUT SIN. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain MERCY and find grace to help in time of need.” [Hebrews 4:15-16]

OK, LET’S GET PRACTICAL!!!

Our Savior said that the one who is MERCIFUL – who extends MERCY by looking at people through their eyes, hearts, and hurts – is not only BLESSED but will also himself receive MERCY!!!

HOW is that possible. Let’s listen:

“The MERCIFUL man does good for his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.” [Proverbs 11:17]

“He who has PITY [“MERCY”] on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.” [Proverbs 19:17]

“We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did NOT please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” [Romans 15:1-3]

“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness (“MERCY”), considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

[Galatians 6:1-2]

My older brother and I – when we were both MUCH younger – used to get in wrestling matches. Mind you, he is (still!) 8 years older than I. AND he was on the high school wrestling team. So invariably there came a time when there was only ONE WAY for me to get out of his seemingly “death grip”. I had to cry “MERCY!”. Well, you know, I learned the meaning of that word pretty fast! In order for ME to receive MERCY, my brother had to extend MERCY in return. Thankfully, he always did.

And so does Jesus! And so should we!

And don’t forget, Dr. Becker’s 81st birthday is on Monday, March 8.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”

FROM THE SERIES: “SERMON ON THE MOUNT – AND BEYOND !!!”

By Jeremy Stopford, Semi-Retired Pastor

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”(Matt. 5:6)

Hungry and thirsty. Are those terms with which you are familiar? Even in the midst of this pandemic, and many of our local restaurants are either closed or in limited capacity for dining, one can still go through the McD’s “drive-thru window” and order beaucoup dollars worth of food! Do we really understand in our US of A what hunger and thirst are?

Funny what one remembers when thinking of “hunger” and “thirst”. I have 2 most vivid images. The first was at a boys camp in Wentworth, New Hampshire where I spent 3 summers (8 weeks each!) as a camper and one summer as an assistant counselor. Seems like every night there was something going on in the auditorium. Without fail, there would always be a skit night!

One of the classics was a simple one, yet it has huge meaning! A boy was crawling on his stomach across the stage. Slowly. Panting. Crying out “Water! Water!” With bated breaths. As he crawls for seemingly a LONGGGG time, up ahead he sees what initially he thinks is a mirage. But it is not! It is another camper with a glass of water! In kindness, the camper with the water gives the crawling camper the glass of water. With water in hand, the crawling camper shouts “THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!” His life has been spared. He then…reaches into his back pocket, pulls out a comb, puts it in the glass, and with wetted comb he parts and puts his hair back into its original beautiful style. Hmmm.

The second was a few years later. When as a freshman at my first and only year at St. Lawrence U (before the Lord called me to Bible College!), one of the highlights of each day was the evening meal in the cafeteria. Mind you, the year was 1971. We must have been experiencing a food surplus. And several friends of mine and I always looked forward to one meal in particular: cube steaks! 1/4 inch thick. 3 inches wide. 5 inches (or more) long. And…we could eat as many as we wanted! So my dining buddies and I would have a contest. And I need to remind you that THOSE WERE THE DAYS when I could eat and eat and NOT gain weight. Oh, those WERE the days. (Not so any more!). I don’t think I ever won the contest – I usually ended at around…you bet, 10 cube steaks. My friends easily ate 11 or more. Hungry? I don’t think so.

But for the listeners of the Sermon on the Mount, they knew exactly what our Savior meant when He alluded to “hunger”. In Jesus’ day, a working man’s wage was the equivalent – NOT of $15 an hour – but of our 3 to 5 CENTS a day. So after pushing away from the dinner table after one of his wife’s good meals, he certainly wasn’t what we would call today “stuffed”. He was not full. But at least he had eaten. And when the Savior said “thirst”, the picture was even more vivid than that! Immediately most of them would remember those tragic days when they were caught out in the desert areas during one of those sand storms. They were just trying to get home at a decent hour. But not that day. When the wind started blowing HARD, and the sand started a-whipping, all they could do was wrap themselves in their outer coats and hope for the best. It wasn’t too long before their eyes were caked shut, their ears were plugged, and worst of all their mouths were full of the dreaded hot sand. Death might have been considered a blessing rather than suffer the fulness of a Middle Eastern desert storm. Jesus’ listeners understood “thirst”.

Jesus’ hearers understood very well both hunger and thirst.

Yet Jesus was saying that His listeners are to hunger and thirst for…righteousness. Perhaps that was a foreign term to them. Perhaps it is a foreign practical term for you. “Righteousness”, in technical terms, means “the establishment of God’s will among men so that justice, honesty, and right dealings will prevail.” Huh? Like I said, “technical” terms. In practical terms, it means that we are conforming to the pattern of living which has been demonstrated to us by the Son.

Romans 3:23-26 says:

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

24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. [my emphasis]

My hunger and thirst for righteousness is possible ONLY because the One for Whom I hunger and thirst IS altogether righteous! Even though I am not sinless, I can conform to His image because, well, HE is righteous, HE is sinless, HE is my Pattern!

So I need to ask myself at least 4 questions:

#1 Am I blessed? Am I truly happy? Do I have a GOD JOY which is dependent upon GOD HIMSELF? IF I have that kind of happiness, that kind of blessedness, then and only then I can fully appreciate the BE-attitudes (as Warren Wiersbe would write) given to us by the Savior!

#2 Do I recognize my true needs? Jesus said the truly blessed – the truly God-happy – person is the one who has a hunger and thirst. We should be reminded of the words our Savior used shortly after the feeding of the 5,000 (men PLUS women and children, or perhaps closer to 20,000 people!). He said,

“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” John 6:27

Shortly afterwards, He followed this up with an amazing dissertation of one of His great I AM statements. He said:

“…’I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.’ “ John 6:35 [my emphasis]

#3 Do I have eternal goals? Some one wisely observed, “if you aim at nothing, you surely will hit it!” It is good to admit that we are hungry and thirsty. AND it is good to admit that we hunger and thirst for substance, for truth in application in our lives. Jesus said that the one who is blessed is the one who hungers and thirsts for…righteousness. This is substance. [for a longer discussion on this subject, I would encourage you to read Proverbs 8, where the Lord tells us that the true things of eternal substance have been in existence since the creation]. Do I hunger and thirst to follow the Pattern of living that our Savior showed? Is His Word a Lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my path? (Psalm 119:105).

Mark 8:34 says, “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” The ones hearing Jesus’ message immediately knew what He was saying. All along the roads to Jerusalem were Roman crosses standing – some with their condemned victims in various stages between life and ultimate death. And they knew that those crosses were dragged by their victims to their final place of death. Jesus is saying that my eternal goals need to rest around His Word and His glory. Paul said, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31). We need to have eternal goals.

#4 Am I really satisfied? Jesus said that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled or “satisfied”. How will I know that I am filled with God? I will want to please God in every way: in thought, in word, in deed, in action! I will be filled! And when I am filled, I will be really satisfied with God alone!

In 1875, Clara Teare Williams wrote a song which wonderfully describes the hunger and thirst of which our Savior speaks in Matthew 5:6:

All my life I had a longing

For a drink from some clear spring,

That I hoped would quench the burning

Of the thirst I felt within.

Refrain:

Hallelujah! I have found Him

Whom my soul so long has craved!

Jesus satisfies my longings,

Through His blood I now am saved.

Well of water, ever springing,

Bread of life so rich and free,

Untold wealth that never faileth,

My Redeemer is to me. Refrain

“SERMON ON THE MOUNT – AND BEYOND !!!”

By Jeremy Stopford, Semi-Retired Pastor

In recent months, one of my most favorite shows to watch – and it is NOT on regular TV programming – is “The Chosen”. This is a private production of the earthly life and ministry of the Lord Jesus as seen through the writers of the Gospels.

What makes this production unique is that it is being produced with NO funds from Hollywood – no million dollar endowments to underwrite the program. It is 100% dependent upon…the donations of followers AND upon the “paying it forward” as one watches each of the episodes.

Obviously it is an unique program. Season 1 consists of 8 one to two hour “episodes”, taking us from the birth and early ministry of the Lord Jesus through the calling of the first of His disciples. The cost for each season is seemingly (humanly speaking!) prohibitive, but so far The Chosen production is “paid for in full” through the beginning of Season THREE.

You can watch the 8 episodes “for free” on YouTube. Or you can google search “the chosen” and you will find many ways for the viewing of each of the 8 episodes of Season 1. OR you can go to “www.thechosenmerch.com” and find many opportunities to purchase and/or support this great ministry.

Why do I give free advertising to this unique production? Because they have just begun the taping of…the Sermon on the Mount! They brought in thousands of “extras” to be in the crowd. Neat. IF you have an account in Facebook, you may want to check out “The Chosen” to get a more detailed background.

We are in the study of the “Beatitudes” from the Sermon on the Mount. Remember? “Beatitude” is the direct translation from Latin of WHAT? Yes, “Blessed”! Good job! Today we are at Beatitude #3:

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matt. 5:5)

As a little boy, without a doubt my favorite television program was “Superman”. Oh I thoroughly digested the show! All 3 foot tall and 60 pounds wet of me looked up to the “Man of Steel” who was “faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locamotive, able…”! Well, you know. Now mind you, the “Superman” I watched was NOT the Christopher Reeve version. No, no! It was the George Reeves “Superman” of “Adventures of Superman” from 1952-1958. Of course, the show was taken from the comic book creation. But this little boy could not get enough of this show. And the KEY to the show? Superman could disguise himself among the mortal humans simply by putting on a suit and…a pair of glasses! And with that suit and pair of glasses, the “Man of Steel” became a “mild mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper”. He went from super to…MEEK. He was clumsy. He was bumbling. He was the partner of Lois Lane, who saw in her Clark Kent anything BUT a “man of steel” but a “man of meekness”.

Remember the basis for the Beatitudes? Our Savior is encouraging His disciples to be “blessed”. This means that those who follow Him will have His JOY, a joy not dependent upon circumstances but upon an intimate relationship with HIM! So why is our Savior encouraging the people to be “MEEK”? Am I to be like Clark Kent? Am I to be a bungling idiot, disguising the true strength of the Lord of my life?

In New Testament times, it was a common word, meaning:

(1). “Mild”, of things

(2). “Tame”, of animals

(3). “Gentle” or “pleasant”, of persons

(4) “Kindly” or “lenient”, of activities or punishments. For example, laws may be severe, but judges can at times show leniency.

So what about in Matthew 5:5? I want to be like Jesus, don’t you? But He didn’t have a secret identity! He wasn’t STRONG when doing miracles but MEEK when dealing with people! He was MEEK at all times! So once again the question is asked, “how am I to be ‘meek’”?

Jesus is quoting from Psalm 37:11, a passage which would be most familiar to His hearers:

“But the meek shall inherit the earth,

And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”

Jesus’ hearers would know that the HOPE of Israel is to one day be in the promised kingdom of peace – the millennial kingdom where their Messiah and King will rule them from the Throne of David in Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus is presenting Himself in the Gospel of Matthew as…that promised MESSIAH! He is sharing with them the reality that right before them is the fulfillment of their HOPE! But in the meantime, He is offering to them NOW His JOY (remember, “BLESSED”). And a part of that joy is His changing me into one who is MEEK.

So then HOW do I display a “MEEK” spirit? By application, I will be showing “good will toward all men, and reverent obedience towards God.” I will not be harsh, self-assertive, nor covetous. I will not be one who tramples upon those with whom I do not agree. [“Not ME!”, you say]. I will be one who will be in submission to the will of God at all times. And in order to do THAT, I will be attentive to the Word of God at all times! I will be a regular student of the Word! I will “seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness”, as directed in Matthew 6:33. Do YOU seek Him first – first thing in the morning? First thing throughout the day when a decision must be made?

But wait! I need an example! I can’t do this by myself! HOW can I be meek? WHO is there today who I can follow who already is MEEK?

The One you need to follow was right in front of Israel! Years after the SOTM was preached, the Lord Jesus was at center stage as He rode into Jerusalem in what is now known as His “Triumphal Entry” – just days before His crucifixion! Quoting from both Isaiah 62:11 and Zechariah 9:9, in Matthew 21:5 the writer Matthew describes this scene:

“Tell the daughter of Zion,

‘Behold, your King is coming to you,

Lowly [KJV: “MEEK”], and sitting on a donkey,

A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

The Lord Jesus was presented as Messiah to Israel one more time. And what did the children shout? Quoting Psalm 118:26, their cry was Matthew 21:9:

““Hosanna to the Son of David!

‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’

Hosanna in the highest!”

And yet just a few days later, the shout of the people would be, as recorded in John 20:15:

“CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM!”

“WE HAVE NO KING BUT CAESAR!”

Our Savior exhibited a meek spirit. Israel wanted at that time a King to take the place of the Roman government. They did NOT want a Messiah to rule and reign in their hearts on Israel’s Throne. They rejected the MEEK ONE.

But what about us? How is He displayed to us? Matthew once again shares it well in one of the most wonderful invitations in all of Scripture, as found in Matthew 11:28-30:

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle [KJV: “MEEK”] and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Why is this so wonderful an invitation? The mighty Son of God, the One Who would go to Calvary’s tree for my sins, is inviting me to come to Him at any time. He can do that because He is not afar off. Although He is indeed High and Mighty as God the Son, yet He is lowly to meet me – and YOU – wherever I am, in whatever situation I am in.

Are you under conviction that you are a sinner in need of a Savior?

Jesus said, “I am meek. Come to Me – I will take you to the cross for your trust.”

Are you overwhelmed by the conditions of society and of our times?

Jesus said, “I am meek. Come to Me – I will take you to the cross for your trust.”

Are you hurting financially because of the loss of income?

Jesus said, “I am meek. Come to Me – I will take you to the cross for your trust.”

Are you in distress over a loved one who is ailing – or perhaps has passed away?

Jesus said, “I am meek. Come to Me – I will take you to the cross for your trust.”

Is there a situation in your life that you think NO ONE can handle?

Jesus said, “I am meek. Come to Me – I will take you to the cross for your trust.”

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matt. 5:5)

Beatitude #1: “Blessed are the poor in spirit”

Jeremy Stopford, Semi-Retired Pastor

We will recall that Matthew 5:2 introduces the famous “Sermon on the Mount” (“SOTM” for short) with the words, “He [Jesus] opened His mouth and taught them…”. He was having a wonderful teaching exercise with His disciples.

But He was also challenging the “multitudes” (v. 1) who were perhaps curiously listening to what this so-called Prophet had to say. Jesus’ words were just as authoritative as when the mouth of the Lord was opened throughout the Old Testament, and the eternal wonderful truths were put to print. I am challenged! Do I treat Jesus’ words as “eternal truths that need my life’s attention”?

This is the “Sermon on the Mount” because, well, “He went up on a mountain.” OK, that’s easy to grasp. But what is the purpose of this sermon, and of these familiar sayings of blessings? The purpose of the SOTM is two-fold. First, it is designed by our Savior to give future direction for the coming “kingdom of heaven.” Throughout the gospel of Matthew, He is offering Himself to the nation of Israel as their promised Messiah. He is showing to them what such a “kingdom” really would be like with Him as their King of kings and Lord of lords.

We know from John 1:9, “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” Jesus offered Himself to Israel as their promised Prophet, Priest, King, Messiah. Ultimately, they “received Him not” – they rejected Him and willingly allowed Him to be crucified on the cross. “We have no king but Caesar” was their cry. The SOTM is for the future “kingdom of heaven”, the millennial kingdom, so promised and will be so given to Israel.

Until then, the SOTM is for us! It is a guideline, an open view to Jesus’ heart. Remember Charles Sheldon’s book, “In His Steps”? The classic line of that book is the question, “what would Jesus do?”. I wonder if Mr. Sheldon’s estate gets any royalties for the use of “WWJD”? I doubt it. Each beatitude, each portion of the SOTM, gives Jesus’ heart toward how He hopes those who love, worship, and live for Him respond to the daily challenges of life. Do I live with the insight, “what would Jesus do?” Do I?

But why are these often viewed “pithy sayings” in verses 3-12 referred to as “Beatitudes”? The word of introduction to each line is “Blessed”. Its translation in the Latin is, you guessed it, “Beatitude”! In the Greek, the word “blessed” is a most unusual one: “makarios”. “Well,” you say. “That’s Greek to me!” Sure is! But the Greek language is a most beautiful language. It is often a most descriptive one. When we have ONE word to describe something, the Greek has words of imagery painting classical paintings to surround the subject with color!

“Makarios”. Doesn’t it just roll off your tongue? It means, simply, “happy”. But it is BOLDLY DIFFERENT from our English word for “happy”. Our English word contains the 3 letters, “hap”, which in itself means “by chance”. The English word basically means a creation of an attitude caused by the happenstances – or chance – of life! If I were to ask you, “are you happy?”, it might really mean, “by CHANCE is everything going all right in your life?”.”

Should the Christian be governing his life “by chance”? No, no! That’s why God created the wonderful word “makarios”. It is a GOD JOY! It is GOD’S kind of “happiness” which is not dependent upon “happenings”. It is dependent upon…GOD HIMSELF! Perhaps the BEST understanding for us would be JOYFUL! This “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22) is a God-thing, as it were, created by Him for His purposes.

And each of those evidences of God’s guaranteed joy is seen in the 9 beatitudes of Matthew 5.

The first beatitude is POOR IN SPIRIT. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

We read this beatitude and we understand SOME of it! “Blessed” = God happy! A happiness which is created by knowing the true God and enjoying Him and His sweet fellowship each day. “The kingdom of heaven” = a kingdom to which a believing member of Israel would look forward to; but it is also a kingdom which represents the kind of attitude and people that God wants His children to be. “OK, I understand all that.” But “POOR in spirit?”. Who wants to be poor?

There are at least two different understandings of the word “poor”, aren’t there?

The first refers to someone who AIN’T GOT NOTHING! He’s so poor [“how poor is he?”]. He’s so poor that he is ABSOLUTELY poor! He is physically poor. He has no influence, will make no mark in society. He can’t even carry the load – his is a bankrupted life.

And the second? The second “poor” is someone who is “poor IN SPIRIT”! How is that different from the first poor? The one who is “poor in spirit” may have all the realizations of our first poor character. However, he has come to an amazing conclusion: “I may be poor. I may be bankrupt. I may have NO HOPE IN THIS WORLD. But I have a RICH GOD! I trust the everliving One Whose wounds for me plead.”

So if I’m “poor in spirit”, why am I described as “blessed”? Why am I described as one whose happiness, whose joy is found not by chance or good circumstances? Why am I one whose true joy is found not in myself but in the Lord Himself? Why am I blessed? What do the scriptures say?

“You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.” (Psalm 68:10b)

“He will bring justice to the poor of the people;

He will save the children of the needy,

And will break in pieces the oppressor.” (Psalm 72:4)

“Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction,

And makes their families like a flock.” (Psalm 107:41)

“I will abundantly bless her provision;

I will satisfy her poor with bread.” (Psalm 132:15)

What unites each of these verses with our first beatitude? Is not not a two-fold fact? First, the poor in spirit is one who is completely dependent upon the One Who alone is worthy of his dependence! And second, the Lord Himself has his everlasting care upon the one who, although may be bankrupt from the world, is a treasure in God’s sight!

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.

Ask yourself: from where comes my happiness? My family? My trophy spouse? My good golf game? My sports team winning the Super bowl (go Dolphins?). Or is my true happiness found in the Lord…Himself…Alone!

And ask yourself: am I “poor in spirit”? Is my eternal and daily dependence upon the One Who alone is worthy of my eternal and daily trust, as evident by His dying love for me at Calvary?

Finally, ask yourself: am I living for THIS earthly kingdom? Or am I living for the “kingdom of heaven”?

“This World Is Not My Home”

Written by Albert E. Brumley, 1905-1977

This world is not my home

I’m just passing through

My treasures are laid up

Somewhere beyond the blue

The Angels beckon me

From Heaven’s open door

And I can’t feel at home

In this world anymore

Chorus: Oh Lord, you know

I have no friend like you

If Heaven’s not my home

Then Lord what will I do

The Angels beckon me

From Heaven’s open door

And I can’t feel at home

In this world anymore

I have a lovin’ mother

Just hovering up in Gloryland

And I don’t expect to stop

Until I shake her hand

She’s waiting now for me

In Heaven’s open door

And I can’t feel at home

In this world anymore

Introduction, Part 2

Last week we began our study in perhaps the most famous “sermon” of all time, Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” (SOTM). As you recall from last week, our Savior here is in the process of training His disciples – yet a “MULTITUDE” of people are listening in as well!

Did you catch how the “SOTM” (abbreviated, if you will) begins? Let’s read again Matthew 5:2, “Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying…” [my emphasis]. “He opened His mouth”! Isn’t this how all speeches of importance begin? Isn’t this how all professors begin their lectures? Isn’t this how all teachers begin their class? So then WHY is this so important?

We don’t have to go back too far in the Good Book to find our answer! You may remember that in the early part of Matthew 4, the apostle Matthew records the intimate details of Jesus’ temptation at the hands of our enemy, Satan. This is a most important recording! The Savior is showing that He came to earth as a Man – the God-Man if you will – to show that in addition to being our Savior, He was one of us, yet without sin. As such, how did He approach temptations? He approached them in the same way we must – using Scripture!

To each of the temptations He initially responded, “It is written”. And so should we! I’m particularly fascinated as to how He dealt with the FIRST allurement to evil from the enemy of our souls. We remember that Jesus had just spent 40 days in the wilderness WITHOUT food nor water. As we would be, He was hungry. He was famished. He was weak. Enter Satan. Enter Temptation #1: “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” Could He have done that? Of course! BUT! He is now the “God-Man”! Remember what theologians would remind us in their understanding of the “kenosis” in Philippians 2:6-8:

6 “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,

7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

So while it is more than possible for the Savior to change stones to bread – or to steak or to MOXIE or to lobster or to any other most wonderful delicacy – He did not! Rather, He approached this temptation as He would want US to approach it: through the use of Scripture! As we could, He quoted Deuteronomy 8:3, where Moses was instructing the next generation of the “children of Israel” as to how to live for the Lord:

“So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”

But WAIT, there’s more! Look at 2 Chronicles 6:4. In the context, Solomon, the newly crowned king of Israel, is sharing with his “congregation”, HIS “multitudes” of the people of Israel, that God is faithful to His Word! Listen to verse 4:

“And he said: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has fulfilled with His hands what He spoke with His mouth to my father David…”.

Solomon did not become king by CHANCE! No, no! His kingship was a direct result of the Lord fulfilling His Word to Solomon’s father, David. “Fulfilling His word” how? “WHAT HE SPOKE WITH HIS MOUTH”!

The Father of glory spoke by His mouth here to Solomon, He fulfilled His Word in the giving of a son to David to continue the kingdom – and in turn, all the promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for an ultimate Kingdom which will never end.

IS THERE MORE? Yes, at least one more! Do you remember – of course you do – the descriptions of Isaiah 53? Along with Psalm 22, Isaiah 53 and the chapters before it give vivid descriptions of what our Savior would endure at the time of the cross. In the middle of all this description of the Savior “becoming sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21), is Isaiah 53:7:

“He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth;

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.”

[my emphasis]

Each of the gospel accounts gives a direct fulfillment of this prophecy concerning the Savior’s silence.

Listen to Matthew 27:12-14:

12 “And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.

13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” 14 But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.” [my emphasis]

The accounts in Mark and Luke are most similar to that of Matthew. However, the Gospel of John has a most unique emphasis which is typical of the gospel which is trying to show in vivid detail the Deity of our Savior. Listen to the interchange between Pilate and the soon to be crucified Savior, as seen in John 19:9-11:

[Pilate] “went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.

10 Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”

11 Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

[my emphasis]

In fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 53, the Savior was silent when questioned about His Humanity. BUT when questioned about His Deity, He was quick to share the proof of His origin. Did you catch the intent of John 19:11? The Savior was showing in no uncertain terms that the events of the cross were a direct result of the plans of His Father – and in NO WAY were being orchestrated by Pilate. That truth shook Pilate to his core.

Why is all this important? Because: Like Father, Like Son! The Savior, like His Father in the Old Testament before Him, spoke as it were “from His mouth”. The disciples in Matthew 5-7, along with the multitudes who as well heard, were listening to the Words of God right from the One Who is the Author of those Words!

The SOTM [remember what this means?] is more than just a bunch of nice words shared in the middle of a nice sermon which most of us might fall asleep in sometime in the midst of it! Rather, it is from the “mouth of God”, sharing His guidelines for the Kingdom – not only for Israel’s FUTURE kingdom, but also for the Kingdom of God lived on earth TODAY through those who love the Lord Jesus as Savior!

Are you ready to hear the Words of God from the mouth of God?

Why not spend a few moments this week reading – or perhaps re-reading – Matthew Chapters 5-7.

Better yet, ask yourself two important questions:

#1:“Do I love the Lord Jesus as my Savior and Lord, having trusted that what He did at Calvary was the payment for my sins, MY sins?” If so, rejoice that you belong to the King of kings!

AND #2: “IF I love Jesus as my Lord and Savior, am I walking with Him, intentionally spending time each day in His Word [listening to what comes from His Mouth] and in prayer [sharing with Him what comes from my mouth and heart]?”. Why not intentionally set aside those precious moments between you and the Savior! Someone once wisely observed, “if you read 3 chapters each day Monday through Saturday, and 5 chapters on Sunday, you can read the whole Bible through in one year!”. That may be an HUGE goal for you – but WHY NOT?

May the Lord bless your walk with the Savior this week. LISTEN to what He has to SAY!

Semi-retired Pastor Jeremy Stopford

I suppose when you get to be “our age” (whatever that is, eh, Dr. Becker?), it is possible to think “we’ve arrived” and we DON’T need to be taught anything new! They have words for people like that: “stagnant”! It’s kind of like having a really bad smell coming from the kitchen. After hours of tracking down that foul odor, to much surprise is found a very dead dormouse (or, to paraphrase O Henry, “how can a dormouse be dead?”). That description would be terrible if it happens to someone – like you or me – who says they love the Lord Jesus as Savior but are struggling to see Him afresh in one’s life.

Enter the “Sermon on the Mount”. I was a relatively young pastor in 1992 when I preached through this sermon series for my first and only time. As I’ve looked over my notes for the first time in almost 30 years, I am amazed at how scholarly I was back then. My fear is that such scholarship was probably a form of plagiarism – I found a good quote, wrote it town, and the people in the pew wouldn’t know the worse.

Which leads us to today! This series, now in 2021, could possibly be entitled, “A NEW LOOK AT AN OLD LOOK”. Catchy, huh? But maybe that’s what you and I need! A new look at an old look! We need to look in a real way at some most familiar words proclaimed over 2000 years ago, designed to show the world that Jesus Himself hungers to be REAL in those who proclaim Him as Savior. Lord willing, for the next number of weeks we will be making that “new look” together!

Let’s begin with Matthew 4:13, “And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali…”. Leaving Nazareth. For Jesus, HOMETOWN! A place of familiarity. A place where everyone knows Him as “the carpenter’s son”. In Matthew 13:55, a crowd most surprised by His teaching questioned, “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?”. They KNEW who He was. They KNEW His beginnings – they were there! But now, after not seeing Him for who knows how many years, His public ministry – designed initially to point Israel to its true Messiah – was a shock to their familiar intellectual surroundings. Mark 6:3 dissects that the people of Nazareth “were offended at Him.” A friend once told me that meant, “they didn’t like the way He did things.”

So He moved on, to Capernaum [pronounced, properly, “CAP-ER-NAAAAAM” – kind of like a southern Texas drawl], which town would become His new “headquarters” as well as His disciples and His place of retreat. Do YOU have a “place of retreat”? It may be only the recliner in the living room! By the way, I saw a cartoon yesterday in which the doctor tells his visibly overweight patient, “no, you can’t count the recliner bar as a form of exercise”. Perhaps your place of retreat is the golf course, or digging into a good book, or a weekend away to a new scene. In any case, Jesus will be with you – you are NOT retreating from Jesus!

And His disciples were with Him! And so were the multitudes (verse 25)! God’s people are NOT to be isolationists! We may need to be recharged from time to time. But people – PEOPLE! – are not an interruption to ministry. People ARE ministry! Our Savior knew that, and the Scriptures teach that! Remember Acts 1:8: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” [my emphasis!]. See also Acts 7:59-8:1, where after the stoning of Stephen, the writer declares, “At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria” [again, MY emphasis!]. What’s the point? The Savior is preparing people to be purposely placed where HE needs a witness, a voice, an encourager, a challenger, a testimony. He needs HIS Word proclaimed! Evangelist D. L. Moody wisely said, “Preach the Gospel at all costs! And if necessary, use words.” Our lives and our words are to be used by the Savior to make an eternal impact wherever He wisely gives us HIS assignment! What is YOUR place of assignment today?

Finally, God’s people are to be taught, Matthew 5:2, “Then He opened His mouth and taught them…”. But wait, there is MORE! God’s people are to be taught BECAUSE they are God’s people! How about some familiar verses put together in one spot? Proverbs 22:6a, “Train up a child in the way he should go…”. Ephesians 6:4, “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” [MY emphasis]. 2 Timothy 4:16a, 17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable… that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

And God does look AT THE HEART! Remember when Samuel was called of God to choose out from all the males in Israel the “man after God’s own HEART” to be the next king of Israel? Jesse was sure that his oldest son – tall, dark, and handsome Eliab – would be a PERFECT candidate for the next king of Israel! What did God say to Samuel? 1 Samuel 16:7, “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Shortly afterwards, Eli anoints none other than Jesse’s youngest, “a boy named David.”

And with all this…enters the “Sermon on the Mount”. The Savior is training God’s people to be His instruments where He has wisely placed each one, so that each one can represent HIM and HIS heart!

My favorite song of all time, without question, is J.S. Bach’s “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring.” A man may play the song accurately. He may play all the notes mechanically perfectly. And yet, he may not really have played it accurately at all. WHY? Because he has missed Bach’s INTENT – that the mood of the music is to reflect the centrality of CHRIST in the desire of man.

Hence, the Sermon on the Mount is the Savior’s instruction to His people to do WHAT? To create the mood of the music of our lives to reflect the centrality of CHRIST in the desire and lives of His children.

How about YOU? Are you ready for the Savior’s challenge – to sit at His feet and learn of Him?