11/16/2005 C.W.

My Nephew comes into town form England today and I could scream! I am so excited to see him- I pray he is calm and his flight is safe!

Message version

Matthew 5
You're Blessed

1 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down 2 and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:
3"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
4 "You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
5 "You're blessed when you're content with just who you are--no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.
6 "You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.
7 "You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being "carefull,' you find yourselves cared for.
8 "You're blessed when you get your inside world--your mind and heart--put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
9 "You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.
10 "You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.

11 "Not only that--count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. 12 You can be glad when that happens--give a cheer, even!-for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

Poor in Spirit

Food for thought from "First...The Kingdom" - Discipleship Publications International Edited by Thomas and Sheila Jones

Spiritual Beggars
There were two words for "poor" in the Greek language. One meant poor in the sense of not owning any property. The other meant so poor you had to beg. Guess which one is used here? That's right. Jesus says in effect, "Those who will be blessed by God are those who realize that they are spiritually and morally bankrupt and understand that before God they are spiritual beggars."

There is a powerful and essential spiritual principle here that is often missed because we want to miss it. We are in sin. God is not. We are in need. God has plenty. We can get out of our sin and have our need met only through confession and humility- only by owning up to where we really are and what condition we are really in. But once we do that, how things change. Suddenly those who are beggars have everything. Theirs is the Kingdom of God!

For further study suggestions: Job 42:1-6, 10-12 Psalm 51:1-12, Isaiah 6:1-11, Luke 18:9-14, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Jesus and the Holy Spirit

OK- so how many times have I read Matthew and missed this? OK- so Jesus did not have the Holy Spirit until baptism. This seems like a normal statement.

But let me think about it. The Holy Spirit did not descend on Jesus until John The Baptsit babtised Him. 30 years with out the Holy Spirit yet He remains sin-less!? Then God says He is pleased and send the Holy Spirit down. Jesus was without God and the Holy Spirit? IS this correct- and if so how lonely must that be to have been in communion with the other two FOREVER and then be alone in the gawky gangly man shell. Wow.

Is there contradictory information in the Bible? I read it in a couple of versions this AM and was stumpped by this!

Discuss-

Matthew Bible Study Begin Be-attitude

Walking around work barefoot chomppin' snap peas...

So I started on the quest to find some back ground on Jesus in the Bible. I was hit this morning with the thoughts that Jesus moves around twice- that's not a big deal to many people but to me it is. I have been uprooted many times and lost every friendship I held dear (you don't write too many letters to your friends when you are 5). Perhaps this was training for future statements such as,

Matthew12: 46 As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers were outside, wanting to talk with him. 47Someone told Jesus, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to speak to you."
48Jesus asked, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" 49Then he pointed to his disciples and said, "These are my mother and brothers. 50Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!"

Hmmmmm.

The other thing that really struck me is that I didn't find the Be-attitudes in two other gospels and in Luke 6 we get this shortened version (NLT):

The Beatitudes 20Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said, "God blesses you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is given to you.
21 God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now, for the time will come when you will laugh with joy.
22 God blesses you who are hated and excluded and mocked and cursed because you are identified with me, the Son of Man. 23"When that happens, rejoice! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were also treated that way by your ancestors.

Followed quickly by (NLT):

Sorrows Foretold 24 "What sorrows await you who are rich, for you have your only happiness now.
25 What sorrows await you who are satisfied and prosperous now, for a time of awful hunger is before you. What sorrows await you who laugh carelessly, for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow.
26 What sorrows await you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets.

I don't know -did anyone else reference other places in the Bible?