"Now Hear This" #6

Jesus introduces a word familiar to His hearers with an explosive new application. The word "HYPOCRITE" was a word the common people were acquainted with, but they had never heard it used in the context of their political and religious leaders, at least not openly in a public way.

In the common language of the day a "hypocrite" was an actor, one who assumed the posture and character of a person on stage wearing a mask that portrayed the character they were pretending to be. Jesus used the word as identifying their religious leaders and politicians. In other words, they were phonies.

Hear some of what He had to say in His Sermon on the Mount -

THEIR PHONY CHARITY

• "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the HYPOCRITES do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. I say to you, they have their reward." Matthew 6:1-2

THEIR PHONY PRAYERS

• "And when you pray, you shall not be like the HYPOCRITES. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of streets that they may be seen by men......But when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do......Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him." Matthew 6:5-6
  

THEIR PHONY FASTING

• "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the HYPOCRITES, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to be men fasting, but your Father who is in the secret place, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." Matthew 6:16-17 

Surely all of us have played the HYPOCRITE, wearing our mask of deception at times. It can become like a game we play in order to solidify our supposed superiority over others. The opposite of hypocrisy is humility. And none of us are born with either. We learn it gradually from our family, our friends, our associates and our leaders. So be really honest with yourself and carefully make a right decision about what you admire in others who can influence you to mimic them;

Please don't continue to fool yourself into actually believing the oft used old adage, "well that's just the way I am". Only the love of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Spirit of God can lead us into a better, more honest and comfortable state of mind. Beware of all spiritual and political leaders who you can easily see are HYPOCRITES. They do and say what they do and say because they want to manipulate others who blindly follow them down a dead end street.

In our next session, we will consider Jesus statement "in this manner, therefore pray." 

"Now Hear This" #5

Jesus obviously knew early on that He, His message and His people would be rejected by the Jewish leaders. However, He had to be encouraged by the immediate reception he received from the rank and file people. Largely because of the miracles He performed prior to preaching the Sermon on the Mount, everywhere He went vast crowds quickly gathered because Jesus was doing exactly what the Old Testament prophets had predicted the Messiah would do and teach.

Following this Sermon, Jesus became the primary target of the religious leaders primarily because of this statement early on in His teaching -- 

• "I say to you that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:20 

The scribes and Pharisees were viewed as the ultimate of righteousness. They were the lawyers and teachers who interpreted the Law given to Moses on Mt Sinai many centuries before. That word righteousness however means doing what God says is right. Jesus had just told them He had not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to bring it to it's completion, not it's destruction. What then follows are six specific reinterpretations of the Law of Moses which went way beyond what the leaders and teachers of the people had been saying for many centuries.

So in order to avoid becoming tedious I want us to look at each of those six in a summary format.

Jesus introduced each with this commanding statement:

• "You have heard it was said .......... but I say to you...." and I don't see this statement as directed at the commandments God gave to Moses at Exodus 20, but as the interpretation of them that became commonly taught to the people.

1. MURDER is a result of anger against another 5:21-26
The Law had forbidden murder but the traditional teaching had failed to address the real issue, uncontrolled anger. We all face situations in daily life that cause anger at someone or some kind of situation. And if that anger is not brought under control it will cause tragic consequences. Jesus said if one resorts to calling another a "fool" that attitude puts that person in danger of "hell fire". In fact, He said you shouldn't even approach your altar of prayer to God in that state of mind, but go and make peace with your adversary then come and offer your sacrifice of prayer.

2. ADULTERY is simply two married people engaging in a sexual relationship with someone other than their marriage partner. But Jesus redefined it in a new way. His assessment seems to address men in particular however the same can be applied to either sex although men are probably more prone to it than women. Jesus says that the real issue is "lust" that continues to look and feed that sinful desire to the point that one can commit adultery in the heart. So his remedy to prevent that eventual outcome is nothing short of unthinkable. If your heart cannot control your eye or your hand, cut it off in order to prevent the eternal outcome which He calls "cast into hell". Did He really mean what He said?

3. DIVORCE is the break-up of a marriage. Marriage is a divine institution of God founded upon a pledge to love each other for life. Obviously somewhere along the way God's intent for marriage became unworkable to some and Moses gave instruction to give the wife in whom he found some type of uncleanness a "certificate of divorce". But Jesus said that "sexual immorality" is the only reason for which a man can divorce his wife before God. The intent of His statement is obviously to reinstate God's original intent when He instituted marriage. One man, one woman for life. Sadly even today that purpose of God for the betterment of the human race has largely been lost. I am truly not smart enough to answer all the questions that can arise around this issue. So I simply leave it up to each person or couple to make up their own mind about what God would have them do. Satan can easily worm his way into any relationship and create chaos.

4. SWEARING obviously has been a common human habit for a very long time. The intent probably is to verify or certify that what one is saying is true and approved of God. In Jesus' day people used God as the one who approved of whatever oath they were speaking. No different for many people today. "I swear to God" is a pretty common phrase some folks use to lend credence to some promise or affirmation. But, it's just a careless habit that is learned early on and Jesus condemns it outright. His counsel is "don't swear at all" using God or anything else to certify what is said. There is no real need for that. Just let your "no be no and your yes be yes". Anything beyond that is sinful.because it was inspired by "the evil one himself".

5. GO THE SECOND MILE rather than merely react in kind when responding to an unjust or insulting occurrence. Jesus brings up what was obviously quite common in his day, namely "any eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth". When someone strikes you, offends you, hit them right back. His obvious intent is pretty clear in the statement, "whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two." Learn to be a giver without expecting to receive some kind of reward. I have known quite a few people who actually do this and all of them without exception, are always faithful to Jesus as Lord.

6. LOVE YOUR ENEMIES is often more than most of us can remember or agree with much less seek some way to actually do it. The love/hate relationship is common in many marriages, business opportunities, neighborhood relationships, racial encounters and on and on it goes. "Pray for those spitefully use you and persecute you" can be a real game changer for all of us. If we develop a love only for those who love us, we are falling way short of God's vision of our eternal destiny. I have always been really challenged by Jesus' closing statement in this charge to "be perfect even as your heavenly father is perfect". WHOA, that is one huge thought to ponder. Does my Father really expect ME to be as perfect as He is? I'll just leave that right there and let you ponder it for yourself.

Personal relationships are an essential element of every day life for all of us. And how we handle the opportunities and challenges that those encounters produce can have eternal consequences. Jesus will ultimately be our Judge. I encourage all of you to give some real consideration to how you're doing with that challenge. If Jesus has challenged you in a new way with His words, do something about it.

"Now Hear This" #4

Sorry guys I've been a little distracted lately BUT now I'm ready to "saddle up" again. I appreciate your patience and desire to hear Jesus. And NO I haven't been sick nor my family. We're all good!

For a lot of years I was kinda puzzled why the ancient Jews never saw nor spoke of God as Father. In fact, there are only a mere handful of times that you can even find God referred to as Father in the Old Testament. Mostly they seem to have thought of Him like the pagans viewed their gods as one to be feared and somehow avoided. Even after they entered the Promised Land after their Egyptian slavery they seem to have simply embraced their pagan neighbors view of their own gods, as always angry with them.

When Jesus embarked on His personal ministry, one of the primary goals He seems to have before Him was to change how His countrymen viewed God. Their rituals and commitments were mostly intended to appease or avoid, if possible, His anger at them, rather than submitting to His love. They just had never seen Him as their Father. But, Jesus gradually changed all that.

• "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' And of His fullnes we have all received, and grace for grace. for the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one had seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." John 1:14-18 NKJV

Jesus came to make God known to the world as FATHER. His Sermon on the Mount repeatedly uses that word to give God that very special identity. The Greek word translated as "father" carries a threefold connotation that establishes a concrete definition of what a 'father" is:

1. A father is always PRESENT caring, watching, guiding, correcting, encouraging
2. A father is always a PROTECTOR because the world is filled with danger
3. A father is always a PROVIDER because he always wants the best for his offspring

As we continue to hear some of Jesus' words in this life changing teaching, I just felt it helpful to establish early on, the grand importance of how we see God and how we relate to Him in a personal way. And, how Jesus will teach us why that new awareness of God translates into how we in turn relate to others in our daily world.

• "You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses it's flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." Matthew 5:13

 Salt is good for two primary things: preserving certain types of foods and flavoring. Jesus' words seem to be a word of caution and also of encouragement. He obviously wants us to fully understand that one of our primary functions in the kingdom of God is to be the "salt" that influences our own society to see just WHO our God really is by the way we act. Flavorless salt is of no use for anything but to be thrown out on to the pathways where others walk. We must be 'active' every day in every possible way as an influence in our world that will lead to a pleasant taste in other's mouths leading to their eternal preservation in the Father's kingdom.

Paul understood the impact of this figure of speech.

• "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. Colossians 4:5

 In addition, Jesus said, 

• "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

Now take a few seconds to go back and read that again, slowly.

Both of these statements are in the present tense, which means now/right now. This is the Father's simple vision of how He sees our involvement in His plan from before He even made the world. Jesus doesn't say, "you can maybe at some point", no He says YOU ARE.

I really like and am motivated by this from Paul's heart at Ephesians 5:8-13

• "You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no felowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things are exposed and made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light." 

So, now as you go forward each day, keep your heart focused on God as your Father and be the SALT  that flavors someone else's world and the LIGHT that illuminates the Father's love and grace to us all. Pay very strict attention to what comes out of your mouth and how your face and tone of voice can speak volumes of good or bad. Please don't hide your the light Jesus has given you. Let is shine shine shine.

God be with you in these very discouraging, dangerous and challenging days we are  all walking through. Show your faith and your love and give others a sense of hope. What you carry around in your heart is fearless and priceless. GIVE IT AWAY!

"Now Hear This" #3

Since Jesus had already begun his teaching ministry and his fame had begun to rapidly spread throughout the region, he took advantage of the multitude of people who had begun to follow he and his disciples and sat down to lay a very new foundation of what God's will for them was and still is. His Sermon on the Mount does not really contain the elements of the gospels requirements, but it lays out a dramatic contrast to the the Law that had been given to their ancestors by Moses. He said -

• "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets, I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill." Matthew 5:17

During this sermon he repeatedly states, "you have heard that it was said........but I say to you" which obviously is intended to draw them away from what they had been taught all their lives. He even uses the scribes and Pharisees as an example to contrast what they were accustomed to hearing that was no longer acceptable to God. By using the word "fulfill" he emphasizes that the Law they were so culturally accustomed to was now brought to it's completion by God through him and his teaching.

He introduces this teaching with the word "Blessed". He uses this word 9 times to kind of lay out a new way of thinking and living in the Father's kingdom. That word means "fully satisfied". In fact each of those 9 statements could be prefaced with "because of me". So, as we read these statements we should have that phrase "because of me" in mind. Lets look then at Matthew 5:3-10 NKJV

• "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

This phrase is applicable to all of us at some time in our lives. It doesn't really mean one who is humble, but rather one who is helpless. Jesus says the Father wants to reach out to that faithful person who is struggling to see a way through some depressing, overwhelming circumstance.

• "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

This could apply to all situations of mourning/crying. However the word for mourn here probably is pointing to grief or sorrow over sin, all sin. The word "comforted" surely is the end result of being forgiven by God and a new way of seeing a new reality for self and others.

• "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

The 'meek' here are those who humbly submit to the Father's will. Meekness in this context is not  some mild mannered introvert who hesitates to speak up for themselves. No, this person recognizes the love and power of God and trusts that love no matter what. Jesus says, they will finally win.

• "Blessed are  those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled."

To me this seems to honor the person who is satisfied with the Father to hear and follow His word again and again and again and again. Being hungry and thirsty is a never ending part of life. So is being hungry and thirsty for the word and blessings of God the Father. Never ending.

• "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy."

Mercy is a powerful and positive attitude that we all must learn to adopt. It is a learned reaction to our own and others failures. If you haven't yet done so, please resign from the judge's bench. Only God can judge because only He is qualified. Jesus will say this often during his ministry.

• "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God."

 This statement points to the heart of God as our model for our motives and actions. Purity of heart is a continuous commitment to reflect the heart of God in any and every circumstance.The word "see" here is a progressive recognition of God working in my heart and life. It can mean "experience".

• "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God."

In my spirit this points to a way of life that we can only learn from God. Being a peacemaker isn't always easy because Satan wants to control how we think, which is how he controls what we say and do. Sometimes you just have to look him in the eye and say, "NO!" just like Jesus did. We must allow God's love, mercy and grace to become a controlling aspect of our life.

• "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Jesus knew what lay ahead for his disciples, and even for him. That persecution continues all over the world today. Even in those areas where it is ugliest, the kingdom is alive and growing. Persecution of Christians was belched forth out of the pit of hell itself . Jesus knew it would. Read Revelations 12 and know the devil will not win this war that began in heaven itself.

Thank you dear reader, for hanging with me here. Looking forward to seeing you again.

"Now Hear This" #2

Since we will be looking into some Bible text written by Matthew, I think we can benefit from knowing something about him, who he really was and who he became because of Jesus.

• He was a Palestinian Jew whose hometown was Capernaum, the town Jesus ultimately went to after his temptation by the devil in the nearby wilderness
• He was employed by the Roman government to collect taxes from the Jews of that area and was no doubt hated and rejected by his Jewish countrymen
• Jesus called him to "Follow Me" while Matthew (also called Levi) was at work at his booth

"Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting as his tax booth. "Follow me", Jesus said to him, and Levi got up and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house and a large collection of tax collectors and others were eating with them." Luke 5:27-29

• He became one of Jesus' Apostles and participated in the ministry of Jesus to spread the good news of the kingdom 
• He was present during all of Jesus' ministry and after the resurrection
• He was named as being present on the Day of Pentecost when the gospel was first preached by the apostles as God's completed promise to the entire world
• Matthew's name means "Gift of God" in Hebrew
• The central theme of his gospel account is that Jesus is the long awaited Saviour and King of God's new kingdom 

I also want to preface these studies of the Sermon on the Mount by hearing some very impactful words Jesus spoke to all of us who will ever breathe in this world. So I urge you to Now Hear This:

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen him''. "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me who is doing his work." John 14:7-10

"If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me." John 14:23-24

• Go back and read those words over and over until the word "ANYONE" really explodes in your spirit. What a wonderful promise God the Father has made through His Son to all of us!

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Revelation 3:20-22

• Jesus calls out to "ANYONE" who is listening and hearing him knock on the door of their heart to open that closed door and let him in. Although this passage is specifically addressed to the lukewarm church at Laodicea, it calls out to ANYONE who will hear him.

In our next session we will begin that process at Matthew 5. Please join me again. Thank you.

"Now Hear This - Jesus Has Something To Say"

After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist the Spirit led him into the wilderness where he was tempted by the devil to deny all that he was and the mission the Father had sent him to accomplish. He had already fasted forty days in preparation for this encounter and he was prepared to face the devil and his lies. Failing to convince Jesus to follow him, the devil finally left him and angels came to tend to his needs.

Soon after, John was imprisoned by Herod and when Jesus learned of this he returned to Galilee and ended up in Capernaum, which was to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-2.

"......the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. From that time on Jesus began to preach". Matthew 4:16-17

Very soon afterward he began to call selected disciples to follow him as he went to the surrounding villages to begin his preaching ministry, just as Isaiah had predicted many hundreds of years before. He healed many sick with all manner of diseases and afflictions while he preached the good news that Isaiah had prophesied. Word spread quickly and soon multitudes were following him and his disciples throughout that mountainous region.


"Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him and he began to teach them."  

What follows at Matthew 5-6-7 is the iconic Sermon On The Mount.

We today definitely need "a great light" since we have become surrounded by darkness and live again in the "darkness.....of the shadow of death."

Although Jesus intent is not to give the people (or us) some comforting words to help us deal with the current pandemic, but to share with those multitudes the words the Father had sent him to preach to the people who were oppressed by the rulers/politicians of that time, however his words can truly heal our spirits too. Our collective life today has become VERY different from what it was even a month or two ago. So, I want to share some thoughts with you from Jesus which can hopefully impart a sense of something far greater than COVID 19. Although I am not in any way a medically trained professional, nor an expert in psychology, Jesus is both. I firmly believe his words can help us too.

So here is what I am proposing: lets walk together through these simple, powerful, beautiful, convicting words from God the Father as He speaks through His Son whom He sent for this very purpose, to give us some light in our darkness.

Please pray with me and for me as we launch into this together and you might even want to read Matthew 5 to begin. I would also encourage you begin to think of someone you know who might benefit from this journey through these Words of Jesus, the good news. HALLELUJAH!

On My 78th Birthday

Wow that really seems like a strange Title for this blog entry but it's reality. I actually feel better than I did 30+ years ago. No stress, no health issues, family doing great, spiritually confident but, obviously any or all of those things can change on a dime.

Like everyone, I have made some huge mistakes in my life but my Chief Priest and Brother has always been beside me with grace and the love of my Father. Plus The Comforter has never stopped teaching and guiding me.

Also I have been encouraged and blessed beyond anything I could ever deserve by my wife of 55 years, The Rose, and our family of 13. That's why I dedicated my first book, Yes Lord I'm Listening, to all of them. Thank you my Father for their love, their faith and their constant encouragement.

In addition, on this 78th birthday I have received more phone calls, text messages, hugs, personal greetings and computer greetings than I can even begin to count. THANK YOU each one who has taken the time to reach out to me. So many wonderful words of love from so many whose presence in my life from all over the country have given me a priceless gift and jogged my memories from more than 50 years of ministry in the kingdom of God. May He always bless each of you in comforting and challenging ways.

John said this to all of us:

"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." 1 John 4:11-12 NIV

Thank you to ALL my family, friends, sisters and brothers for remembering me on this wonderful birthday. I love each of with the love of the Spirit. HALLELUJAH!