"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!

"Faith, Hope and Love"

"Conservative belief spurs church growth" was the headline that captured my attention in yesterday's Dallas Morning News as I sat browsing the paper during my regular Saturday morning breakfast after my 2 hour workout at our local health club. After reading the article twice, I was struck with the stark reality that for a rapidly escalating population in the English-speaking world, actual belief in the Jesus I read about in my Bible, is fast becoming a dim reality, a holdover relic from a distant past.
The author of that article, David M. Haskell an associate professor of religion, culture, and digital media and journalism, along with a group of colleagues, "surveyed more than 2,200 congregants" of the mainline Protestant churches in the English-speaking world, half from growing and half from declining churches and their clergy. They learned that churches with a "liberal theology, with it's metaphorical reading of scripture, leads to decline" while those whose emphasis is a more "literal take on the Bible" clearly demonstrate a relation to church growth. The two examples of that type of literal theology the article cites are "the belief that Jesus rose physically from the grave and that God answers prayer".

Several months ago a gentleman I met and occasionally have conversations with at the health club told me he is an atheist. I asked him one simple question, "WHY?" He thought about it for about a minute and said, "I just can't believe in a god who would create us and then destroy us." So, I asked him where he had learned that, who had taught him that about God. His reply is still kind of percolating in his mind I guess. We still greet each other occasionally but he doesn't seem to want to continue our conversation. However, at some point, something will happen and he will open the door to want to know why I believe what I believe. 

Paul wrote these words at the close of a simple but poignant statement about the love of God:
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Cor 13:13 NIV

After all the wars and hate and political turmoil and fear and destruction and human arrogance and dire prediction of any real future for human society, THESE THREE REMAIN. All three are part of the same thing, the love of God our Father. But, all three are a choice each of us must make for our own life and others around us. Love is the greatest because it is the result of faith (absolute belief in the love of God and what He has done FOR us) and hope (absolute expectation of a future that is far better than anything we have ever experienced). If you have never done so, may I humbly suggest that you take a moment to Google "The Apostle's Creed" and read it carefully several times. Then ask your heart, "can I without reservation, sign my name to this statement of faith?"

Here is the bottom line from the referenced article above:
"With a nod to the season, mainline clergy and congregants with a conservative outlook are more apt to be singing 'Silent Night' this Christmas and in future years; theological liberals risk a different kind of silent night."

"Christmas Country Ham 2014"

All of my growing up years in rural west Ky were with filled adventures and challenges that were common to life in the country. Hog killing was some of both and lots of hard work. My Pa Sutherland always wanted to kill hogs on Thanksgiving Day if the weather was right. Most years we would butcher at least six hogs sometimes more. When I turned 14, Pa presented me with a special butcher knife he had made and informed me that he and I would be the official butchers for hog killing from then on. I was so excited because one of Pa's neighbors had always helped with that chore. But he had aged to the point Pa was not comfortable with his skills. So, I got the job until I left home to go to college and later the US Navy. Pa taught me how to cut the meat and cure it for the winter.

Country ham has been a Christmas morning staple for our family until we moved to Texas in 1977 because finding real cured COUNTRY ham in Texas is a rarity. And of course none of it came even close to Pa Sutherland's carefully cured ham. I loved just sitting in his smoke house as a kid and watching him pack the hams, bacon sides and ribs in his big salt box. He was very protective of his meat and rarely agreed to part with it except to his family.

The Rose and I have some really special friends/family who live just across the Ky/Tn state line near Paris, Tn. We passed through Ky on our way home from NC just after Thanksgiving and met our friends for dinner in Murray, Ky. As we were leaving Scott Owens said, "Hold on a second I have something for you." He went to his car and came back carrying a whole Tennessee country ham. My eyes lit up and I said, "Oh wow. I haven't had one of these in a long time. My Dad always sent me one for Christmas when we moved to Texas." Actually the delivery guy always wanted to know what that was when he brought it to my home because of the aroma it radiated.

Yeah, I love country ham and this year we have just now enjoyed a really special Christmas Country Ham breakfast thanks to the Owens family of Buchanan, Tn. We waited until this morning to cut it but I'm sure we will enjoy it for many breakfasts to come.

Country ham is an acquired taste because it is very salty compared to sugar cured ham, but once you get that second taste there is nothing like it in the whole world. This morning I had to explain the real history of country ham to my grandson, who is the age I was when Pa Sutherland tapped me for a very special challenge. Hog killing will always be a ritual that I will never duplicate but will always appreciate. It usually lasted well into the night with the very last job - cooking out the pork fat in a huge iron kettle over a wood fire in the back yard to make "cracklins".

Today my family is scattered and we were weren't able to all be together this Christmas but that country ham breakfast with our son Michael, his wife Annette and his son Gabe, coupled with that beautiful Tennessee Country Ham has put my heart right again and taken me back to my Old Kentucky Home for some very special memories.

God has blessed the Rose and I over our 50 years together. We stay connected daily with all of our family of 14 thanks to computers, the internet and social media - and Country Ham! I am a very blessed husband, father and grandfather. I'm also grateful that my doctor told me last week when I went for my annual check-up that he will see me again in a year. Now that I'm knocking on the door of 74, I take nothing for granted in life. Even small blessings like breakfast with family this morning and memories that keep me connected to who I am. HALLELUJAH!

"Tidings of Comfort and Joy"

Many good people struggle with sadness during this holiday season. If you are among those please give yourself some grace and realize that you can't help how you "feel". I've never been one given to depression and dark thoughts but have walked with many through some dark days and learned to not judge them for how they feel because that is their reality. I may not understand it nor identify with it but my responsibility is to be a voice of hope. Case in point -

Jesus was challenged by a group of Sadducees (Jewish lawyers) who posed a question to him that they probably thought would paint him into a corner. Their question turned on a point of their interpretation of the Law regarding a widow who married seven brothers in succession as each previous one died. They wanted to know which of the seven would be her husband at the resurrection of the dead. In his characteristic way, Jesus ignored their legalistic question and left us a word of absolute hope:

     "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered
     worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry
     nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They
     are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection. But in the account of the
     bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord, 'the God of Abraham,
     and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' He is not the God of the dead, but of the
     living, for to him all are alive." Luke 20:27-38 NIV

Grieving isn't a bad thing, it's a healthy way of absorbing and ultimately dissipating sadness over the death of a loved one. Those Sadducees were too educated and intelligent to believe that dead folks can come back to life. I so appreciate Jesus' final comment in the above account and have shared it with thousands of grieving believers over the years - "He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."

Please don't allow the enemy to rob you of the comfort and joy of the holiday season - celebrate the Son of God for the gift he has given to all who believe. We are "children of the resurrection" because through Jesus we are part of God's eternal family. AND to him "all are alive"! And that isn't just for this Christmas season alone but for every hour of every day of every year. HALLELUJAH!