It’s Hard to Stay Focused

In these “Out and About” chapters the theme has been to stay spiritually alert wherever you are with whomever you are in the day-to-day atmosphere in which you live. It is especially hard when the media pummels us all as we move around. Media are designed to make money and the way they do it is to keep your attention centered on what its designers believe will keep you tuned in. Look at the following listing: the bizarre (that’s intentional because it sells),…

Thy Kingdom Come

In the last section on ‘will’ I got ahead of myself as I was delving into Jesus’ teaching on prayer. Actually, ‘kingdom’ comes before ‘will’ so let’s get into that word now. Perhaps in a way it was good to have covered ‘will’ first because the purpose of God’s will is intimacy and God’s Kingdom is a kingdom of intimacy. Sin prevents intimacy, which is why Jesus went to the Cross and sacrificed His life to cancel the power of sin so that each of us could have intimacy…

Looking Forward Theme

If someone asked me to describe the single most important desire of God for His people I would say “Look Forward.” Be a looking forward people. Be alert. Be ready. Be transformed from a mind that puts self first to a mind that is geared to looking forward like God looks forward, a heart that has a 'looking forward' attitude and a spirit that is actively in a 'can't-wait-to-get-going' mode. The very first words of the Bible, “In the beginning...”, make up a phrase…

Where Did It All Go Right?

Let's get to the point. The devil's plan is to reduce us in size. What his spirit of sin does is to reduce us in size, being and quality. The more we sin, by being self-centered and self-indulgent, the smaller we become, the more control the devil has over us. Then we become like him and fade into nothing and know it. That's what disappointment, disillusionment and discouragement show. This is when the younger replaces the older, the athletic body fades, the…

Where Did It All Go Wrong?

After reading the first two chapters of Genesis it's obvious God made everything good. But there is a very important principle to keep in mind from these two chapters. Spirituality predates physicality. God is not physical but spiritual and it is out of the spiritual reality of God that everything physical comes into being. “What is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal (2Cor.4:18).” The entire physical realm seemed to be in perfect working…

The Sermon on the Mount Part 11

There is still one more thing we have to resolve. It's the parallel Jesus is giving us when we see Him fulfilling the Law and its signature statement, the Ten Commandments. Remember how Moses went up on Mount Sinai to receive the Law from the Lord to be the moral lifestyle for the Jewish people? Jesus is taking His disciples up on a mount to teach them a spiritual lifestyle, really a heartstyle, that fulfills the Law. Whereas the Law was given to whip a…

The Sermon on the Mount Part 10

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Mt.5:11-12).”

The ninth blessing happens when the false witness of others will bear against us because we believe in Jesus. It's the second of the persecution Blesseds. The first one had to do with our…

The Sermon on the Mount Part 9

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt.5:10).”

The last two Blesseds have to do with persecution. There are two kinds, the first because of righteousness and the second because of insults, persecution and false witness because of Jesus Himself. Let's look at the first, righteousness.

We have already seen righteousness as faith. In some way we have been seen as acting for…

The Sermon on the Mount Part 8

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God (Mt.5:9).”

The seventh blessing is about the peace that passes understanding.

The seventh blessing is introducing others to the Lord's peace we have been given. Yes, purifying the heart increases the awareness of the peace that passes understanding. It is not peace as the world gives but the peace Jesus gives (Jn.14:27). There is definitely a difference like night and day.…

The Sermon on the Mount Part 7

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

The sixth blessing has to do with the condition of our heart.…