Today, one of the most significant mental issues facing all of us is learning to deal with shame. In this video lesson we take a deep dive into this important topic for every person’s growth, well being and emotional stability.
Please take the steps needed to be free of shame. It is possible, through Jesus – the one who carried it all for you because He loves you.
Go with God,
Debbie
Optics –
a science that deals with the genesis and propagation of light, the changes that it undergoes and produces, and other phenomena closely associated with it”
Merriam-Webster
So what do we know about light, and why should I care? How ‘bout these factoids?
We should care about light because as shown by the above facts, without light, life on earth would cease. The end. Fin. La Fin. Mwisho. Das Ende. Fim. Ang Dulo.
Allow me to remind you of some interesting features of light.
Light travels in waves, and always in a straight line. If an object gets in lights way – the light wave will bend, refract or get absorbed by the object. The actual wave or light beams, are made of zillions of air packets of light – called photons.
Visible light is what allows us to see colors and beauty. You actually see things when light enters your eye. That light can be from one of two sources – a light bulb or refracted light, which is much more common. If no light enters the eye, you see black – darkness. And to restate, all objects produce light, they create electromagnetic waves, the problem is that humans can’t see them.
Light not only benefits all life but is absolutely needed for life to exist. In addition, light is needed for drying and evaporation on earth. It is needed for sanitation on and scavenging in earth. Light actually raises earth’s temperature and therefore maintains not only temperature but life.
Light is used in medicine and in all sorts of human applications.
Two more light tid bits and then we will drive this all home, okay?
Plato, the great philosopher once thought humans could shoot light from our eyes. Boy, what would this world be like if we could? I guess you can’t always be a genius, Mr. Plato.
A “jiffy” is a unit of measure that dictates how long it takes for light to travel up to a centimeter. So, when we say, “I’ll be back in a jiffy”, we’re making a pretty fast trip! ha ha Light travels so fast (186,000 mph) that if a human were to travel at the speed of light, in one second they could circumnavigate earth 7.5 times!!!! That’s MORE than a jiffy. Geesh!
We’ve shined the light on light’s characteristics, let’s focus now on another aspect of light.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16 ESV
As we have been for the past few weeks, we peek here into The Sermon on the Mount, preached by Jesus some 400 years after the close of the Old Testament era. Here, He was, newly introduced by his cousin John, as the worthy Lamb of God, who was the One spoken of. He went up to a mountain, and Sat down where thousands gathering around Him to hear Him teach about His kingdom ways.
BAM! The first words out of His mouth are eight values of the kingdom of God. (poor in spirit, mourn, meek, hunger and thirst for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, persecuted for righteousness sake) Then, He uses the analogy that these values are like salt, and as His followers live by them, they are actually salting, seasoning and presevering the earth. (For more see the past 3-4 Sunday Sermon blogs.)
Now, He makes another analogy or metaphor comparing the followers in His kingdom to light.
Your lives light up the world.”
Matthew 5:15 TPT
Wait. What? How can I, a simple little human living in Southern California light up the world? I just get up, go to work, love my family, and try to be kind to others, then get up the next day and do the same. “Light up the world” is a rather hefty statement, Jesus. But is it?
From the very beginning of creation, God’s focus has been on light.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”
Genesis 1:3 ESV
And God said, “Let there be lights in the heavens to separate the day from the night…and let them be lights to give light upon earth…And it was so…And God made two great lights – the greater to rule the day and the lesser to rule the night…and God set them to give light on the earth… to rule over the day and the night… to separate light from darkness.”
Genesis 1:14-18 ESV
Light’s design on earth has always been to give life, to give light to the earth, to separate light from darkness, and to rule.
It’s funny that God said in Genesis 1:14 – “let there be lights” and Jesus said, in Matthew 5:14, “You are the light”. Jesus was telling us that as we live His kingdom values, and under His kingdom authority, we shine as light does in the world. We light up the darkness, we are the light. But how?
With Jesus, the light of the world, John 8:12, living in us, our kingdom actions and choices are seen by others. They are a light pointing the way in darkness. They are energy waves, illuminating from us, picked up by people, bouncing off of them, or being absorbed by them. Our words and actions, our auora even, distinguishes us, separates us, as “different” – because we are carriers of The Light. Sometimes people, really can see our light and they should. It should be giving light to all in the house. It should be on a stand for all to see. We should be standing for the Light of the kingdom.
As light, our course is a straight path. His Word is our true North, and we don’t waver off course. We bounce off of some people, bring clarity to others, and expose still others. Our light sanitizes or helps to clean up dirty places in people (and us), while at the same time bringing warmth to the cold hearts of some walking our earth.
Our light is earth’s medicine. Earth’s life. Without our light, the earth would be enveloped in total darkness.
But our light is meant to give life, bring light, separate and rule the darkness. Darkness will never overpower our light or even understand it. John 1:5
God has set the lights in the sky, just as he has set brightly lit cities on hills. Those cities are filled with zillions of photon-people, like YOU, litting up not only their city, but the darkness. In much the same way that the Israelites’ homes were filled with light, during the ninth plague of darkness that gripped Egypt. Exodus 10:23
Our light helps all to see beauty, color, distinction. Our light can be like a light bulb, shining when needed in a dark space or refracted light- shining and bending back. Refracted light will change – and speed up, depending on the substance it is entering. It adjusts to the object. Without refracted light, focus is lost.
It matters little whether you are a light bulb or being refracted, as long as you are shinning.
Don’t hide your light.”
Matthew 5:16 TPT
These may well be days of darkness, but they are too, days of separation and distinction. They are days of waves of light beaming upon our earth, once again bringing light to the earth, and ruling over the darkness. Just as God originally intended.
May these words serve as a prism for you which will inspire and challenge you to burst forth in colorful, visible light upon your world.
Our world needs a brief lesson in optics.
Debbie
Sources
Factcity.com facts-about-light
Afrilcate.com facts-about- light
Study.com/academy/lesson/factsoflight
Light – studyread.com/uses of light
Wired.com – light
One of the most significant things that we can learn in life is how to accept love and open ourselves up to being loved. Opening yourself up to God’s amazing love will melt, change, warm, strengthen and amaze you and is the most important experience of your life, bar none.
See what I mean in this video. You’ll never be the same.
Let Him love you,
Debbie
Your lives are like salt among the people. But if you, like salt, become bland, how can your saltiness be restored? Flavorless salt is good for nothing and will be thrown out and trampled by others.”
Matthew 5:13 TPT
So, what do we know about salt? If our life is like salt, then it would be worth our time to take a look at Na (sodium) + Cl (chloride) = salt. Let’s dive in.
There are several approaches we can take in looking at salt. The first would be in the context and setting of this passage in Matthew.
Salt shards were gathered from the Dead Sea during Jesus’ time and brought back to the home for multiple uses. Dead Sea salt of that time was often “contaminated with other minerals, causing a weakness in flavor or bland, unpleasant taste.” (1) But one of it’s primary uses in the home was for flavoring the water pot for stew. The salt shard would be dipped into the pot of water to flavor the water. After too many dips, the salt shard would have lost it’s flavor. It would then be taken ouside and used as pavers to walk on.
It was also possible that a flavorful salt shard would get rained on. That would dissolve the salt, leaving only the contaminants which were of little use.
Another approach when looking at salt is the scientific perspective.
Salt is an inorganic compound, not from living matter. As mentioned earlier, it is the combination of Na – sodium + Cl – chloride. Sodium chloride = table salt. NaCl is a very stable chemical substance. In fact, the only way for salt to lose it’s salinity is through a chemical reaction with another substance. (My teaching 8th grade, Physical Science is coming in handy now.) Salt can however be diluted in water and will then loose it’s pungent saltiness. It does not form a new compound when combind with water, it forms a mixture. But in it’s crystal form, it is non-reactive.
Salt may become bland by the presence of impurities, interation with other components or exposure to humid environments. All of these, cause harm to the flavor of salt. Salt will become “bad” only when it gets deteriorated due to some external factors. “There is no such thing as horrible natural salt in the world of salt.” (2)
Another part of the science of salt is salt’s many uses.
We are told that there are 14,000 known uses for salt. It is much more than a flavor enhancer or preserver. Salt carries iodine which aids the thyroid function, and fluorine which helps prevent tooth decay. In fact, adults need 4-5 grams of common salt a day. (Which with balanced nurtition, is found in our meals.)
Our body actually needs salt to:
Your body needs salt, but too little or too much can be harmful.
Remember too, that on your tongue are 5 primary taste modalities. Can you remember them? Sweet, sour, bitter, savoriness (now called umami), and saltiness. Matter of fact, the brain detects the taste from salty foods as “pleasant“, and from the others as “unpleasant”. No kidding, a chemical event on your tongue that determines what is pleasant?! Crazy.
The internet is filled with lists of uses for salt. I’ve read most of them and written down many. But to summarize here, human comsumption of salt represents only 6% of the 250 million metric tonnes of salt that is used world wide in a year. The majority 94% is used for: softening water, de-icing roads, and in agriculture; with the largest amount used in manufacture of PVC, plastics, & paper pulp. (4) In 2020 the salt industry was valued at 28 billion US dollars.
Please hang with me here, you know we’re gonna drive this all home. But one last thing worth mentioning about salt.
There are 3 methods of sourcing salt – getting it out of the earth. They are:
Each of these is interesting in itself, but for sake of time, I want to mention only one – mining rock salt formations.
To mine rock salt, specialized equipment is used underground, that cuts the salt beds into large blocks. The method that is commonly used for this is called the “room and pillar” method. The equipment extracts large “rooms”of salt (a block at at time) from the salt beds with unscathed “pillars” left behind. The Sifto Salt Mine in Ontario, Canada is the largest salt mine in the world and it is 2,000 feet below earth’s surface.
I will close now with looking at salt from the spiritual point of view, applying what we have learned about salt to our lives and seeking your answer to our opening question.
It is no accident that after Jesus taught his disciples “The Beattitudes” in Matthew chapter 5, (which we talked about in 2 previous blogs), that He then tells them,
You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost it’s taste, how shall it’s saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”
Matthew 5:13 ESV
He was telling them, YOU are the salt shards, pulled from the earth, and now dipped into every homes’ nourishment and sustainence. Stay salty, flavorful, not dilluted, or contaminated and don’t allow yourselves to become those road pavers that are walked all over by men. Too much dipping will cause you to be bland. Be wise. Be salty. Keep your flavor.
He is telling us, as salt shards, our flavor will deteriorate only when we succomb to external factors. (Stress, worry, fear, unbelief, depression, etc.) We are stable when our relationship with Him is crystalized and found to be without mixture or dillution. We are put in this world as salt, a nonreactive, stable and needed compound intended to affect everything that we are dipped into.
Indeed, your saltiness in this world has at least 14,000 uses. Your impact as salt in your home is more than just seasoning, it is vital to a healthy family life. Your saltiness at work, school, or in your neighborhood has untold influence in more ways than you may ever see. Just a dash of your saltiness can treat irritations, melt hard hearts, and put fires out. Your saltiness will bring healing and even deoderize smelly situations. Your body will prosper and be in good health, as you are salty. As you, yourself are seasoned with the salt of His presence.
We humans, in abundant supply on this planet carry the capacity to majorly affect our world and that is indeed God’s intention for us as the salt of the earth, if, we have not lost our saltiness. And let’s not forget that saltiness is detected as pleasant by our brain, so let’s share our salty pleasantness with our neighbors.
One last thought – Do you recall Lot’s wife? The one who looked back and “turned to a pillar of salt”? Genesis 19:26 Do you recall the common method for mining rock salt? “Room and pillar“, right? Could it be that Lot’s wife had lost her saltiness and become a pillar because all of her salt had been mined out of her by living in such close contact with and deteriorated by the perverted people of Sodom? There was no room in her that contained salt. Her salt was empty and depleted. She had been dipped and mined and had nothing left but a stationary, singular pillar. Just wondering…
Wrapping this up, Mark tells us “to have salt in yourselves” Mark 9:50. Paul in Colossians 4:6 tells us, ” that your speech be seasoned with salt…”. Jesus said, “You are the salt…”.
As believers, we should be able to retain and live the very “beattitudes” or salt of the kingdom, as listed below, free from external forces, mixture, deterioration, dissolving away, or being mined out of us. These salty crystals are what keeps us stable and nonreactive in this world.
So, do you see it now, the link between those salty beattitudes of kingdom living and us being the salt of the earth? Those values are what fires our saltiness. No wonder Mark 9:49 says, “everyone will be salted with fire.”
So here we are, again asking you, are you salty?
Debbie
As a believer in Jesus, this is a question that we all must grapple with and settle. To lead you through the basics, click in and evaluate where you stand on the issue.
I hope you have taken the plunge and are ready to live a life of freedom and victory because you buried your old, smelly man.
Debbie
Continuing our look at the kingdom of God from above, being lived out here on earth below, let’s review for a moment.
There is a kingdom in heaven, fully functioning under the reign and soverignity of Almighty God and His son, Jesus who is the King of Kings. This kingdom is of or from heaven, and is intended to be fully demonstrated here on earth by humans, who are living the values, principles, and “doms” (see part 1) of our King Jesus.
We get a glimpse of this kingdom when we look at the “Beattitudes” of Jesus, as found in Matthew chapter 5. These beattitudes reflect the nature of life in the kingdom of God which is evidenced by the supreme state of well-being when walking in relationship with God.
So, as we look at the last four beattitudes (there are 8, see the first 4 in part 1), imagine life here on earth, if these characteristics were to be truly demonstrated. What a world we would have, here below, if we lived as it is above in heaven.
Blessed are the merciful, they shall receive mercy.”
Matthew 5:7 ESV
Those who, from their deepest heart are able to demonstrate tender mercy to others, themselves will be shown mercy by God. This pictures someone, who “from their womb” – the birthplace of new life, new ideas, new ways – expresses and displays compassion and mercy to others. This one, because of what he or she sows, will not only be satisfied but will reap back the same compassion and mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Matthew 5:8 ESV
The “pure in heart” is one who pursues purity and uprightness; that which is right, true, just, and pure in God’s eyes. They are not soiled or sullied by the filthiness of worldly affects and actions but “have kept themselves” from such influences. They have chosen a better way, a higher standard. They have set themselves apart to God and for His pleasure and have aimed at his favor and acceptance rather than that of man.
It is no wonder then, that they are the ones who not only see God now but progressively see Him more and more. Because their hearts are pure before God (and that does not mean sinless!), which is the most important thing (not external traditions), God honors them by revealing Himself to them. There is NO GREATER HONOR OR HUMBLING STATE for a humnan being than to experience God. That is beyond a blessing!
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.”
Matthew 5:9 ESV
These peacemakers start within themselves. They are at peace with themselves before Almighty God. You cannot be at peace within yourself, if there is no accountability to God. Those who try to find peace without God awareness, sensitivity and willingness to follow His ways are only fooling themselves. Jesus is the Prince of Peace and brings peace to those willing to make peace with Him. That is where peacemaking begins. Then peacemaking will flow from the personal peace that we have found with God out from us to the community. This peace then, is both personal and communal.
These peacemaking folks, are the sons of God. These peacemakers, defined by their peace with God, are adding to and expanding God’s eternal family, as His sons and daughters, by bringing peace to others and making peace between others.
Are you able to see and image a world ruled and governed by these attitudes, characteristics and values? Can you imagine earth here below, under the influence of the kingdom of God?
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:10 ESV
Could it be that those who are living by these kingdom values will be persecuted? Could the challenge be to those believers who have chosen to live as citizens of God’s kingdom and under his constitution, it’s time to buckle up. Not everyone is gonna like these values, ideas and ways of life. There will be those who not only contradict these values but persecute those who live by them.
“Persecuted” here in the Greek means, “to harass, trouble, molest; to make one run, drive away, maltreated.” The Apostle Paul was persecuted. All the other disciples were pesecuted. Jesus himself was persecuted. Christians through the ages on every continent have been persecuted. Why, oh why, would we think we are any different or walk a different walk? How could we if we are truly living for the kingdom here on earth?
Compared to the suffering saints and martyrs of the past, I tend to think we, ourselves ain’t seen nothing yet!
Our comfort? Our motivation? Our strength? The kingdom of God! We receive eternally and live forever in the kingdom of God. The very one we have lived here on earth. We step from this earth into the kingdom of our inheritance, the one of God’s vast domain.
In closing, let’s remember these things about these beattitudes: (we mentioned them in part 1)
My prayer is that believers all over the world continue to stand strong in faith and courage as they choose to display on earth what is being lived out in heaven now.
May we, live here below as it is above.
Debbie
Recently in my reading, I was struck with a phrase that has been reverberating through my spirit, mind and soul. It was this:
Because you harbored an ancient hostility…
Ezekiel, the Prophet, chapter 35 verse 5
Other renderings put the same phrase this way –
The challenge to me was to inspect within myself, those areas that may be harboring any type of grudge, resentment, or bitterness; those unresolved, concealed or secret hurts, or offenses. God was calling me to identify them for what they are – hurts, painful events, and to let them go by allowing Him to uproot their poisonous taproot of resentment and bitterness.
I believe this same experience is what He would have for all of us. He is wanting to completely heal us of all of our grudges, bitterness and resentment. He wants us to be whole and unhindered by negative, past feelings, memories and experiences. Letting go of the anger, bitterness, hurt and pain of the past allows us to focus on the present.
When we hold on to grudges and resentment, it’s like drinking poison and expecting the other person to get sick.
Piedmont Healthcare, Angela Buttimer MS, NCC, RYT, CPC
In the book of Hebrews, we find this very same issue being addressed:
Make sure no one lives with a root of bitterness sprouting within them which will only cause trouble and poison the hearts of many.
Hebrews 12:15 TPT
The Apostle Paul adds this piece of insight to this whole issue of anger, bitterness, resentment and grudges:
In your anger, do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry and do not give the devil a foothold.
Ephesians 4:26-27 NIV
It is apparent that unresolved anger leads to poisonous roots growing in our heart, and yields a place for the devil with his toolbox of sins to grow.
One last quote and then we will look at a story.
James, the brother of Jesus, who wrote the book of James, and also knew a thing or two about envy, and selfish ambition left us this piece of wisdom: (geesh, can you imagine dealing with the envy, bitterness, resentment, and misunderstanding in this home between these brothers??!)
But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts….such wisdom is earthly, unspiritual, demonic…”
James 3:14 NIV
All of us have had conflicts from which grudges have grown. Those grudges sorta become our consolation prize- we were wronged and now we get a grudge. It seems to serve us as a way to compensate for our negative feelings.
A perfect example of this is found in the story to which Ezekiel was referring in our opening statement about harboring ancient hostility.
The story begins in Genesis 25, where we see Rebekah about to give birth to twin boys who we now know as Esau and Jacob.
Even from the womb these boys were jostling, wrestling and competing. Gen. 25:22 As they grew, they developed very different likes and lifestyles. Esau was an outdoors, hunter kinda guy, while Jacob was a stay at home, cooking in the kitchen type. Esau and his Dad were close, Jacob and his Mom were close. Gen. 25:27
The first glimpse we have of growing tension between Esau and Jacob is when Esau comes in from a long and exhausting hunt and is famished. Cooking in the kitchen is, guess who? Yep, Jacob. Esau asks Jacob for some of his yummy, red, stew, so Jacob finagles a deal – food for your first-born birthright. Esau easily caves and swears an oath to Jacob, stew for my birthright. Genesis 25:34 says that Esau hated his birthright.
Esau had given up his firstborn position in the family. Some would say Jacob tricked Esau out of it. What do you think?
Either way or both ways, Jacob was now considered the firstborn son with all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto. And so it begins, the grudge holding, bitterness and resentment.
Some years later, when Isaac, Esau’s dad was old and blind, he asked Esau to hunt him some game and prepare him a meal, because it was time for Isaac to pronounce his Fatherly blessing on his sons. Overhearing this request, Rebekah called for Jacob and told him to fix up Dad’s favorite venison meal. While Esau was out hunting, Jacob was cooking in the kitchen.
Making a long story short, Jacob and Rebekah hatched a plan that worked and one in which the Father’s firstborn blessing would be pronounced upon, you guessed it – Jacob!
When Esau returned to Dad and heard that Dad’s blessing had been given to Jacob, he vowed to kill Jacob. This was not a happy family. His grudge was now exploding and all of his pent up anger, bitterness, resentment came cascading from his lips and life. Jacob was gonna be toast if Esau had his way. This was no small grudge anymore, this was a pot boiling over with anger, hatred and bitterness.
Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
Genesis 27:41
Mother Rebekah realizes the depth of Esau’s anger and seriousness of his threat and arranges for Jacob to steal away and live with her brother in a distant city “…for a while, until your brother’s fury subsides… when your brother is no longer angry…and when he forgets…” Gen. 27:42-45
So Jacob is on the run to uncle Laban’s while Esau is seething with anger and resentment towards his younger brother.
Insert your family story, change the names & context, but make it yours. At some point each of us has had to deal with some sort of family tension, event or encounter that has presented us with holding onto a grudge.
It’s past time to let it all go. It’s past time to be healed and to heal the broken relationships as much as possible. Pull up the anchor at this harbor and sail on a new course free from those hindering grudges. Freedom and healing will not come unless and until we do.
Jacob and Esau met again, they didn’t kill each other and they weren’t best bros either. But they got over it and more importantly, God used it in both of their lives to bring about good. That is what you can trust Him to do for you too.
Cue up Elsa, “Let it Go”.
The doctor is ready to heal you from what you are horboring.
Debbie
How would you rate your contentment?
In this brief study we take a look at how vital learning to be content is.
Cheers to you,
Debbie
This is what Jesus actually taught us to pray, (on earth as it is in heaven) Matthew 6:10 What are we actually praying for? I mean really.
Jesus’ instructions on how to pray begins with seeing Our Glorious Father in heaven and His fully functioning kingdom there being extended to and demonstrated here on earth. He taught us to pray to live here below as it is above.
When Jesus began His ministry on earth, this was His message –
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, Repent fro the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 4:17
And throughout his entire time on earth, He preached about the kingdon of heaven, aka, the kingdom of God. He taught his disciples, the crowds and the skeptics about what it was like to live by kingdom values and principles. He modeled it with His life of example. He admonished them to live here below as it is above, in heaven.
The kingdom of God is where His authority is acknowledged, it is the realm of His influence. It is in our midst, Luke 17:21, and entered into by spiritual birth, Matthew 18:3; John 3:5. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Romans 14:17 The kingdom of God is not about words but about power. 1 Corinthians 4:20
When one experiences the salvation that Jesus provides, we are translated into the kingdom of His dear son, Colossians 1:13 and have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Hebrews 12:28
So what does this kingdom deposit that has been placed inside of us look like? How is the kingdom of God seen by others? What was it that Paul spent three months preaching about in Ephesus? Acts 19:8 And another entire day in Rome preaching to his house guests about? Acts 28:23
The kingdom of God. Geesh. There must be alot to say about that kingdom then – the one above to be lived out here below. We will go there in a minute, but first let’s look at the old English word derivation.
The old English background for kingdom means the king’s domain, where his kingdom activity occured. The king wrote laws and circulated them for all to obey, they were called his “doms”. The King’s doms were the rules for his kingdom.
Well then, what are the kingdom of God’s rules? The “doms” of God’s kingdom?
Matthew 5, part of The Sermon on the Mount has been called the Constitution for citizens of God’s kingdom. For in this exhaustive teaching of Jesus we find those attitudes from above (from God) that should be demonstrated here below, by followers of Jesus. They show what Christ followers should be like. The Sermon on the Mount is the standard for all Christians. It is the standard for the kingdom of God and reveals the values, and principles of the kingdom of God. This sermon describes what the kingdom of God is really like. These beattitudes reflect who God is through His people. Thus, truly, as above, so below.
These standards of the kingdom of God are not multiple choice, pick what you like, they must be taken as a whole. They are our code of ethics and clearly contrast kingdom values with worldly values. They contrast superficial faith with real faith. And they show that those who live by the King’s “doms”, will be blessed – fully satisfied, well off, and fortunate.
Let’s look at a four of the “doms” of our King.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
Matthew 5:3 ESV
The first of eight “beattitudes” listed in Matthew 5 is the blessing that comes to those who recognize their need for God. It has nothing to do with financial poverty or being poor, but everything to do with admitting you need God’s help and cannot do without Him. We begin our life in God’s kingdom by admitting we absolutely need Him, everyday. We begin by submitting to The King and His ways and yielding to His kindgom values and principles. To those – the blessing that comes is access to the kingdom. WOW!
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Matthew 5:4 ESV
Contrary to popular usage, this passage about mourning has to do with being sorry for your sins and the sins of others. You see, the one who is truly sorry for violating their conscience and God’s “doms” will receive comfort and the help of the “parakleto” – the Holy Spirit – who will strengthen and encourage.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Matthew 5:5 ESV
These meek ones of the kingdom are ones who rely on God’s strength, not their own, and accept God’s dealings as good, without disputing or resisting. Their meekness doesn’t make them push overs or whimps, but ones who trust the King who is soverign over all and on whose strength they can depend.Their abundant blessing comes in the end of all, when they will inherit a new earth.
One last one for today…
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Matthew 5:6 ESV
The kingdom of God is populated with those who crave righteousness and eagerly thirst for more and more of it. Not satisfied with low, worldly morals and standards, these kingdom royals will be satisifed only with more of God’s righteousness, not man’s filthiness and perversions. No compromise is reached because the standard of the kingdom stands supreme.
These first four “attitudes” – admitting we need God, being grieved for sin, accepting God’s will and strength, and craving righteousness are the fabric of God’s kingdom. These demonstrate God’s kingdom here on earth.
As you can see, these first four kingdom values in the beattitudes, fly in the face of worldly values and clearly demonstrate an eternal perspective and code of ethics from above, that we believers are chraged with living and pulling down for here on earth.
Perhaps you share my disgust with what is being strutted before us as wholesome, what is being herladed as virtuous, what is being declared as truth, and what is being propped up as leadership, or perhaps not, but what still stands is the stark contrast between what we are seeing in this earthly realm, compared to God’s heavenly kingdom – the kingdom of God.
I choose to proclaim and live as John the Baptist, Jesus, and Paul, “The Kingdom of God is at hand”. As royals, blood bought believers in Jesus and heirs of the King, we are rising up in demonstration and power because the kingdom of light within us, is breaking forth from within us. The King’s “doms” are being lived out by us, they are our standard, our ethics, and our kingdom contsitution.
It’s important to remember these kingdom characteristics, these beattitudes and keep yourself aligned with them. It is so easy to lose track of kingdom principles when there’s nothing but garbage and lies being promoted, right? Remember too, God promises to supremely bless those who align with the standards of His Kingdom.
So when we pray for “it” to be done on earth as it is in heaven, all this is what we are praying for and rising up to live out.
May it be here below, as it is above in heaven. Now is the time.
Cheers to YOU,
Debbie
P.S. – Next week we will continue with the remaining beattitudes and our kingdom theme. Hope to see you back, then.
LOL, ROFL, tears running down the face, laughing emoji…. is that what a hilarious giver is?
You might be surprised… take a few minutes and find out…
Let’s do it, your neighborhood needs what you can give to it.
Debbie
Under Debra’s Palm 