So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Matthew 7:12

As someone points out, if you were fully doing love, loving God with everything and loving your neighbor as Jesus loves us, we would be fulfilling the Law and the Prophets.  Said another way, if we could do that, we would be fulfill the Old Covenant, the Mosaic law.

This really is a startling proposition, and yet, like the Jews surrounding the woman caught in the act of adultery, we all turn away as we realize we have all fallen short in love.  It remains, however, that love was the sum total of the law and prophets.

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For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Jesus is the same yesterday.  He is the first and the last.

The Gospel brought God into the earth, the Divine clothed with flesh.  The Holy One, the creator of Heaven and Earth, stepped into His creation, and became a servant.  His own people, His own nation missed Him, and didn’t recognize Him.  They couldn’t see the man standing in front of them.

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Matthew 5:3-12 are what are commonly referred to as the Beatitudes.  They are simple phrases, which are the statement of the secrets of the Kingdom of God, hidden for the ages.  For some reason, even to myself, they seemed so hard to understand.  Perhaps it is that they are not taught that often, or looked at as not as relevant, but as I have come to know them, they perfectly describe the man in faith.

There are eight of them, all identical in form, each having four parts.  The word “blessed” is really a compound word meaning “happy” with the equivalent of the prefix “macro-“, so “macro-happy”, or “hugely happy”, or “super happy”, or, simply “Most Happy”.  “Most Happy are” is the first part.  Second we have a group of people.  The verb “are” is always present tense.  The people are happy in these conditions.  Third is the word “for”, meaning “because”.  The people in the condition (#2) are Most Happy  (#1) right then because (#3)…  Because of what?  That’s the place of faith.  Finally, the truth of the Kingdom of Heaven.  #4. Read more…

For momentary, light affliction…

2 Corinthians 4:17 (portion)

What awaits us in a moment from now is more important than what we see right now.  What we prize of this Earth will in a passing breath be far away, far, far out of reach.  Just down the road, in an instant, we will face a judgement, a reckoning of every of deed ever done.

In just a few glimpses, perhaps, as God reckons time, your life will be gone.  And only a few things of your previous existence will then matter.  Faith, Hope, and Love will remain, but that which does not last the fire will be forever consumed.

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Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:9-10 (portion)

His Kingdom is an Eternal Kingdom.  As He is never changing, neither is His Kingdom.  Jesus’ prayer for His disciples was that it would be on the Earth here even as it is there, in the Heavens.

When we pray for His Kingdom, we are not praying for a kingdom some day to show upon the Earth and rule physically in the world, although that may be a portion of its manifestation some day.  But, as the Holy Ghost is invisible, and He is like the wind which is here but you don’t know where it comes from or where it goes, so is the Kingdom by His power.

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And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.

Matthew 21:22

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1 KJV).  It is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (NAS).  Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (NIV).

Faith is God’s standard to reject the status quo, to step Beyond what society tells you is right and wrong and to listen to God’s standard.  Faith in God and in Christ is what causes division.

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You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

Matthew 23:26

But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:5).  Once we have purified our souls by obeying the truth unto the point where we can love for real, we should love each other fervently, as we ought to (1 Peter 1:22).

This is the point of the Gospel.  This is the work of the cross and the path of life.  If your gospel is not aimed at producing this life here and now, a life that is demonstrated by a visible, recognizable love (John 13:35), that does not tolerate sin so much to eat with an immoral brother (1 Corinthians 5:11), what are you living?

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You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;

Matthew 5:14

Salvation is a supernatural event.  God’s Spirit comes in and regenerates the dead human spirit, making a person alive again.  When a human believes, a change takes place, that changes a human being, dead in their trespasses and sins as they were, to being a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

A man does not need to be told or convinced that he has been born again, or saved, by any other person.  Affirmation and good Bible study is always advisable, and continued pointing to the truth of the Word of God is always recommended, but, when a man is changed, he knows it on the inside.

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Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7

This is part of the good news Jesus came to bring.  If we ask for it, He will bring it.  If we look for it, we will find it.  If we keep knocking at the door, eventually, it will open for us.  This is Kingdom 101 quite often, and, whether it is accepted as such or dismissed from there, it can often get little investigation later.  However, as with many of Jesus’ sayings, they apply to multiple levels.

For instance, take the phrase “Seek and you will find.”  This, of course, applies to the Kingdom of Heaven, to God the Father, and to Jesus.  This of course applies to answers and deliverances and other such burdens we offer towards heaven.  But, let’s look at this another way for a moment.

Jesus ministered on the Earth in the power of the Spirit.  The gifts were evident yet not on display.  The Spirit was present, and the gifts were promised, but the primary focus of the teaching was directed towards the Father’s will.

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Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Matthew 7:13-14

Jesus words in the Sermon on the Mount are the Eternal instructions for living in His Kingdom.  It is by these words, that we ensure our stability through the storms, and it is by these words that we can know God’s will for us.

Upon first approaching this teaching, there may be many different conclusions drawn.  In general, these are the approach, not it’s application.  Take the passages on anger.  Suppose you find yourself angry.  One approach to hearing the words of Jesus, seeing that He says you’re liable to the judgement if you’re angry, is to attempt to not be angry.  On the surface, this is actually the correct first step.  It is called repentance, but it is only superficial.

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