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Posts Tagged ‘Poverty’

Here or There

November 19th, 2012 Comments off

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Corinthians 7:1

You see, it is, at least in part, up to us, how we will walk this Christian walk.  Verse after verse, command after command, the writers of the New Testament, in the shadow of the cross, call, exhort, and train us to live godly, after our example and High Priest of the faith, Jesus Christ.

Not one moment may we forget that it is the pure in heart that shall see God.  Nor, let us falter into the way of unbelief and die in the wilderness.  But, in the same way, let us not make this journey of our own effort, or of the devices of the flesh, but by the power of the Spirit, we do put to death the misdeeds of the flesh, and so live unto God!

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The Spiritual Man #3 – Beatitude

March 6th, 2012 Comments off

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

1 John 1:1-4 KJV

Jesus came to Earth and spoke concerning the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven.

He uttered secret things, things hidden from the foundation of the World.

He spoke in metaphors, parables, so that the masses might not hear, yet hearing not receive.

He, the Teacher, taught to not be understood?  He was the perfect one, who knew that all righteousness and perfection must be fulfilled, perfectly.

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Theology’s Leaven

January 3rd, 2012 Comments off

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Matthew 5:17-18

For too long, our theology has been laid out by theologians, and not by children.  Ask any eight-year old what it means that the Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven hidden in dough means, and they’ll tell you that it means, more or less, that the Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven!  It takes a real grown-up to tell you, after reading the words of Jesus, that the Kingdom of Heaven is anything other than what He just said it was.

What does the Kingdom resemble?  A little bit of yeast!  (Matthew 13:33).  What must we do to have life within ourselves?  Eat and drink His blood (John 6:53).  Simple, eh?

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In the Light of The Finished Work

September 5th, 2011 Comments off

“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

Jeremiah 31:33

We are under the New Covenant.  We are not under the old, and we are not looking for another.  Jesus died for us, not only for our actual sins committed, but to remove our sinful nature.  As the prophet writes, to remove the heart of stone, and replace it with a heart of flesh.

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How to Teach Faith

September 4th, 2011 Comments off

What is one of the simplest ways to teach faith?  The Beatitudes.

Right here, the Teacher demonstrates one of the simplest ways.  As small as it is, it can grow to be the largest of all “garden plants”.

Take any dire situation you have as a Christian.  Take any lack, or any shortage, any place where your feel worn thin, and pressed hard.  Everyone encounters these, and even Jesus said that we would experience storms, even when we were built upon the rock.

Most Happy are those who are poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 5:3

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Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy

August 24th, 2011 Comments off

The more I read and understand the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:3-12, the happier I get. Hugely Happy. Ultra Happy. Maximumly Happy. Macro happy even, which is what the word translated “blessed” actually means, if you look it up. It doesn’t mean “blessed”. That would be eulegio. This is Macagredso… horribly transliterated, but… macro + agredso… macro meaning big, agredso meaning… well… HAPPY!
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Poor In Spirit

August 18th, 2011 Comments off

The first few clauses of Matthew 5 are so amazingly profound, and directly simple. They are plain words that anyone with simple understanding can receive. But, they seem trivial until you realize they are the life of faith, they set the attitude for the whole Christian walk, and they make us very, VERY happy.
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