I don’t know about you but I am blown away by the amount of valuable insight I received from this little book and it’s only the first week!
God was with me the whole time whispering in my heart as I was studying. It was an awesome experience. There were times I had to stop so I could reflect on what he had just said to me.
God has been using Matthew to speak to me for about a year now. It was right after I admitted to Best Friend that I didn’t really get anything out of the gospels. That the letters were my favorite books of the Bible. I think God laughed at that moment and told me to read Matthew and has been speaking to me through Matthew ever since.
The Sermon on the Mount shows what’s involved in repentance. The central idea seems to be “You’re not ready for the kingdom of heaven–your righteousness is insufficient.” (pg10)
Wow! I’ve never thought of it that way. Of course, I’ve never really thought about it much before. (Yes, I know…it’s important…it’s Jesus speaking so I should pay attention…) For some reason I don’t really think about repentance. I’ve been saved and have moved on from there. I discovered this week that I have become comfortable in my walk with Christ. I have forgotten what I’ve been saved from and am still being saved from. Salvation is daily not a one-time prayer. Unfortunately, I forget this and God has to remind me again and again.
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
This is not a financial poor but a spiritual poor…”your state of spiritual impoverishment in the face of His holiness.” (pg11) Let’s think about that for a moment. He is referring to the broken, the stripped, and the raw. We are all broken and raw. We are not pretty on the inside and neither is life.
Truemomconfessions show what women are going through and thinking. Don’t think for a moment that these women are “unsaved” because I have posted on there and my confession wasn’t pretty. We are all lost and broken in some way and without a constant personal relationship with Christ we will never see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are the poor is spirit.
Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
According to Sandra Glahn this verse is often quoted to those “who have lost a loved one, but in the context it’s about a specific kind of grieving–mourning over one’s own sin.” (pg12) This totally jumped out at me! I love the take on this! She goes on the mention Ecclesiastes 7:2-4. Verse 4 states “the heart of the wise is in the house of the mourning, but the heart of the fools is in the house of merrymaking.” (emphasis mine) The heart of the wise is being aware of your sin if the context is correct.
Often we forget we are sinners and lose the awe we had when we were first saved. We have become comfortable. I have become comfortable and need to remember daily my salvation and what I’ve been saved from.
There was so much more that I got out of the Bible Study. This is just a fraction of what God spoke to me. I encourage you to share your thoughts whether you are participating in this study or not. It’s not too late to join if you’d like. I’m always open to discussion. You can leave a comment or email me.
Until next time.
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My bible study just started with Mocha on the Mount. We have been together for many, many, did I mention many years. One of our memebers found the Beatitudes written like this from the book “the Message”……..Hope you enjoy this simple way of speaking.
THE BEATITUDES
These are four ways to understand the Beatitudes:
1. They are a code of ethics for the disciples and a standard of
conduct for all believers.
2. They contrast kingdom values (what is eternal) with worldly
values.
3. They contrast the superficial “faith” of the Pharisees with the
real faith Christ wants.
4. They show how the Old Testament expectations will be
fulfilled in the new Kingdom.
Mat. 5:3 to 5:12
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you
there is more of God and his rule.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is more dear to you.
Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are – no more,
no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of
everything that can’t be bought.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for
They will be filled.
You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God.
He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full’,
you find yourselves cared for.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
You’re blessed when you get your inside world – your mind and heart –
put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of
Compete and fight. That’s When you discover who you really are, and
your place in God’s family.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution.
The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Count yourself blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
You can be glad when that happens – give a cheer, even! – for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.