Blessed Are They That Mourn

The prophet Jeremiah said, morning by morning new mercies I see. The word of God is beyond our worldly understanding. There is always more that God can teach us when we are meek and teachable to receive new insights and revelation from his word and from his spirt.

The entrance to the narrow gate which leads to the narrow way requires a humble heart of meekness and humility. The narrow way and the narrow gate is Jesus Christ himself. The first of the beatitudes says blessed are the poor in spirit, those who have relinquished their own spirit for the spirit of life in Christ.

The second beatitude says, blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. Mourning is to deeply grieve for the loss of someone or something we hold dear. There are threee ways we can understand mourning. One is sorrow and affliction for the tough things of this life such as the death of a loved one. Another is mourning for having sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The third type of mourning is when we’re afflicted by others and the cares and pressures of this world they heap upon us. We mourn when men and society persecutes us, slanders, libels and impugns our character…. When our good is evil spoken of.

God’s Holy Spirit is given to us to afflict the comfortable and to comfort the afflicted. When Jesus said, blessed are they that mourn, the context was primarily for those who mourn and are crushed over their own sins and their own sinful nature, for they shall be comforted. The comfort is in Romans 8 which says, there is therefore no condemnation for those which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit for the law of the spirit of life in Christ has made me free from the law of sin and death.

The devil is the deceiver and the accuser. He accuses those whom God has made righteous in Christ. He reminds believers what Paul said, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. EW Tozier said, the more a Christian man grows in his faith, the more broken he is, grieving over his sin that remains.

Our righteousness is not in the flesh or the deeds of the flesh but in the righteousness of the spirit of Christ. For he.who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.

Mourning is the prerequisite for repentance. Before we can turn our hearts to God for deliverance from sin, our hearts must be broken because we were depraved… we were dead in trespasses and sins without God and without hope in a world of darkness. Then when we turned our hearts to him, he reached down to save us with the grip of his Son’s nail-pierced hands.

The disposition of sin is pride. Sin says I am the captain of my own ship… i am the master of my own destiny. Sin says, I’m independent, a self made man… i need no one but me, I’m confident in myself… I’m my own Sovereign lord and in my own power I can overcome anything.

Sin is ruthless, vengeful, bitter, angry, and seeks retribution from a heart of self-righteous indignation. It is boastful, proud, arrogant, ungrateful, without self control. It is conceited and seeks the gratification of the flesh. It is jealous of my outward reputation. Sin is influenced by the wisdom of the world… it is earthy, sensual and devilish.

Sin nature is independent of God. Sin loves the darkness and hides in the shadows… for he that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought of God.

Apart from the grace of God, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. Without God, I am set to self destruct. For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Holy Spirit is the one who comforts the afflicted. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. When we come to realize I’m a sinner in need of deliverance, this is the point of repentance. Jesus said, come unto me all ye who are weary and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. When we are crushed and downtrodden by sin and the cares and tribulation of this world, when we reach to God for deliverance this is the point of inflection… a change of direction. Blessed are they that mourn when they realize, I have found the enemy and he is me.

God sent his son Jesus Christ not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Repentance is when in our mourning we come to ourself like the prodigal son. After he had squandered away his father’s inheritance, he sank so low that he lived in a pig pen with the pigs. He was so hungry that he craved pig slop… he “feign did fill his belly with the husks which the swine did eat.” There was a rude awakening when he hit rock bottom. The point of repentance, of turning around is when “he came to himself.” He said, I shall arise and go unto my Father. Repentance is to turn from the darkness of a deprived and depraved world and unto the light of the Father’s only begotten son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

When we come unto our merciful Father in confession of our sins, he will cast our sins as far as the east is from the west and remember them no more. This is amazing grace, this is unchanging love. When we confess that Jesus is Lord, he who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him!

In surrender to our Lord Jesus Christ, I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life that I now live I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

Then we can rejoice with the Psalmist according to Psalm 145:
I WILL extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. 2 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable…. 8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. 9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. 10 All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee”… 15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.

This is the joy of the Lord. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Weeping may endure for the night but joy cometh in the morning… Morning by morning new mercies I see…

… that we may ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Pete McKenzie 0:02
It’s great to be able to gather, it’s great to be able to come in worship and pray and fellowship. It’s great to have the opportunity to share a few thoughts with you guys, as we go through the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount, just some reminders in that regard. When Jesus gave the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount, that was his blue chip sermon. That really was what he was communicating what his kingdom was all about. This is the kind of lifestyle that he was introducing people to and it blew their minds, they just couldn’t believe it. It’s still blowing people’s minds today, when you really take a look at the Beatitudes. Listen to the poor in spirit, bless it to those who mourn, blessing. Today, we’ll talk about Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. And then you get over into the Sermon on the Mount. And you hear the things like if you look at a woman and lust after her, you’ve committed adultery. You know, who could stand up to that, if someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other. They force you to go one mile volunteer to go to. And so you started raising the bar on what lifestyle is like to be holy and righteous and to be in the kingdom of God? You know, I started studying, knowing what the blessing of the meek is all about. And I just thought, boy, I’m not sure I measure up. I’m not sure that that’s the lifestyle that I knew I was getting myself into. And I came to know Christ. What did I get myself into? Because I found that I couldn’t do it. That’s when you find how can you do it. And Jesus had covered that in john 15. If you abide in me, in my word, about 10 years, you can do it. You’re very much, far apart from me, you can do nothing. So it’s really important when we look at the Sermon on the Mount, that he’s not teaching that sermon on the mount to my natural nature. He’s talking to Christ in me. That’s the hope of glory, the hope of glorifying him by living this kind of lifestyle, that he didn’t think Pete McKenzie can live this life. Because he can’t, I tried. But I feel wowee Sure. He’s speaking to the Spirit of God in the Spirit of God in me, I can live this kind of lifestyle, it can be done. But in my own power, and gifts and abilities and even desires never happened. It’s not a natural quality. No matter what your natural disposition is, all Christians are meant to live this way. Philippians two, and we talk about that a lot, because it explains so much and helps us understand so much about living this life and what Jesus came and model for us have this attitude in you, who was also in Christ Jesus. But you know, when he called us to himself, he wanted to transform us to be just like him. He wanted to alter our personality, our desires, our purpose in life, who we are our identity, changed everything. Nothing stayed the same. With any man’s in Christ. He’s not the old guy made new. He’s a new creature. He’s, he’s the guy that never existed before. I think Susan married me because I became a guy that never existed before. She wasn’t she didn’t like that old guy. Too much partying. Too much embarrassing her authorities. And I don’t blame her. And she came up to North Carolina. And when I was playing ball up there, and she had met, she came up to break up with. And so she comes out and starts telling me about our Monday. And I was disappointed, but I wasn’t angry. I wasn’t mad. I wasn’t. I wasn’t the old guy that she had been dating for four years. I was a totally new guy. I was disappointed. I was sad. That she began to tell me he’s coming up to spend the week with her this year. And we have two quarters left at that time. And then she was going down there to the Olympics in Mexico City The next summer and seeing him and that was disappointing stuff. But then is a two days that we were able to spend together went on and I was just a different guy and responding so differently than she expected. She changed from breaking up with me to saying I don’t want to go home. I just want to stay up here with you and sit down. With you can’t do that. She said why don’t we just get married? I gotta pray about that. Okay.

We got married five weeks later. Why? Because I became a new creature in Christ. I wasn’t the same old guy that she had dated. I’m sure she was praying every day I wouldn’t change back. Though that happens.

What I want to do today is last week we talked about blessing to those who mourn those who are crushed because of this their sin, what it does to them what it did to God. And it caused God His son and his son his life. We get new life out of it. And we profile sin, we went down a list of what sin is, I want to do the same thing for what, what a meek man looks like? What’s his character traits as he respond? What is meekness? And I looked up about 20 something different translations to see what word was used for me. And then at novom, they use the word me and six out of them, they use the word General, and six others they use the word so you could interchange that. So what is the humbler I said at the humble for they shall inherit your lesson with a gentle and then that what Jesus, the only self description we have of Jesus, he says, I am gentle and humble apart, you’ll find rescue yourself. So that’s the kind of man He wants us to be that we have a lot of mistakes about what we think that means because meek is not a word you use. guy wants to be characterized that humble, okay, it’s not too bad. Gentle, I’m not sure. We don’t want to be calling me. So what is make me meek means that doesn’t mean I’ll tell you what it doesn’t mean it doesn’t mean you’re ineffective, or just nice or easy to get along with weakness and personality or character compromising or peace at any cost. timid, afraid. Doesn’t mean that Lisa doesn’t mean it can mean that I guess with guys, but that’s not what this make is done. Here’s what it meekness is compatible with great strength and authority, its power under control, Jesus had all power, all authority has been given to him. He said, I have all power, I can call 10,000 angels, I can raise the dead I can heal the sick, I can make the blind see. Leopard spots, I got all power. Its power was under control. He didn’t misuse it, and used it where it was necessary. And use it where mainly he’ll lift up and encourage you build up. And that’s power under control. And that’s what meekness is. And we’ve talked before and it’s need to remember this. This baddies Beatitudes are a progression, if you would admit the path to Jesus Christ, this is if you want to know me, these are the stepping stones to get to who I am and be transformed and conformed in the mind. And that has to start with poor and spirit. And that’s the gateway it’s a small gate. It’s a narrow way that it starts with blessing to the poor in spirit lesson to those that know they have nothing to offer God. Nothing that he needs. Nothing they have, he didn’t give them. You don’t have a salvation because you can pat yourself on the back and say I received Christ on our small. You can’t do that. You received Christ, that grace through faith in me gave me the grace and he gave me the faith. You didn’t deserve it. He couldn’t learn it. But he gave it to me. That’s called grace. So you start with that blesses the poor in spirit, then you then it naturally comes blessing to those who mourn over that sin. I realized I’m a sinner. I know I have nothing to offer. And it breaks my heart breaks my heart that I’m a sinner. There’s nothing I can do to help myself, cleanse myself with ever myself, redeem myself. And my last call apart from Christ, I can’t fix it. I can’t help it. I’m never going to heaven, except through him and by him and what he’s done.

Unknown Speaker 9:20
Because he’s forgiven

Pete McKenzie 9:20
sin, cloaking and white righteousness in his eyes. So when he sees me then see my sin. He sees the righteousness of Christ in the same as he does in you if you know Jesus Christ. So it’s a natural progression to go from poor and Spirit to those who mourn. The next step is blessed are the meek, humble. And here’s the profile of a meek man has rundown that he has an inward calmness and tranquility of

mind.

See, there’s a work that God does and we come to know him. It might be called The peace that surpasses all comprehension and tranquillity of quietness, being content and satisfied being knowing two things. No matter what God puts into my life, no matter what God takes out, my God is sovereign. He’s in control. He knows what’s happening. He didn’t take a vacation, and then I got sick. For I lost. I lost the job. I lost a friend, someone cheated me out of my hair, and all the things that happened to me in life. He’s not surprised it’s not biting his fingers up, they’re hoping that they’ll get well, but they’ll do. They won’t die. He knows exactly what’s happening. And he puts in and takes out according to His will, and according to what my needs, and what your need is. He has this inward calmness and tranquillity that’s rooted in the sovereignty of God and the goodness of God. Another thing it shows in him outward, and outward, affable, courteous, kind, and friendly behavior to other men. Read that list again. It’s your outward behavior. Half of a man it’s easy to get along. courteous means that you respect him and treat him friendly. That means they may not be your friend that you’re going to be their friend. This guy is slow to anger. And then maybe he doesn’t get he doesn’t have a quick temper. You know, one of the things I loved about my mom is she had a temper right now and I brought it out in like an expert. If you know what she would get over it. She didn’t carry reason. She didn’t remind me of it all the time. So that’s a blessing. He lets go of his anger as fast as he can. You know why he does that because it hurts him as much or more than it does a person is angry. That anger does something chemically to your body, to your heart, to your nervous system. It breaks it down. resentment, anger, bitterness, those kinds of things. They’re killers, their heart stop their disease. They bring anxiety and worry. So we let go of that as quick as he can. He will not settle into a fixed hatred and lasting resentment that he’s ready to receive anyone who wants to make Has anyone ever wounded you? And they came back and wonder forgive and you didn’t want to forgive them? They hurt you too bad. They’ve crossed the line that they think well this guy’s not like that. This guy’s open and it wouldn’t it be awful in therapy crossed the line that Jesus would you the only forgivable sin in the line you cross in that regard, this offer of salvation in Christ. And we reject that. That’s the unforgivable sin. Otherwise, I don’t care what you’ve done and what you’ve said and what you back or what law you broke. Do you have news you can leave if you were broken up. If you have knowledge of seeing poor in spirit, you can have that you can be forgiven. God has forgiveness means ready to receive anyone who wants to make peace. We’ll talk about that when we get the blessing of peace. meekness is always joined with humility, resignation, contentment, moderation, peaceable patient. These are all fruits of God’s Spirit. And that’s what he does in you and your body. Not because you go and say I got to work on a piece of paper that I got to work on being unkind. Can’t be said I gotta work on stopping doing this has to do with sending in that direction. He never beat sin by focusing on sand. beach sand, focusing on Jesus Christ, Christ in new Christ is in you the fruit that the bears takes care of the saying you lose the appetite. It’s not fun anymore. It’s not enjoyable and it gives you guilt and shame, you know like that. So agreeing to the point of asking forgiveness, mourning. He is so good and so obedient to the government that he will live quietly and peaceably under

if he can. And I think that’s the challenge for us today. We see the government Seeing the major political side so many things. Not everything that they’re politicizing is a bad thing. But because a politicized city becomes you know, living under the government, nothing in a peacemaker, being contented, being satisfied and living a quiet life, you obey the government every chance you get everything you can. You know, civil disobedience is something you have to choose very carefully. You have to choose your battles carefully. That doesn’t mean that there’s not a time to do that. But there are times when I think, because we’re Americans who have to be Christian to civil obedience or disobedience that do. Go to it, maybe Jesus wouldn’t go to, you know, I never can remember a scripture and all of the scripture where Jesus ever joined yourselves to run alone. He never did. back, he paid no attention at all to the Romans until they asked him what they should do until that Roman centurion came up to him and said, I have a servant who said, Jesus and immediately said, you don’t have to officer to go to come. All you have to do is say the word up here. And Jesus was amazed. And that’s the only guy in the whole Bible and the whole New Testament, the whole Gospel, Jesus was ever amazing. We will pretty much done amazing. When he was amazed at his center, why was he amazed? He said, I’ve never seen such great faith in any Israelite, who supposedly knows God is this Roman centurion. He didn’t join the zealots to run them out. The Pharisees taught that the Messiah is going to come and he’s going to run these Romans out of here and move it out chosen people places in the desert. Because no attention. That’s not why. If they tried to recruit him to be a zealot, they’d say, aren’t you, you call yourself the Messiah. That was fun. The Romans out he said, I got bigger fish to fry. I got something more important than running the Romans. Do you think this is a big deal? To every Jewish person who was forced to go one carrying the Roman Jesus and within volunteer to go to that didn’t sit? Well. They were civil disobedience. They weren’t gonna do anything for the Romans. They didn’t have Romans tax them. They didn’t they hated the fact that the Jews tax them too. So they were getting them from both sides. That fact one time in Matthew 17. Guys, it took up the temple taxes to drag. This said the theater, and then you Peter was on the team. And they said, Did your master paper company? Anyone go back to the team and said, We need a template. Jesus said, Who pays taxes? strangers are members of the club. He said strangely, he says, Yeah, that’s true. We shouldn’t have to pay that because we don’t want to offend. You go down to the lake, and you pull out a fish and there’ll be money in its mouth, and you go pay for both of that. So he didn’t want to offend and so evade the government. He didn’t deserve to have to pay the tax. He didn’t know the tax, that he paid it anyway, to make peace. It wasn’t a hill he wanted to die on. It wasn’t the hill worth dying on the hill worth dying on the cross and salvation, forgiving sin. That’s why you came in. And that’s a bigger deal than any governmental government issue that you could possibly come up with. A man being forgiven is hell in heaven are true. And we believe that hell is a bad place to go and everybody that doesn’t know Jesus is going to hell, and they’re going to spend eternity burning alive. And that’s a big deal in running the Romans out. That’s a bigger deal than disobeying the government. If we can have a live those quiet, peaceable lives, then there may come a time when they say you take the mark of the beast, or similar thing. We can’t do that. We’re not going to obey that. We’re going to stand on the gospel of Christ and the truth of the Scriptures will say, I can’t take that. And there’ll be consequences to pay for that. But you got to choose carefully what you’re going to pay for and what you’re willing to suffer for. This man is likely to have greater peace in his home and families and other angry ill condition. Now you may blame the lack of peace in your home on your wife. And there may be some truth to that. But God’s not looking at your wife when he looks at you as

he’s looking at how you and I respond to our wives. We love Have them anyway, Susan would never stand she’s not standing before God now answering for the because she’s answering for the wife that she was. I’ll never stand before God and answered the citizen, I wish I could get her record. But I’ll be standing on my own record. And I remembered the guy that said his mentor one day got in the door. And

a week later, he was standing by his mentors, wife with the grace. And she leaned over to him. She said, you know, he courted me every day of my life.

Instead, it was like a night. He said, I knew if this is my, my wife couldn’t say, when I heard him say that I’d like a knife to my heart. But Susan said, he never got a chance, one way or the other. But could she say that is that the kind of peace in my home family without do everything I could to make for peace. He has many friends. And few and his friends are generally of the best. And his enemies are the worst, sort of. We don’t hang around with the wrong crowd. He draws guys, attention of men, to be friends who are worthy. And for instance, you know, you got yourself in most trouble when you were growing up by being with the wrong guy. And a lot of your friends got in trouble code review. And I get an amen from the congregation.

Such a man who has been good and kind to all should happen to suffer crosses and losses in the world, he will be sure to find more pity and caring and relief in his adversity than other men do. And all that is saying is if you’re helping people and generous to people and blessing people and serving people, it’s going to come back to you someday. You’re suffering crosses and losses. There’ll be people wanting to help, because you’re a helper, and they’ll help you in your time of need. And that’s the way it works. So this neat man who’s serving and humble, to find others treating him the same way. He doesn’t need to always talk about himself. He likes to be unknown. He’s not always caught up in his own self interest. He’s not always on the defensive, doesn’t have to explain himself indicating exonerating he’s willing to own his stuff and fix the stuff whenever he needs to. The greatest curse in life, the cause of the fall is this insidious preoccupation with himself. He avoids it at all costs. The man of God is finished with that. He’s no longer a slave to how people treat him or what they think that he no longer has to protect himself, pity himself with indicators that explain and feel sorry for himself. Watch out for his own self interest. He’s done with self. That’s what it means to die and be crucified with Christ. You’re done with yourself, your needs, your rights, your right to yourself. And that’s what Jesus called us to do. He called us to repent, repent of all this stuff. So serve me another god others said to me, me nicknames not the thing little of yourself but the you don’t think of yourself at all, and how in the world you ever get there? Well, you start with poor in spirit. And then you’re mourning and broken over. And then you get to the point where you’re this kind of guy who’s given up his rights and knows he deserves nothing. He has come to know that no one can harm him that he then allowed. All burns Runyan said he that is down here no call. He’s amazing man. And God could think well of him at all. He must of necessity, the mild, meaning gentle in nature of behave, not sharp, not spicy. Good are not putting others down the building. Jesus said, Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. We said a minute ago. If you’re going to be conformed to the image of Christ, you’re going to find yourself being gentle, humble. And that’s the kind of direction you’re headed. And if you’re not interested in that direction, you better go back to square one. You’re not interested in being this kind of man having this kind of character, you go back to square one. That’s cool. And then you better go to square two and check that out. If you’re gonna live this kind of lifestyle, that’s what you got to do. He must of necessity be the most approachable person in the world, the world has ever seen was Jesus Christ. He’s whoever will make, he took all calm. Everybody who would have never turned to turn one away. The complete absence of the spirit of retaliation, hurting them the way they hurt. You get to a point when you’re following Christ and the Holy Spirit’s having to come up, they stole from the family. That’s normal. Simply. If you’re not there anymore, that’s not what drives you. That’s not what you want to do. It’s not how you respond. First, Peter, he was talking to service servants be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only for those who are good in general, but also those who are unreasonable you ever had an unreasonable Master? Here have been the army, the Navy, the Air Force, and Marines, some teachers, some coaches, some parents, some bosses, they’ve been unreasonable. simpliciter You not only be submissive, not only for the good in general and reasonable for this science favor.

If you first say if he’s for sake of conscience toward God, that person bears up under sorrows and suffering on test. That’s what he pairs up under sorrows, suffering on justice. And you have been and will be suffering, suffering, just you didn’t do it, you don’t deserve it. You weren’t guilty. You’re going to be a key star to your ego good is going to be evil spoken. So it says here that, for what credit is there when you sin in our hearts that treating the patient? But if when you do what is right and suffer far too patiently? And during this time to speak to what God looks at how we respond and suffering, I’m just not submissive to these unjust masters. Not being obedient to unreasonable guys, this is not fair. This is not right. This is not how you’re going to respond. Well, we’ll cover that some more when we get to Plessy. What are you gonna have to do to make peace in this situation? What is God required to somebody who has a teachable spirit, and you’re teachable, you learn from your mistakes, you can even learn from others mistakes. I used to do that with my brother sometime I did and then I learned what to do not watch the news, I did watch. Finally, where to leave everything, ourselves, our rights. Teacher, leave it in the hands of God. And especially so if you feel that you’re suffering unjustly. Policy must be Vengeance is mine. I will repay says the LORD, not me. need not repay we need just leave things in God’s hands with the quietness and spirit. The gentle, humble, you shall inherit the earth is what he’s talking about. That’s what this kind of man does. He inherits here. He enjoys the good things in life that other men can enjoy. And this is a great reward for bearing the fruit of this. Man is always satisfying. You might say, Well, I’m not always satisfied. Well, that doesn’t mean you’re not supposed to be. You feel justified sometimes to feel justified not being satisfied. I feel justified in not being because of that person. Why would I be content with that kind of attitude that kind of treating me that way that you can have peace and you don’t have to go within you know I have to go with you. And we do but we don’t have heavy nothing but possessing all things. I know how to found Paul said, and I know how to be a face. And I can do all things through him Brian’s to strength. So then let no man boasting for all things belong to you with a call or policy or secrets, or the world or life. Things present, become, all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ. Christ belongs to God. So there’s a very serious matter here, who claim to be Christian, there’s no excuse for not being me. Now, I want to close reading you something that said, the real what real victory is and I think it means the same as what real meekness. He goes like this. When you’re forgotten or neglected, of purpose and senate and you smile inward. Glory, command self oversight, that’s, that’s when you’re good as evil spoken. wishes are across your tastes within your advice, disregard your opinion, ridicule. And you take it all in patient loving silence, that is victory. This sounds on attainable. Talk about that. I have to remind myself of this all the time. This is unattainable apart from Christ, if you’re content with any food, any clothing, any climate, any society, any solicitude interruption. That is the mean. And you can bear with any discord and noise in the irregularity, and punctuality of which you’re not to call me

when you can stand face to face with falling, strapping, spiritual and sensibility, contradiction of sinners. persecution, and endure at all is Jesus. And that’s, that’s. And you never care to refer to yourself in conversation or record your good work, or seek after commendation. You can truly love to be unknown. You might want to bow your head and repent, right? You might want to say God, I hadn’t done a meeting. That’s what meekness is, that’s not who I that’s okay, if you can admit that. But you might say following that, and this is a good thing to say, but I want to be, I want to be this kind of, I want to have this kind of character, these kind of responses. I want to be contented, satisfied. I want to turn the other cheek and go to the glory of God. I can’t do it. And I usually do things for my glory for to live this life to the glory of God says honor to reputation is at stake in your life, your responses, your attitude, toward you say, things you do. And so let’s take a minute, when you talk to God, like maybe during this same something film, your heart, stopped doing that. Start whatever it is, we all have things in our life. And it’s a bigger thing than you and your rights. It’s a big, it’s a great commission. It’s people coming to Christ, it’s changing the world. And this lifestyle is what does. Is it going to cost me Yeah, but is it going to cost you not to do it

Unknown Speaker 33:56
much more.

Pete McKenzie 33:59
So let’s just take a few moments.

ordered, we’re taking a few moments to do this. And that’s all it takes for us to ask you to help us give a stream to give us all this going on. Thanks for being that kind of guy who calls us to yourself and you give us everything you need to do what you called us to do. We want to do that even today. We want a new fresh start. Thank you for being a god bridgestones thank you for being the guy who forgives and picks us up and gets us off and say let’s go get and that’s what we want to do even today in Jesus name And all God’s men say Get out there and get them Heaven guys.

JOHN, God bless you, man.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Pete McKenzie 0:01
He lets go of his anger as fast as he can. It’s not that you don’t ever get angry. But if you’re make you let go of it, you don’t hold on to it. That was one of the things I like to appreciate about my mom, my mom had a temper, and boy could she get after us when I was growing up.

But she never held on to it. She got over it real quickly. And she didn’t keep reminding us of what we just done.

She was make

he will not settle into a fixed hatred or lasting resentment. You know, you got guys that hurt you 10 years ago, and you still hadn’t forgiven them, you still hadn’t let them go. They’ve never asked you for forgiveness.

He will not settled into a fixed hatred and lasting resentment but is ready to receive anyone who desires to make peace.

And he felt i’d betrayed him and I’d done a lot of things. It wasn’t appreciating how he had been good to me.

And so I tried this seek reconciliation, and he wouldn’t have any part of it. And that’s not make a mate guy when someone wants to come and make things right. He’s eager to do it.

Magnus has always joined with humility,

So you don’t need a list of these things. You just naturally are these sayings when you’re abiding in Christ. He says, If you abide in Me and my word abides in you, this is the kind of person you will be. You’ll be meek. And all the things we’re describing of meekness. That’s what will start coming out of you. That’s what will define your personality. That’s where how you’ll start responding and thinking.

Jesus wouldn’t give that any oxygen at all. He didn’t I never talked about that he ministered to Roman soldiers. Matter of fact, there was one Roman soldier who said he hadn’t seen faith and all of Israel like this Roman soldier had. And that was when he had a servant that was dying. And he came to Jesus and said, I have a servant who’s dying. And Jesus says, I’ll go, he says, you don’t have to go. He said, you just say the word. He says, I understand how authority works. I say to this man, come and he comes, I say that man, go and he goes, all you have to do is say the word because you have authority, and he’ll be healed. And when the Roman soldier got home, he found that that that very minute that he was talking to Jesus, that servant was healed. So he ministered to serve. And he told the Roman soldiers to obey your officers. He told the Jews obey those and Peter actually did this. But he got it from Jesus, obviously, you slaves be submissive to your masters, not only those who are good and reasonable, but also those who are unreasonable and unkind. For this finds favor with God.

If you bear up under unjust suffering, with a sweetheart attitude, And so Jesus was there to turn upside down the fair Sacco government. But he didn’t have anything to do with the net was a religious government in the church, it was just so whacked out. But he had nothing to say to the Roman government. And even when he was tried and beaten in question, and palette finally said, not palette but the Roman Yeah, I guess it was palette. Anyway he said I find no fault with this man. So it’s you always respond peaceably under the government if you can, I’m not saying there’s not a time when you can’t. I’m just saying you really have to be led by God. And when that time is, and you have to choose your battles carefully. He is likely to have greater peace in his home and family than other angry, ill conditioned man. He has many friends, and few enemies, and his friends are generally of the best, and his enemies are of the worst sort of men. If such a man who has been good and kind to all should happen to suffer crosses and losses in the world, he will be sure to find more pity and caring and relief in his adversity than other men do. In other words, if you’ve been good and kind and generous to others, and then you get cut losses and crosses in your life, they’re more likely to be kind and generous and helpful to you. When you’re suffering.

Whatever portion the McMahon has of the good things of life, be at greater small. He enjoys it with a quiet, contented mind and God’s blessing. The make man has no interest in glorifying in himself or being proud of himself. He does not hold on to his right to himself. He doesn’t need to always talk about himself. He’s not always caught up in his own self interest. It’s not always on the defensive. That becomes a real problem in marriage. And in any kind of relational desktop that you have. Because if you’re always being defensive, and that’s one of the things that kills communication in relationships, someone wants to come to you with a problem. And you’re always defensive, you’re always pushing back, you’re always explaining and vindicating yourself. So they walk away thinking, I’ll never be able to communicate, happens in marriages all the time.

Whenever a wife or a husband will not own their stuff. And even if they are not guilty of what they’re being confronted with, they listen to it. And they, if they could just respond in a way to say, I remember Susan sitting down with me one time, she pulled her chair up alongside my TV chair, and I cut the TV off, because I learned that better do that when she pulls her chair up next to next to my chair. She says I need to talk.

Because you humbled yourself and you are make and you didn’t defend yourself or even go on the offensive and talk about what they do and accuse him of things that they’ve done to hurt them. So it may get had a need to do that. He’s secure in himself in that regard.

The greatest curse in life because of the fall is this insidious. Sidious preoccupation with ourselves defending ourselves, explaining ourselves, honoring ourselves.

Talking about ourselves. The man of God is finished with all that. He’s no longer a slave to how people treat him or what they think of him. He no longer has to protect himself or pity himself, vindicate himself, explain himself, feel sorry for himself, watch out for his own self interests, he doesn’t have to do that anymore. He’s free. That’s a truth that sets him free. To be make means that you think that you think little of yourself, but that you don’t think of you’re not that you think little of yourself, but you don’t think of yourself at all. He’s given up his rights, and knows that he deserves nothing. He has come to know that no one can harm him. Paul Runyan said, He that is down need to fear no fall. So when you’ve humbled yourself, and you’ve emptied yourself of all that pride, and all that self preservation and self realization, and all the other self stuff, you don’t have to worry about falling because you’re as low as you can get. He’s amazed that men and God can think of him as well as they do. He must of necessity be mild. And that is defined as gentle in nature or behavior, not sharp or spicy or bitter. Jesus, if you recall, said, Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. for I am gentle, and humble. I think that’s the only self description we ever have of him.

He just described himself as gentle and humble of heart.

Now in that Interstate, once he’s the first he said, Take my yoke, yoke together with me yoke is something that you are tied to they put the oxen together. And if you had one oxen going one way and one oxen going the other way, you got a problem, if they’re in a yoke, but the oxygens need to go in the same direction. That’s why they’re yoked together. And Jesus says, yoke yourself together with me. Now, don’t be afraid of doing that because I’m gentle and humble of heart.

Guys are not like that guy with one talent that said, I knew you’re a hard taskmaster who gathered, where do you have not sown and report you have not scattered? And so I buried my talent.

That’s truth and grace. He will tell you about hell, he will tell you about damnation. He’ll tell you about living a life so you can avoid that. But at the same time, he’s gentle and humble of heart. When he does it, he doesn’t wish any should perish.

He soft and soothing, tender and quiet but firm when he needs to be the most approachable person in the world has ever seen is the making lowly Jesus. He has a complete absence of the spirit of retaliation or getting even. He lets things go. He didn’t he leaves it in God’s hands to rectify that person. It’s not up to him to do that. He’s patient and long suffering, especially when suffering unjustly.

Well what happens to the man who’s like this? Well, he’s going to inherit the earth. See, there’s great reward in being obedient and following Christ. Having spirit heart and attitude that shaped in his spirit, heart and attitude. of deciding that you’re going to be that meek person but to be make you have to have come to the poor and spirit. If you haven’t come to poor in spirit you have no hope of being make.

mourned over your sin, and been crushed because of it. You have no hope of living this meek and humble life. Because you’re always going to be full of yourself. You didn’t find yourself poor in spirit because you’re not poor in spirit. You

You’re strong and yourself in spirit. You won’t lay that down, you won’t die to yourself. And you won’t crucify with the crucified with Christ, as Paul said. So it’s a progression to get to this place. If you find yourself, having a hard time being humble and meek, and gentle, and all the things we’re reading here, go back to square one, how you doing and being poor and severe. I doing it realizing that grace, it’s all of grace, that you have nothing to offer God. And God has everything to offer you are go back to square two blesses those who mourn. And get those two things right. And then you’ll start seeing all these sayings about meekness and humility become real in your life. And you know, why would you want them to be real in your life, will also you can have the abundant life that he came to give. You don’t have to be angry and bitter and defensive and offensive. You can be at peace. You can be gentle and mild, you don’t have to hold on to resentments, and bitterness and unforgiving spirits. He wants to set you free, I came to two might have life and this is a life he came to give this make life this humble life. I came that you might have life and have it abundantly, not just a little bit, I want you to enjoy it all to the brim, overflowing, pressed down, shaken together. And that’s what he came to give us. But if we’re not going to humble ourselves, if we’re not going to see ourselves as poor in spirit and mourn and be broken over our sin, then we can’t have it. It will not be ours. And you’ve basically said I don’t want it. I want me. That’s what lust is. I love me, I want you. This man enjoys good things in life that other men can enjoy. He’s inheriting the earth. This is the great reward of bearing the fruit of the Spirit. He’s this man is always satisfied and content, having nothing and yet possessing all things. I know how to abound and how to be a based and I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me. First Corinthians three says so then let no one boast in man. For all things belong to you whether Paul or Apollos are safest, or the world or life or death or things present are things to come, all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. All things are yours if you’re truly Christian, you have already inherited the earth. But the humble will inherit the earth. So this is a serious matter if we claim to be Christian, we have no excuse for not being make. Let me say that again. This is a serious matter. If you claim to be a Christian, you have no excuse for not being meek. Well, that’s just not me, Pete, I have more fired up personality or that have been you need the power. It’s under control then. It’s not about personality. It’s about the fruit of the spirit being born in our lives. One man wrote this wrote this, and I’ve used it in several different contexts. But I think it fits perfectly for Blessed are the meek and he said when you’re forgotten or neglected, or purposely said it not, and you smile inwardly glorying in the insult or the oversight. That’s what it means to be make. When you’re good is evil spoken off. When your wishes are crossed, your tastes offended, your advice disregarded. your opinions ridiculed, and you take it all in patient loving silence. That’s what it means to be make. When you’re content with any food, any clothing, any climate, any society, in any solitude and interruption. That’s what it means to be make. I think the key word there was content.

When you can bear with any discord or annoyance, any irregularity and punctuality of which you’re not the cause. That’s what it means to be make. When you can stand face to face with folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility contradiction of centers, persecution, and endure it all the way Jesus intuited, that what it means to be make when you never care to refer to yourself in conversation, not to record your good works, nor seek after commendation. When you can truly love to be unknown. That’s what it means to be make in Jesus. Christ was the epitome of that. He had all the power in the world and he kept it under control. He could have called 10,000 angels, but he didn’t. He could have taken up for himself explained himself, but he never did. And when they slapped him around and ridiculed him and beat him to a pop, when he was reviled he Reval not and when he suffered, he had heard no threats. But it just kept in trusting himself to him, his father who judges all men, equally, who brings justice. He could wait on it, he didn’t have to have it right now. And so that’s a higher bar, amen. It goes against everything in our human nature. It goes against everything in our sense of manliness and macho. It doesn’t work in the gangs in East LA, I can tell you that right now. From what I’ve heard about that, but that’s what Jesus called us to be and do and is so different, it makes me and want it. When you have it, others want it, they see it in you. They’ll might call you, sissy and a wimp to begin with. But when you stand your ground, and you hold on to the humility and meekness that we’re talking about here, it’s very evangelistic guys married, and they all end up respecting it. Because they want it themselves and they know they don’t have it. So, Lord, we thank you for giving us this whole understanding of what it means to be meek and gentle, and humble. And, Lord, we just have to confess that apart from you, we have no hope. We can’t do it. We can’t be these kind of person. But that’s why you brought us to a place of being poor in spirit. That’s why you brought us to this place of mourning in brokenness, so that you could make us meek, and mild and gentle, and humble, loving others away, you loved keeping power under control, being a blessing, experiencing the and inheriting the earth, experiencing the abundant life that you came to give us to the max. So Lord, we just finished this sermon today saying help us, we believe help us in our unbelief. We need help to do this. We need to abide in you. We need to be in the word we need to be in prayer. We need to be in the fellowship of other men who are chasing after you. And you’ve given us that privilege right here right now in this place. And we give you all the glory and gratefulness in Jesus name And all God’s men said give him Heaven, guys.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Blessed Are They That Mourn

To come through the narrow gate and into the narrow way, Jesus Christ himself, then come with a heart of humility. Jesus said, blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The second beatitude says, blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. The Psalmist said, weeping may endure for the night, but joy cometh in the morning. The Greek word for Mourn means to grieve deeply, to passionately lament for a heartfelt loss, especially for the loss of a loved one who has died.

Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. The comfort is in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. In John 14 Jesus said to his disciples, I have to leave you. The disciples were deeply grieved when Jesus said this. Then Jesus said, unless I leave the Comforter cannot come. The Comforter is the Holy Spirit, the one who will come alongside you… He will be with you and within you. The Comforter will lead you to the all-truth.

There are certain life-lessons that we can only learn when our heart is broken. Love and hope are learned through the crucible and the furnace of trials and tribulation. The refiner’s fire is to prove what we’re really made of. It proves Christ’s character in us. For tribulation worketh patience and patience experience…. Experience is proven character, proven by the refiner’s fire. Proven character produces hope and the hope of eternal life maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy spirt which is given to us.

God leads us and plants us where we need to be to prove the character of Christ in us. Jesus said, in this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world. This side of heaven there will be trials and tribulations. The holy spirt afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted.

Blessed are they that mourn for their hearts break for those who are suffering and downtrodden. Pain and suffering are inevitable in this fallen world. When a person comes to the place that he realizes that he cannot overcome the darkness and oppression of this world, then he can lift his heart to God for deliverance.

God is no respecter of persons. He is, however, a respecter of His Word. Repentance begins with sorrowing for our having broken God’s righteous standard according to his word. When a person realizes that he has missed the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, then he can turn from the darkness of this world and unto the light of Christ.

Sin says, I’m my own God. I can make it on my own, I’m the master of my own destiny. I’m the captain of my own salvation. The disposition of Sin says I’m self sufficient, self actualized, and a self made man… with the emphasis on self. The root of sin is pride… worshipping myself instead of the one true God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sin prevents a person from coming to the Lord, for he that doeth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought of God.

Sin is the nature of the god of this world, The devil… He is the deceiver and the accuser. His purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy…. to separate our hearts from God’s heart.

Sin makes us fearful, inadequate, lonely, and separated from everything that is noble, virtuous, righteous and godly. Sin is full of doubt and worry and depression. It leads to a heart of darkness that seeks comfort in the things of this world… the lust of the flesh, the pride of life and the lust of the eyes. A sinful heart seeks the wisdom of this world… that which is earthly, sensual and devilish. Sin sets itself up against every righteous commandment, to love God above all, to show mercy, and to worship the One True God.

Sinful pride prevents me from approaching God’s throne of grace with a heart of meekness, humility, obeisance, and surrender to a holy, righteous, gracious, merciful, and loving God.

Sins will be revealed by the light of the truth of the Word of God. Jesus Christ himself is the word of God made flesh. In the light of Christ, all things will be revealed and the sin that lurks in darkness cannot hide.

The good news is that Jesus came not to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved…. for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Jesus Christ is the solution to sin. Repentance is to turn from sin and unto the Saviour from sin. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… thou shalt be made whole and holy before a righteous God.

Even while we were yet sinners, God reached down to us sinners with the grip of his son’s nail-pierced hands to rescue us from the dire consequences of sin. For Jesus Christ who knew no sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.

When we turned to him…. when we confessed that Jesus is Lord and believed that God raised hm from the dead is when we relinquished the right to our selfish selves. Lord means owner…. Christianity is not who we are, but whose we are.

Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. The mourning is for the sin that separated our hearts from God’s heart. The comfort is in God’s gift of Holy Spirit, Christ in us the hope of glory… For my sinful self was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me, and the life that I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. This is the comfort of the Holy Spirit…

… That we may ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Through His Eyes

Phil Hanlen is a fire fighter and first responder for the Long Beach Fire Department. Even though Phil is on call to respond to emergencies at a moment’s notice, he realizes that his primary call is from God to serve God’s people the bread of life.

Phil’s spiritual journey started after the 9/11 attack of the World Trade Center. He was compelled to help. When he arrived at Ground Zero, the Lord touched his heart and he was devastated and crushed at the sight of death and destruction. As he sobbed in despair, in his mind’s eye he saw the vision of a bold lion and they locked eyes. This snapped him out of his stupor. Since this life changing encounter with the Lion of Judah, Phil has dedicated his life to serve his Lord. He guards his heart with God’s calling to follow the Lord’s direction. Phil’s attitude is, “Here am I Lord, send me.”

Jesus said, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened, ask and you shall receive. When God puts on our hearts the direction he’s calling us, then when we obey his calling, he will work in us and through us to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Jesus said to his disciples, I need to go away, but that’s a good thing. When I leave, then the Holy Spirit will come upon you. The Holy Spirit will teach you the all-truth. The Holy Spirit reveals to us God’s will and purpose for our lives. The Lord’s spiritual leaders are led by the Spirit…. when we listen to his still small voice, it’s Christ’s ears behind our ears, his eyes behind our eyes, his heart behind our heart.

Jesus said, set your affections on things above, not on things of this earth. The things of earth will soon pass away. However the things of the spirit, heavenly things will last into eternity…

The first step for spiritual leadership is humility. Jesus was a servant-leader. He lived to minister and not to be ministered to. He said, leaders of this world want to be front and center. They want the praise and glory of worldly men. However, Jesus said, whoever will be chief among you must be servant of all. Jesus said, come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. For I am meek and lowly of heart… My yoke is easy and my burden is light. I will bear your burden as you come unto me with a heart of meekness and humility.

The second step for spiritual leadership is to know the Word of God. When he was tempted of the devil in the wilderness, Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” He taught his disciples that there are two great commands that summarize all of the Old Testament commandments: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart soul, mind and strength and the second commandment is like unto it: thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

The third requirement for spiritual leaders is prayer. Prayer aligns our heart with God’s heart. The dialog with God that runs through our minds is what it means to pray without ceasing. Jesus was a man of prayer. Even though the crowds followed him demanding his time, he carved out special moments to meet with his Heavenly Father in intimate prayer free from worldly distractions.

The fourth leadership requirement is to build bridges to non-Christians. Jesus did not come to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. Jesus said that our great commission is to go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

J Oswald Sanders wrote a book called “Principles of Spiritual Leadership.” He said spiritual leadership requires spirit filled people. This has nothing to do with worldly values such as intellect, strength, people connections, and political power. Instead spiritual leadership requires a spiritual connection, sanctified… set apart according to God’s holy purpose. Spiritual leadership initiates discipleship to intentionally and deliberately discipline our hearts to follow the Lord with a spirit of humility to serve others from a heart of love and gratitude.

God has inspired Phil to lead an initiative to reach young men and to teach them according to Jesus’ action plan to make disciples of all men. The name of this ministry is “Through His Eyes Thursdays.” Meetings are currently scheduled the third Thursday of each month at Voyagers Church in Irvine at 7:00 p.m. Through His Eyes Thursdays is affiliated with Influencers OC. The purpose of this monthly prayer, worship, and discipleship ministry is to unite together as men of God to examine cultural, local, national and global issues from a biblical perspective. The focus is for younger men to develop an understanding of current events from a biblical world view.

This ministry is also an opportunity for seasoned men of God to influence younger brothers in Christ for one hour time slots twice each month either in person or on-line. These twice a month one on one meetings are to build up, encourage, comfort and instruct younger believers in the word of God and the direction that God is leading them.

The email address to register as a mentor is: ThroughHisEyesThursdays@gmail.com. Just say, “I’m in” and you will receive a return message with details for available monthly one hour time slots.

Paul’s message to his young protege Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2 is still true today: And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

… That we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Spiritual Leadership

Phil Hanlen’s Christian story started on September 11, 2001. Although he wasn’t yet a Christian, he felt compelled to volunteer to help in the aftermath of the 9/11 attack at Ground Zero. In the middle of the devastation of lower Manhattan, he felt the spirt of the Lord move within him. Phil was broken and overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of utter destruction. In his mind’s eye, he saw the vision of a powerful courageous lion. This vision snapped him out of his moment of despair. He woke up and said, “Lord, here am I, send me. I’ll follow wherever you lead.” In retrospect over the last 20 years, Phil has come to understand that the question of the moment is, “Lord, am I where you want me to be?” God has directed Phil by confirming in Phil’s heart exactly where he is calling him to serve.

Jesus said to his disciples in John 14, “I have to leave you.” They were downcast and discouraged at these words, but then Jesus said, “This is to your benefit. Why? Because when I leave, God will send you the Holy Spirit and he will guide you where you need to be.” Jesus explained, “Therefore walk not according tot he flesh but set your mind upon the things of the spirit of God and he will lead you to the all-truth. The Holy Spirit is the comforter who will be with you and within you. He will teach you to understand the things of the spirit.” The Holy Spirit is Christ in you the hope of Glory.

What kind of leader was Jesus? He was a servant, he was humble and lowly, he knew the Word of God, and he always prayed. Matthew says that the son of man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.

Jesus ministered to the lost sheep of the house of Israel in humility and lowliness. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

When the devil tempted him in the desert Jesus responded, “man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

Jesus condensed The Old Testament laws into two great commandments. According to Matthew 22:37-40: “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38. This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Jesus practiced what he preached. The word of God says pray without ceasing. Jesus constantly sought his Father’s will. In prayer we understand that even though there is suffering in this world, tribulation worketh patience and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.

Jesus said, my sheep hear my voice and they know me and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life. Where the good Shepherd leads, his sheep will follow his voice.

Spiritual leadership requires spirit filled people. God’s spiritual leaders voluntarily surrender their lives to the spirit of the Lord to guide them and to lift up their God given abilities for God’s high calling and for His purpose.

God expects the spirit to lead us in every sphere of our lives: work, family, church, the market place, and community.

God has given Phil the initiative to disciple the next generation of young men in a program that meets the third Thursday of each month. The purpose of this program is to unite seasoned mature disciples of Jesus Christ with younger Christian men to help them to understand today’s critical issues through the eyes of the spirit.

It’s available to mentor young people one-on-one on a regular basis through this program with a one hour twice a month commitment. The website to register as a mentor is: ThroughHisEyesThursdays@gmail.com.

God has given us many opportunities to carry out his great commission… In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus said, “Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations…. teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and Lo I am with you always, even unto the end of this earth.” This is our mission and our co-mission…

… that we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ
Michael