PDF: 20121229B Grace to Walk Out the Sermon on the Mount
PDF: 20121229B T Grace to Walk Out the Sermon on the Mount (Transcript)
We, too, see the Sermon on the Mount and the teachings of Jesus as central to the understanding of the Gospel of the Kingdom. As opposed to the commentator, however, we understand the Kingdom to be here, since the time of the preaching of Jesus (Mark 1:15). As such, these are truths applied to us today, and not promises for another day. In addition, not only are these the principles that Jesus taught, but they are who He was, and what He lived. As such, they are the basis for living in the Kingdom, with all of its power, and the substantive reason that the Father was pleased to raise Christ up from the dead.
As such, there will be considerable overlap in agreement with the commentator, yet substantial difference in the final, overall meaning of these beatitudes. We see these as the ‘picture of the man in faith’, and not as a promise of role in a future governmental system. The difference will be demonstrated, but the result is the understanding of the Kingdom. Once one establishes that, the effects upon one’s eschatology are profound. There is only one Kingdom, and it is everlasting (Psalm 145:13). David’s throne is the Lord’s throne, according to the books of Chronicles, and Jesus is reigning in His Kingdom now. The instruction is simple: Repent and believe the Gospel.
- SERMON ON THE MOUNT: THE CORE VALUES OF THE KINGDOM
- I refer to the Sermon on the Mount as the constitution of God’s kingdom. It is Jesus’ most comprehensive statement about a believer’s role in cooperating with God’s grace, and is the “litmus test” to measure our spiritual development and ministry impact. Agreed. A good enough description.
- Jesus called us to develop the eight Beatitudes (5:3-12); they are like eight beautiful flowers in the “garden of our heart” that God wants to fully blossom in us. They define love, godliness, and spiritual maturity, and describe the kingdom lifestyle. As we see it, there are four parts to each one of them. First, ‘blessed’. Second, the condition, sometimes not something positive. Third, the word ‘Because’ or ‘for’, which connects the condition to the result. And, finally, what the person in the condition describes will ‘receive’. The first thing, however, is ‘blessed’, or ‘happy. This is the end result of the person who receives the result because they are in the condition. I am happy when poor in spirit because the kingdom of heaven belongs to me right then. Believe it or not, but, believing it makes it so. Happy is merely the result of what happens to your emotions when you do!
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit…
4Blessed are those who mourn…
5Blessed are the meek…
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…
7Blessed are the merciful…
8Blessed are the pure in heart…
9Blessed are the peacemakers…
10Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 5:3-10) - Blessed: This blessedness includes having a vibrant heart, feeling God’s presence, having grace to walk in love and humility, and ministering His love and power to others. The word is ‘macro-happy’, or, as we refer to it’, “Most Happy”. It is the word for emotion with the prefix equivalent to ‘macro-‘ prepended.
- These eight flowers must be cultivated as we “weed our garden” by resisting six common temptations (Mt. 5:21-48) and as we “water our garden” by pursuing five kingdom activities (Mt. 6:1-20). We disagree. These are not all to be cultivated. We do not cultivate persecution. Further, this creates a ‘works’ based mentality. Rather, we will all find ourselves in each of these conditions at some point. Further, these conditions summarize the human condition seeking after the Kingdom (Matthew 6:33). All will find one of these, and, eventually, all of them. They are not always the most pleasant things, or things that are easy to endure in, but the promise of each of them, when received in faith, means we can be ‘happy all the time’, and happy most, knowing that the result is ours.
- Jesus referred to two metaphors of salt (flavor, preservation) and light (direction, life) in describing the impact on society of people who walk out the eight Beatitudes (Mt. 5:13-16). We are the seasoning of the Earth because we are the only ones with faith. We are the only ones who are the light, because we are the only ones who see. All others are blind. Those who follow Him will never walk in darkness. We have the eyes of faith. If you cannot see through faith, you are blind.
13“You are the salt of the earth…14You are the light of the world…” (Mt. 5:13-14) - Jesus invites everyone to be great in His kingdom by walking in the Beatitudes. We cannot repent of the desire for greatness, because God designed our spirit with this longing. [True, we cannot repent for this. But, the definition of it is called love. And, the walking it out of it is faithfulness. Our initial understanding of these passages was similar to this, but we have found them to fall short. Rather, as the person who has given all he has for love will despise the recognition that he has done anything great, this is true greatness. Nothing else but love is greatness, and all that falls short of it is less than great. We can be the greatest when we do not realize it, and when we do do it, we will hate the idea that we are great. This is not an invitation to greatness, it is an invitation into God as our Father, where we are children, and we do not care about what the world cares about. To walk in great power and anointing comes with its own risks, but the greatest is not of these, though they may do these things, but the greatest is the one who humbles himself as a little child. No one, wanting to be great, can be. And no one great even cares. Love is all that matters, and we are to give ourselves only to that. Yet, this true love often begins where everyone else leaves off, which is the beginning of these parables. Anyone can pick up the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount and attempt to apply them, and this is indeed tried with many passages such as ‘do not judge’, yet the sword has two edges, and the one who picks up the sword without wielding it properly will surely be cut to pieces by it. How many, claiming ‘do not judge’, judge the person they feel is condemning them. It cuts both ways. Instead, rather, the only true following of these things is through the eyes of a child, with faith upon the Father, to be a Father.] We are to repent for seeking it in a wrong way. God invites us to greatness without regard for outward achievements or the size of our ministry. It is based on the development of our heart in love. At this point, not much matters, for all that matters is faith expressing itself in love. Not the world, not the problems, not anything. The only thing that matters is love, for God is love.
19“Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments…shall be called least in the kingdom…whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom.” (Mt. 5:19)
These are, of course, the commandments of the Law of Moses, not particularly the principles above. The law hasn’t “changed”, but it is already demonstrated that we cannot keep it by looking to it. Nor is this a principle of works. Rather, the person who is truly led by the Spirit will be keeping with the Spirit in which the Law was written, because they are the selfsame Spirit! Likewise, the person who is found breaking and teaching others to break even the least commandment is demonstrating that they do not actually know and follow the Spirit, for the Spirit would never break even the least command, let alone teach it. The issue here is in reverse, however, for it is not the natural that is the problem, it is the spiritual. We must come to understand that we are new creations, new realities, and that the old man is dead. By learning to live by the Spirit, we can by the Spirit put to death the misdeeds of the flesh, therefore. The flesh we still have, but the old nature is done away with at the cross. Yet, through the power of the Spirit, we can overcome the weakness of the flesh. - In Matthew 5:21-48, Jesus spoke of six temptations to be resisted: anger (5:21-26), immorality (5:27-30), disregarding the sanctity of marriage (5:31-32), not keeping our commitments (5:33- 37), retaliation (5:38-42), and passivity in loving our enemies (5:43-47). This is in keeping with the confirmation of the Law of Moses. It is still what God wanted. In fact, the Sermon on the Mount must be viewed as the Law, properly interpreted to its original intent. The will of God was that we live perfectly, in the Garden. The Law itself was perfect, keeping sin in check. However, the intent of the law was always the heart. Yet, true righteousness cannot be from the law, at all! Rather, in keeping in the Spirit of love, one finds that one keeps the whole of the law. The whole of the law, then, hangs on these two commands: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Love is the fulfillment of the law.
- In Matthew 6:1-18, Jesus spoke of five kingdom activities to purse: to serve and give (charitable deeds: giving service and/or money (6:1-4, 19-21), pray (6:5-13), bless our adversaries (fullness of forgiveness, 6:14-15; 5:44), and fast (6:16-18). These spiritual disciplines do not earn us God’s love, but place our cold hearts before the “bonfire of His presence.” He gives more to our heart, but does not love us more as we embrace disciplines.
- POVERTY OF SPIRIT (MT. 5:3)
- Being poor in spirit is the foundational beatitude from which the other beatitudes flow. This beatitude is often misunderstood and misapplied. To be poor in spirit is to be aware of spiritual need—of experiencing more of God’s presence and power in our heart and ministry. We see the gap between what God has freely made available to us and what we are actually experiencing.
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 5:3)
This is misunderstood. It is, of course, the point where many of us begin. We often do not find God until we absolutely need Him. Hence, the Kingdom is ours at the point of our greatest spiritual need. This is echoed in the experience of Paul, who heard that God’s strength was made perfect in weakness. This is, then, the Kingdom. What is the Kingdom? If you don’t know, you’ll find Him when you seek for Him with all of your heart. You’ll find out when all of a sudden God shows up and saves you, because you’re out of your own ability. You’ll find that the Kingdom belongs to you right then, in your deepest, hardest moments, because theirs is, present tense, the Kingdom. - To be poor in spirit is to see ourselves as spiritually poor in terms of our experience in light of all that God has made available to us. We see that we do not have the strength to establish godliness in our hearts or to inspire it in others without the Spirit’s continual help. We have no confidence in our own natural ability to obey or serve God without His constant help in the grace of God.
Poor in Spirit is the lack of the ability with ourselves. When our spirits are down, then God’s ability belongs to us. The miracles, the deliverances, the power, everything. It doesn’t matter how grand it looks to the flesh, it is God’s kingdom, and it is in spiritual eyes that we see. - We distinguish between our legal position and our living condition in grace. What Jesus’ death on the cross freely and instantly worked for us is what He now progressively works in us, as we respond in faith by seeking deeper fellowship with God, serving people, and taking up our cross.
- Poverty of spirit is neither financial poverty nor feeling negative about our spiritual life. For example, feeling rejection or inferiority that come from comparing our gifts, achievements, or dedication to others is not poverty of spirit, nor is feeling condemned after we repent of a sin.
- Theirs is the kingdom: This speaks of experiencing more of the kingdom in a personal way. Agreed, but deeper. This is the point of reaching the ‘end of our rope’, and when we do, we can just tie a knot in it and hang on, because God is there. The basis of it is simple trust.
- Jesus addressed this as the root problem in the “successful” church of Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-21).
16“So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked…19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.” (Rev. 3:16-19)- I am rich: The Laodiceans were seduced by their popularity and the growing wealth and enthusiasm related to their ministry. Believers in prosperous circumstances often lack the virtue of being poor in spirit. Feeling superior to others in gifting and accomplishments often results in self-confidence, which minimizes our awareness of our need for God.
- I have need of nothing: We must not be comforted by the externals related to our ministry, i.e., big crowds, growing popularity, and human enthusiasm in meetings.
- Be zealous: Jesus wants us to repent by being zealous in seeking Him. Do not let anyone put “kind humanistic water” on your fire to press in for God’s fullness in your life.
- The Lord spoke to Howard Pittman in 1979 that the church in the Western world was living like the Laodiceans, without knowing it. Read of Pittman’s heavenly encounter in his book Placebo. It is agreed. A church with little need experiences little of the Kingdom in this way. Ultimately, all of these are about His Kingdom, but only the first and the last, the eighth, are the present tense reality, and all the others pertain sometime in the future. All of these are manifestations of the Kingdom, but only the first and the last result in the immediate and present inbreaking of God’s ability. Realizing this in the midst of the circumstances, we are ‘most happy’ in trial, because God is right there at our weakest.
- I highly recommend Unrelenting Prayer by Bob Sorge, which develops being poor in spirit.
- Being poor in spirit is the foundational beatitude from which the other beatitudes flow. This beatitude is often misunderstood and misapplied. To be poor in spirit is to be aware of spiritual need—of experiencing more of God’s presence and power in our heart and ministry. We see the gap between what God has freely made available to us and what we are actually experiencing.
- SPIRITUAL MOURNING (MT. 5:4)
- We mourn because we see how much God longs to give to our life, ministry, church, and in the nations. It refers to the pain we feel in seeing the gap between what God has for us and what we are experiencing. This beatitude is not about mourning over difficult circumstances, but about mourning for a greater spiritual breakthrough in light of what Jesus has made available for us.
4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Mt. 5:3-4)
We see that it refers to mourning in general. All of these can be seen and interpreted through both the demonstration of them in the Gospels, as well as the historical context in the Old Testament. Since God’s Kingdom is the same, and is everlasting (Psalm 145:13), these are the very principles upon which God has always acted. Jesus came revealing this mysteries hidden since the foundation of the world, answering the question, “How do you get God to do those things for you?” The answer is simple, God is close to the broken hearted, and helps the meek and the humble, but the proud He knows from afar off. Want to be great? Get to know the One who is greater. These are the portrait of the heart of God.
- Being poor in spirit speaks of how we see ourselves; spiritual mourning refers to how we feel about what we see. When we see differently, then we feel differently. The result of seeing our great need is that we feel pain as we mourn for more experience of God’s presence in our life. The greatest example in the New Testament is the cross, of course. Jesus said that the disciples would mourn, but only for a short time. They would be comforted, of course, with the Comforter. Since the Holy Spirit was greater than having Jesus physically present, as He said Himself, we understand the comfort is always greater than the loss.
- This mourning is God’s gift to us. Our desire for God is His gift to us. This gift of mourning is rare, precious, and powerful. Feeling the pain of this godly desperation causes us to reorder our life to spend our strength, time, and money to seek God for all that He has made available for us. When we realize this applies to all mourning, although not grief, since that was born on the cross and does not belong to the Christian, we can be ‘most happy’, realizing that we will be comforted in our mourning. Comfort will come, and in the midst of our mourning, we can be most happy even then, since God will come at the allotted time.
10Godly sorrow produces repentance [wholeheartedness] leading to salvation [breakthrough]… 11What diligence it produced in you…what indignation [against compromise], what fear [fear of God], what vehement desire [for Jesus], what zeal, what vindication! (2 Cor. 7:9-11) - Mourning and joy: We hold these two truths in tension. We rejoice in who we are in Christ and what we are experiencing in God, while we are aware of how much more there is to experience. We are grateful for all that we experience in God’s grace, but we continually seek the Lord for a greater measure of His grace (Jas. 4:6). Mourning for more does not negate our confidence that God enjoys us and values our small efforts and ministry impact (Mt. 25:21). This is demonstrated, as well, through the Old Testament, in many ways. Wherever there is mourning, look for the comfort. It follows on the heels, as God cannot lie.
- They shall be comforted: We will progressively experience the breakthrough of the Spirit in our lives. Our culture so values comfort that our tendency is to seek and give the wrong comfort. We must refuse to be comforted by anything except the breakthrough of the fullness that the Lord promises us in His Word. Refuse to be comforted by anything less than God’s highest.
- We mourn because we see how much God longs to give to our life, ministry, church, and in the nations. It refers to the pain we feel in seeing the gap between what God has for us and what we are experiencing. This beatitude is not about mourning over difficult circumstances, but about mourning for a greater spiritual breakthrough in light of what Jesus has made available for us.
- BLESSED ARE THE MEEK (MT. 5:5)
- Meekness is power under control. It is the restraint of the use of our natural power for the accomplishment of God’s kingdom. It is not to be confused with weakness or a passive personality trait. Meekness involves the awareness of our need of wisdom from others.
5“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Mt. 5:5)
For the understanding of Meekness, I like to look to Hannah. She desperately wanted a child, but, she wouldn’t even lift her voice to pray, but only moved her lips. Through her prayers, she was promised a son, and Samuel was born. Hence, she received the things of the Earth. Additionally, whenever we do not vie for position and attempt to obtain ourselves, even what seems like should be ours, God will see to it that we are not left wanting. I consider the testimony of the late Kenneth Hagin, who principled to walk in love. He purposely would not let members from neighboring churches come to his own church, because the other church needed their tithe. Determining to walk in love above all else, and to live in meekness rather than seeking position, he had one of the largest ministries of our time, imparted faith to thousands, and lived to be well over 80 years of age. He inherited the things of the Earth. This is the meaning of this beatitude. If you do not push and grab and attempt to get their on your own means, God will use His to get you where you are to go. Be faithful, be diligent, and in due time, God will raise you up. At the proper time, when you are prepared, and you will not have to fret and be anxious about anything. Everything else is striving, and a seeking after the wind. Follow God’s way, and live.
- Meekness involves our indebtedness to God for all that He has given us spiritually, financially, physically, relationally, etc. It includes the revelation of His ownership over all that we possess. Our natural mindset is to see our resources (gifting, money, position, favor, etc.) as belonging to us (instead of the Lord) and as being the fruit of our hard work (instead of His kindness).
- They shall inherit the earth: This promise includes influence and impact. It is partially fulfilled in this life and completely fulfilled in the age to come (Mt. 19:28; Rev. 3:21; 5:10; 20:4-6).
- Meekness is power under control. It is the restraint of the use of our natural power for the accomplishment of God’s kingdom. It is not to be confused with weakness or a passive personality trait. Meekness involves the awareness of our need of wisdom from others.
- HUNGERING AND THIRSTING FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS (MT. 5:6)
- To hunger for righteousness is to press into God to experience more with Him. Jesus called us to press into God for the release of righteousness in our personal lives, for others, and in society. Part of hungering and thirsting for more includes the grace of fasting.
6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Mt. 5:6) - Righteousness: Believers do not need to seek God for more of the free gift of righteousness—this was freely and fully given to us on the day we were born again (2 Cor. 5:17, 21). In our legal position before God, we were given Jesus’ righteousness instantaneously (Rom. 3:21-31). In our living condition, we are to hunger for an increase of righteousness to fill our mind, emotions, and behavior. We experience this as a process throughout our Christian life.
- Hunger is one of the most important signs of life. Lack of hunger is a serious sign of sickness in the spirit. When there is no hunger for a sustained period, then there is no life. Many live in a “spiritual intensive care unit” without any hunger for prayer or the Word. This is abnormal Christianity. Hungerless and passionless Christianity is not normal from God’s point of view.
- Gaining new ground in the grace of God—growing in our hunger and pursuit of God—is the only way to keep the ground we have today. Our heart is either growing colder or hotter. It is not staying the same. There is no static position.
- They shall be filled: We will progressively experience more grace for righteousness in our lives. Simply knowing that my desire for righteousness in the Earth will be met is sometimes enough to keep going. Not only that, if I can get hungry enough for the things of God, hungry enough for the entire world, it doesn’t matter how uncomfortable it is, the desire for it is promised to be met. Don’t back off, God will fully satisfy. In that, I can be “Most Happy” now, because I know it’s coming.
- To hunger for righteousness is to press into God to experience more with Him. Jesus called us to press into God for the release of righteousness in our personal lives, for others, and in society. Part of hungering and thirsting for more includes the grace of fasting.
- BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL (MT. 5:7)
- There are various ways to express mercy. We are called to be tender towards those who mistreat us and complain against us, who annoy us, who are different, who are less committed to God than we are, who make mistakes, who stumble in scandalous sins, and especially those who suffer and are in great need due to poverty, sickness, oppression, persecution, or other trials.
7“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Mt. 5:7) - Jesus calls us to give mercy to those who mistreat us (Col. 3:12-13). We restrain our insistence on being treated fairly by showing mercy that refuses to take revenge even on any who betray us. To be merciful is to seek to help people who are suffering (Lk. 10:30-37). When we are moved to action to help those in difficult circumstances, we are seeking to reduce the miseries of others, even if it requires denying our personal comfort. Jesus calls us to be merciful to people who have significant spiritual failure, to cover people’s failures, and to tenderly seek to help them. Being merciful causes us to sympathize with those who deserve the trouble that they are in. It is not a call to be casual about sin (that believers do not repent of).
- They shall obtain mercy: We shall receive more mercy in our circumstances from God and others as we give it to others. (This is different from freely receiving our salvation). We will reap mercy at the hands of others as we sow mercy. God gives more mercy to those who pass it on. Each of us need mercy, and the mercy we give is the mercy we receive. It doesn’t always feel wonderful to give, but it does to receive. We remember that when we give. In Jesus’ life, I find it remarkable that in the garden, Jesus gave a form of mercy to His disciples. They wanted to pray, but their bodies were weak. The next day, in His Passion, the same was true of Himself. Rather than the Romans killing Jesus on the spot for failing to be able to carry his cross to the end, He Himself was granted mercy, through Joseph to carry His cross for Him. Truly, the same measure we give, it will be given unto us.
- There are various ways to express mercy. We are called to be tender towards those who mistreat us and complain against us, who annoy us, who are different, who are less committed to God than we are, who make mistakes, who stumble in scandalous sins, and especially those who suffer and are in great need due to poverty, sickness, oppression, persecution, or other trials.
- BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART (MT. 5:8)
- We are to approach this beatitude with a deep sense of wonder and awe. The reality of seeing God is the highest privilege that a human being can experience in this age and in the age to come. God is light, and in Him is no darkness (1 Jn. 1:5). In the spiritual realm, light and darkness cannot mix. We will “see God” only to the degree that we think like Him.
8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Mt. 5:8) - Purity of heart includes purity in morals, motives, and methods. There is no substitute for it for those who want to see and experience more of God. Purity does not cause us to earn revelation of God, but it positions us so that our spiritual capacity can be enlarged to see and experience God.
14Pursue…holiness [purity], without which no one will see the Lord… (Heb. 12:14) - They shall see God: The ultimate experience of Christianity now and for eternity is to know, or see, God (Rev. 22:4). The pure will have an increased capacity to see and experience God. This is one of the greatest promises in God’s Word. This great promise is partially fulfilled in this life.
Isaiah saw God, so did many others. It is only in holiness that we see God. While this is a beatitude to cultivate, as are some of the others, not all are. This one, however, has the promise of knowing Him.
- We are to approach this beatitude with a deep sense of wonder and awe. The reality of seeing God is the highest privilege that a human being can experience in this age and in the age to come. God is light, and in Him is no darkness (1 Jn. 1:5). In the spiritual realm, light and darkness cannot mix. We will “see God” only to the degree that we think like Him.
- BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS (MT. 5:9)
- Jesus calls us to be peacemakers. This includes working to reconcile and repair relationships, individually or in society, and not creating strife in relationships by promoting ourselves. The peacemaker sees the value of investing time and energy to bring peace between individuals, families, races, and ministries, in social, civic, and marketplace issues, and even in the nations.
9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Mt. 5:9) - Peace is not sought at the expense of truth and righteousness. It is not a peace at any price. We are called to live peaceably with all men by humbling ourselves to serve them and by refusing to push our agenda or to complain against them (we make appeals in the right spirit and way).
18If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. (Rom. 12:18) - They shall be called sons of God: Peacemakers will be called godly, or like God, by many.
The ultimate peacemaking act was the cross. In fulfillment of this in that, the centurion said exactly this, “Surely this was the Son of God”. He had to, for Jesus had made peace. Yet, too, for all of us, when we make peace in situations, the honor that so many of us so long to see in our lives will be made rightly manifest in our lives, and people will call us God’s children.
- Jesus calls us to be peacemakers. This includes working to reconcile and repair relationships, individually or in society, and not creating strife in relationships by promoting ourselves. The peacemaker sees the value of investing time and energy to bring peace between individuals, families, races, and ministries, in social, civic, and marketplace issues, and even in the nations.
- BLESSED ARE THE PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS’ SAKE (MT. 5:10-12) – 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Mt. 5:10
- Jesus will bless any who will endure persecution for His sake with a rejoicing spirit. Persecution includes being penalized or harmed socially, verbally, financially, or physically. Most persecution in the West is social, verbal, or financial, by being reviled, resisted, or ostracized.
- Theirs is the kingdom: This speaks of experiencing more of the kingdom in a personal way.
This most certainly is not a beatitude to cultivate, any more than poverty of Spirit is. Yet, when we step out in righteousness, not in ignorance or self will, and get persecuted, God’s delivering power shows up. Having told this to an evangelist, he remarked back that whenever he needed personal breakthrough, he would go to a subway in DC to open air preach. He said he received extreme resistance, but profound breakthrough always showed up in his life. This then, is the simple answer. Want the breakthrough power of God in a more powerful way? Figure out how to step forward in God’s way, following Him, into greater righteousness. It is not hard to get persecuted for it, but, when you do, stand your ground, and know that His delivering power is right there. As it says in Psalm 119, “It is time for you to act, O Lord, your righteous laws are being broken!”. If we do both poverty of Spirit and persecution for righteousness, then, of course, we inherit the double portion.
It is our belief and understanding that Jesus indeed did all eight of these in His Passion. They are the secrets of the Father, hidden from the foundation of the world. They are hinted at throughout the Old Testament, but here, Jesus brings them to the forefront, and correctly interprets Old Testament history. All throughout the history of Israel and the Patriarchs, whenever we see God stepping in to move, it is always on the basis of the principles of the Kingdom, such as these. From the time of Adam and Eve, God moved on their mourning and gave them comfort in animal skins, and the promise of the coming of Messiah in the woman’s seed. In the slaying of Abel, Cain, then in poverty of Spirit and no longer rebellion, was given a mark to protect him from revenge. All through the Judges, when the Israelites finally reached poverty of Spirit, and called out to the Lord for long enough, He would come and deliver them. In the same way, all the miracles of the Bible, and every movement of God corresponded to what Jesus came and revealed as the heart of the Father, the way of love, and the way of peace. And, it was in the keeping of these selfsame principles that Jesus lived, and died, and so was redeemed by the Father. In this, the Father brought all of His power, and raised Him from the dead, and seated Him far above all else, with a name greater than all others in this age and the one to come. As such, we, too, should live in such a way, to glorify the Father, in submission to the Holy Spirit, and let Him live these principles through us in His power. It, truly, is not about our effort, but becoming humble enough, meek enough, and loving enough, through the removal of the stones, that we get to the bedrock of Matthew 7:24, and learn to live from the rock, Christ, His Spirit, within us, and no longer our flesh. This, then, is the Gospel: Christ within, the hope of glory.