My “I AM” list
Many people routinely prepare daily “To Do” Lists to direct their activities and point them to higher levels of efficiency. This practice encourages better time and task management and is not to be discredited.
I am increasingly convinced that there is great value to be gained from maintaining an “I AM” list. The “I AM” list should reflect those things that we want to believe about ourselves. It is a description of “the person that I am” – with modifications.
The modifications come in two basic forms. The first type involves deletion of the negative beliefs that we have about ourselves that limit our capacity for outstanding positive achievement.
The second set of modifications involves visualizing a transformed self that is anchored by positive character traits that we now hold to be true about ourselves.
The principles on which the “I AM” list is based are grounded on a deeper understanding of the role and impact of our self-image.
I quote from Maxwell Malt’s “The New Pscho-Cybernetics” because of the clarity of his presentation.
“By understanding your self-image and by learning to modify and manage it to suit your purposes, you gain incredible confidence and power.
Whether we realize it or not, each of us carries within us a mental blueprint or picture of ourselves. It may be vague and ill-defined to our conscious gaze. In fact, it may not be consciously recognizable at all. But it is there, complete down to the last detail. This self-image is our own conception of the “sort of person I am.” It has been built up from our own beliefs about ourselves. Most of these beliefs about ourselves have unconsciously been formed from our past experiences, our successes and failures, our humiliations, our triumphs, and the way other people have reacted to us, especially in early childhood. From all these we mentally construct a self (or picture of a self.). Once an idea or belief about ourselves goes into this picture it becomes “truth”, as far as we personally are concerned. We do not question its validity, but proceed to act upon it just as if it were true.
The self-image then controls what you can and cannot accomplish, what is difficult or easy for you, even how others respond to you just as certainly and scientifically as a thermostat controls the temperature in your home.
Specifically, all your actions, feelings, behaviour, even your abilities, are always consistent with this self-image. Note the word: always. In short, you will “act like” the sort of person you conceive yourself to be. More importantly, you literally cannot act otherwise, in spite of all your conscious efforts or willpower. (This is why trying to achieve something difficult with teeth gritted is a losing battle. Willpower is not the answer. Self-image management is.)
….. The person who perceives himself to be a “failure type person” will find some way to fail, in spite of all his good intentions or his willpower, even if opportunity is literally dumped in his lap.
…. The self-image is a “premise”, a base, or a foundation upon which your entire personality, your behaviour, and even your circumstances are built.
…. Obviously, it’s not enough to say “it’s all in your head”. In fact, that’s insulting. It is more productive to explain that “it” is based on certain ingrained, possibly hidden patterns of thought that, if altered, will free you to tap more of your potential and experience vastly different results. This brings me to the most important truth about the self-image: It can be changed.
…. “Positive thinking” cannot be used effectively as a patch to the same old self-image. In fact, it is literally impossible to really think positively about a particular situation, as long as you hold a negative concept of self. Numerous experiments have shown that, once the concept of self is changed, other things consistent with the new concept of self are accomplished easily and without strain.”
Your “I AM” list then will be a key determinant of how life unfolds for you. Its purpose is to help you to modify your self-image such that:
* You find your self acceptable.
* You can trust your self and believe in it
* You have wholesome self-esteem.
* You believe that you have creative freedom.
* You have an honest understanding of your strengths and areas that are not yet developed to your satisfaction.
* You break the pattern of negative concepts about yourself that limit your ability to achieve.
* You incorporate positive beliefs about yourself that allow you to consistently achieve positive results.
By now you will realize that a firmly ingrained “I AM” will automatically dictate and direct your “TO DOs”. “What we do” flows directly from “Who we are.” There is a certain inevitability with which the two factors seek alignment with each other. We either bring our actions in line with our self-image or our persistent actions will cause us to modify our self-image to match our behaviour.
Maltz: "When you see a thing clearly in your mind, your creative "success mechanism" within you takes over and does the job much better than you could do it by conscious effort or willpower". This is in support of the practice of "mental picturing" or "visualization" or "imagination practice" or "The Theater of Your Mind" or "Act as if".
Maltz explains: "This exercise builds new "memories" or stored data into your midbrain and central nervous system. It builds a new image of self. After practicing it for a time, you will be surprised to find yourself "acting differently", more or less automatically and spontaneously, without trying."
He recommends, for example, setting aside 30 minutes per day during which you imagine in vivid detail watching yourself on a large motion picture screen. If the imagination is vivid and detailed enough, your imagination practice is equivalent to an actual experience, insofar as your nervous system is concerned.
So, during the 30 minutes you see yourself acting and reacting appropriately, successfully, ideally. See yourself acting, feeling, being as you want to be. Do not say to yourself, "I am going to act this way tomorrow." Just say to yourself, "I am going to imagine myself acting this way now - for 30 minutes today."
Visualization is not a substitute for prayer. Neither is it anti-religion or unscriptural. It can be seen as an active manifestation of asking believing. You watch the things that you pray for unfold before your very eyes. The scriptures support that approach. "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matt 21:22
Be a proactive and consistent “I AM” list user for the entire month of January and see the difference in your life!
Use the list as the platform for your movie script. The movie that you will work on developing and playing over and over in the "Theater of Your Mind" in a relaxed state all through the month of January. Thereafter, your automatic success mechanism can be initiated at will.
Maltz: It comes into operation as you act and as you place a demand on it by your actions. You must not wait to act until you have proof. You must act as if it is there, and it will come through. "Do the thing and you will have the power," said Emerson.
Monday 31 December 2007
Sunday 16 December 2007
Back door to Heaven
Back door to Heaven
How many of you have a genuine desire to go to Hell?
There are jokes going the rounds about the best parties being in hell and that all the “in” people will be there. Also, many feel that all their friends will be there so that is the place to be.
Visions of flowing alcohol and riotous living are added to Hell’s appeal. So, do you deeply want to go to Hell?
What about Heaven…..do you genuinely want to go to Heaven?
A certain level of discipline will be expected of you. Some of the habits that you now have will be frowned upon. Many of the people that you know will not be there. Throwing tantrums or sulking off when you do not get your own way might not be viewed as being loving and will be considered unacceptable behaviour.
So, do you still deeply want to go to Heaven?
Well, if you are really, really earnest about going to Heaven I want to share with a secret strategy for getting into Heaven without any hassle. Interested?
I am going to share with you how to access a Back Door to Heaven.
You know that we do things differently and we have to find a way to beat the system. General rules and procedures are for other people. We march to a different tune.
So while others have to join the long line at the front and go through detailed processing I am here to tell you that there is a back door and I can get you through that back door.
If you think about it huge operations tend to have a special entrance for “Employees” or other classifications of persons. Well, it is the Employees’ entrance that that we will exploit. That is the avenue that we will use.
The big break is that to speed up the process, persons who are members of a select union can get in by merely showing a card that identifies them as bonafide members of that union.
Would any of you like to get one of those cards?
Well stay with me. I am here to tell you that getting one of those cards is so easy that it would be a shame if you were to end up not having one.
Friend in Hell: “But I thought you were interested in going to Heaven. How come you ended up here?”
You: “I was just careless. A man even showed me an easy way to get in and I don’t know….I just did not pay proper attention and look at me now.”
Do you want that to be your story? I think not.
So listen carefully and make sure you follow my advice. It has worked for many and it will work for you. So, here is how you get through the Back door to Heaven.
The key is to become an active, card bearing member of one branch of the recognized union. It is as simple as that. Just be an active member of the union and entrance through the back to Heaven is guaranteed.
Now watch this! Some branches of the union are so easy to join that it is really ridiculous that someone could actually miss Heaven by accident. You have to set out to go to hell not to make it to Heaven.
Believe it or not, there is one branch of the recognized union for hungry people! Yes, all you have to do is love your belly and you can be a member of that union branch. Sign me up!!!
Now if you think that I am being heretical and frivolous turn with me to Matthew 5. Where we find Jesus himself identifying a special set up people. People who have special privileges. I am calling those union members. Jesus called them “Blessed” and so I am saying that they are members of the Blessed Union.
“Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit” Matthew 5:1-13 By: Bob Deffinbaugh , Th.M. April 27, 2003154
“One of the key words we must deal with is the word “blessed” because it occurs over and over and over again. You will find that in a number of translations, the word is rendered “happy,” and there is a sense in which that is probably true. But, I think you have to say that the word “happy,” just because of the meaning we give to it today, is probably not the best word. In fact, you would have to say that those who mourn are not really happy. It’s hard to be both, so I reject as a preference making the emphasis on happiness, although there certainly is that.
If you want to be more “Piperian,” (John Piper) you would say that there is a sense in which there is always joy and delight—that’s always there, and I would certainly be willing to see that in this text. I’m with Hughes in his commentary when he says that probably the primary sense of the word “blessed” here is the sense of approval. It is saying that God has expressed His approval on these people. To be blessed is to be approved by God, and I think that probably fits my view as well.”
So, you see my point: I understand Jesus to be saying that if the characteristics that he lists become an active part of your trade – you will be approved by God - blessed. Members of the Blessed Union are approved by God.
Is it logical to expect that people who are approved by God will have a pass to get into Heaven? Of course!
Well then becoming an active member of the Blessed Union is your key to enter into Heaven.
Jesus identified branches of that union. I will not focus on all of them today.
One that jumps out at me is the one I mentioned: the branch for hungry people. It is nearing lunch time and so many of you might have being experiencing a rumbling in your stomachs. You might be thinking that starving yourself into Heaven is not really a favoured option.
Well, we are in fact talking about Matt 5: 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
This is saying to us that we will be approved by God (blessed) and qualified to get a pass into Heaven if we hunger and thirst after righteousness.
All you need to do to secure your place in Heaven is to make your mouth water after being obedient to God as you are about the rice and peas that you are looking forward to after the service.
Be persistent and consistent in your desire to see righteousness prevail. Be vigilant and committed to doing what is right and helping others to do what is right. If you keep that focus you get a “no line, no hassle pass” through the Back door to Heaven.
This requires you to start thinking about yourself in a different way. Stop throwing up your arms thinking that you are only human and therefore your many diversions away from righteous thinking and behvaviour are to be expected.
That kind of thinking will not lead you to the pass. You have to rub out that image and replace it with one that recognizes that you are empowered by God and that through Christ you can do all things.
Heb 3:12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. (NIV)
James 4: 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
Friends, what a refreshing thought. Just by being hungry consistently you can be approved by God and qualify for entry into Heaven. Let us now salivate for righteousness.
But believe it or not friends, there is another simple way to get in through the special Back door to Heaven.
Matt 5: 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Bob Deffinbaugh , Th.M. April 27, 2003
“Jesus talks about the poverty of spirit. He’s talking spiritual bankruptcy. The problem with the word “bankruptcy” and the concept of bankruptcy is that you’re not really broke at all. Currently, American Airlines is losing money, but the reason they talk about filing for bankruptcy is to protect their assets. That’s not spiritual bankruptcy.
When we declare spiritual bankruptcy, there is nothing left in the bank. There are no airplanes on the field; there are no pilots; there is no retirement fund; there is nothing. When we recognize our spiritual poverty, there is nothing there to protect or preserve. It’s gone, and indeed to be more accurate, there would be a huge debt. There would be this monumental debt with no resources to repay. This is the kind of poverty we have. Theologically, we’re talking about the doctrine of the depravity of man. Man has nothing to offer God that will equal, earn, or merit God’s righteousness.”
Rom 3: 10 As it is written:
"There is no one righteous, not even one; 11there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God. 12All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." 13"Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips."14"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." 15"Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16ruin and misery mark their ways, 17and the way of peace they do not know."
18"There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
“When Jesus talks about the poor in spirit, He’s talking about a select group, a subset of all those who are totally depraved, and that subset (that smaller group) is the group who knows it. It’s one thing to be broke; it’s one thing to be depraved; it’s one thing to have a load of sin and to be under God’s wrath. But is is quite another thing to recognize that we, apart from God’s grace and His mercy, are hopelessly lost in our sins and spiritual debt. These are the people who are not only spiritually bankrupt, but well aware of it.” Bob Deffinbaugh , Th.M. April 27, 2003
Luke 18: 9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about[a] himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' 13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' 14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
“Let’s talk about the implications of this for the gospel. As many commentators have noted, Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” is the foundation for all that is said in the Beatitudes. It is the foundation because spiritual poverty is the prerequisite for eternal life. Nobody gets into heaven who thinks they have cause to be there, other than Christ. Your hands have to be empty before they can be filled by Him. There must be nothing there.
This is not something that we do in and of ourselves. We do not empty ourselves; we do not make ourselves poor. We don’t even, in and of ourselves, recognize our poverty. That too is a work of God’s grace. It is evidence of God’s work in us that we see ourselves for who we are and therefore are willing to turn to Him because He has turned our hearts toward Him. We have nothing to bring to Him. We have nothing to lay claim to Him. We have nothing to cause God to act graciously in our behalf. It is all of His mercy; it is all of His grace.” Bob Deffinbaugh , Th.M. April 27, 2003
Friends, do you realize here that all that is required to get in through the special Back door to Heaven is to recognize that there is nothing that we can do? We only have to accept our helpless, sinful state and leave it to God’s grace. Christ assures that that if we find ourselves in that state where we recognize and accept our spiritual poverty we will win God’s approval. We become a card bearing member of the Blessed Union. The select group that is called out for special treatment.
But it gets even more interesting. Sometimes you get invited to becoming a member of this branch of the Blessed Union even against your will. Far from doing anything to get in you get in even when you resist. Sounds crazy but true.
Consider how Naaman was humbled by leprocy and Elisha to finally get to a state in which he could see God for who He really is.
Sometimes we have to be abased in order for us to humble ourselves and recognize the poverty of our spirit. It is only when the futility of our human arrogance stares us in the face that we come to a full stop and recognize the need for God’s grace.
So, maybe the next time we face hardship and calamity we should welcome it as a reminder of our need for God and our helplessness without His grace.
Sing: Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord. + Amazing grace.
Finally, we want to look at one other branch of the Blessed Union:
Matt: 5 10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Becoming an active member of the Persecuted Branch of the Blessed Union is another way to win God’s approval and gain safe passage into Heaven. Your task is simple. All you need to do is to actively and consistently defend the Gospel of Christ on earth.
You are guaranteed to face some form of persecution or reviling or false accusation if you defend the Gospel diligently. Then….that qualifies you to be called Blessed or approved of God. You are then a member of that select group that gets to spend eternity in Heaven with God.
Consider Stephen: Acts 7: 51"You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it." 54When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56"Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." 57At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.
Just by standing up for what you believe in and holding firm to your faith – no matter what the consequences – you put yourself in a position to be rewarded not only with a pass into Heaven but to receive great rewards when you get there.
I am reluctant to share my personal strategy for selfish reasons. But, that is not a good spirit so here goes.
I believe that when you are choosing a career you should look for an area where the skills are in great demand. Also, the demand should be great wherever you go in the world. Then the next thing is that despite the high demand there should always be a shortage of people with the skills.
One thing about me is that I do not like to join long lines. So taking all these things into consideration my first choice branch will be the Peacemakers branch of the Blessed Union.
[Secretly, my plan is to join ALL the branches just to make sure that I can get in, but I think the Peacemakers line will be the shortest one.]
Just think about it. From the earliest of times right up until today, there has been the need for peacemakers yet there is a consistent shortage. Peacemakers are needed right across the globe.
Amazingly, the requirements of the profession are not onerous. Anyone can get into the Peacemakers branch. First of all, you just have to have a calm spirit yourself. This is easier if you have high self esteem. If you accept who are and are comfortable with yourself then you are not going to be easily offended. That way you can overlook provocations and maintain the peace.
Another thing is for you to dislike being around conflict and strife. So that whenever you see that strife is about to take place you immediately jump into action to prevent it. You try to get the parties to look at things from another angle. Or you get them to clarify their actions or to make required adjustments.
It really is so easy to do!
Although I would hate for the line to get too long, I would really encourage you this morning to start out on a career as a Peacemakers. Focus on that night and day. Be always on the alert to hone your skills as a peacemaker more and more everyday. I promise that you will be filled with perpetual joy and you will have a pass to get in through the Back door to Heaven. And…through the shortest line….”no wait, no hassle”.
Now, before you run off I need to make it clear that you can only join the Blessed Union if you meet a pre-condition. Entry is only available to Christians. A Christian is one who has obeyed the Gospel and put on Christ. Access to Heaven is gained only through Jesus the Christ.
A review of all the conversions in the New Testament and supporting passages point to the following process for putting on Christ:
We must hear the good news of Jesus, His atoning sacrifice for our sins and His resurrection. Rom 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
You must also believe the good news.
Heb 11: 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Faith is not enough. We are called to act on our belief and to make a decision to no longer let sin reign in our lives but to seek to live in obedience to God. This is the very important act of repentance.
Luke 13: 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
You then have to confess Jesus as Lord of your life. This is a public declaration of your belief that Jesus is the Son of the Living God:
Rom 10: 8-10 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Another major step is that you must be baptized for the removal of our sins. This is a step that is either left out completely or is comprised in attempts to make salvation more convenient.
Gal 3:26 For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ.
1 Peter 3: 17 It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19 through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
At that point you have put on Christ and you are in Christ. Many opportunities are now opened to you. One is that you are added to His Church. There you are able to access the exclusive blessings that are in Christ. Now your soul is protected by the atoning blood of Jesus, the Christ.
Baptism comes from the Greek baptizo which means to immerse. Sprinkling and immersion are not the same thing. We have to ask if God who is fussy about the kind of fire that is used to light sacrifices to Him and who will punish one of His leaders for using a tried and proven method to get water for his people will notice the difference. Is it worth it to take the chance? Why not just do what He commands, however childish and petty it may appear to our human minds?
If you are here today and you are in any doubt about whether you are in Christ, do not delay, do something about it now.
If you have questions as to whether the process for putting on Christ that you have gone through is in keeping with what I have just outlined, make a commitment to investigate your status fully. We are willing to have someone go through any questions you may have.
If you have not been immersed for the remission/removal of your sins, then I urge you to do so before it is eternally too late.
If you are a Christian, commit today to becoming a member of one or more branches of the Blessed Union. There is a special “no line, no hassle” entrance waiting for you.
Step up now and make your calling and election sure! See you over there!
How many of you have a genuine desire to go to Hell?
There are jokes going the rounds about the best parties being in hell and that all the “in” people will be there. Also, many feel that all their friends will be there so that is the place to be.
Visions of flowing alcohol and riotous living are added to Hell’s appeal. So, do you deeply want to go to Hell?
What about Heaven…..do you genuinely want to go to Heaven?
A certain level of discipline will be expected of you. Some of the habits that you now have will be frowned upon. Many of the people that you know will not be there. Throwing tantrums or sulking off when you do not get your own way might not be viewed as being loving and will be considered unacceptable behaviour.
So, do you still deeply want to go to Heaven?
Well, if you are really, really earnest about going to Heaven I want to share with a secret strategy for getting into Heaven without any hassle. Interested?
I am going to share with you how to access a Back Door to Heaven.
You know that we do things differently and we have to find a way to beat the system. General rules and procedures are for other people. We march to a different tune.
So while others have to join the long line at the front and go through detailed processing I am here to tell you that there is a back door and I can get you through that back door.
If you think about it huge operations tend to have a special entrance for “Employees” or other classifications of persons. Well, it is the Employees’ entrance that that we will exploit. That is the avenue that we will use.
The big break is that to speed up the process, persons who are members of a select union can get in by merely showing a card that identifies them as bonafide members of that union.
Would any of you like to get one of those cards?
Well stay with me. I am here to tell you that getting one of those cards is so easy that it would be a shame if you were to end up not having one.
Friend in Hell: “But I thought you were interested in going to Heaven. How come you ended up here?”
You: “I was just careless. A man even showed me an easy way to get in and I don’t know….I just did not pay proper attention and look at me now.”
Do you want that to be your story? I think not.
So listen carefully and make sure you follow my advice. It has worked for many and it will work for you. So, here is how you get through the Back door to Heaven.
The key is to become an active, card bearing member of one branch of the recognized union. It is as simple as that. Just be an active member of the union and entrance through the back to Heaven is guaranteed.
Now watch this! Some branches of the union are so easy to join that it is really ridiculous that someone could actually miss Heaven by accident. You have to set out to go to hell not to make it to Heaven.
Believe it or not, there is one branch of the recognized union for hungry people! Yes, all you have to do is love your belly and you can be a member of that union branch. Sign me up!!!
Now if you think that I am being heretical and frivolous turn with me to Matthew 5. Where we find Jesus himself identifying a special set up people. People who have special privileges. I am calling those union members. Jesus called them “Blessed” and so I am saying that they are members of the Blessed Union.
“Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit” Matthew 5:1-13 By: Bob Deffinbaugh , Th.M. April 27, 2003154
“One of the key words we must deal with is the word “blessed” because it occurs over and over and over again. You will find that in a number of translations, the word is rendered “happy,” and there is a sense in which that is probably true. But, I think you have to say that the word “happy,” just because of the meaning we give to it today, is probably not the best word. In fact, you would have to say that those who mourn are not really happy. It’s hard to be both, so I reject as a preference making the emphasis on happiness, although there certainly is that.
If you want to be more “Piperian,” (John Piper) you would say that there is a sense in which there is always joy and delight—that’s always there, and I would certainly be willing to see that in this text. I’m with Hughes in his commentary when he says that probably the primary sense of the word “blessed” here is the sense of approval. It is saying that God has expressed His approval on these people. To be blessed is to be approved by God, and I think that probably fits my view as well.”
So, you see my point: I understand Jesus to be saying that if the characteristics that he lists become an active part of your trade – you will be approved by God - blessed. Members of the Blessed Union are approved by God.
Is it logical to expect that people who are approved by God will have a pass to get into Heaven? Of course!
Well then becoming an active member of the Blessed Union is your key to enter into Heaven.
Jesus identified branches of that union. I will not focus on all of them today.
One that jumps out at me is the one I mentioned: the branch for hungry people. It is nearing lunch time and so many of you might have being experiencing a rumbling in your stomachs. You might be thinking that starving yourself into Heaven is not really a favoured option.
Well, we are in fact talking about Matt 5: 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
This is saying to us that we will be approved by God (blessed) and qualified to get a pass into Heaven if we hunger and thirst after righteousness.
All you need to do to secure your place in Heaven is to make your mouth water after being obedient to God as you are about the rice and peas that you are looking forward to after the service.
Be persistent and consistent in your desire to see righteousness prevail. Be vigilant and committed to doing what is right and helping others to do what is right. If you keep that focus you get a “no line, no hassle pass” through the Back door to Heaven.
This requires you to start thinking about yourself in a different way. Stop throwing up your arms thinking that you are only human and therefore your many diversions away from righteous thinking and behvaviour are to be expected.
That kind of thinking will not lead you to the pass. You have to rub out that image and replace it with one that recognizes that you are empowered by God and that through Christ you can do all things.
Heb 3:12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. (NIV)
James 4: 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
Friends, what a refreshing thought. Just by being hungry consistently you can be approved by God and qualify for entry into Heaven. Let us now salivate for righteousness.
But believe it or not friends, there is another simple way to get in through the special Back door to Heaven.
Matt 5: 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Bob Deffinbaugh , Th.M. April 27, 2003
“Jesus talks about the poverty of spirit. He’s talking spiritual bankruptcy. The problem with the word “bankruptcy” and the concept of bankruptcy is that you’re not really broke at all. Currently, American Airlines is losing money, but the reason they talk about filing for bankruptcy is to protect their assets. That’s not spiritual bankruptcy.
When we declare spiritual bankruptcy, there is nothing left in the bank. There are no airplanes on the field; there are no pilots; there is no retirement fund; there is nothing. When we recognize our spiritual poverty, there is nothing there to protect or preserve. It’s gone, and indeed to be more accurate, there would be a huge debt. There would be this monumental debt with no resources to repay. This is the kind of poverty we have. Theologically, we’re talking about the doctrine of the depravity of man. Man has nothing to offer God that will equal, earn, or merit God’s righteousness.”
Rom 3: 10 As it is written:
"There is no one righteous, not even one; 11there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God. 12All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." 13"Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips."14"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." 15"Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16ruin and misery mark their ways, 17and the way of peace they do not know."
18"There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
“When Jesus talks about the poor in spirit, He’s talking about a select group, a subset of all those who are totally depraved, and that subset (that smaller group) is the group who knows it. It’s one thing to be broke; it’s one thing to be depraved; it’s one thing to have a load of sin and to be under God’s wrath. But is is quite another thing to recognize that we, apart from God’s grace and His mercy, are hopelessly lost in our sins and spiritual debt. These are the people who are not only spiritually bankrupt, but well aware of it.” Bob Deffinbaugh , Th.M. April 27, 2003
Luke 18: 9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about[a] himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' 13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' 14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
“Let’s talk about the implications of this for the gospel. As many commentators have noted, Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” is the foundation for all that is said in the Beatitudes. It is the foundation because spiritual poverty is the prerequisite for eternal life. Nobody gets into heaven who thinks they have cause to be there, other than Christ. Your hands have to be empty before they can be filled by Him. There must be nothing there.
This is not something that we do in and of ourselves. We do not empty ourselves; we do not make ourselves poor. We don’t even, in and of ourselves, recognize our poverty. That too is a work of God’s grace. It is evidence of God’s work in us that we see ourselves for who we are and therefore are willing to turn to Him because He has turned our hearts toward Him. We have nothing to bring to Him. We have nothing to lay claim to Him. We have nothing to cause God to act graciously in our behalf. It is all of His mercy; it is all of His grace.” Bob Deffinbaugh , Th.M. April 27, 2003
Friends, do you realize here that all that is required to get in through the special Back door to Heaven is to recognize that there is nothing that we can do? We only have to accept our helpless, sinful state and leave it to God’s grace. Christ assures that that if we find ourselves in that state where we recognize and accept our spiritual poverty we will win God’s approval. We become a card bearing member of the Blessed Union. The select group that is called out for special treatment.
But it gets even more interesting. Sometimes you get invited to becoming a member of this branch of the Blessed Union even against your will. Far from doing anything to get in you get in even when you resist. Sounds crazy but true.
Consider how Naaman was humbled by leprocy and Elisha to finally get to a state in which he could see God for who He really is.
Sometimes we have to be abased in order for us to humble ourselves and recognize the poverty of our spirit. It is only when the futility of our human arrogance stares us in the face that we come to a full stop and recognize the need for God’s grace.
So, maybe the next time we face hardship and calamity we should welcome it as a reminder of our need for God and our helplessness without His grace.
Sing: Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord. + Amazing grace.
Finally, we want to look at one other branch of the Blessed Union:
Matt: 5 10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Becoming an active member of the Persecuted Branch of the Blessed Union is another way to win God’s approval and gain safe passage into Heaven. Your task is simple. All you need to do is to actively and consistently defend the Gospel of Christ on earth.
You are guaranteed to face some form of persecution or reviling or false accusation if you defend the Gospel diligently. Then….that qualifies you to be called Blessed or approved of God. You are then a member of that select group that gets to spend eternity in Heaven with God.
Consider Stephen: Acts 7: 51"You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it." 54When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56"Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." 57At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.
Just by standing up for what you believe in and holding firm to your faith – no matter what the consequences – you put yourself in a position to be rewarded not only with a pass into Heaven but to receive great rewards when you get there.
I am reluctant to share my personal strategy for selfish reasons. But, that is not a good spirit so here goes.
I believe that when you are choosing a career you should look for an area where the skills are in great demand. Also, the demand should be great wherever you go in the world. Then the next thing is that despite the high demand there should always be a shortage of people with the skills.
One thing about me is that I do not like to join long lines. So taking all these things into consideration my first choice branch will be the Peacemakers branch of the Blessed Union.
[Secretly, my plan is to join ALL the branches just to make sure that I can get in, but I think the Peacemakers line will be the shortest one.]
Just think about it. From the earliest of times right up until today, there has been the need for peacemakers yet there is a consistent shortage. Peacemakers are needed right across the globe.
Amazingly, the requirements of the profession are not onerous. Anyone can get into the Peacemakers branch. First of all, you just have to have a calm spirit yourself. This is easier if you have high self esteem. If you accept who are and are comfortable with yourself then you are not going to be easily offended. That way you can overlook provocations and maintain the peace.
Another thing is for you to dislike being around conflict and strife. So that whenever you see that strife is about to take place you immediately jump into action to prevent it. You try to get the parties to look at things from another angle. Or you get them to clarify their actions or to make required adjustments.
It really is so easy to do!
Although I would hate for the line to get too long, I would really encourage you this morning to start out on a career as a Peacemakers. Focus on that night and day. Be always on the alert to hone your skills as a peacemaker more and more everyday. I promise that you will be filled with perpetual joy and you will have a pass to get in through the Back door to Heaven. And…through the shortest line….”no wait, no hassle”.
Now, before you run off I need to make it clear that you can only join the Blessed Union if you meet a pre-condition. Entry is only available to Christians. A Christian is one who has obeyed the Gospel and put on Christ. Access to Heaven is gained only through Jesus the Christ.
A review of all the conversions in the New Testament and supporting passages point to the following process for putting on Christ:
We must hear the good news of Jesus, His atoning sacrifice for our sins and His resurrection. Rom 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
You must also believe the good news.
Heb 11: 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Faith is not enough. We are called to act on our belief and to make a decision to no longer let sin reign in our lives but to seek to live in obedience to God. This is the very important act of repentance.
Luke 13: 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
You then have to confess Jesus as Lord of your life. This is a public declaration of your belief that Jesus is the Son of the Living God:
Rom 10: 8-10 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Another major step is that you must be baptized for the removal of our sins. This is a step that is either left out completely or is comprised in attempts to make salvation more convenient.
Gal 3:26 For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ.
1 Peter 3: 17 It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19 through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
At that point you have put on Christ and you are in Christ. Many opportunities are now opened to you. One is that you are added to His Church. There you are able to access the exclusive blessings that are in Christ. Now your soul is protected by the atoning blood of Jesus, the Christ.
Baptism comes from the Greek baptizo which means to immerse. Sprinkling and immersion are not the same thing. We have to ask if God who is fussy about the kind of fire that is used to light sacrifices to Him and who will punish one of His leaders for using a tried and proven method to get water for his people will notice the difference. Is it worth it to take the chance? Why not just do what He commands, however childish and petty it may appear to our human minds?
If you are here today and you are in any doubt about whether you are in Christ, do not delay, do something about it now.
If you have questions as to whether the process for putting on Christ that you have gone through is in keeping with what I have just outlined, make a commitment to investigate your status fully. We are willing to have someone go through any questions you may have.
If you have not been immersed for the remission/removal of your sins, then I urge you to do so before it is eternally too late.
If you are a Christian, commit today to becoming a member of one or more branches of the Blessed Union. There is a special “no line, no hassle” entrance waiting for you.
Step up now and make your calling and election sure! See you over there!
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