Matthew 5:5 - 2010.07.30

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” — Matthew 5:5

At almost every turn the doctrine of Christ contradicts the philosophy of man. Proud man would say, ‘might makes right;’ ‘The mighty will inherit the earth.’ How men need to be reminded that the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof! He will decide, in a day to come, how the inheritance will be divided.

Meekness is defined in terms of patience, humility and gentleness. It is a quality not usually associated with conquest, but we may need to be reminded again that with God the way up is down. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts [Isa. 55:8-9].” Under Satan’s government the ways of God have been inverted. Under Christ’s, they are restored to divine order. That order should be reflected in the church.

The emphasis upon the quality of meekness did not originate in the Sermon on the Mount. The Holy Spirit had conveyed it long before through the Psalmist in a passage that not only enjoins meekness, but elaborates on it:

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace [Psalm 37:7-11].”

Meekness rests in the Lord, exercises patience, does not fret and can wait for God to fulfill His promise. Its absence results in restlessness, impatience, irritability and anger, and frustration.

Meekness is not weakness, for Moses, who was anything but weak, is described in scripture as “very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth [Num. 12:3].” Given that description, it is important to note that when Moses momentarily allowed rashness to supersede meekness, he struck the rock, grieving the Spirit of God, and it cost him the privilege of entering into the land of promise. (See Num. 20:7-12)

Meekness is a spiritual quality, characteristic of Christ, Who said, “I am meek and lowly of heart [Mt. 11:29].” It is urged upon believers repeatedly in the New Testament. The spiritual man is urged to restore the wayward believer “in the spirit of meekness [Gal. 6:1]”; believers generally are commanded to walk “with all lowliness and meekness” as necessary to maintaining unity in the church [Eph. 4:2]”; it is to temper our exhortation and reproof of “those that oppose themselves [II Tim. 2:25]”; wives are urged to adorn themselves with “a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price [I Pet. 3:4].” Indeed, meekness is affirmed as essential to our appropriation of the word of God (See Jas. 1:21), and required for translating “knowledge” into “wisdom” (Jas. 3:13). Finally, it is the quality that is to accompany our witness for Christ (I Pet. 3:15).

So large an emphasis makes evident the imperative of meekness in the life of the believer. But, it does not come naturally, nor do any of the virtues commended in the Beatitudes. These are supernatural graces demanding the indwelling presence and government of the Holy Spirit for their realization in our disposition. “The fruit of the Spirit is…meekness [Gal. 5:22-23].” It is not developed by striving, but by surrendering to the Lordship of Christ and abiding in Him.

The heritage of the meek is declared, “they shall inherit the earth,” so stated in both Testaments. If God says a thing once, you had better believe it; if He says it twice, you ought never to forget it! When Satan tempted the Savior he sought to lure Him into a shortcut: “…the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine [Luke 4:5-7].” Those who would inherit the earth now may take that route, but need to remember it will be of short duration. The meek will “wait upon the Lord,” and gain it forever.

“The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD…” Isa. 29:19

For His glory and our good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Matthew 5:4 - 2010.07.24

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” — Matt. 5:4

We live today in a world where “fun” is a synonym for “life.” Even in the church and among believers, “having a good time” is deemed the essence of satisfaction. I read but today the comment of a leader of a certain ministry aimed at seeking to reach youngsters with the gospel who said, “We try to make our program fun.” No doubt that is not all bad, and I am aware that the scripture says, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” The question, of course, is how the heart is to be made “merry,” or “cheerful,” as another version renders it.

In any case, the text before us today approaches life from another perspective, as is often the case with the Savior’s teaching, and one reason why it is often unpopular. He declares, “Blessed are they that mourn…” That, it would seem, is the diametrical opposite of being “merry.”

The question in the previous beatitude is, does He mean to cite material poverty, or a humble disposition. I take the view that He is focusing particularly on a lowly disposition. Here a similar question arises; does He mean those who suffer some loss that grieves and saddens them, or those who are of a sorrowful temperament born of a sobering view of life as it is in the world today? Certainly the latter is to be preferred. If one were to choose the former, then we would have to conclude that every one who loses a loved one or experiences some other kind of disaster is “blessed,” which can hardly be His intent.

It is my judgment that the Savior is referring to those who see life as it really is, and as a result have a burdened heart for the consequences here and hereafter. To truly understand the human condition and where it is leading this present world is a sobering experience. The Savior Himself is described as “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,” a statement in which His temporal circumstances were undoubtedly in view. Only twice in the gospels is it mentioned that Jesus wept. One occasion was at the tomb of Lazarus. There He “groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,” and subsequently “Jesus wept.” The assembly of the Jews who had come to mourn with Mary and Martha attributed His tears to a broken heart saying, “Behold how He loved him.” It is possible however, when the incident is seen in the whole context, that He really was weeping over the unbelief that injected so much sorrow into the situation, for shortly he said to Martha, “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” (See John 11:32-44)

The second account of Jesus’ weeping is over the city of Jerusalem.

And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation [Luke 19:41-44].

Clearly His mourning here is because of His insight into what was awaiting the city of Jerusalem down history’s road. And Jerusalem’s tragic future is but a picture of the future of this lost and dying world apart from Christ. The saddest thing in the world is not death, or the death of a loved one; it is to die without a Savior! For “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment [Heb. 9:27].” To believe and know this and watch this frivolous world playing its way to inevitable, eternal ruin, is a sobering experience. And they who perceive this are those who “mourn” in the spiritual sense. It makes “preachers of righteousness” like Noah who could foresee the flood coming, prepared an ark for the saving of his house and sought to warn those who in “the days that were before the flood…were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that [he] entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away.” That kind of ministry is heartbreaking for those who enter into it.

Those who are thus exercised will be like Moses who chose “rather to suffer affliction with the people of God” in Egypt, “for he had respect unto the recompence of reward [Heb. 11:25-26].” Those who thus “mourn” now will be comforted in the day of Christ’s appearing. Those whose focus now is to “eat, drink and be merry” will be the mourners in that day.

“The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.” — Eccl. 7:4

For His glory and our good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Matthew 5:3 - 2010.07.18

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” —Matthew 5:3

In a bit of departure from our usual approach, I plan to spend the next several weeks looking at the beatitudes, a catalogue of eight virtues upon which the Savior has already bestowed His blessing, and suited to be woven into the spiritual garment of every believer in the God of the bible.

This first is made more challenging by reason of the fact that Luke’s rendering is simply, “Blessed are the poor…” ; but, there is no inherent virtue in material poverty. Some are poor by reason of indolence. “How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man [Prov. 6:9-11].” Some are poor because of careless living. “He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich [Prov. 21:17].” Some are poor because they will not listen to wise counsel. “Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured [Prov. 13:18].” And some allow poverty to become an excuse for dishonest behavior and even blasphemy. “Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain [Prov. 30:7-9, my italics].”

Clearly, the modifying phrase in Matthew explains the kind of “poverty” the Lord has in mind, citing a disposition, or “spirit,” which may be found in some men of means as well as in the indigent. And the Savior here echoes the prophet Isaiah: “…to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word [Isa. 66:2b].” And, “…thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones [Isa. 57:15].”

Whether materially poor or not, it is this spirit of humility, manifest before God and man, that comes under the banner of “blessed.” Job manifested it when, bereft of family and fortune and belittled by his friends he said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” And, it was evident in David the king whose voice in the Psalms is so often one of humility. Its counterpoint is seen in king Saul to whom Samuel said, ‘When you were little in your own sight…the Lord anointed you king over Israel,’ but when position generated pride, he lost the kingdom.

The “poor in spirit” measure their worth not by the things which they possess, but by the divine standard. These first discover their spiritual bankruptcy and need of God’s grace. Making application by faith to the treasury of heaven, they become ‘joint heirs with Christ,’ and thus ‘heir of all things.’ Whether their material circumstances are prosperous or impoverished, there is an awareness that all comes from God and they maintain an attitude of humility that is evident in the way they deal with others around them.

Arrogance and pride are foreign to those who are poor in spirit, and they handle prosperity or poverty with equal grace. David could say from his throne, “Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation; And thy right hand hath holden me up, And thy gentleness hath made me great [Ps. 18:35].” The apostle Paul, on the other hand, declared himself as “having nothing, yet possessing all things [II Cor. 6:10].” The disposition is the same in either case.

How blessed indeed, is that church where rich and poor alike are characterized as “poor in spirit,” so that there is neither an air of superiority on the one hand nor jealousy and envy on the other. Both are investors in the kingdom of heaven and look forward to an equal share in “the glory of God.”

“Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” –James 2:5

For treasure in heaven,

"Pastor" Frasier

Matthew 5 - 2010.07.11

“Blessed is the man…“ — Psalm 1:1a; (Mat. 5:3-11)

Our envisioned plan for the next several weeks is to consider the Beatitudes. With that in mind, however, it seems appropriate to consider first the significance of the word “blessed.” In the most familiar version, and in many of the more recent translations “happy” is used as a synonym. It is also widely used by the commentators. In my judgment that is an unfortunate choice, despite the fact that our English dictionaries and many greek dictionaries offer the same option as a primary alternative for “blessed.”

“Happy,” is related to happiness and is dependent upon circumstances. If our circumstances are favorable to our state of being, we are happy; if not, we are unhappy. Blessedness, as the term is generally employed in scripture, is a condition that prevails whether we are in “happy” circumstances or not. Happiness is feeling oriented; blessedness is a divine bestowment. At least one dictionary consulted offers, well down its list of options, “enjoying the favor of heaven.” That, I believe, is the best choice, especially as the word is used in Psalm 1 and in the beatitudes. “Favored of God” would be my personal paraphrase.

So we would read the opening of Psalm 1, “Favored of God is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” Here the blessing of God is drawn in terms of what a man does not do. Contrary to the opinion of some in this day of shallow thinking and spiritual superficiality, there are some negatives in a valid spiritual experience. Though we are not under the law of Moses, the New Testament scriptures make it abundantly evident that there are some things believers cannot do and still enjoy the favor of God. There is still a great divide between righteousness and ungodliness, and grace has not erased that divide. There is a “walk” that is “worthy of the Lord,” and there is a walk that disgraces His Name and grieves the Holy Spirit without Whom the individual is “none of His.” (See Rom. 8:1-9)

The Beatitudes “fill in the blanks,” as it were left by the Psalmist, defining certain characteristics of the soul that enjoys not merely God’s forgiveness, but His approbation. These are not natural traits, but qualities imparted and cultivated by the Holy Spirit in those who have yielded to His Lordship in their lives. Reflected upon, they are distinguishing marks of a people for whom “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” have become alien territory. Together they constitute a badge of distinction in those who are so abiding in Christ that they “walk, even as He walked” (Cf. I John 2:6). “Blessed is the man that walketh…”

Through grace God grants salvation from sin to all who call upon the name of Christ in sincerity and truth. But He bestows His favor on those thus converted who are abiding in Christ; whose character and conduct are being “conformed to His image.” Some of those elements are highlighted in the Beatitudes.

It is not by accident that when in Psalm 1 the Psalmist moves from the negative to the positive he touches upon the great resource by which the soul is informed and fashioned in likeness to Christ. “His delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.” As protracted exposure to sunlight changes the color of a man’s skin, so continued exposure to the light of the word of God changes a man’s appearance before the “watching world,” and that not only in terms of what a man is not, and hence does not do, but in reference to what a man is and how, in consequence, he behaves. The difference between sunlight and Sonlight is that the former changes only the external appearance. The light of the word of God, on the other hand, effects a change from the inside out. The blessed man not only appears to be different, he is different!

The question, then, that the earnest believer ought to ask when meditating on this significant term is, “Do I qualify as “blessed?” Its answer cannot be found in terms of “happiness,” as even a casual survey of the beatitudes will make evident, but rather, does my life reflect the character and disposition of the Savior which is, after all, the real significance of this short, sharp discourse in the “Sermon on the Mount.” That does not major in “happiness,” but in holiness!

For His glory and our good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 150 - 2010.07.03

"Praise ye the LORD.

Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.

Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.

Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.

Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.” —Psalm 150

This Psalm is the climax of the Psalter, and it consists entirely of a call to worship. It anticipates the day when the whole creation, now “subject to vanity,” will be “delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God [Rom. 8:19-23].”

In that day the entire universe will be incorporated into a grand symphony orchestra and a glorious chorus, animated by the spirit of God to sound in unbroken harmony the praises of our Creator and Redeemer. Every verse in this short Psalm is punctuated with calls to praise the Lord. It is the Divine “Hallelujah chorus.”

Observe where He will be praised—in His sanctuary. That is, I believe, the earth, purified and brought back into alignment with His perfect will, a splendid meeting place for fellowship between the Creator and the redeemed creature. And, in the firmament of His power. That is, in heaven itself. All creation will reverberate with tribute to His majesty.

Observe why He will be praised: “For His mighty acts.” That is, for His great twofold enterprise of creation and redemption. But more than that, He will be praised for “His excellent greatness.” On the one hand, for what He has done; on the other, for Who He is. “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me… [Isa. 46:9].” In turn the Holy Spirit, through the apostle Paul, anticipates a day when the Redeemer has finished His reign and “the last enemy,”death, will be forever destroyed. Then, “When all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all (See I Cor. 15.24-28!)” This is the day anticipated here. There has been no spectacle on earth that can compare to it.

And how will it be rendered? With instruments of music, “the timbrel and dance,” [v. 3-5] and a choir composed of “everything that has breath.” As we noted a few weeks ago, there are voices in creation that our ears have never heard which will be joined with those with which we are more or less familiar to sing the praises of Him Who alone is worthy. It will incorporate things the eye has never seen and the ear has never heard in a celebration such as the world has never known.

Will you be there?

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire [Rev. 20:11-15].”

To be found “written in the book of life” requires a personal faith in the Son of God Who loved us and gave Himself for us. You know about Him, but do you know Him. You may have a religion that focuses on Him, but do you have a relationship with Him that motivates and conditions your behavior?

“Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city [Rev. 22:14].”

You cannot buy a ticket to this Glorious Event. But, you can obtain a free pass if you will repent and believe the Gospel, receiving Jesus Christ into your heart by faith. For “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”

“Praise the Savior, ye who know Him,"

"Pastor" Frasier