10. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - Persecution Part 1

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12)

We as the church need to think about this. Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:12, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” The operative word is “will.” What does “will” mean? If we promise that we will do something, then we are expected to do it. If we are driving toward a brick building and do not apply the brakes, the law of dynamics states that we will crash into it. There is no other way out.

To me, 2 Timothy 3:12 sounds like a spiritual law: “Everyone who desires to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Note there are no “ifs” or “maybes.” The question that bothered me was why many Christians appear not to be persecuted. This led me to a few more questions:

1.   What is a godly life that leads to being persecuted?       

2.  What do godly Christians do that causes them to be persecuted? What causes the world to hate Christians so much that they desire to persecute them?

3.  What is persecution and who does it?

What is a godly life that leads to being persecuted?

What is holiness? Holiness and godly life are synonymous. Godly or holy people live a life separated for God, put aside for His purposes, doing His bidding only. A godly person does not have much time and energy left for worldly desires, materialism, and self-importance.

Have you realized how much time we spend keeping up our standards of living and maintaining our image? It does not leave us much time to do God's bidding.

What is God's bidding? It is to do Jesus' commands—all of them, to the letter—including some from the Old Testament. What percentage of His commands do we obey on a daily basis? Are we His witnesses? Do we give, do we walk the second mile, do we lend without expecting back, do we preach the gospel in and out of season? Do we pray without ceasing, do we love our neighbor as we love ourselves, do we worry, and do we exercise our gifts and use our talents? We need to read the gospels and not forget that the epistles are also indirectly Jesus’ commands, since He inspired the writers.

A godly life means that the enemy, Satan, is going to hate you as much as he hates God. Imagine this creature who thought he was close to being the ruler of the universe, only one step away from replacing God on His throne. He was taken by the collar and thrown, like a dog, right out of that Kingdom which he thought was almost his. His humiliation and disillusionment are good reasons to hate.

Ever since then, he has been like a strong-willed animal forced to submit to the One who rid him of his self-esteem, glory, and self-respect. There he was, mumbling and grumbling, hating God as well as those whom God has given authority over him. Moreover, if Satan hates people who are like God, those who are like Satan will also hate godly people. Satan instigates his people to persecute those he hates. To be continued.

For children and adults who are prepared to learn in a childlike way.

9. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - How to make Peace

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9)

The natural inclination of man is self-importance and defensiveness of his own interests. He fights for what is rightfully his. That is why the whole world is now focused on human rights. Wars are fought and court cases are heard because man must defend his rights. In the Kingdom of God, it is completely different. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said if you do not forgive others, God won’t forgive you. He also taught that if a brother has anything against you, it is your duty to go and make it right with him.

These are the qualities of a peacemaker. A peacemaker is a person who desires peace and exercises and promotes forgiveness and communication in order to have peace. Usually, s/he lives a self-sacrificial life, regularly denying their own rights, views, and opinions for the sake of peace.

Our scripture states that such people will be called sons of God. Why? It is because God’s nature is peace and love. All Christians, or children of God, have to be peacemakers. Peacemaking should come naturally for them. Thinking in terms of family life, however, there is a distinction between a child and a son. A son is a child who takes responsibility, who has proved himself to be reliable. He cares more for the parents’ and others’ needs than for his own. Similarly, children of God are at different levels of peacemaking. Immature, young Christians may still be very self-centered, but as they grow in faith, the focus gradually shifts from self to the Lord and others. Then they take on peacemaking as an attribute. They are called sons of God.

A peacemaker is someone who does not gossip, does not hate, does not speak death and condemnation through being critical, but seeks and speaks peace and reconciliation into every situation, declaring the skill and advantage of being the least into every situation. A peacemaker should for example always find the good about a gossip victim and heap burning coals on the heads of the gossips (Romans 12:20) by reminding them of that good.

If you don’t do these things (making peace as mentioned above), are you a Christian? Yes, if you are born again, you are a Christian regardless of your sins (remember the previous beatitude), but you probably still are an immature child. However, a good son is like the Father. God desires peace and unity within His global church even more than the devil works to create division. It is up to each individual Christian to make peace instead of becoming part of the division. Our selfish nature prompts us first to look after our own interests, but our sonship with Father God prompts us to seek His interests: peace and unity.

For children and adults who are prepared to learn in a childlike way.

8. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - Who will see God?

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8)

The Greek word for pure means to be free from corrupt desire, sin, guilt and from being false.  It means to be sincere, genuine, and blameless.

In Jesus, we are already all of the above, but what about our actions and attitudes? What does God see? Purity is more powerfully manifested in man’s heart attitude rather than in deeds or outward appearance. A man may appear lovely and very Christian, but in his heart he may seek only self-satisfaction in terms of power, money, etc.

The word “pure” does not refer to an absence of sin as much as it does to corruptness or falseness versus sincerity and genuineness. If the attitude of our heart is pure, we show God that He is everything to us, that we love Him and need Him to overcome our weaknesses. We have no hidden agendas or selfish ambitions. God can trust us enough to reveal Himself to us in spite of the fact that we still battle with the flesh and sin.

Abraham, the father of our faith, for example, was a coward, and he acted “impurely” on a number of occasions. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress (Genesis 16:4). Although Sarah (due to a lack of faith) gave Hagar to Abraham as his wife, he should never have taken her. The cause of his behaviour was his lack of faith in God’s promise. He’s the father of the faith. Where is the faith? 

God, however, in his mercy, love, and faithfulness, met with Abraham: “But God said to him, ‘Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring’” (Genesis 21:12, 13).

In another example, Abraham feared Abimelech and lied: “And there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, ‘She is my sister.’ Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her” (Genesis 20:2).

This is indisputable proof of Abraham’s cowardice. Nevertheless, God said to Abimelech: “Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die” (Genesis 20:7).

After what Abraham did, God still considered him a prophet. Why? It was because God saw the purity in his heart—a heart after God. The Lord was not bothered about Abraham’s moment of weakness or the momentary faltering of his faith. We see this attitude of God in 2 Corinthians 12:9: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” To the Lord, Abraham’s heart attitude, which only He could see, was all that counted. When God called on him, he acted in obedience, because this great Lover of his asked it of him. Abraham’s own comfort did not matter. He had to please God. That is what made his attitude pure and caused him to be called the father of faith in spite of his weaknesses.

In the same way, we can look into the lives of Jacob, David, and other fallible men who saw God in spite of their alleged impurity. Jacob, being a deceiver, saw God and lived. “So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, ‘It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared’” (Genesis 32:30). In spite of the sinful behavior of these men of God, He still moved through them in His power.

So, if we don’t need to be sinless in order to be pure, what do we need? “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

Purity is a heart after God. Purity is not so much being pure from sins, because Jesus’ blood cleansed us from all unrighteousness so that God does not see our sins. No, purity is being pure from other gods: idols that steal the time, energy and resources belonging to God. A pure attitude says, “Lord, I love You with all that is in me—my time, energy, desires, ambitions, and resources. I realize I can’t be hypocritical about my sin. Just use me according to Your purposes so that Your will can be done.” Of course we would not desire to sin on purpose and would need to confess and repent the moment we sin.

Paul asked the Lord to remove the thorn in his flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). According to Paul, it was a messenger of Satan (a demon) tormenting him. The thorn probably was the temptation to do the things he did not want to do, and not doing the things that he wanted to do (Romans 7:15). The Lord replied that His grace (the same grace He exercised with Abraham and others) was sufficient for Paul.

Did that make Paul ineffective, an impure person unable to see God? No, it simply kept him from becoming conceited as he states in 2 Corinthians 12:7. He still received a lot of revelation through his “face to face” meetings with the Lord. Our sinful state should keep us humble, dependent on God’s grace, allowing Him to use us mightily just as we are so that He might get the glory. If we focus on our sins and as a result do not move in obedience to God in His power, we are under condemnation, and it renders us ineffective.

If we are pure in our attitude toward God, abstaining from other gods, of whom Mammon (materialism) is one of the strongest these days, God will reveal Himself to us. We will therefore “see God” as our passage under discussion states, in other words be so focused that we see what He reveals to us. Then we will be effective servants looking after others.

The accuser of the brethren, Satan, will attempt to hold our sins against us, making us ineffective through guilt and condemnation. We then spend so much time feeling guilty and trying to be pure that we never get productive. We must recognize that in Christ all our sins are forgiven and we must focus on that which the Lord expects from us.

Does this mean that we can sin as much as we want, since God always forgives all our sin? Paul said in Romans 5:20-6:2: “The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”

If your heart is right with God and you are in right standing with Him (righteousness), making your attitude right (pure), you will not want to sin. God will reveal himself to you.

Even if we stumble repeatedly, if we then confess our sins, “He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Even then, He will still reveal himself to us. On occasion, the Lord has withheld His anointing temporarily until I recognize my sins and confess them. Then He again abundantly showered the anointing on me. I have heard anointed speakers testifying of the same.

I have also heard of pastors who fell into sin, totally backslidden, but God stayed faithful regarding their anointing. In one case, a drunken pastor prayed for healing, and the sick person was healed. If God has to wait until we are sinless before He uses us, nothing will ever happen in the Kingdom of God. We, therefore, must not hinder God’s work by condemning ourselves because of our sins and weaknesses. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

For children and adults who are prepared to learn in a childlike way.

Easter video - It should have been you and I... please watch this...

It should have been you and I, but nothing could stop Jesus' love.

Scenes from The Passion of the Christ movie and song by Hillsong.

7. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - Mercy reaps Mercy

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Matthew 5:7)

Being merciful simply means to help someone. In our busy lives, it often takes effort to slow down long enough to show mercy. To do that, we don’t necessarily need to run off to disaster-stricken areas, nor do we need to go to great expense. All we need is to have the heart of Jesus and be available.

One event during Jesus’ ministry here on earth never fails to baffle me. In Matthew 15:22, a Canaanite woman came to Jesus, crying, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon possession.”

Jesus did not answer. His disciples were even worse, urging him to send her away. Finally, Jesus said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

Couldn’t he have made one exception? He is a merciful God, isn’t He?

The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

He replied, “It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs.” 

“Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Jesus would have been unmerciful had He stuck to the rules and kept on refusing her request. He knew the rules, and He could have enforced them, but His amazing mercy allowed her faith to bend the rules.

Consider the two sons who were sent to work for their father in Matthew 21: 28-31. The one said yes, he would go, but never went. The other refused at first, but prompted by the mercy in him, he went.

This beatitude is about sowing and reaping. When I see a car broken down on the side of the road, I often stop and see if I can help. As a result, the few times my car has broken down, I’ve never had to wait more than a few seconds for help to arrive. Once, on a trip, I had two flat tyres in a row. The first time I put the spare on. When the second tyre went, I pulled off the road and, as I opened the door, I saw a car coming. The man, driving at a high rate of speed, slammed on the brakes as if some power forced him. He took me, my dog, and my two tyres to the next town quite a distance away, where I had them repaired. Without having to wait, I got a lift back in a truck. I reaped mercy.

Sometimes being merciful demands something from us. It demanded that Jesus bend the rules of His calling. It demanded that the son in the parable change his mind, and it sometimes demands that we change our plans, be late for an appointment, or sacrifice effort and energy on behalf of others. However, if we calculate how much effort, money, energy, and time we would waste should disaster come our way, it would be handy to have some mercy in our bank account.

In some prosperous countries, people rely on insurance, and therefore mercy seems unnecessary. If your car breaks down, you do not need to depend on the help of others; you call the tow truck for which you’ve paid. The same applies for medicine and law. Living in such a country, one easily gets the impression that everybody is covered by some sort of insurance, but if one digs a bit deeper, he will quickly realize that a lot of people need help.

Because these citizens are expected to be self-reliant, they are often reluctant to announce their need. Those who are prepared to show mercy and to help often stop doing so because of the message that nobody needs help. In the process, someone needing help might not get it.

The Kingdom of God, however, has a Master who desires to show His mercy in practical ways. We need to learn to depend on Him and to listen when He commands mercy and help.

Jesus also taught us to love our enemies. Since it's not really possible to feel love towards your enemies and those you don't like, acting out mercy and helping them when they need it is one way of loving them.

Mercy and help are not meant only for the physical and material needs such as in poor countries. Prosperous areas need mercy and help in other areas such as emotional, psychological, and social deprivation. Quite often, wealthy people can afford anything they want, but they can’t buy peace, joy, and happiness, so they need mercy.

As servants who look after fellow servants, we need to be righteous and merciful according to divine standards.

For the Children and Adults who will learn in a Childlike Way

6. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - Are you Hungry to be Right with God

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6)

We need to have a quick look at the word “thirst.” Thirst is usually much stronger than hunger, although the combination of the two makes it all the more powerful. One can go without food for many days but not without water.

The actual Greek word used means to suffer thirst for, to eagerly long for or painfully feel a want for that which would bring refreshment and strength. Blessed or happy are those who suffer thirst for and eagerly long for righteousness.

            Very few of us know real thirst to the extent that we will give away our car, house, anything just for a glass of water. All of us have, however, been to the point where we were desperate for something to drink, but suffering from thirst is a somewhat vague experience to most of us. 

“Righteousness” means a right standing with God, so we can understand our passage this way: Blessed is the person who will give everything in order to be in right standing with God. Nothing that this world offers, no material thing, no success, no power and no glory can compete with the desire to be right with God.

For many years, a tow truck driver named Tony resisted his family’s pleas for him to serve God. One day he was the first person at an accident scene. A man was stuck in the car. “I’m dying, but I’m not right with God,” he said. “Help me get right with Him.”

“I don’t know how,” Tony said, “but my sister tells me to accept Jesus.”

The dying man did it, and the peace and joy that came into his face was so remarkable that when Tony got home, he convinced his wife that they should accept Jesus.

Everybody knows if they are not right with the Lord, but not everybody wants to admit it as this accident victim did in his last minutes on earth. Most of us certainly do not thirst and hunger for righteousness as this dying man did.

Being in right standing with God means to be in touch with Him in order to hear His commands and do them. Being in right standing means to interpret the written commands (the Bible) as God would, and do them as Jesus would have. It means to please God by faith, believing that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

The beatitude promises they shall be satisfied or filled. Seek and you shall find. If you suffer with a thirst and a hunger to be right with God, rightness with God will fill you. You will be right with God and you will be happy and blessed.

However, time, energy, and money we previously used for our own pleasures and fulfillment will have to be redirected. If you are in the desert and run out of water, what will you do? You will get to water as quickly as possible. If you have any valuables with you that might weigh you down or hinder your pursuit of water, you leave them behind. These things lose their value in the presence of something greater: water. If we desire righteousness with the Lord, material desires will fade away.

There is nothing wrong with material things as long as they are a means to reaching God’s purpose for us more efficiently. In the desert, we would be foolish to throw away navigational equipment in order to lighten the load, because it could help us reach our goal, which is finding water. A good computer to write for God, a television for watching Bible teaching and encouragement, and sports equipment to help you reach the unsaved is not wrong. The goods themselves aren’t the problem, but the reason we crave them might be. Using material luxuries for selfish indulgence is not what the Lord had in mind in terms of righteousness. We should desire to involve ourselves in whatever the Lord has in mind for us.

Many activities in my life, such as motorcycling, had a dual purpose for me. I may enjoy it as much as I wish, but it is also essential to reach others, who enjoy it with me, for the Lord. It is vital that we do not take our eyes off the goal, which is reaching souls. If we desire righteousness, soul-winning will come naturally.

A thirst for righteousness can be affected by the carnal nature. Remember Matthew 6:24 (KJV): “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Mammon is money and anything represented by money: fame, power, materialism, etc. If we have too much, we feel fulfilled and therefore have no thirst for righteousness: we can manage without the Lord. Self-righteous fulfillment can quench our thirst.

The Pharisees in Jesus’ time had a self-righteous fulfillment of their thirst. They were so content with what they thought was their own righteousness (a man-made counterfeit) that they had no desire for righteousness on God’s terms as Jesus preached. Some years ago a pastor had to tell one of his self-righteous churchgoers, “Please go and steal a sheep so that you may know you are a sinner who needs God.”
You may now argue that Jesus is your righteousness when you're born again. You are right, He is the way to get to the Father and He stands in for us, but the Bible is full of instructions to live righteously to God's glory and that is what we referred to. 

Consider for example Hebrews 12:1 and 4: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood," and Romans 6:1 and 2: "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" 

In the remainder of this series you will discover many things God considers to be unrighteous, which you may not have seen as such.

I think the children should also have something, don't you? Today we start a series of short videos for them. But please don't you miss out. Many adults are blessed by these videos.

                                        

5. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - The Meek will Inherit the Earth

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5)

The Greek word for meekness means mildness of disposition or gentleness of spirit. Meekness toward God is when we accept His dealings with us as good and therefore trust Him. The meek are those relying on God rather than their own strength to defend them against injustice. Meekness toward evil people, therefore, means we know God permits the injuries they inflict, that He is using them to purify His children, and that He will deliver them in His time.

 Gentleness and meekness, stemming from trust in God's goodness and control over the situation, are the opposite of self-assertiveness and self-interest. The meek person is not occupied with self at all.

In many people, gentleness is confused with meekness. In some of the “rougher diamonds,” meekness is sensed beyond the outer aggressive nature. We can compare them to cactus plants. Often, because of circumstances and personality, these people have sprouted thorns, but their insides are actually soft. On the contrary, even gentle people can be self-assertive and aggressive (in their gentle way) in handling their issues, rather than relying on the Lord. Meekness, therefore, is a choice.

Consider the following passages:

Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. (Romans 12:19)

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. (Exodus 14:14)

“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6b)

Meekness comes not from man but from the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5: 22, 23). It is not easy to be meek. Everything in you calls out for you to fight, to stand on your rights, and to look after your own interests. But if you walk in the Spirit, allowing Him to guide you, you will succeed. Many people may perceive meekness as weakness. Even you may ask yourself why you are so passive. Should you not be more assertive and do something about things. I have stopped counting the times when I wanted to put up a fight and the Holy Spirit stopped me, showing me the reasons why it would be pointless and that it would only jeopardise relationships. 

Being meek might make you feel like a loser. but you are not to follow your feelings, but the Word of God and the Holy Spirit's guidance. Those who allow it to manifest in and through their spirits are blessed, according to our passage, and will inherit the earth. Why would inheriting the earth be important to the Lord and the meek? We often talk about 'our world' or 'my world' meaning the part of the world or earth we influence? Some people affect only a small area and others almost the entire earth. Our passage means to say that those who let God do the fighting on their behalf will, through their love and meekness, exercise a great and positive influence to God's glory on the piece of earth they influence. They inherit it on the Lord's behalf so He can reign there through them.

Gentle servants, on behalf of a gentle Lord, care gently for their fellow servants. The Lord expects us to stand humbly and trust Him to do the fighting. All we need to do is forgive and show love and gentleness, and this demands faith.

4. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - Those who mourn will be comforted.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)

What does Jesus want us to mourn about? Does He want us to wail to draw attention to ourselves? Is he asking us to mourn about lost fortunes, about not being treated well by circumstances, or about losing personal valuables? I don’t think so. I’m convinced Jesus is talking about mourning the things God mourns. Yes, losing a loved one will cause both God and us to mourn. God is love, and those who mourn due to a crushing experience will certainly be comforted. God is interested in our feelings, circumstances, and pain. This is one of the reasons Jesus said this.

“God cares for all whose heart is hurting because of all the ugly things that happen in this world” (Matthew 5:4, Afrikaans Children’s Bible). That is the way God feels about the world, but how do we feel about it? Losing a soul into eternal damnation will surely cause God to mourn, but would we? Do we just live our selfish lives, seeking recognition and sensation, not caring a dime that thousands of people go to hell every day, that many suffer physically here on earth every day?

Having a large church and a comfortable life and enjoying honor, glory, and popularity may be more important to some pastors than mourning with the Lord over those in need. Not all pastors are guilty of such, but some are, which is why I believe the Lord revealed it. Only the Lord and the guilty ones will know whether they have an attitude like this, providing they are honest with themselves.

As businessmen and women, some of us strive for riches, power, and comfort. Nice cars, luxurious homes, and prestigious schools for our children are the ultimate of our cares. Some ordinary Christians may not have the money for these luxuries, but their minds may be occupied with an attempt to live in the maximum comfort possible. Others may love having a high profile and influence in their communities.

When these are our priorities, how much time and energy is left to think about sin, decadence, and corruption, let alone mourn about them? How often have we sat in front of the TV, distressed to see God’s statutes ridiculed or Jesus’ name used in vain?

If we mourn the things God mourns, we show our priorities. When we help one of His hurting servants, we are demonstrating our mourning. This shows God that we are not preoccupied with ourselves.

If we lack empathy and do not mourn when a fellow servant is hurt, we are just as bad as the evil servant beating others in Jesus’ parable. If a man stands by and does nothing while another man beats up his wife or friend, is he not just as guilty as the one doing the beating? So if we ignore the wrong and do not even mourn and pray about it, aren’t we guilty of the wrong as well, because we silently approve of it?

Another issue the Lord mourns is sin. How much do we mourn sin? Do we accept our weaknesses and so-called white sins as something we have to live with? Do we feel that, since Jesus has forgiven all our sins by bearing them on the cross, we can live as free people while tolerating those sins?

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13). “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God” (1Peter 2:16).

Paul said in Romans 7:15: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Also, in 2 Corinthians 12:7: “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.”

Paul mourned and lamented his sinful condition and the fact that he was so endlessly tempted to sin—the thorn in his flesh. No human being would ever be without sin, but if we keep on mourning about our sin to the Lord, He sees our heart and attitude and then blesses and comforts us. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1: 8, 9).

Mourning about the sin in the world will cause us to pray for those who sin and to speak to them about their sin when necessary. “‘If your brother sins against you go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector’” (Matthew 18:15-17). How often are we, however, complacent about others’ sin, having an attitude that it is not our concern? If it bothered us that our brother or even a worldly stranger could be affected by the sin, we would mourn it and do something about it.

The Lord knows mankind very well. He knows that our greatest desire is comfort, and that we go to great extents to get it. He also knows that it is not comfortable to mourn, pray and do something about the hardships of others. That is why He promised that such people would be comforted. The comfort we so desperately try to obtain from other resources will come from Him.

We would have to find out how the Lord will do that by starting to mourn about God’s concerns, wouldn’t we?

3. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - Poor in Spirit

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)

What does “poor in spirit” mean? The Greek word for “poor” means “reduced to beggary.” The word “spirit” means God’s Spirit, but can also mean man’s spirit. Therefore we can say it means “Happy/blessed are those begging for the Spirit” or “those who are not so spirited or resourceful.” One of the newer translations says it as follows: “Happy are those who know how dependent they are on God” (Matthew 5:3, 1983 Afrikaans Translation).

So who are the happy servants? In order to discover the attitude God wants us to adopt, consider the beggar. Is he a proud, strong man organising his life efficiently and knowing where he is going? Does he manipulate people to do his bidding, and does he have systems and procedures worked out on paper, organising the ventures he undertakes? No. He sits there waiting, hoping, asking—trusting that he will be given what he needs when he needs it.

So if the servant is to be poor—a beggar—what is he lacking or begging for? He begs for Spirit. In this context, the happy ones are not those who know how dependent they are on God for material goods. They are the ones who know how dependent they are on God for His Spirit. Have you ever heard a spirited speaker, attended a spirited meeting, or observed a spirited action? We think of the spirited person or event as alive, productive and motivating—not dead. Usually a rich, active spirit causes results, but the question is from where does this spirit come?

Many spirited people depend on their own resources, gifts, and talents. They draw from the human spirit. Many successful people are full of life, self-sufficient, independent, and not needing anybody’s help. They are spirited. A spirited, charismatic, and successful preacher may have selfish motivation, though, as he depends on his natural talents.

The resource from which we will therefore draw depends on the attitude of our hearts. We must continually check our motivation and ask ourselves why we do what we do. Are we trying to fill a personal need for results and success, or are we acting in sound obedience to God to see His results and His success? Being poor in spirit, therefore, has a lot to do with attitude.

I often wondered why Christian authors accept praise as if they were the ones who wrote the books. If they did not receive the wisdom and words from the Holy Spirit, they would not have had their books. The same applies to preachers. A great preacher of old was once approached by a lady after one of his sermons. “Pastor, you were great today,” she said.

“Yeah,” he replied, “the devil also tried to tell me the same up there.”

So who are the happy ones? They are the ones who do not have a formula. The successes and influence of other men do not affect them. They do not care much for the opinions of others and are not concerned about position, status, recognition, or even personal success. They wait daily like beggars or children for their portion of Spirit needed to do God’s bidding in that moment. They don’t have a care in the world, because they know God will care. They can be compared to another type of poor-in-spirit people—the mentally handicapped. They cannot become blown up, self-important, and successful because their minds do not allow them to. They are completely and unconditionally dependent upon others for survival.

So are spiritually poor-by-choice individuals completely and unconditionally dependent upon God and not on their own abilities and resources—not for a single minute controlled by self and its desires. Jesus set the example Himself: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”(John 5:19)

A servant in such a relationship with God will be a very useful instrument in service of the Master in times when the other servants need support.