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Prodigal does not mean wayward but means extravagant The Parable of the Prodigal Son... first, everyone thinks that "prodigal" means "wayward". The rock group Kansas made a nice-sounding tuneful song around 1977 called "Carry On, My Wayward Son", that I quite like. But "prodigal" actually means "extravagant"... related to the word "prodigious". As in "prodigal giving to the poor"... extravagant giving. Of course, THIS son was prodigal with his spending his inheritance BEFORE the time. Second, he had demanded that he have his inheritance NOW. WHAT AN INSULT to the Father! He was saying, "I can't wait for you to die-- I want it NOW!" How many Christians erroneously think that they are asking for their "Rights" when actually, they are being like the son in this parable? Just make sure WE are not like that... keeping everything submitted to God. Third, "When he was a long way off, the Father ran out to meet him." This meant that the FATHER WAS WATCHING for him! He was anxiously scanning the horizon-- His heart was so involved in loving His lost son... that when He saw him "a long way off", He instantly recognised his WALK. Why do I say "walk"-? Because, from a great distance, one MIGHT recognise someone's profile-- but if a long period of time has passed, they might have gained or lost weight... BUT, a person's WALK, their gait, is able to be recognised. It holds loads of meaning for us... Fourth, the Father HAD to get to him BEFORE he reached the village. Otherwise the village Elders would have performed a "ceremony of shame" called the "kezazah” where they would have formally disfellowshipped him from the community because of the disgrace he brought on their name by his immoral actions. What the Father did, was to get to him with His grace, BEFORE the Law could judge him-- and giving him not only a "party"-- but a RE-INSTATEMENT as a proper SON! He clothed him with a goodly robe-- the BEST robe ("of Righteousness")... put a ring on his hand (the Signet Ring that 1-enables him to do Business in his father's stead, and 2- identifies him as belonging to THIS family name)... and put shoes on his feet. (1-so FIRST his feet, his "daily walk" would have to be WASHED, and 2- "our feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace" - protection and enabling to WALK in this new and living Way). THEN they killed the fatted calf, and there was Music and Dancing, in great rejoicing, "...for this thy BROTHER was 'dead' and is Alive again! --and was 'lost’ and is FOUND!" Some people say, "Have you found Jesus?" -- "Why, was he lost...?" NO! It should be, "Has Jesus found YOU--?" The three parables are: The Lost Sheep... ONE out of a Hundred. (Luke 15:3-7) The Lost Coin... ONE out of Ten (Luke 15:8-10) The Lost Son... ONE out of Two (Luke 15:11-32) Notice that THIS parable has the longest section of verses. Does that mean that the details are MOST important--? Notice that the Elder Brother had a Double Portion of the inheritance (Hebrew custom: if you had two sons, you would divide the family inheritance THREE ways, and the First Born would get the "Double Portion". So, with four sons, they would divide it Five ways, and the First Born would get two portions [he double portion] and all the others would get one each.) But he was upset at the "party"... and would not go in! The Father's appeal, "Son, all I have is yours, and you are always with me!" Shouldn't THAT have warmed his heart--? He complained that he had SERVED many years, and NOT TRANSGRESSED his commands... yet had not been "given so much as a kid" (a young goat). He was saying, "I believe in the LAW, and the rewards of the Law. Yet, it has not been forthcoming... not even inferior meat, for me to make merry with my friends!" He was completely missing the point that the Fatted Calf was not a REWARD to the younger brother, nor was it WAGES...! It was a celebration of LIFE!!! L'Chaim! Let us rejoice in LIFE from the Lord! Guest Blogger Alex Smith

Reflections for Lent by Guest Blogger Jacky Wilson Scripture reference Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV): "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” The Race of faith ! Our Scripture from Hebrews 12:1-3 says - we are in a race, but not a race in the sense of racing to work or to the shops to get that item we forgot to complete the meal, or racing home to cook that dinner. The race we are running is the race of faith that began the moment we asked Jesus into our lives, whom the author of Hebrews calls both “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith”. So the race we are running has: ✓ a starting line , where Jesus is present (coaching us for the race ahead / firing the starting gun) as the pioneer of our faith ✓and a finish line, where Jesus is waiting for us (cheering us on) as the perfecter of our faith . ✓And on top of all that there is a prize that will help us be serious in running our race in order to finish it well. So like any athlete, we will need to be disciplined , to stay focused and to make sacrifices in order to finish the race in the way Jesus intends us to. Obstacles on the way As we all know too well, life itself will provide us with plenty of obstacles along the way, distracting us with all that the world wants to offer us - things that seem more appealing and alluring. And then there’s sin - the sin in our lives holding us back, entangling us as if somebody had tied the shoelaces of our running shoes together when we weren’t looking, it's sin that comes to entice us with the promise of something more gratifying or rewarding, but in the end it’s real aim is to disqualify us completely and take us out of the race. In the meantime, perhaps some of us will not have even realised we are actually in a race, wondering why everything is so tiring and why we haven’t progressed in our faith as we would have hoped to; others will be running at a good pace, calm, focused and in for the distance. Encouragement on the way: the cloud of witnesses The writer of Hebrews in 12:1 tells us that “… since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses …" What does that mean? - Have you ever wondered who this great cloud of witnesses might be? People today assume, I think, generally speaking that in this cloud are those who have died who we all know: family, friends, and acquaintances, and they are watching us from above ... but this is not what the Bible tells us. The "great cloud of witnesses" mentioned here are actually those first introduced to us in Chapter 11 of Hebrews. The ones who have run the race before us, living lives of faith and dependence on God, until they crossed the promised finish line. Runners like Moses, Joseph, and David, Sarah, Rahab, Esther and Mary - those who triumphed in reaching their goal through their focused faith and trust in God. Their faith was shown in what they did, not only in what they said: Noah built the ark; Abraham dwelt in a tent; Rahab hid the Israelite spies; Sarah gave birth in her old age. Not one these heroes was perfect, all had their flaws and weaknesses (read their stories in the Bible) because all were just like you and me. Why were they mentioned in Scripture? Because they all put their trust in God and watched Him do amazing things - in God’s eyes they’re all champions! Yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. We are running that same race now, in whatever way God has called us to serve Him, so let us stay faithful as they stayed faithful! R un the race of faith like Jesus! The scripture says Jesus went to the cross for you and for me, despite the shame and humiliation he chose to run His race, He kept His eyes on the prize. “WHY?” the Word says “for the joy set before Him” He saw the prize! His prize - He completed His mission to save us sinners and to accomplish the will of His Father, and He is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. In James 1:2-4, we as followers of Jesus in the race are encouraged to stay the course: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." Look to Jesus … and win the prize! Let us make Jesus our only prize, our aim, our life. Colossians 1:18 says that He is to have first place in everything. We are to set our eyes on Jesus always - confident in the knowledge that there’s no better trainer who could have prepared us, no better coach who could be egging us on, and no better champion gone before us and waiting for us at the finish line, than Jesus himself. 1 Corinthians 10:13 exhorts us as w e go the distance : “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” ” So with the help of the Holy Spirit let us stand on this truth - God does not abandon us because we have weaknesses. He works through our weaknesses because He knows we are a work in progress. In other words, the longer the race goes, the better we get! “Wow, what a prize!” And let us pray that we will not grow weary , we know we run this race as individuals but along the way let us encourage those who are struggling, both those starting the race and those tiring midway, remembering always to fortify, comfort and build up in Christ. So this Lent, as we reflect on what Jesus endured for each and every one of us individually on the cross let us keep reminding ourselves of the priz e, and that Jesus is both the Author and Finisher of our faith. In Him we live and move and have our being and, as one more great reminder of who He is: He will not start something He will not finish. AMEN. Personal Prayer

The stepwise progression of the Beatitudes in Salvation We now conclude our study of the beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) which describe the type of character, standards, and behaviours that are lived out in the Kingdom of God. This is what all believers should be experiencing in our lives. They are like a new law that is applied in our hearts. v.9 Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the sons of God . The Son of God came to reconcile sinful man to a Holy God; He is the ultimate peace maker giving us peace with God and the peace of God. As we are purified so we become peaceable towards men and the desire to witness and evangelise grows i.e. to preach the gospel of peace.  Like Father like Son, .... like sons. We must bring the peace of God to the unbelieving out of a pure heart, with correct motives and a lifestyle which is above reproach. v10. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution! I call it 'negative confirmation ' that you are in the will of God! It seems that every step of faith we take in God that there is a persecution raised by the enemy.  Remember Nehemiah, at first, they mocked and then progressed through various steps to threatening to murder him. (Nehemiah is a good study in which to see Satan's strategy of discouragement of believers). As we step out into God's plan, we will consider ourselves as blessed (and not be discouraged) in that we have been considered worthy to be persecuted for Jesus sake. v.11 Blessed are you when men cast insults at you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely on account of Me Bible-bashers, Jesus freaks, God-squad, nutters and worse, if you have or are being called such, rejoice Jesus says you are blessed. Do you believe Him? We are called to make up or share in the sufferings of Christ, who for the joy that was set before Him endured death, even death on the cross. Not just insults but nails and death. We must consider ourselves blessed as the inevitable persecutions come forth and be of the same mind as Christ. v12 tells us: Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Stepwise summary of the Beatitudes in Salvation Here is how the lesson of the Beatitudes can be applied to our salvation. Only admission of our poverty in spirit to God can enable Him to breathe His life into us. When we reach the point of mourning over our sins God can do something with us. God begins to work in us producing meekness and humility. Meekness with humility removes paralysing fear from us and produces courage in us to go and possess the land, to begin to fulfil all our destiny in Christ. God begins to fill us with a hunger and thirst for His things. We begin to hunger for His Word and to thirst for God’s presence. We also begin to long for the things that God longs for. As we allow our hearts to be purified our motives will become godlier and will begin to see God in others and in situations in our own lives. Having received the peace of God, we must bring it to the unbelieving out of a pure heart, with correct motives and a lifestyle which is above reproach.  We must consider ourselves blessed as the inevitable persecutions come forth and be of the same mind as Christ and remember to rejoice and not be discouraged. We no longer try to do things in our own strength. Our tastes and likes to begin to change. Let us now turn this lesson into a prayer. Beatitudes Prayer  Lord, we come to you in Jesus name, confessing our poverty and inability to do anything for you in your kingdom. We realise that we are weak and sinful people and are fed up with our own powerlessness.  Lord, as we mourn over our sins, forgive, and cleanse us and produce meekness and humility in our lives. Free us from paralysing fear and enable and empower us to possess the land and fulfil all our destiny in Christ. Take away the desire to do things in our own strength but fill us with a hunger and thirst for you and your things. Let us be a people like David, men, and women after your own heart. Purify our hearts, motives, and lives that we might begin to see you and bring the unbelievers to your wonderful salvation.  Cause us to rejoice and consider ourselves blessed when the inevitable persecution and reviling comes. Amen Personal Prayer Endnote: Any spiritual project that the Lord gives you can be subject to the stepwise progression of the Beatitudes. Try it and see using the Beatitudes Prayer (above) as your guide.

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth The Beatitudes are the inner abilities and character we express living in the Kingdom of God. We continue our study with the next 4 beatitudes in Matthew 5 v5 Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth . Meekness is not weakness. Meekness incorporates strength and gentleness and includes humility (paradox). It is the branch that bears most fruit that bows the lowest on the tree. Humility is to see your true standing before God. To recognise His power and majesty (the surpassing beauty of holiness) and yet at the same time to realise his great love for you. In meekness we stop telling God how to do it and submit to His will. We then enter His strength and ability, as we become lesser in our own eyes, so He becomes greater and brings all his abilities into the situation. Meekness with humility removes paralysing fear from us and produces courage in us to go and possess the land, to begin to fulfil all our destiny in Christ. We no longer try to do things in our own strength. The picture here is that of a broken-in stallion with tremendous strength but fully under control of the rider. v6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Now that we are no longer bound in fear or in self-sufficiency (due to meekness with humility) we can ask God to fill us with a hunger and thirst for His things. Having confessed and turned from our sins and admitted our inadequacy before Him He is ready to create these desires in our heart: To hunger for... • The Word of God • opportunities to minister • opportunities to serve To thirst for • His presence • His Spirit • His power in revival No more yesterday’s manna but hungering and thirsting for a freshness each day with God.              We begin to long for the things that God longs for. Amen v7 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. The Lord is our Shepherd and He leads us on into the area of forgiveness. He showed us how it is done and now expects us to give it in the same way. We must show that same mercy to others especially the poor! In everyday terms this means dealing with offences, resentments, and even full-blown hate. Hurt produces anger and then resentment manifesting in grudges and thought and/or acts of hatred. Mercy costs us the sinful fleshly pleasure of revenge. The seeds of resentment will produce a bitter harvest in our lives. Resentment is like an addictive drug... We must sow mercy and forgiveness and then the world will see Christ in us because it knows the thrill of revenge. v8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. We must lift clean hands to God flowing out from a pure heart. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks! Create in me a clean heart Of God. We must purify our hearts by washing with the Word of God, which is sharper than a two-edged sword' piercing even to the division of the soul and spirit, joints, and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4 v12.). We need to bring all our ugliness, prejudices, mental barriers and even our very motives to God having the removed and replaced by that which is truth. As our hearts are purified so the desire to see God grows. The Lord can only be revealed to those whose hearts are pure as only they have the correct motives and perspective to see Him. To see His hand, the finger of God moving, to see His Modus Operandi to see His motive is always Love. As we allow our hearts to be purified our motives will become godly and will see God in others, in situations in our own lives and of course eventually we will see Him face to face. Amen Personal Prayer In our final Part (6/6) we consider the last 4 beatitudes and then look at the stepwise progression of the Beatitudes.

Kingdom Living is described in the Beatitudes The Kingdom of God in us: the Beatitudes Matthew 5:3-11 In Part 1 we asked the question; how should born again believers live out their lives in the Kingdom of God? The beatitudes describe the type of character, standards, and behaviours that are lived out in the Kingdom of God. This is what all believers should be experiencing in our lives. They are like a new law that is applied in our hearts. The beatitudes can only apply to born again believers as no one else would have the enabling of the Holy Spirit to perform such acts. The beatitudes are part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and today we take a detailed look at each of the beatitudes. In the meantime, here is a definition:  Beatitudes; (Latin) blessedness. Blessed: def. happy, to be envied and spiritually prosperous (that is with life joy and satisfaction with God's favour regardless of the outward conditions). This is the state of heart and mind we all long for! It is the attitude of heart or mind that is fulfilled in God. Blessed: Makarios; Gr. used to describe God himself; it is enjoying life as God enjoys it! v3. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4.Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. 5.Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. 6. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7. Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. 9. Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the sons of God. 10. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. v.11 Blessed are you when men cast insults at you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely on account of Me So how should born again believers live out their lives in the Kingdom of God/Heaven? The beatitudes describe the type of character, standards, and behaviours that are lived out in the Kingdom of God. This is what all believers should be experiencing in our lives. They are like a new law that is applied in our hearts. The beatitudes can only apply to born again believers as no one else would have the enabling of the Holy Spirit to perform such acts. The beatitudes are part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and we will next time be taken a detailed look at each of the beatitudes. In the meantime, here is a definition:  Beatitudes; (Latin) blessedness . Blessed: def. happy, to be envied and spiritually prosperous (that is with life joy and satisfaction with God's favour regardless of the outward conditions). This is the state of heart and mind we all long for! It is the attitude of heart or mind that is fulfilled in God. Blessed: Makarios ; Gr. used to describe God himself; it is enjoying life as God enjoys it! Jesus departed from the crowds and went up the mountain, the disciples came to him. This in a sense represents going on with Him i.e. a step of consecration, coming out of the crowd to follow Him. Being a disciple means to follow the Master and obey his teaching and commands. Come and meet Christ on the mountain if you want to be his disciple. Why go to the mountain; to get away from distractions and closer to God. Only disciples can disciple others and here is one of the major teachings to make us into disciples. Consider a step wise progression of the Beatitudes. They represent the starting point and how to make progress in coming to maturity. Maturity in Christ is our vision. Fully engaging with the Kingdom of God/Heaven. It might also be that the beatitudes may give us the pattern of tackling every project in our spiritual lives! We now consider the beatitudes in order and detail. v3. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. v.3 We must admit our inadequacy and failure to God (sin, shame, pride, fear, insecurity, self-sufficiency). All our (own) righteousness, all our own good deeds are as filthy rags to God. This is the starting point. This poverty of spirit (attitude of heart/mind) opens the door to the kingdom of God. It is impossible to enter the kingdom in any other state of heart. The kingdom of God is within you i.e. when the love of Christ that is shed abroad in our hearts and influences our whole life, thoughts, and actions. Only admission of our poverty in spirit before and to God can enable Him to breathe His life into us (c.f. salvation experience). 4.Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. v.4 This means mourning over our sins to go on with God we must firstly confess our sins and express sorrow on an ongoing basis before God. The Greek word for mourn is used in the New Testament in the context of mourning over sins. James 4:8-11; v.9 mourns and weep for your sins. 1 Cor 5:1-2; v2 Church had failed to mourn over incestuous immorality. 2 Cor 12:21; Paul mourns over churches unrepented sin. We might need to ask Him to take away any enjoyment of the sin. We then ask for forgiveness and the grace to avoid falling into the same trap. When we reach this point of mourning over our sins God can do something with us. We must mourn for our own sins, for the church’s sins and those of the nation. God does comfort the bereaved, but this verse is not talking about that kind of mourning. Amen Personal Prayer Next time in Part 5 We consider the beatitudes in Matthew 5:5-8

The Holy Spirit Ushers in the Kingdom of God/Heaven. Renewal by the Holy Spirit Matthew 12:27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. There is no place for demons or their oppression when the Kingdom of God/Heaven is released into any situation. This scripture clearly shows the power of the Holy Spirit is released bringing the Kingdom of God/Heaven into any situation. Healing is also a Kingdom of God/Heaven manifestation. When we are walking in the Spirit, we are bringing the Kingdom of God/Heaven into our situations. Titus 3:4 But when the kindness of God our Saviour and His love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 6 This is the Spirit He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, 7 so that, having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs with the hope of eternal life. We are regenerated being washed in the new birth from our sins and guilt, and our human spirit is made alive being transformed by the Holy Spirit. The unbeliever’s human spirit is like a flat battery which is sparked and charged and brought to life by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the agent of the new birth when we express our faith in Jesus Christ. The Kingdom of God and the Old Testament saints Matthew 11:11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence* and the violent* lay claim to it. v11.Jesus speaking here. Few of us would guess that John the Baptist was greater than all the OT patriarchs, prophets, priest, and kings! But that is what Jesus says. v11 Greek word beazetai : has two meanings 1) bad meaning violence inflicted on the Kingdom of God/Heaven both Jesus and John the Baptist were murdered. 2) Good meaning; to press into the Kingdom of God/Heaven. The Kingdom of God/Heaven is not automatic but needs us to press into it with great energy. It is essential that we press into the Kingdom of God/Heaven. If not you will miss all the Kingdom of God/Heaven blessings e.g. healing and other supernatural things. In these days we need to aggressively pursue the Holy Spirit leading us into the Kingdom of God/Heaven. Our need to keep on pressing into the Kingdom of God/heaven.. We press into the Kingdom at the new birth but we need to keep doing it to bring the Kingdom into any given situation. Hebrews 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Seems like a contradiction: resting from our works and yet we are told to labour to enter that rest! All this is to say we must be on active duty in all our Christian walk and be pressing on into the Kingdom of God/Heaven. We need to be obedient to the Lord at all times honouring him as our King.  The Kingdom of God requires inner righteousness. Matthew 5:20   For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 23:27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Entrance into the Kingdom of God requires an inner righteousness of the heart and this can only happen when King Jesus first enters our hearts and imparts his righteousness to us. This is unlike the external legalism of the scribes and Pharisees who religiously followed (outwardly) the Law of Moses e.g. blowing a trumpet to give alms, and looking down on the other sinners. Jesus called them out as hypocrites who were full of inner uncleanness in their hearts. Amen Personal Prayer In Part we 4 we discover that Kingdom living needs the character and behaviours as described in the Beatitudes.

How do we enter the Kingdom of God/Heaven? John 3:3 we need to be born again Matthew 18:18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. The Kingdom of Heaven is not a place where the members consider their own greatness. There is no scorekeeping. There are no “great ones” (Mark 10:42). In the kingdom of Satan, the dominion of darkness, the world, people fight and claw to climb the ladders of status and importance. That is a way of self-justification that has no merit in Jesus’ economy. Jesus consistently pointed to children for an example of how to be citizens of his Kingdom. Childlike faith is a virtue. Childlike trust in the Father is a virtue, but this is so counter-cultural and contrary to the nature of the unbeliever. It is not only good but vital to trust in God the way a child would trust his good earthly parents. Not just children but more so little children must trust their parents for wisdom, provision, protection, order, and direction. John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”  3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Or should our question be how does the Kingdom of God/Heaven enter us? The Kingdom of God/Heaven comes when we are regenerated or born-again. Everything is renewed at the point of the new birth. Nicodemus does not have the apparatus to see the Kingdom of God/Heaven as he only has the old man of the flesh. Even if he keeps all the Torah laws it still does not enable him to be born again and therefore cannot see the Kingdom of God to be in him. The new birth needs the miraculous power of God. What happens at the New Birth? 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. This verse signifies that when a person accepts Christ, they undergo a radical transformation, becoming a new creation. Forgiveness of Past Sins: It indicates that past sins are forgiven, and the old life is considered dead. Regeneration: This transformation is a result of regeneration by the Holy Spirit, making the individual a new entity. Christian Perspective: Paul emphasizes that believers should view themselves and others in Christ as fundamentally changed beings. Practical Application: In daily life, this means embracing the new identity and living in accordance with the values of this new creation. The new creation encapsulates the essence of Christian transformation and the profound change that occurs through faith in Christ. The human spirit becomes alive again at the new birth. Nicodemus at this point was not a new creation and therefore could not see the Kingdom of God/Heaven. I think Nicodemus however did understand the implication of what Jesus was saying, a brand-new life, a fresh start. I am confident that Nicodemus did get born again later in the Gospels based on these scriptures: John 19:38 after Jesus’ death he supplied 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes. Also in John 17:50-51 Nicodemus defends Jesus by speaking up for him and reminding the Sanhedrin that the Law of Moses demands a fair trial for everyone. My take on this question is that I agree with the 65% of Christians who think that Nicodemus did get saved. What about you? Now that we have been born-again, we can begin to see the Kingdom of God/Heaven in action in our lives and those of our fellow believers. Amen Personal Prayer In Part 3 we discover that the Holy Spirit is the agent of the new birth.

Why is it so significant? Where is the Kingdom of God, and how do we enter it? The significance of the Kingdom of God Mark 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Why is the kingdom of God important? The Kingdom of God was so central to the preaching of Jesus Christ that the “Kingdom of God” you could say is like the catchphrase in Jesus’ preaching. Jesus was always talking about the kingdom of God, the kingdom of Heaven and the Gospel of the kingdom. In particular, the synoptic gospels are filled with texts about the kingdom of God. In the New Testament the phrase ‘the Kingdom of God’ occurs 66 times in 65 verses. The phrase ‘the Kingdom of heaven’ occurs in 32 times in 31 verses (in Matthew only). Mark1:14 The thrust of the word for kingdom means the reign of a king, or that which the king reigns over. Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. This was a new day a new beginning for mankind, a new opportunity to enter the KoG. The Kingdom of God vs The Kingdom of Heaven Matthew 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Compare this to Luke 13:20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Most bible scholars think the phrases kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven are interchangeable although there is a difference in the Greek phrases. The reason scholars think they are the same are, 1. Only Matthew uses Kingdom of heaven and that he was trying to avoid upsetting his Jewish readers by constantly mentioning the name 'God'. 2. Matthew`s usage parallels that of the other Gospel writers i.e. it is used to say the same things (as above example in Matthew 13:33 vs Luke 13:20). The Kingdom of Heaven is a kingdom from heaven, not heaven itself, not a kingdom in heaven. God reigns supreme in heaven. Heaven is the locus of His authority, the point from which he rules the universe. The words “of heaven” then are referring to the origin of this Kingdom. It is the place from which the Kingdom is coming, not a destination to which we are going.     Where is the Kingdom of God? Luke 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Thus, it is a fundamental truth for each born again believer that the kingdom of God means the rule of Jesus Christ is within you. v20+21 Jesus’ answer was that the kingdom of God was not coming in the manner the Pharisees were expecting. The kingdom would not be inaugurated with spectacle or splendour; there would be no great and magnificent messiah leader (on his white horse) who routed the Romans; rather, the kingdom would come silently and unseen, much as leaven works in a batch of dough (see Matthew 13:33). In fact, Jesus says, the kingdom had already begun, right under the Pharisees’ noses. God was already ruling in the hearts of a few people, and the King Himself was standing among them, although the Pharisees were oblivious to that fact. V21 This means his kingly rule should be in each and every part of our lives, spirit, soul and body on the throne of our hearts. There are three common interpretations of Jesus' words in Luke 17:21 regarding the kingdom of God being 'within you (or among you)': 1) the kingdom of God is fundamentally internal, residing in a person's heart; 2) the kingdom is accessible if you make the correct decisions; and 3) the kingdom of God is present among you through Jesus' person and presence. It appears to me that the most compelling interpretation is the first, suggesting that Jesus was initiating the kingdom by transforming individuals' hearts one by one. Amen Personal Prayer

Sermon on the mount -Summary of the Beatitudes Part 5.2 (Matthew 5:7-11) v.7 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy; The Lord is our Shepherd, and He leads us on into the area of forgiveness. He showed us how it is done and now expects us to give it in the same way. We must show that same mercy to others especially the poor! In everyday terms this means dealing with offences, resentments, and even full-blown hate. Hurt produces anger and then resentment manifesting in grudges and thought and/or acts of hatred. Mercy costs us the sinful fleshly pleasure of revenge. The seeds of resentment will produce a bitter harvest in our lives. resentment is like an addictive drug... We must sow mercy and forgiveness and then the world will see Christ in us because it knows the thrill of revenge. v.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God: We must lift clean hands to God flowing out from a pure heart. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks! Create in me a clean heart O God. We must purify our hearts by washing with the Word of God, which is sharper than a two-edged sword' piercing even to the division of the soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12.). We need to bring all our ugliness, prejudices, mental barriers and even our very motives to God having the removed and replaced by that which is truth. As our hearts are purified so the desire to see God grows. The Lord can only be revealed to those whose hearts are pure as only they have the correct motives and perspective to see Him. To see His hand, the finger of God moving, to see His MO [1] to see His motive and it is always agape Love. As we allow our hearts to be purified our motives will become godly and will see God in others, in situations in our own lives and of course eventually we will see Him face to face. v.9 Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the sons of God. The Son of God came to reconcile sinful man to a Holy God, He is the ultimate peace maker giving us peace with God and the peace of God. As we are purified so we become peaceable towards men and the desire to witness and evangelise grows i.e. to preach the gospel of peace. Like Father like Son, and hence like sons. We must bring the peace of God to the unbelieving out of a pure heart, with correct motives and a lifestyle which is above reproach. v.10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution! I call it 'negative confirmation ' that you are in the will of God! It seems that every step of faith we take in God that there is a persecution raised by the enemy. Remember Nehemiah, at first, they mocked and then progressed through various steps to threatening to murder him. (Nehemiah is a good study in which to see Satan's strategy of discouragement of believers). As we step out into God's plan, we will consider ourselves as blessed (and not be discouraged) in that we have been considered worthy to be persecuted for Jesus’ sake. v.11 Blessed are you when men cast insults at you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely on account of Me... Bible-bashers, Jesus freaks, God-squad, nutters and worse, if you have or are being called such, rejoice Jesus says you are blessed. Do you believe Him? We are called to make up or share in the sufferings of Christ, who for the joy that was set before Him endured death, even death on the cross. Not just insults but nails and death. We must consider ourselves blessed as the inevitable persecutions come forth and be of the same mind as Christ. Summary Consider the stepwise order of the Beatitudes (using the example of the salvation process). Only the admission of our poverty in spirit to God can enable Him to breathe His life into us. When we reach the point of mourning over our sins God can do something with us. God begins to work in us producing meekness and humility. Meekness with humility removes paralysing fear from us and produces courage in us to go and possess the land, to begin to fulfil all our destiny in Christ. We no longer try to do things in our own strength. Our tastes and likes to begin to change. God begins to fill us with a hunger and thirst for His things. We begin to hunger for His Word and to thirst for God’s presence. We also begin to long for the things that God longs for. As we allow our hearts to be purified our motives will become godlier and will begin to see God in others and in situations in our own lives. Having received the peace of God, we must bring it to the unbelieving out of a pure heart, with correct motives and a lifestyle which is above reproach. We must consider ourselves blessed as the inevitable persecutions come forth and be of the same mind as Christ and remember to rejoice and not be discouraged. Amen Further study Consider the Beatitudes in the book of Nehemiah. Consider the Beatitudes in an area of your life. Convert the beatitudes into a prayer for your own and others growth in discipleship. Prayer Lord, we come to you in Jesus’ name, confessing our poverty and inability to do anything for you in your kingdom. We realise that we are weak and sinful people and are fed up with our powerlessness. Lord, as we mourn over our sins, forgive, and cleanse us and produce meekness and humility in our lives. Free us from paralysing fear and enable and empower us to possess the land and fulfil all our destiny in Christ. Take away the desire to do things in our own strength but rather fill us with a hunger and thirst for you and your things. Let us be a people like David, men, and women after your own heart. Purify our hearts, motives, and lives that we might begin to see you and bring the unbelievers to your wonderful salvation. Cause us to rejoice and consider ourselves blessed when the inevitable persecution and reviling comes. For Jesus’ sake. Amen. Further revelation; could it be that the step wise progression of the beatitudes are mirrored in reverse with the wicked, so that they end up becoming the persecutors? Check it out! [1] Modus operandi i.e. his way of doing things.

Sermon on the mount -Summary of the Beatitudes Part 4a (Matthew 5:3-6) Jesus departed from the crowds and went up the mountain, the disciples came to him. This in a sense represents going on with Him i.e. a step of consecration , coming out of the crowd to follow Him. Being a disciple means to follow the Master and obey his teaching and commands. Come and meet Christ on the mountain if you want to be his disciple. Q. Why go to the mountain? A. to get away from distractions and closer to God. To the fleshly mind the Beatitudes seem like madness or confusion but to the spiritual man they are a source of joy and direction. Jesus commands His Church to go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.. Only disciples can disciple others and here is one of the major teachings to make us into disciples . . Matthew 5:3-12 Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men cast insults at you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely on account of Me… Beatitudes ; ( Latin) meaning blessednesses. Blessed; definition: happy, to be envied and spiritually prosperous (that is with life joy and satisfaction with God's favour regardless of the outward conditions). This is the state of heart and mind we all long for ! It is the attitude of heart or mind that is fulfilled only in God. Blessed: Makarios ; Greek is used to describe God himself; it is enjoying life as God enjoys it Consider a step wise progression of the Beatitudes. They represent the starting point and how to make progress in coming to maturity. Maturity in Christ is our vision. It might also be that the beatitudes may give us the pattern of tackling every project in our spiritual lives! v.3. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. We must admit our inadequacy and failure to God (sin, shame, pride, fear, insecurity, self-sufficiency). All our (own) righteousness, all our own good deeds are as filthy rags to God. This is the starting point. This poverty of spirit (attitude of heart/mind) opens the door to the kingdom of God. It is impossible to enter the kingdom in any other state of heart. The kingdom of God is within you i.e. when the love of Christ that is shed abroad in our hearts and influences our whole life, thoughts, and actions. Only admission of our poverty in spirit before and to God can enable Him to breathe His life into us ( c.f. salvation experience). v.4 Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. This means mourning over our sins to go on with God we must firstly confess our sins and express sorrow on an ongoing basis before God. The Greek word for mourn is mainly used in the New Testament in the context of mourning over other sins rather than bereavement. James 4:8-11 ; v.9 mourns and weep for your sins. 1 Corinthians 5:1-2 ; v2 Church had failed to mourn over incestuous immorality. 2 Corinthians 12:21; Paul mourns over churches unrepented sin. We might need to ask Him to take away any enjoyment of the sin. We then ask for forgiveness and the grace to avoid falling into the same trap. When we reach this point of mourning over our sins God can do something with us. We must mourn for our own sins, for the church’s sins and those of the nation. v.5 Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Meekness is not weakness. Meekness incorporates strength and gentleness and includes humility (paradox). It is the branch that bears most fruit that bows the lowest on the tree. Humility is to see your true standing before God. To recognise His power and majesty (the surpassing beauty of holiness) and yet at the same time to realise his great love for you. In meekness we stop telling God how to do it and submit to His will. We then enter His strength and ability, as we become lesser in our own eyes, so He becomes greater and brings all his abilities into the situation. Meekness with humility removes paralysing fear from us and produces courage in us to go and possess the land, to begin to fulfil all our destiny in Christ. We no longer try to do things in our own strength. v.6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Now that we are no longer bound in fear or in self-sufficiency (due to meekness with humility) we can ask God to fill us with a hunger and thirst for His things. Having confessed and turned from our sins and admitted our inadequacy before Him He is ready to create these desires in our hearts. To hunger for · The Word of God · opportunities to minister · opportunities to serve. To thirst for · His presence · His Spirit · His power in revival No more yesterday’s manna but hungering and thirsting for a freshness each day with God. We begin to long for the things that God longs for... See our next post, Lessons from the Beatitudes Part 5. Amen

Blessed are the Meek The Beatitudes Matt. 5:3 “Blessed are those who recognise they are spiritually helpless. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. 4 Blessed are those who mourn. They will be comforted. 5 Blessed are those who are gentle (meek). They will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for God’s approval. They will be satisfied. 7 Blessed are those who show mercy. They will be treated mercifully. 8 Blessed are those whose thoughts are pure. They will see God. 9 Blessed are those who make peace. They will be called God’s children. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing what God approves of. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. - God’s Word Translation The Blessing of God The Beatitudes or ‘Blessed Sayings’ means ‘blessed is’ or ‘happy is’. Happy unfortunately has lost its meaning in modern times and is now used for a superficial moment of contentment. Someone has said that if would mean much more if we could qualify it by saying. “Oh how incredibly happy!” It means supremely blessed or fortunate . The One who is doing the blessing has our absolute good as his highest interest. When God blessed Adam in Genesis 1:22 and Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3 he meant that everything else around them would be working together to bring about God’s favour. We should live in a favourable and prosperous state that is not based on worldly circumstances but on divine conditions. These conditional blessings are frequent in Hebrew scriptures, including the wisdom literature, especially the Psalms (Job 5:17; Ps. 1:1; 32:1-2; 33:12; 41:1; 106:3; Prov. 8:34; 28:14). The Beatitudes contrast Jesus' values with the values of the world J esus’ Values vs World’s Values Poor in spirit Self confident, complete Mourning Pleasure seeking, hedonistic Meek Proud, self importance Hunger for God Self made, self reliant Merciful Assertive, forceful Pure in heart Hidden, secretive Peacemakers Competitive, aggressive Persecuted Popular, crowd pleasing Like most of Jesus’ teaching the beatitudes are contrary to the values that the world offers [1] . Leaders must serve if they want to rule; if they want to live they must first die; if they want to receive then they must to give away; if they want to be made worthy they should first recognise their unworthiness; if they want to be happy they first need make others happy. Blessed are the Meek In the church today there is little emphasis on humility or self-emptying . There are many Christian books on how to be happy, how to be successful, how to overcome problems, and so on. But sadly there are very few books in print on how to empty ourselves, how to deny ourselves, or how to take up our cross. There are numerous commands about humbling ourselves (Matt. 18:4; 23:12; James 4:10; 1 Pet. 5:5). The first step in experiencing humility is to turn our eyes away from ourselves and to look to God. It is the vision of an infinitely Holy God in all His sinless purity and perfection that enables us to see ourselves as sinners. To seek humility, we do not look at ourselves to find our faults, but to the perfection of God. Jesus invites the weary and overburdened of this world to take upon themselves his yoke and discover that he is “ gentle and humble in heart. ” [2] People are increasingly aggressive and unkind (including Christians) to each other. There is a real need to nurture a gentle and kind spirit. Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Titus 3:1 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. ๏ Meekness is learning to be kind ๏ Meekness is learning to not take offence ๏ Meekness is is not being angry or aggressive ๏ Meekness is not allowing people to affect our mood Meekness should not be confused with weakness. Jesus didn’t let people control him. He was quite willing to confront and challenge. He wouldn't let them ‘make him king’, he overturned the tables when His Father’s house was being desecrated, he strongly denounced the Pharisees because of their hypocrisy. Meekness does not mean that we fail to challenge, correct, rebuke or speak the truth in love. 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction. ‘ For They will Inherit the Earth’ Psalm 37:11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. To inherit the land has a twofold application, present and future. Those that are at peace with themselves will be at peace with their surroundings. The world will be enjoyed and appreciated so much more when we have a tranquil spirit. Romans 8:6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. His kingdom principles define and shape us . This is the meekness to which Jesus calls his followers. It is the meek who will “inherit the land and enjoy great peace”. It is those of a ‘gentle spirit’ (NEB), not the grasping or the greedy, who will receive from life its most satisfying rewards. The aggressive are unable to enjoy their ill–gotten gains. Only the meek have the capacity to enjoy in life all those things that provide genuine and lasting satisfaction. [3] One day the earth will be transformed where the children of God will live. Those who are transformed by Christ will inherit the earth. Amen This was a joint teaching from Pastor Paul Meiklejohn and Charles Green [1] The NIV Application Commentary, p223 [2] New International Bible Commentary, Matthew chapter 5. Electronic version. [3] Ibid

What does it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness? To get a better understanding of what this means we will look at the original Greek words used in Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness : for they shall be filled . Hunger Original Word: πεινάω Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: peinaó Phonetic Spelling: (pi-nah'-o) Short Definition: I am hungry, needy Definition: I am hungry, needy, desire earnestly. It means we ought to be starving for God in our souls, Continual hunger day by day. This brings us close to God and leads us into eventual spiritual victory. The earnest desire for God should be at the very heart of our being. Only the bread of life which came down from heaven can satisfy our souls . Thirst Original Word: διψάω Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: dipsaó Phonetic Spelling: (dip-sah'-o) Short Definition: I thirst for, desire earnestly Definition: I thirst for, desire earnestly. Psalm 42:1 as the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? Like a plant in the desert craves water. It cannot continue to live without some water. Only the water can sustain life. Only the water of the Holy Spirit can slake your spiritual thirst. Take a deep drink now from the wells of living water. Amen Righteousness Original Word: δικαιοσύνη, ης, ἡ Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: dikaiosuné Phonetic Spelling: (dik-ah-yos-oo'-nay) Short Definition: justice, justness, righteousness Definition: (usually if not always in a Jewish atmosphere), justice, justness, righteousness, righteousness of which God is the source or author, but practically: a divine righteousness. There are at least two types of righteousness found in the New Testament. 1. Legal righteousness such as we obtain from Jesus when we are born again, we receive the righteousness of Christ, and this is in a sense a one off situation. This passage however seems to be talking about moral righteousness which is something we achieve on an ongoing basis. It is from our sense of the divine justice that our good deeds flow to the poor and the hurting. Filled Original Word: χορτάζω Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: chortazó Phonetic Spelling: (khor-tad'-zo) Short Definition: I feed, satisfy Definition: I feed, satisfy, fatten. If we hunger and thirst for God, He will fill us like we have just had a sumptuous meal. When we hunger, we will be fed, we will be satisfied and our souls will be fattened . God is in the filling business ; He will fill us with; 1. The Holy Spirit 2. His love 3. His moral righteousness 4. A satisfaction that can continue to grow One bible scholar put it like this, the more of God you want the more get and again the more you want. How can we become hungry and thirsty for God? Jesus awakens the desires of his believers hearts. Consider these words of Jesus: " Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you " Luke 11:9 . Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking , it is an open secret. You need to want it and it is appropriate for us to ask for it! Amen It's whom you ask, where you seek and what door you knock on that makes all the difference. What could be more exciting than a journey into God himself for that is what he desires for you and me? Conclusion God does not ask us to deny our burning desire for intimacy, beauty and adventure. Religion does that. Jesus invites us to intimate communion with himself and his Father that will truly satisfy the deepest longings of our souls. Where are you looking to satisfy your deepest desires and longings? Only God will satisfy your deepest desires if you look to him for fulfilment. God is calling his mature ones here today to hunger and thirst for him and to begin seek his face. Amen Personal Prayer