The Beattitudes - Matthew 5:4

Matthew 5: 4 ----> Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Word Study:

• Blessed : makarioi ---->

- ultimate spiritual well-being, prosperity and distinctive joy of those who share in the salvation of the Kingdom of God.

- Joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation regardless of their outward conditions.

Blessed is not the same as happy. Happy à hap (favorable circumstances), so a happy person is a person who has a good luck. Blessed person has his satisfaction not from favorable circumstances but from having the right attitudes. So, our happiness is not determined by what’s happening around me, but by what’s happening in me.

• Mourn : hoi penthountes ----> sorrow for one's sins and the sins of others, to cut or to strike the bosom or beat the breast as an outward sign of inward grief

Mourn is sorrow because convicted of sins, not because of get caught or get the consequences of sin. Just like the tax collector in Luke 18:13 =

“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!”

• Comfort : parakaleo ----> to call to one's side, call for, summon, to address, speak to, (call to, call upon), which may be done in the way of exhortation, entreaty, comfort, instruction, etc.

Jesus is our comforter and nothing that we experience that He does not understand. He promises that He will comfort us.

What do we learn?

When we commit sins and the Spirit of God convicts us, we need to mourn for doing such sins and ask for God’s repentance. We need to humble ourselves and admit our sins. We need to ask Jesus to overcome sins day by day because only by His grace we can overcome sins.

Xiamen...Oh, Xiamen.....

Xiamen, I’m in Love

I still remember the time when I was in Xiamen, China. Actually, for me, it seems like I’ve been dreaming that I finally have the chance to study Chinese in China. If I flashed back again to the year 2003 when it came into my heart the desire to go to China (I went to China February until December 2005), I was so amazed of how God brought me to China. At that time, there was a family of our church who were sent to China for a missionary shared about how God called them for the mission to China. I was so excited to hear their story to in the mission field. They shared how people in China were so hunger and thirst for righteousness, so on fire, and there were a lot of miraculous things happened. One thing that really touched me at that time was that their passion for God and their compassion for the lost. It burnt me a lot to be more enthusiastic going to China, even only for learning Chinese. It’s such a simple goal of going to China, but it really affected much for this nation. Because it’s not just a matter of learning language, but also to give a big impact for this nation.

After that, I also remember when I had my birthday (year 2004), my dad sent an sms for me. It’s about his promise that if he had more money, he would bring me to China. This memory came into my heart when my dad himself delivered me to Xiamen. He said, ”Ay Ling, isn’t it your dream to go to China? Here we are… In China! Keep on praying for Dad’s job, so that Dad can provide everything you need in Xiamen.” I was touched at that time. I was so grateful to have a father like him. Even though he’s not a perfect father in my eyes, but… He’s the best father I’ve ever had!

My days passed so fast in Xiamen. Ten months had passed. I began to fall in love with this city. The food, the scenery, the people, the fresh air, the shopping centers, the beach, the campus, the friendship…. Everything was really interesting. It’s time to go back to Indonesia for good. My tears dropped when I was about to leave this city. I didn’t know when I had the chance to visit this city again. I think I’m falling in love with Xiamen… It’s so…..memorable!!

Who Am I

- I am the salt of the earth (Matt 5:13)

- I am the light of the world (Matt 5:14)

- I am a child of God (John 1:12)

- I am part of true vine, a channel of Christ's life (John 15:1)

- I am Christ's friend (John 15:15)

- I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit. (John 15:16)

- I am a slave of righteousness (Rom 6:18)

- I am enslaved to God (Rom 6:22)

- I am a son of God ; God is spiritually my Father (Rom 8:14, Gal 3:26 , 4:6)

- I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him (Rom 8:17)

- I am a temple -- a dwelling place -- of God. His spirit and His life dwells in me (1 Cor 3:16; 6:19

- I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him (1 Cor 6:17)

- I am a member of Christ's Body (1 Cor 12:27; Eph 5:30)

- I am a new creation (2 Cor 5:17)

- I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18-19)

- I am a son of God and one in Christ (Gal 3:26; 28)

- I am an heir of God since I am a son of God (Gal 4:6-7)

- I am a saint (Eph 1:1, 1 Cor 1:2 , Phil 1:1 , Col 1:2)

- I am God's workmanship -- His handiwork -- born anew in Christ to do His work (Eph 2:10)

- I am a fellow citizen with the rest of God's family (Eph 2:19)

- I am a prisoner of Christ (Eph 3:1 ; 4:1)

- I am a righteous and holy (Eph 4:24)

- I am a citizen of Heaven, seated in Heaven right now (Phil 3:20 ; Eph 2:6)

- I am hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3)

- I am an expression of the life of Christ because He is my life (Col 3:4)

- I am a chosen of God, holy and dearly loved (Col 3:12; 1 Thess 1:4)

- I am a son of light and not of darkness (1 Thess 5:5)

- I am a holy partaker of heavenly calling (Heb 3:1)

- I am a partaker of Christ, I share in His life (Heb 3:14)

- I am one of God's living stones, being built up in Christ as a Spiritual house (1 Pet 2:5)

- I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priest-hood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession. (1 Pet 2:9-10)

- I am an alien and stranger to this world in which I temporarily live (1 Pet 2:11)

- I am an enemy of the devil (1 Pet 5:8)

- I am a child of God and I will resemble Christ when He returns (John 3:1-2)

- I am born of God, and the evil one -- the devil -- can not touch me (John 5:18)

- I am not the great "I am" (Exod 3:14; John 8:24, 28, 58), but by the grace of God, I am what I am (1 Cor 15:10)

Thanks a lot Internet...

Today i'm so happy... Why? Not because I got the first winner in the lottery...not because i get a boyfriend...(maybe, if i get boyfriend, I will be happier...waakakaka....just kidding!!) Hmm, it's because...i met my old friends in a night through chatting! Wowww...isn't it amazing?? I said so, because both friends I met today were my junior high school friends and my university friend. En...it's been a long time i lost contact with them!! Can you imagine?? It's been 2 years...or more maybe i lost contact with them, but in one night...i can share a lot of stories with them!! Thanks to internet... Coz, it help me to find my old best friends....

Words of Encouragement 2

Today's Words of Encouragement:
1. The essence of maturity is change.
2. It takes courage to change.
3. If change is necessary, not to change is destructive.

"Hidup kita ini dibentuk dari pilihan-pilihan yang kita buat setiap harinya, dan kita menjadi hamba dari keputusan yang kita buat sendiri"

The Beattitudes - Matthew 5:3

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

When Christ saw the multitude, he went up into a mountain and started to teach. Part of His teachings on the mount is known as The Beatitudes. So, we will learn God’s guidance to live in supreme blessings, great blessings or happiness. It starts with Matthew 5:3 as the basic foundation.

Word Studies:

• Blessed : makarios - supremely blest, fortunate, well off, happy, spiritually prosperous with life, joy and satisfaction in God’s favor, successful

The word "blessed" is an Old English word “bledsian” or “covered with blood”. It refers to the protection and provision of a covenant relationship with God (Gal 3:14-18). Or it could even mean “higher”. As we a covered, protected, and provided for, the key to higher living and having a happy heart is having the RIGHT ATITUDE. Right Attitudes are the prescription for healthy physical, emotional, spiritual and mental well being.

When you read the Sermon on the Mount it sounds like opposites.

– Happy if you're sad...

– Happy if you're poor ...

– Happy if you're put down and persecuted!

That does not sound much like happiness to us. But what Jesus was saying is that we can learn to be happy regardless of your situation or your circumstances. Our happiness is not determined by what's happening around us, but rather by what's happening in us.

Jesus wants to teach us that to experience continual happiness depends not on the right circumstances but it depends on continually having the right attitudes. So, the higher living is a result of right choices, not right situations. It's not how much we have on the outside that makes us happy, it's what we are on the inside that makes us happy. Happiness is something we choose because we choose our attitudes. It’s not something someone else chooses for us because no one else chooses our attitudes for us.

• Poor spirit : humble, character of humility, not arrogant or prideful, not setting our hearts on worldly wealth or things of the world, empty of self

What does He mean by “Poor in Spirit”? He's not talking about low self-esteem or putting yourself down or having a low opinion of yourself. Poor in spirit means totally dependant on God, beggarly. It means that we humble ourselves, not arrogant and not full of pride, but saying to ourselves “I am not going to make it without help”, and not setting our hearts on worldly wealth or things of the world.

There is no ME, ME, ME. No “I, ME, MINE”. No, “Eh, gua dulu dong”. Letting others go first. It’s deference and self denying. Not by might or strength because of Christ in me. I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me. We are to be like little children that is depend only upon Christ for our justification and sanctification. He's talking about humility.

The opposite of poor in spirit is arrogance or egotism. Jesus teaches that if we're full of our self, we're never going to be happy. Humility is the first key to taking higher ground. If you want to have lasting happiness then you need to learn to be humble.

• Kingdom : basileia - royalty, rule, authority, power, dominion

Talks about authority and power, it means we can be rulers only if we first humble ourselves.

The Kingdom of Heaven is the priceless rewards of living in the presence and protection of God. It is God’s way of doing things.

How does humility increase our happiness?

1. When we are humble and we don't have to have all the answers. We realise that the world does not depend on us, so, we can resign as general manager of the universe. Because when I'm humble I realise that I don't have to solve all the problems in the world. I don't have to pretend that I'm perfect because God doesn't demand that I be perfect in order to be happy.

2. Selfish, self-centred people are an irritation. Nobody likes to be around them. They wreck relationships. Self-centred people are never happy! Because they are unhappy, they make everybody else unhappy. They spread all their gloom and doom simply by their self focus. Humility doesn't mean we think less of ourselves, we just think more about others. When we become interested in others we become interesting to others. We have better relationships when we're a humble person. When we’re full of pride we bruise very easily. We’re very sensitive to other people's comments. On the other hand, when I we’re walking in humility before the Lord and just being who we are, being real and honest and depending upon God, We’re not near as susceptible to insults.

3. It releases God's power and His presence in our life.

“God gives strength to the humble, but He sets himself against the proud.”

James 4:6 (TLB)

The Bible says that the secret of spiritual power is to walk humbly before the Lord, to realise we are dependent on Him. The secret to releasing God’s strength in our life is to be dependent upon Him. The key to going up to a higher level is to let God lift our life

What do we learn?

Jesus teaches us to be humble and to be happy go together. The key to higher ground and happy living is to be poor in spirit, to be dependent on God.

“Now that you know the truth, how happy you will be if you put it into practice! “ John 13:17 (GNB)

Matthew 5:3 ---> Happy are those who know their need for God, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs! (JBP)

That means that all that God has to offer is available to the person who walks humbly before the Lord. All that God has to offer is ours when we live in dependence before the Lord. The fact is that every one of us needs Jesus Christ in our lives. We need God's power to make it through next week and the rest of our life. His power is available and God is waiting to pour out His power on each of us. But we've got to ask. And we've got to admit that we need His help. We need God's power in your life. But it only comes when we humble ourself and say, "God! Help!" The person who says "Help!" is the humble person and the person who is the humble person, God says, "There's nothing I won't do for that person! The kingdom of heaven will be theirs."

Ask yourself two questions:

1. In what areas of my life do I need to practice humility?

2. In what areas of my life do I need to depend on God more?

Self - Reflection

I knelt to pray but not for long, I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work, for bills would soon be due.
So I knelt and said a hurried prayer and jumped up off my knees.
My Christian duty was now done, my soul could rest at ease.....
All day long I had no time to spread a word of cheer.
No time to speak of Christ to friends, they’d laugh at me I’d fear.
No time, no time, Too much to do! That was my constant cry.
No time to give to souls in need. But at last the time, the time to die.
I went before the Lord. I came, I stood with downcast eyes.
For in his hands God held a book. It was the book of life.
God looked into his book and said.
"Your name I cannot find, I once was going to write it down...
But never found the time"

How scary and how sad it is if God can’t find our name in the Book of Life. It seems like everything that we’ve done in order to “maintain” our Christian life is nothing before Him. Anyone of us knows that we need to feed our spirit, so that it can grow stronger and stronger. But, it’s so often that the routines we must do everyday replace the essential of building our deep and strong relationship with God. Time is the main reason of it. But one thing all of us need to know is that God really wants the quality of our time.

So, redeem your time! Have a deeper and an intimate relationship with God. Know His will and destiny for you. Let your spirit have rest in the presence of God and let God fill you with His love and compassion, so that you can share your life with others and your life can be the vessel which always flow the love of God to this world.