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"