Lesson 23: The Authority to Heal 2

The Gospel
of Matthew

chapter 8

The Authority to Heal 2

So He touched her hand and the fever left her... Matthew 8:15

During our last session, we witnessed the power and authority to heal as young people and even children prayed for the sick who then got healed on the spot! This understanding of the AUTHORITY OF THE BELIEVER is something every Christian needs to have. It is not enough in this fallen world to have the Word of God without the Power of God. We need to have a renewed BOLDNESS and rejuvenated FAITH to lay hands on the sick and pray for people to receive their healing.

Joy and Nissi are two ladies who are not church leaders, pastors or vicars yet they have witnessed time and time again the power of the Spirit in healing. During the healing session last week, a gentleman (Fergus) who records films and documentaries for the BBC attended the service. He was there to observe what City Chapel was about. He had a chronic bad knee which he couldn’t bend backwards without excruciating pain. He was prayed for and he could instantly
bend his knee without pain!

And He...healed all who were sick... Jesus’ ministry was infused with compassion for all sick people. If Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever as the Bible says; then He will do now what He did way back then during His earthly life. Wherever Christians are gathered together in His Name, then He is there (Matthew 18:20). Whatever we say and declare about Him and His Gospel, He is duty bound to confirm with miracles, signs and wonders to help unbelievers to really believe;

²⁰And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the attesting signs and miracles that closely accompanied [it]. Mark 16:20 Amplified

²⁰Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. NIV

The Lord taught His disciples to go ahead and do more than He did:

tell you for certain that if you have faith in me, you will do the same things that I am doing. You will do even greater things, now that I am going back to the Father. John 14:12

The reason why they could do these greater things was because of the empowerment by the HOLY SPIRIT:

Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem^[a] until you are endued with power from on high.” Luke 24:49

What power is Jesus talking about here? Why must they wait in Jerusalem for this power? This
is then explained by the Book of Acts:

But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the
ends (the very bounds) of the earth. Acts 1:8

The early believers waited in Jerusalem until the day of Pentecost which was a regular Jewish feast with international delegates from all over the world. Jews went on pilgrimage to ‘the centre of the world’ Jerusalem in their hundreds of thousands. Just like Catholics go to Rome and Muslims go to Mecca. It was a set up because the Holy Spirit fell on the believers right in the middle of the festival and subsequently 3000 delegates got saved (read the whole of Acts chapter 2). And where did these new believers go after becoming new believers...back to the far flung countries they came from taking the Gospel with them!!

This POWER and AUTHORITY to heal comes via the finished work of the CROSS and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

AUTHORITY: has its root meaning in the Greek word EXOUSIA and implies having the RIGHT to do something.

POWER: has its root meaning in the Greek word DUNAMIS and implies having the ABILITY to enforce a right.

John Coles said, Authority without power is degrading while power without authority is dangerous. Jesus Christ gives every child of God both the authority and power to exercise His will over sicknesses and disease and oppression

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...Matthew 28:18

But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God...John 1:12

And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. Matthew 10:1

It is the right and privilege of every Christian to walk in the reality of these truths and spiritual facts. I want to encourage you today to continue or begin this journey of faith by DOING these simple things;

• Pray for the sick by laying your hands upon them (in an
  appropriate manner)
  
• Ask the Lord to help you by getting around believers and a
  church which will nudge you to walk in the supernatural without being a
  weirdo or social freak.

You can do all things through Christ....

Lesson 22: The Authority to Heal

The Gospel
of Matthew

chapter 8

The Authority to Heal

I am willing; be cleansed. Immediately his leprosy was
cleansed.. Matthew 8:3

We have now started a new section of the Gospel of Matthew as we come down the mountain with the Lord into the valley of power and healing encounters. In this segment, I want to encourage you to receive BOLDNESS to copy Jesus and do what He does.

When He came down from the mountain... Jesus’ earthly life was a cycle of mountain tops followed by valley lows. One moment He would be on His way ‘up’ to the Presence of God, the next coming ‘down’ from divine heights with power and authority to address people’s problems.

This simple principle of crests and troughs is the key to victorious Christian living. We need to obtain the discipline of climbing up to God on a daily basis; give us this day our daily bread. Man can only truly live out destiny via a healthy diet of God. The regular dose of the WORD flowing from His Presence empowers and equips us to tackle life’s tricky dips and turns. Those quiet moments with God are therefore crucial to your faith walk.


Great multitudes followed Him... Anywhere Jesus is truly present, people naturally gather. There was something very attractive and magnetic about this man. It was beyond His words or miracles. Tax collectors, prostitutes, soldiers and the poor all found solace in this wonderful guy. There were no harsh rejections only acceptance and redirection and deliverance.

We are called to emulate this man in what He said and did. If we ‘carry’ the Presence of God through regular encounters, people will come after us. LEADERSHIP MEANS FOLLOWERSHIP. The definition of the term Leader assumes others are following. Note that Jesus was always being led by the Holy Spirit and followed by the people. That means every great leader is a good follower. If you allow yourself to be led by God, people will beat a path to your door.

And behold, a leper came... In biblical times, lepers were outcasts. They lived in isolated colonies on the outskirts of townships away from the communities. People avoided them because they were deemed infectious. Lepers were of a lower social cast than beggars. Medically, Leprosy begins with pain in certain body parts followed by numbness. Skin discoloration commences until it becomes thick glossy and scaly. Ulcers and sores erupt due to poor blood supply culminating with fingers and toes dropping off. The leper emits a very unpleasant odor along with a grating hoarse voice. The sight of a leper with rags and wounds and the smell would have been quite frightful to many people. Lepers were culturally required to shout unclean! Unclean! When encountering people in the streets Lev 13:45-46. Priests and Holy men would be made ceremonially unclean and unfit to perform their duties or approach God’s Presence if they touched someone such as a leper Lev 22:3-6

This is the context in which we read Matthew 8:2 Dewey Bertolli exclaims; that this man believed Jesus could heal him was incredible; that he would dare to approach Jesus (something forbidden in Old Testament Law) was remarkable; but that Jesus would actually touch him was utterly unthinkable!!

Here we see the compassion of Jesus overriding the legal and cultural norms of His day. The Lord was making a statement that in His Kingdom the Clean makes the Unclean CLEAN. By TOUCHING him, Jesus was healing the man not just physically but also emotionally. Think about it; when was the last time that man was touched by a normal person with such Love?!

Jesus reached out and touched him, saying, "I want to. Be clean." Then and there, all signs of the leprosy were gone. Jesus said, "Don't talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed body to the priest, along with the appropriate expressions of thanks to God. Your cleansed and grateful life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done."

The Love of Jesus is quite overwhelming, relevant and radical. It touches the deepest needs of any soul irrespective of their past, present or peculiar deeds. It tears away the wrappings of discrimination, marginalisation and segregation without losing sight of what really lies at the heart of the matter. Jesus SEES people period. He sees beyond the external façade of hatred, anger, unbelief, hopelessness, frustration and shame.

Immediately his leprosy was cleansed...I have had the privilege of seeing miracles happen right before my eyes. I have seen legs grow, eyes opened, deaf ears healed and illnesses disappear through the power of the Holy Spirit.

One of the more significant healing meetings I have conducted was when I told a bunch of young people in Somerset to lay hands on each other for healing. The whole tent meeting erupted when there were spontaneous healings happening through the hands of young people who had never done anything like that before!! It was a really breakthrough experience for me.

Still later, as the Eleven were eating supper, he appeared and took them to task most severely for their stubborn unbelief, refusing to believe those who had seen him rose up. Then he said, "Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God's good news to one and all. Whoever believes and is baptized is saved; whoever refuses to believe is damned.

"These are some of the signs that will accompany believers: They will throw out demons in my name, they will speak in new tongues, they will take snakes in their hands, they will drink poison and not be hurt, and they will lay hands on the sick and make them well."

You and I have been commissioned by the Lord to go and tell everyone everywhere about Him. One of the ways by which the Jesus helps us to tell the Gospel story is by throwing in some nice surprises. If people feel chased by ghosts, are sick or feeling heavily oppressed, we can help them by praying for them. Miracles and healings happen when we pray for people.

We shall continue with this theme in the next session....

Lesson 18: The Prayer Principle II

The Gospel
of Matthew

chapter 6

The Prayer Principle II

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against
us... Matthew 6:12

The principles embedded within the Lord’s Prayer help us to understand the basics of God’s Kingdom and how He functions in relation to His children. One of the key themes within the entire redemption story and the Bible is FORGIVENESS.

Forgive us for doing wrong...

We are being told by Jesus that we can come and receive the King’s pardon no matter what we may have done. There is no category of sin stated here; it is simply come as you are to receive what has been provided through the Blood of Jesus.

There is no payment to be made, no complicated religious loops to jump through or severe penance to be made...just ask for your release from the shackles of sin and guilt. This is a very deep and spiritual reality of the Christian liberty and freedom established through Christ. So many songs and poetry and books have been written about this outrageous scandal of GRACE!

It is only in Jesus that all men everywhere and throughout the generations have their sins forgiven...just like that!!

Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means we that our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because God was so kind to us. Ephesians 1:7-8

“....then I will forget about their sins and no longer remember their evil deeds....” My friends, the blood of Jesus gives us courage to enter the most holy place, by a new way that leads to life! Hebrews 10:17-20

As we forgive others...

The Lord spent considerable time in Matthew chapter 18, responding to Peter’s question “Lord how many times should I keep on forgiving my brother who keeps on hurting me”. He unpacks the query by telling a story of a high-ranking official who owed the King so much money to the tune of millions of pounds which was subsequently written off in an act of unprecedented kindness.

What was really puzzling in the story was the ridiculous actions of the debt-free civil servant who went unto harass a poor farmer for a mere £100 pounds!! The graphic story is a picture of our hearts and how we are to freely release others as we have been graciously pardoned by God.

Just before we delve into this study, let us deal with one or two matters that arose in form of questions from Matthew 6:1-18.

Q&A

One of the questions that arose from our last study titled Religion versus Kingdom was; how can I be sure I am serving God and not religion? This was opened to discussion and again the insightful comments were profound:

• Church teaches you doctrine and not necessarily a relationship with Christ.


• Believers need to get into the Word themselves and not rely on church teaching


• Many Christians need to be mind delivered from the wrong world view they have


• The leading of the Holy Spirit is key in helping discern the difference


• Pure religion is about looking after others and keeping oneself holy –James 1:27

The Lord’s Prayer is a model for us about how to pray according to God’s prescription and instruction. It is not necessarily something to memorise religiously but to apply the principles. When we have a good look at these passages we see some amazing patterns emerging.

Our Father...

The modern church has emphasised the ME notion so much that we have a whole generation of
believers who are selfish and caught up in their own matters to the exclusion of others. The popular books and conferences are testament to the fact that the Body of Christ is full of converts and not disciples. Self absorbed church goers who are focussed on their own success, promotion and blessings without any healthy concern for the state of others.

The prayer begins on the corporate level; it is Our Father not My Father. Once you bow your knees in prayer you immediately join the masses of saints across the world and ages that have prayed or are praying too. It is like logging on to God’s divine conference call or chat room.

Hallowed be your Name...

Many Christians have been taught to pray from a primary position of their Need rather than seeking God’s Lead. Jesus emphasises God and others through this model of prayer which takes the focus off from us and unto Him.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him and bless His name. Psalm 100:4

The first section of the prayer places our attention on God; Our Father, Your Name, Your Kingdom, Your will... There is no mention of me, my, I or mine.

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves...2 Timothy 3:1

We live in an age of YOU-Tube, My Space, Face-Book which are just indicators of a global emphasis the individual even though there seems to be greater electronic networking. Family structures and community cohesiveness are in conflict with values and norms that uphold individual rights above social and moral boundaries. The general social ethos now is, “If it feels good to you then go ahead and do it...”

Your Kingdom Come, your will be done...

Underscoring the God focus, we are admonished to pray for the things on God’s Heart before downloading our burdens. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be ADDED unto you

Give us this day our daily bread...

This aspect of the Lord’s Prayer teaches us corporate responsibility. Even when we pray for our needs, we should be carrying into God’s presence the needs of others within our sphere of responsibility. So it isn’t give me but give us.

You represent a whole community of God’s people some of whom are in the Kingdom while others aren’t. It is part of your assignment on Earth to pray and take spiritual responsibility for those whom the Lord has linked with your life.

This represents a new paradigm for many of us who have been taught and fed on doctrines of individual achievement, personal development and goals to the exclusion of others. Many churches do not come before God carrying the weight, sins and problems of their community. This leads many into a warped theology that is laced with greed and selfishness.

⁴Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others.

⁴If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand Philippians 2:1-4(Message)

To be continued....

Lesson 17: The Prayer Principle

The Gospel
of Matthew

chapter 6

The Prayer Principle

Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name... Matthew
6:10

Just before we delve into this study, let us deal with one or two matters that arose in form of questions from Matthew 6:1-18.

Q&A
One of the questions that arose from our last study titled Religion versus Kingdom was; how can I be sure I am serving God and not religion? This was opened to discussion and again the insightful comments were profound:

· Church teaches you doctrine and not necessarily a relationship with Christ.

· Believers need to get into the Word themselves and not rely on church teaching

· Many Christians need to be mind delivered from the wrong world view they have

· The leading of the Holy Spirit is key in helping discern the difference

· Pure religion is about looking after others and keeping oneself holy –James 1:27

The Lord’s Prayer is a model for us about how to pray according to God’s prescription and instruction. It is not necessarily something to memorise religiously but to apply the principles. When we have a good look at these passages we see some amazing patterns emerging.

Our Father...

The modern church has emphasised the ME notion so much that we have a whole generation of believers who are selfish and caught up in their own matters to the exclusion of others. The popular books and conferences are testament to the fact that the Body of Christ is full of converts and not disciples. Self absorbed church goers who are focussed on their own success, promotion and blessings without any healthy concern for the state of others.

The prayer begins on the corporate level; it is Our Father not My Father. Once you bow your knees in prayer you immediately join the masses of saints across the world and ages that have prayed or are praying too. It is like logging on to God’s divine conference call or chat room.

Hallowed be your Name...

Many Christians have been taught to pray from a primary position of their Need rather than seeking God’s Lead. Jesus emphasises God and others through this model of prayer which takes the focus off from us and unto Him.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him and bless His name. Psalm 100:4

The first section of the prayer places our attention on God; Our Father, Your Name, Your Kingdom, Your will... There is no mention of me, my, I or mine.

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves...2 Timothy 3:1

We live in an age of YOU-Tube, My Space, Face-Book which are just indicators of a global emphasis the individual even though there seems to be greater electronic networking. Family structures and community cohesiveness are in conflict with values and norms that uphold individual rights above social and moral boundaries. The general social ethos now is, “If it feels good to you then go ahead and do it...”

Your Kingdom Come, your will be done...

Underscoring the God focus, we are admonished to pray for the things on God’s Heart before downloading our burdens. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be ADDED unto you

Give us this day our daily bread...

This aspect of the Lord’s Prayer teaches us corporate responsibility. Even when we pray for our needs, we should be carrying into God’s presence the needs of others within our sphere of responsibility. So it isn’t give me but give us.

You represent a whole community of God’s people some of whom are in the Kingdom while others aren’t. It is part of your assignment on Earth to pray and take spiritual responsibility for those whom the Lord has linked with your life.

This represents a new paradigm for many of us who have been taught and fed on doctrines of individual achievement, personal development and goals to the exclusion of others. Many churches do not come before God carrying the weight, sins and problems of their community. This leads many into a warped theology that is laced with greed and selfishness.

⁴Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others.

⁴If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand Philippians 2:1-4(Message)

To be continued....

Lesson 16: Religion versus Kingdom

The Gospel
of Matthew

chapter 6

Religion versus Kingdom

Do not be like the hypocrites... Matthew 6:5

This is another outline where the text does the talking and teaching – direct!!

Our Lord Jesus was confronting religion head on by highlighting three key pillars of any world religious community – Giving alms, Prayer and Fasting. All these practices even though good in themselves are corrupted by wrong human motives. Let’s take a look at The Message version of the Gospel of Matthew 6: 1-18 skipping the Lord’s Prayer

Alms Giving

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. ² When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth; they have received all the reward they will ever get. ³ But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. ⁴ Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Prayer

⁵ “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth that is all the reward they will ever get. ⁶ But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Fasting

¹⁶ “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and dishevelled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. ¹⁷ But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. ¹⁸ Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

We had an amazing conversation during the service as we tackled the issue of church religion versus true Christianity. We asked the question, If we as Christians serve a God of Love, why aren’t we known for our great Love for people? Do we find a lot of Love in Church?

The response was quite revealing and challenging concerning the state of the Body of Christ.
Some of the statements were:

· Christians do not trust each other because so many have been hurt in church

· Many Christians are only interested in money and material things

· There is a lot of jealousy, back stabbing and strife in churches

· Lots of believers have taken their eyes off the essence of who Christ is

· Prosperity teachings and emphasis on material things have corrupted many a heart

· Many believers find that non-Christians have more integrity than church goers

· Lots of people go to church, but the church is not in them

· Many people in church focus on ME, MYSELF & I, which is basically selfishness.

· Many church doctrines focus on what we can get from God than what we can give to Him.

These amazing statements clearly show that if these are anecdotal experiences of the average Christian, then something is definitely very wrong. The Heart of the matter is the matter of the Heart. Our motives are misplaced when we engage with a system of religion and not with the Lord. If we know more about Authors and Preachers than we know the Lord then we run the risk of ship wrecking our faith in times of crisis. We also run the more severe risk of the Lord’s Judgement on that Day!

Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and driven out demons in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name? And then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands]. Matthew 7:22-23 Amplified

Some may now ask, how can we know that we are truly serving the Lord and not religion? We will deal with this in our next study. My simple advice right now is, confess your sins everyday to the Lord and ask Him to examine your heart and show you where you miss it...He will!!

Lesson 15: The Higher Life

The Gospel
of Matthew

Outline 15

The Higher Life

Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in
heaven is perfect Matthew 5:48

This amazing statement is made by Jesus as we step away from chapters five into six. It is so profound that we have to stop and take a look at it properly. Theologians believe that this verse has direct correlation with Deuteronomy 18:13. You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. How can a man be perfect or walk blameless? Is that possible?!! Isn’t being perfect reserved for when we cross over into eternity?

To understand this better, we need to look at the root word used here for perfect or blameless; teleios – goal, purpose, adult, full-grown, of full age. It’s inherent meaning is that of maturity. It means that we should grow up and stop acting like children but as mature adults
in Love. When I was a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1Corinthians 13:11

God’s perfection is absolute while man’s is relative, reaching the goal set for him by God with each individual differing according to his God-given ability. The teleios is one who who has attained his moral end, the goal for which he was intended, namely, to be a man obedient in Christ. Zodhiates Greek Lexicon.

The LORD says to Abraham, I am Almighty God, walk before me and be blameless. Genesis 17:1

·Walk before me and have real integrity

· Live in the consciousness of My Presence

· Walk before me and be complete

· Walk before me and be perfect in Love

Him we preach, warning everyman and teaching everyman in all wisdom, that we present everyman perfect in Christ Jesus. Colossians 1:28

Be ye followers of God as dear children: and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us...Eph 5:1-2

We are being challenged to behave like God; copying His attribute of LOVE. We do not need to take our cue from people or need their approval to do what is right. The inner life of Christ produces a Higher life that overrides shallowness, pride and pettiness.

Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Matthew 6:1
...and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly

Lesson 14: The Inner Life

The Gospel

of Matthew

chapter 5

The Inner Life

Love your enemies, bless them who curse you,
do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and
persecute you. Matthew 5:44

This final section of chapter five essentially focuses on the higher righteousness which flows out from a saved heart and not mere external religious practice. The church today is filled with nominal Christians who have a form of religion but no inner substance. Jesus was challenging His followers to go higher than the religious leaders of that era.

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 5:20

He then differentiates between their popular teaching and His; you have heard that it was said… but I say to you…!!

Murder is not only committed by a physical action but even from the roots of anger. The lord was saying emphatically; you can commit murder just by thinking about it!!

The remedy? As you go to church and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23-24.

If you don’t forgive quickly or work in the spirit of reconciliation you will be subject to judgement, both natural and spiritual. Our own attitudes imprison us. What we sow is what we reap!

You have heard that it was said to those of old “you shall not commit adultery” but I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:27-28

This implies that even though many of the Pharisees had not committed legal adultery, they had broken the rule mentally and were therefore guilty. In our modern times where pornography thrives as an acceptable norm within society many are committing adultery even though they can claim being faithful to their wives.

Our Lord furthers drives the nail into the coffin of nominal religion by touching on the “D” word.

But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a women who is divorced commits adultery. Matthew 5:32

Phew..! Tough words for the times of Jesus, and also for our own contemporary times. Not much has changed in heart attitudes towards God’s covenant standards. We will discuss this much more fully when we get to chapter 19.

…do not swear at all. The whole purpose of swearing was to give weight to our words and convince others that we were telling the truth. It was considered a terrible and damnable thing to swear by a deity or God and not tell the truth. This however does not rule out official and solemn oaths while taking up an office or giving evidence in court which are duties of good citizenship (Rom 13:1,7)

Let your yes be yes…Jesus was emphasising the principle of telling the truth regardless. We do not need any external context to prove we are telling the truth. Another extension of this
for which many of us are guilty is exaggeration. Expanding the facts or juicing up the story to impress or deceive. Holding back some facts, adding to the detail, changing the story or embellishing your tale are all extensions from the father of lies, the devil.

Whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also. Jesus is not advocating insipid pacifism but rather an attitude of Love so full and robust, even evil would not be able to cripple it. He was also saying that if your enemy had a genuine need, help them even if your natural man was struggling with blessing them.

Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."

^20-21Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good. Romans 12:19-21(the message)

¹⁹Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for [God's] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord.^(A)

²⁰But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.^{(B) 21}Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good. Romans 12:19-21 (Amplified).

This kind of heart attitude does not come naturally and therefore we need to ask the Lord to help us to start behaving in these ways. You cannot do these things in your own strength and once you admit you need help and are too poor in spirit, the Lord supplies His ability and power.

Ask the Lord today to help you. Openly confess your selfishness, lukewarmness and weaknesses. Tell Him to strengthen you in Love towards that difficult person, your boss, and spouse or loved one.

The mind of man is the battleground on which every moral and
spiritual battle is fought.

J Oswald Sanders

Lesson 13: Light of the World

The Gospel
of Matthew

chapter 5

Light of the World

You are the Salt of the Earth…Let Your Light so shine
before men. Matthew 5: 13-16.

As we step away from the beatitudes list, Jesus begins His unpacking of these attitudes and their practical application as well as outcomes. The Lord’s sermon is like a surgical laser which slices through to the inner core of our being. True Christianity is an extension of the state of our hearts.

You are the salt of the earth…the qualities of this substance exemplify the Lord’s disciple; white, sharp taste, common, transforms food, preserves, disappears within the host, and multipurpose. The believer should be pure, have distinctive qualities, readily available to the common man and be a transformer of any environment. Christians should preserve their neighbourhoods and family from degeneration and submerge within the culture like Jesus.

Many teachings within sections of the church teach principles of Babylon rather those of Zion.
They advocate that Christians should strive to be successful (at any cost), push for the top and riches. These are worthwhile aims as long as they are tempered by obedience and submission to the Will of God.

…but if the salt loses its flavour…? We as believers should be setting the examples of integrity, discipline, kindness and generosity to a world that has lost its ethics and values. When the street ‘bobby’ was taken off the streets in England, many inner city neighbourhoods descended into vicious circles of petty crime and drug strongholds. The presence of patrol teams acted as a deterrent to gangs and pimps. The same principle is applicable to Christians. Our presence in society acts as a preservative against evil forces and bad behaviour.

You are the Light of the World… the qualities of light are different from those of salt even though the inference may be the same. Light stands separate from darkness and the two cannot mix. Unlike salt, light doesn’t become immersed within what it affects. Our love actions as Christians can equate to light which stands out as a witness to our gospel. Jesus said to preach the good news to the whole world. We are to spread the light of the gospel into our dark towns, cities and neighbourhoods.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16. This is a major challenge from our Lord. He is urging us to TURN ON THE LIGHT through our good works which should be noticeable by people. This will cause them to automatically acknowledge God.

Question: What practical things are you doing as a Christian that is causing people to believe that there is a God in Heaven?

Lesson 12: The King’s Pain

The Gospel
of Matthew

Chapter 5

The King’s Pain

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness
sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Matthew 5:10

Per⋅se⋅cute: to pursue with harassing or oppressive treatment, esp. because of religion, race, or beliefs; harass persistently: to annoy or trouble persistently.

Synonyms:
1.afflict, torture, torment. 2. worry,badger, vex, bother, pester.

The final beatitude shakes us into the reality of being a disciple and following the Christ. The Lord is issuing both a blessing and a forecast; they that desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom
of God has suffered violence. The trailblazing power of the advancing Gospel always attracts opposition;

¹The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. ²They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. ³They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. Acts 4:1-3

When the gospel is preached and the Kingdom expands, the forces of darkness look for human
agents to quell and suppress the momentum. This is a recurring pattern which Christians need to be aware of and prepared for:

Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all
healed.

Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, ¹⁸ and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. ¹⁹ But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, ²⁰ “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.” Acts 5:16-20

Many times the enemy uses stealth tactics to propagate an offensive against the believer and
it takes discernment to figure out what the opposition is up to:

Be sober, be vigilant; because^[a] your adversary the devil walks about like a
roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9

Persecution therefore comes in physical and spiritual forms. If Satan cannot get the church
through physical persecution he reverts to hidden spiritual and divisive tactics:

Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists,^[a] because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Acts 6:1

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. ² And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. ³ But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? Acts 5:1-3

As the early church began to grow and blossom, the enemy temporarily changed tactics from external attacks via the religious authorities to internal subversive warfare. As disciples of Christ we need to understand that this is the way the enemy operates and no one is exempt.

The Lord was resisted and persecuted by the forces of darkness all through His ministry. When Satan couldn’t get Jesus from the outside, he infiltrated the disciples ring through seducing Judas. We therefore need to have our wits around us at all times to decipher the wiles of our enemy:

Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2Cor 2:11

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,^[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph 6:10-12

When you make up your mind to put your spiritual life into gear and follow Jesus without
compromise, you WILL encounter resistance. How ever we are encouraged to resist the enemy and stand our ground when things seem to be going awry. Jesus preaches to us to take Satan’s best punches and remain standing.

³³I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and
confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]John 16:33

In these days, the Lord is calling you to press into your destiny with ALL of your heart and
leave no room for compromise or lethargy. This is the season to spend time in the Lord’s Presence and put on the armour of purity, power and praise.

May God strengthen you in this hour to STAND!!

Lesson 11: The King’s Peace

The Gospel
of Matthew

Chapter 5

The King’s Peace

Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called
sons of God. Matthew 5:9

This outline will simply present parallel or complementary verses of scripture to help you arrive at your own conclusion of what peacemaking means.

So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Gen 13:8 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Prov 15:1

Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. Ps34:12 Then on the next day he suddenly appeared to some, who were quarrelling and fighting among themselves, and he urged them to make peace and become reconciled, saying, Men, you are brethren; why do you abuse and wrong one another? Acts 7:26

Peace makers help to dispense peace many times at their own expense. If you step between two brawling parties, you are likely to get hit by a blow or two. Peacemakers stop fights and help to placate rage in it’s various forms. Does strife stop when it comes to you or does it go
to a new level?

It takes a really disciplined soul to hold back from reacting to provocation. How do you hold your tongue from speaking when everything within you wants to say something in return to a hurtful word?

Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord….Do not be overcome by
evil, but overcome evil with good.Rom12:17,21

So let's agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don't drag them down by finding fault. Rom 14:19(Message)

The Bible is quite strong and clear about disagreements. See what Paul teaches the Corinthians:

And how dare you take each other to court! When you think you have been wronged, does it make any sense to go before a court that knows nothing of God's ways instead of a family of Christians?

I say this as bluntly as I can to wake you up to the stupidity of what you're doing. Is it possible that there isn't one level-headed person among you who can make fair decisions when disagreements
and disputes come up? I don't believe it. And here you are taking each other to court before people who don't even believe in God! How can they render justice if they don't believe in the God of justice?

These court cases are an ugly blot on your community. Wouldn't it be far better to just take it, to let yourselves be wronged and forget it? All you're doing is providing fuel for more wrong, more injustice, bringing more hurt to the people of your own spiritual family.1Cor6:1-7

Every Christian should be a strife-stopper and a peace-dispenser in a world full of troubles, quarrels, misunderstandings and fights. When we begin to live out our true nature in Christ, people will notice and call us gods (i.e. children of God)

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Eph 4:1-3

For further references, please check up Philippians 2:2-3, 2:14-15, 4:2-3, Colossians 3:12-15, 2Timothy 2:24, Hebrews 12:14, James 1:19, 20-27, James 3:16-18, 1Peter 3:10-12.

The key to walking in peace and releasing it wherever you go is; by staying close to Jesus. He said Peace I leave with you, My Peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:26. The Lord is saying the HE gives us His type of tranquillity when we come to Him and freely receive His gift of peace.

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace]
which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:6-7 (Amplified)

A peace-maker is a pace-maker of God’s tranquillity. When we come into the Lord’s Presence, His nature rubs off on us and we carry His Shalom wherever we go. This may take some time but be patient with your gradual progress. Spend time in the Word of God, read it, meditate
it, pray it and practice it. Sooner or later your nature will be transformed. This is the power of the Gospel!