Matthew Chapter 5

I know this is long, but this has been one of my favorite chapters out of Matthew. I'm not sure why it means so much to me, but it does. I hope you enjoy this post. May God Bless You!, L

Matthew 5 (King James Version)

1And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
13Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
17Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
21Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
23Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
25Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
26Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
27Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
31It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
32But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
33Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
34But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
35Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
36Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
37But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
38Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Part 2 - Marks of The New Testament Church

Hi everyone, I know I'm a day late posting these, but here are the last 5 marks of the New Testament Church:

7. It's Officers: Pastors and Deacons

1 Timothy 3:1-16 (King James Version)

1 Timothy 3
1This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
9Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
11Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
14These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
15But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

8. Its works are getting people saved, baptizing them (with a baptism that meets all the requirements of God's Word), and teaching them. Matt 28: 16 - 20

Matthew 28:16-20 (King James Version)
16Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
17And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

9. Financial plan: Tithes and Offerings. I Cor 9:14

1 Corinthians 9:14 (King James Version)
14Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

10. Its weapons of warfare - spiritual, not carnal. II Cor 10:4; Eph 6:10-20

2 Corinthians 10:4 (King James Version)
4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Ephesians 6:10-20 (King James Version)
10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

11. Its Independence: separation of Church and State. Matt 22:21

Matthew 22:21 (King James Version)
21They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.

Here they are! I hope you enjoy studying and reading these. I've read the above verse many times and never thought about it being the separation of Church and State. It amazes me daily the thing you learn after years of reading a verse. May God Bless you all. L

Reprint of the Post - Your Faith - Can you Defend it?

I deleted this originally after I received a harsh email. Maybe I should not have used the word persecution, although that is what I felt, and that I was being forced to make choices, with no real back up. So after words of guidance and wisdom from family and friends, I'm re-posting this entry. May God Bless you always.

Over the last few weeks I feel that I have been persecuted for what I believe or was taught to believe as I was growing up in the Baptist Church. It is being done with love, but does that make it better? Does it make it okay that it comes from people you are close to? Today was the first time I have stepped inside a church in almost a year. I left the last church with a bitter feeling. The feeling is gone and it was probably all me and not where I originally placed the blame. The sermon today brought me to tears. I'm sure it was conviction for knowing that I fall short of the perfect will of God and even though I have been saved, I still sin from time to time. I used the word sinner in an email just as an explanation of that we all still sin in some form or fashion even after being saved. No one can do the perfect will of God. We all strive to do that, but we all fall short. Anyway, I digress.. when I used the word sinner, I received a paragraph stating that I was saved from being a sinner, washed clean and that by saying I'm a sinner, I'm calling Christ a liar. In no way, form or fashion was that what I meant. My life has not and is not sinless. I strive to have a relationship with Christ, to learn His Word, and to do my best to live the perfect will of God. Do I fall short? Everyday. Do I repent of my sins? Yes. Do I wish for more of a life with Christ? Absolutely. Do I question what I have been taught all my life? Never. Can I defend what I was taught? I'm not sure. This is where I have been studying. I've pulled the Trail of Blood from the Internet. It follows bible doctrine back to the first church in Jerusalem. It is a wonderful website, and I have only begun to study it. Revival starts at my mother in law's church tonight. The sermon by the pastor this morning was on what revival is. It is reviving the relationship you have or seek with Christ, as a Christian. John 1:38 Jesus asks the questions, "What do ye seek?" Do you know what you seek? May God Bless you all. L

Marks of the New Testament Church

If you have never heard of a book called "The Trail of Blood", by J.M. Carroll, you should look it up. There is a website called http://www.biblepreaching.com/, where you can print off a copy or it will give you an address where you can purchase as many copies as you want up to 24 for $2.00 each. This is church history from the first church of Jerusalem created by Christ. If you want to find a true church in the town in which you live, one that follows the teachings of Christ, these are the marks you take and compare the church you are considering to see if they are a true church. I will list the marks and the verses below. May God Bless you with your reading of God's word and your search for a true church.

1. Christ is the head and founder. His is the lawgiver and the church is the executive.

Matthew 16:18 (King James Version)
18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Colossians 1:18 (King James Version)
18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

2. The bible is its only rule of faith and practice.

2 Timothy 3:15-17 (King James Version)
15And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

3. Its name: Church or Churches. Matt 16:18 (see Mark 1)

Revelation 22:16 (King James Version)
16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

4. Its polity, Congregation - all members are equal.

Matthew 20:24-28 (King James Version)
24And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.
25But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
26But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Matthew 23:5-12 (King James Version)
5But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
11But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

5. Members are only saved people.

Ephesians 2:21 (King James Version)
21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord

1 Peter 2:5 (King James Version)
5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ

6. Ordinances of the church - believer's baptism, followed by the Lord's supper.

Matthew 28:19-20 (King James Version)
19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen

These are only the first 6 Marks of The New Testament Church. There are 11 altogether. I will post the other 5 tomorrow. Please read the scriptures and check out the website. In these times, don't be lead astray by false prophets and churches, and teachers.

May God Bless you all and do so all the day long...L

Yesterday's Post - Help

I posted a blog yesterday and after much opposition, I deleted it today and now have regrets. Someone pointed out to me that, what God laid on my heart might help one person and that I should not stop just because I've hurt some people's feelings. SO anyone that received that blog by email, if you would forward it back to me, I would appreciate it. May God Bless you.. L