Bread of life

Blessed are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

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I have never really been hungry. Have you? What I mean is that I can’t remember a time when I had gone days without eating and didn’t know when I would eat again. Yet we have neighbors that do experience this daily. Children even. What a terrible, desperate feeling that must be. People who go on diets can’t say they know that kind of hunger, but they speak of feeling hungry all the same. And it’s not a pleasant feeling.

Jesus once said that, actually, it’s great to be hungry all the time. In fact, it makes you happy. But listen to the “hunger” he’s talking about: “Blessed (happy) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). The only hunger that makes someone happy is the hunger for righteousness.

Jesus used the word “righteousness” to talk about two related blessings for his followers. First of all, righteousness is being declared not guilty by God. It’s an acquittal. Righteousness means that God the Judge looks at you and declares you not guilty of all your sins because Jesus covers you in his holiness. Jesus’ holiness becomes your holiness in God’s sight. That’s righteousness and it’s a gift that is received by those who put their trust in Jesus as their Savior. Flowing from this gift is another one. When you know God has forgiven your sins, you want to do things God’s way. This, too, is righteousness. Jesus says when you long for God’s not guilty verdict you will also long for ways to say “thank you” with your life. You will hunger for righteousness.

And that’s a hunger that is always satisfied. There’s lots of spiritual junk food out there and it may seem like your soul’s hunger will be satisfied by it — like the idea that if you’re pretty good or just try a little harder or are better than the next guy, then God will have to accept you. But that’s not real righteousness. It’s self-righteousness and it’s spiritual Twinkies that can never truly satisfy your spiritual needs.

Be hungry for Jesus’ righteousness. Yearn for the forgiveness only he can supply and receive it by trusting in him. And then stay hungry. Stay hungry for making the words and deeds of your life a big “thank you” to the God who sent his Son Jesus for you. To be hungry for righteousness is to be happy … and satisfied.

poor in spirit

Blessed are the Poor In Spirit

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The hand is out. The face is pleading. Living on the streets. In this case, the need is real. When one has run out of options and is desperate for help, begging seems the only choice.

It’s hard to imagine that one who is forced to beg would be happy about it. Being so poor in physical things can make life very hard.

Yet when it comes to a person’s spiritual condition, God says that it is very important to be a beggar. In fact, true happiness only comes when you see that you are a beggar.

Do you see yourself as a spiritual beggar? However wealthy we might be financially, it is very tempting to feel that we—just naturally—have what we need in our spiritual bank account. We think that striving to be a good person has to count for something before God. We may not be perfect, but we reason that surely God doesn’t expect us to be.

Have you ever tried to reassure yourself with thoughts like those? And yet have you had lingering fears, wondering whether you’ve really done enough good? Does guilt for things you have done wrong keep coming back, robbing you of happiness?

Rather than trying to shout louder than those frightening voices, hear God speak a hard truth: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). When I disobey God’s perfect will in my life, I deserve to die eternally in hell. For God demands that everyone be perfect—that we never sin, even once.

This makes it quite clear that by nature we are all spiritually bankrupt. Yet Jesus says, “Blessed (happy) are the poor in spirit.” But isn’t being spiritually poor—even bankrupt—reason to be sad and afraid?

Yes. But this is also the moment to hear God tell us a most amazing truth from his Word: “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

When we see that we have nothing to give God, we are so grateful that God has lavished us with spiritual riches. Jesus freely came to earth to take all of our sin on himself. He became poor—he humbled himself to become the victim of the greatest suffering, paying on the cross the penalty of sin that we owed. He now assures you, “Your sins are forgiven.” With sins forgiven and the eternal kingdom of heaven yours because of Jesus, you are truly rich!

It is a blessing to be a poor beggar before God because in Jesus we are filled with the riches of salvation.

Blessed are your eyes and ears

Blessed are Your Eyes Because They See

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“Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.” – Matthew 13:16

Every generation talks about the “good ole days.” As we begin a new decade, many people would be more than happy to go back to the “good ole days” of years ago.

Today, stock market swoons, foreclosures, and unemployment are all too common. Grumbling and complaining occur as many people find it difficult to provide for their personal needs. These things, along with other personal struggles, may make us long for the “good ole days.”

Amidst all the turmoil, even when nest eggs crack and portfolios decline, we can still move forward with certainty that all of our needs will be met. Why? Because Jesus has met all of our true needs and promises to provide for our future!

Jesus came into the world so that we can be happy every day with the kind of joy that only he can provide. He blesses us—makes us happy—by the powerful things he accomplished in our place: he lived a perfect life as our substitute; he died on the cross to win forgiveness of sins for each of us; and he won the victory over sin, death, and the devil by his triumphant resurrection from the grave.

God tells us about all these blessings in the Bible. In his written Word, God’s plan for our future is laid out, and we are informed how Jesus fulfilled God’s saving will for us. Jesus said, “Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.” Our Savior teaches us that we can be happy as we give attention to God’s love as it is described and explained for us on the pages of Scripture.

Jesus’ work is not limited to the spans of generations; it is a gift to all people for all time. God’s faithfulness to his world of people has remained the one constant since he created all things. Trusting in his love, we can overcome concerns we have due to personal circumstances. We can be truly happy because we see in the Bible how our Savior gave his life for us and how he is now preparing for us an eternal home in heaven, the place of unbridled joy.

God invites everyone to hear the good news of Jesus and celebrate the wonderful message of salvation. With that confidence, we do not have to look back to the “good ole days” for a sense of happiness but rather look forward to the eternal happiness that awaits us in heaven—all because of God’s great love for us in Jesus!

Blessed are those who morn

Blessed are Those Who Mourn

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“Blessed are those who mourn.” – Matthew 5:4

Some tears come because of joy. Most tears come because of sorrow. People usually cry because something important to them has gone horribly wrong.

Be happy while you’re crying? I don’t think so. But God says just that. He says that Christians are happy even when they’re crying.

To understand what God is saying, one must first understand why Christians cry. Christians cry for many of the same reasons everyone else cries. They cry at funerals. They cry when a good friend has been cruel. They cry when they hear a very sad story.

There’s another time when people cry. People can cry when they realize how horribly they have hurt someone. All of a sudden there can be great guilt. People feel their lives are ruined. The tears can become ones of hopelessness and despair.

Guilt can bring a Christian to tears too. Christians can cry when they think of bad things they have done. Christians know that they deserve nothing from God but a punishment that never ends.

So where is the happiness?

The happiness is in knowing that while we deserve only the worst from God, he has given to us only the best. As we properly mourn because of guilt, our Savior brings a Kleenex and dries our moist eyes. As hearts are heavy with sadness, Jesus puts his hand under our chins and lifts our eyes to see his cross, where he made all of our guilt and all of the sorrow connected to that guilt his own. Jesus looks at you and says, “Be at peace. Your guilt is gone.”

Christians still cry, but Christians find comfort in the middle of their tears. This comfort is for you too.

It is a comfort that brings calm in the face of all kinds of tears. Christians know that death need not mean defeat. Christians know that being mistreated by others does not mean being abandoned by God. Christians know that the saddest story of all, the hurt that evil brought into this world, was not the end of the story.

Can there be happiness even when there have been tears? Yes, because there is comfort for those who are crying.

He Turns Water into Wine

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This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him (John 2:11).

A wedding is a day of celebration not only for the bride and groom, but also for friends and relatives who are happy for the couple. Preparing to get married can make for some anxious moments. But preparing to just attend a wedding can also cause a little angst as we hunt for the perfect wedding gift, a gift that will be unique, but useful for the newlyweds.

Jesus once attended a wedding with some of his disciples and his mother, Mary. A wedding celebration today will last six or seven hours. In Jesus’ day it lasted six or seven days. It’s easy to see how this celebration could have run out of wine. That would have been a major embarrassment for the couple. But Mary trusted that her son could provide the perfect gift. At first, Jesus’ response might seem startling: “Dear woman, why do you involve me? … My time has not yet come” (John 2:4). Jesus didn’t say he couldn’t deliver a miracle. But he wanted Mary to realize that while he was her son, he was also her Savior who had now begun his public ministry. He would not jump the gun on the work predetermined by his heavenly Father. Mary heard the words “not yet” in her son’s reply and told the servants to follow his orders.

Jesus told the servants to fill six large stone jars with water. Then he ordered them to take a sample to the wedding’s wine taster, who took a sip and tasted wine instead of water! He even mentioned his surprise that the better wine had been saved for the end of the banquet. Jesus saw the need and filled it—abundantly. He provided the perfect gift by his almighty power.

The apostle John calls this the first of many miraculous “signs” that Jesus performed during his ministry. Signs point the way to something, like to the Interstate, the nearest gas station, or a rest area. Jesus’ miracles recorded in the Bible point to him as the way to heaven. He’s more than a great man. He is God’s Son who supplied the perfect life that God demands from us. His death on the cross delivered the perfect gift—forgiveness for our sins and by faith a reserved place at the eternal wedding supper of heaven. His powerful resurrection—the greatest miracle—proves his words and work to be true.

We can depend on Jesus to provide everything that we need for this life and the next. We welcome you to gather with us on Sundays to learn how Jesus uses his power “to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).

He Helps the Paralyzed

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“That you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. …” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God (Luke 5:24-26).

The house was at capacity. Standing room only. Those not able to squeeze in strained to catch a glimpse through the doorway. They were there to see Jesus who was teaching a crowd. But one man in particular could not get into the house. He could not peer over heads. He could not even stand. He was paralyzed.

Yet he and his four friends were determined to see Jesus. So his friends clambered up to the roof. They removed the tiles and then the thatching, enough to fit their friend through. Using the mat upon which he was lying, they lowered him down. Right at the feet of Jesus.

Some might call them crazy. Others might say they were obsessed. Jesus called it faith. The paralyzed man and his friends were confident that Jesus was able to make him whole. And Jesus did with five small words: “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

It’s not what many in the crowd expected to hear. It may not be the answer you want to hear when paralyzed with problems. We want real answers for our real problems. We want a cure for cancer. We want an end to family fights. We want money to cover our debts.

What about the problem of death? Death is the debt that we all must pay. But death is only the beginning. God’s judgment upon sin lasts forever. In hell. That’s what we deserve for thinking we have better answers than God does for life’s problems.

God’s answer? Jesus. God loves you so much he transferred your debt to his Son. On the cross, Jesus suffered for your sin. For you he endured hell’s eternal fire. For you he died. And for you he rose to life victorious. His victory is your victory!

The paralyzed man’s most critical problem was sin. So Jesus forgave him. Then, to prove to us that he is the perfect Son of God and the world’s perfect Savior with the perfect answer to all our troubles, Jesus restored the man’s legs. The man got up and walked home, praising God.

Have you been brought low? Troubled by sin? We welcome you to learn about and praise the miraculous Savior you have in Jesus. He has forgiven your sins. He has the power and desire to get you back on your feet. Whatever your woes, Jesus is the answer every time!

Facing Final Judgment

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Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left” (Matthew 25:31-33).

No one likes to be called a goat. It usually means that someone has made a mistake costing his team a game, or his company lots of money. Feeling like a goat is an uncomfortable situation.

Yet that’s exactly where many people will find themselves on the last day–among the goats. This is what Jesus taught in a short story that speaks volumes for our lives. He described what will take place in the final judgment at the end of the world.

What is the meaning of Jesus’ story? Let me illustrate. When I was a child, my family owned a pygmy goat. It was my brother’s pet. He was a cute little guy, complete with six-inch horns. He certainly showed the usual and expected characteristics of goats in that he was often stubborn, sometimes almost arrogant, and enjoyed being alone. I think it made him feel like king of the farm yard.

Sheep on the other hand enjoy being together in flocks, and they listen and follow when the farmer calls them. Gathered together in the flock, sheep find safety from the dangers that threaten them. They enjoy the peace of grazing in the meadow. If a sheep happens to wander from the flock, the farmer must go after it.

Jesus uses the distinction of sheep and goats as a picture of those who will join him in heaven for all eternity and those who will not. The picture is stark. Goats, those who turn away from the voice of the farmer stubbornly follow their own will and desires, and whose pursuits are set on worldly things, have no part in the peace of heaven.

Sheep, those who love the peace and safety the shepherd provides, will enjoy that peace and safety forever. That’s a peace and safety found not in the absence of hardships in this life. It’s a peace and safety found not in the desires of wealth. It is a peace and safety that comes from the knowledge and acceptance of sins forgiven through Jesus’ own blood.

Trusting our Good Shepherd, Jesus, we have no fear of facing the final judgment. We are corralled by his love and rest safely in his arms. Wonderfully, he leads us to life with God forever.

Keep Alert and Watch

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Jesus said, “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back … If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ” (Mark 13:33-37)

During the warm months of the year, ice cream trucks can be heard winding down the streets. Perhaps you’ve heard their familiar jingle coming down your street.

If you have young children, ice cream trucks pose a couple of challenges. First, you must watch for the truck in your neighborhood so you don’t miss it and disappoint your kids. Second, you have to keep alert for the danger that the truck poses. If your child runs out into the street after an ice cream truck, the results could be deadly. Keep alert! Watch!

God also tells us to keep watch. Once Jesus told a story that explained the meaning of God’s command to stay alert. He described a wealthy man heading away from his home on a journey. He has an order for the doorkeeper, “Stay alert!” The man at the gate must keep watching because he doesn’t know when the owner of the house will return.

In the same way, we don’t know when Jesus will come back from heaven. When he does, he is going to welcome those who are prepared for him. How do we prepare for his return? The one thing that prepares us for Jesus is faith. And faith comes by hearing and learning the good news of the salvation that Jesus accomplished for us.

Jesus came to die for the sinful things we have done. If you saw a neighbor’s child zooming heedlessly into the street, would you send your son into the street to get in the way of the oncoming ice cream truck—dooming your son, to save the other child?

What if that child had regularly disrespected you? Would you give up your own son for such a defiant one? God did. He had his holy Son die in place of those who have disobeyed him—all of us. When he successfully completed the work of salvation, Jesus returned to heaven. He promised that one day he will return to take all of his believers home with him.

Watch! Jesus is coming. To ignore his Word and live in unbelief will result in a horrid separation from God. Keep alert! Waiting for him in faith brings a luscious treat that couldn’t be cooler or sweeter.

Lessons From a Fig Tree

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Jesus told this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near” (Luke 21:29-31).

The newspapers report a lot of bad news: war, robbery, murder, corruption, domestic abuse, even the abandoning of little babies. Life just seems to be one bad thing after another. Will there ever be an end to all this?

“Yes,” Jesus says. In a short story that speaks volumes about life, Jesus teaches us about his coming on the Last Day.

Our loving God has put a schedule in place for this earth. Only God knows exactly when these things will take place. In his divine wisdom, though, God sometimes lets us know when things are about to change. Jesus said when trees sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, Jesus tells us when we see things such as wars, talks about wars, and earthquakes, we know his kingdom is near.

We can’t just ignore the bad news, and we shouldn’t. God doesn’t want us to be afraid of these sad events. Rather, he wants us to look past them and see that they are signs that tell us Jesus is coming again. Just as the trees welcome the summer months, so believers will welcome their time with Jesus in heaven.

The second coming of Jesus will bring an end to all that is wrong with the world. It will be a day of final judgment. For those who reject Jesus, there will not be another chance to believe. There will be no escape. Christ is coming back once more and that will be the Last Day.

Those who trust in Jesus don’t fear that day. Believers know that Jesus has forgiven them and promised them eternal life. They simply wait for him to come and take them to the paradise he has promised. They wait patiently and put up with the world’s troubles, knowing that Jesus will change things forever someday.

The lessons from a fig tree tell us that Jesus is coming again and that life will be far better. Come and learn about all the wonderful things waiting for those who believe in Jesus.

Time To Grow

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“Jesus said, ‘Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times'” (Mark 4:3-8).

Songwriters have used it. Thinkers have used it. Investors have used it. You probably have used it yourself. Even Jesus Christ used it. Used what? They used the picture of planting seeds to make a point. Jesus told a story about planting seeds. Recorded for us in Mark 4:3-8, this simple story speaks volumes for our lives.

Jesus teaches us that seeds are being planted in hearts at worship services each Sunday. That’s also what is happening in a children’s Sunday school lesson – seeds are being planted in their hearts. That’s what is happening when you learn what the Bible teaches – seeds are being planted in your own heart. They are being planted by God through his Word.

Seeds need time to grow. In springtime when gardens are first planted, there’s not much to see. Yet, as every gardener knows, when it comes to seeds, it takes time. As sunlight warms the moist earth where seeds are imbedded, seeds take time to sprout and grow.

Sometimes a person checks out a church one Sunday and decides not to go back. But that’s not much time to let the seeds sown that Sunday grow, is it? Sometimes people are glad to attend a particular Bible class or workshop at a church. But when it is done, they lose interest. In a way, they are like a child who excitedly plants a seed in a foam cup and waters it regularly. But a couple of days later the child forgets about it, and the seed dries up. Sometimes a person goes to worship regularly so that the seeds of God’s Word start to grow, but then he lets the cares of life grow up like thorns. They crowd out time for the Word, and so the planting of faith in his soul gets the life choked out of it.

But sometimes an amazing thing happens. The person keeps coming back to hear the Word. And the seeds grow. And keep growing. The plant of faith is made strong by God’s complete forgiveness won by Jesus. It flourishes under God’s unconditional love given in Jesus and is made resilient by heaven’s guarantee paid for by Jesus.

Maybe that person is you.