AWAITING!! Watching & Praying

Matthew Chapter 5   

 And seeing the multides, He went up into a mountain: and when

He was set, His disciples came into Him:   And He opened His mouth, and taught

 them, saying  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of

Heaven.  Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are

the meek:  for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are they who do hunger and

thirst after Righteousness:  for they shall be filled.  Blessed are the merciful:  for

 they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart:  for they shall see God. 

 Blessed are the peacemakers:  for they shall be called the Children of God. 

 Blessed are they which are persecuted for Righteousness' sake (means that those

who operate from the realm of self-righteousness will persecute those who trust in

 God's "Righteousness"):  for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.  Blessed are you,

 when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil

against you falsely, for My sake ( only Christ could say, "For my sake,"  for He

is God;  their is an offence to the Cross[Gal.5:11] ).  Rejoice, and be exceeding

glad (self-righteousness persecuting Righteousness is the guarantee of the

possession of Righteousness, and the occasion for great joy ):  for great is your

reward in Heaven:  for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you

( presents the fact that God's Way will bring persecution, severely so, at times by

 both the world and the Church).  You 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 (Salt is a type of

 the Word of God; the professing Believer who no longer holds to the Word is of

 no use to God or man).  You are the Light of the world.  A city that is set on a

 hill cannot be hid.   Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but

 on a candlestick;  and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so

 shine before men, that they may see your good works (yes Lord) , and glorify

 your Father which is in Heaven. ( Proper Faith will always produce proper

works, but proper works will never produce proper Faith. Proper works will

 glorify our Heavenly Father, while improper works will glorify man)   Think not

 that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets:  I am not come to destroy,

 but to fulfill ( Jesus fulfilled the Law by meeeting its just demands with a Perfect

 Life, and satisfying its curse by dying on the Cross [Ga.3:13] ).  For 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 (the law was meant to be fulfilled in Christ, and

 was in fact, totally fulfilled by Christ, in His Life, Death, and Resurrection, with

a New Testament or new covenant being brought about.)  Whosoever therefore

 shall break one of these least Commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall

 be called least in the Kingdmom of Heaven:  but whosoever shall do and teach

 them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven ( the Lord sets

 the Bible as the standard of all Righteousness, and He recognizes no other).  For

 I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of

the Scribes and Pharisess ( which was self-righteousness ) , you shall in no case

 enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. ( our righteousness is found in the Lord

 Jesus Christ, Praise God!)  You have heard how it was said of them of old time,

 thou shall not kill ; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment; 

 But I say unto you, That whosover is angry with his brother without a cause

 shall be in danger of the judgment:  and whosoever shall say unto his brother,

 Raca ( the words Raca and thou fool were Hebrew expressions of murderous

 anger) , shall be in danger of the Council:  But whosoever shall say, Thou fool,

shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if  you bring your gift to the Alter, and

 there remember that your brother has ought against you;  leave there your gift

before the Alter ( the intimation is that the Lord will not accept our gift unless we

 do all within our power to make things right with the offended party), and go

 your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

 ( worship will not be accepted by the Lord, if we have wronged our brother, and

have not done all within our power to make amends).  Agree with your adversary

 quickly, while you are in the way with him;  lest at any time the adversary deliver

 you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into

 prison ( regarding a Believer who offends a fellow Christian, and will not make

amends, God becomes that person's adversary, and thereby is Judge instead of

his Saviour, and spiritually speaking, puts such a person in a spiritual prison).

  Verily I say unto you, You shall not come out thence, till you have paid the

uttermost farthing ( the Lord's method of teaching was symbolic and figurative;

if the Believer doesn't make amends with his fellowman who he has wronged, he

will suffer one reverse after the other; God will see to it).  You have heard that it

was said of them of old time, you shall not commit adultery.  But I say unto you,

 That whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has commited adultery with

her already in his heart. ( The Lord addresses the root of sin, which is an evil

heart; the Cross is the only answer)  And if your right eye offend you, pluck it

out, and cast it from you:  for it is profitable for you that one of your members

should perish, and that not your whole body  should be cast into Hell ( The Lord

 does not intend for His statement to be taken literally, as He has already

explained that the offence is not in the eye or hand, but instead the heart!  in

effect a blind man can lust).  And if your right hand offend you, cut it off, and

cast it from you: for it is profitable for you for one of your members should

perish, and that not your whole body should be cast into Hell ( The Cross is the

only means by which evil passions can be subdued).  It has been said, whosoever

shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:  But I say unto

 you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication,

 causes her to commit adultery:  and whosoever shall marry her who is divorced

commits adultery ( The man who marries the woman who is divorced

unscripturally, even though its not her fault, commits adultery as well; we should

learn here the sanctity of marriage, with divorce and remarriage  allowed only on

 the grounds of fornication and spiritual desertion [ 1CO.7:10-11]).  Again, you

 have heard that it has been said by them of old time, You shall not forswear

yourself, but shall perform unto the Lord your oaths:  But I say unto you, swear

not at all; neither by Heaven; for it is God's Throne:  Nor by the earth; for it is

 his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.  Neither

shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.

  But let your communication be, Yes, yes; No, no:  for whatsoever is more than

these comes of evil ( the followers of Christ must stand out by their truthfulness,

 honesty, and integrity; subterfuge and doubletalk are out).  You have heard that

 it has been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:  But I say unto you,

 That you resist not evil (do not reward evil with evil):  but whosoever shall smite

you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also ( the language is figurative, for

the Lord when smitten on the cheek did not turn the other cheek, but with

 dignity rebuked the assailant.) And if any man will sue you at the law, and take

 away your coat, let him have your cloak also. And whosoever shall compel you

to go a mile, go with him two (the entirety of the idea has to do with the heart of

man, not so much his outward actions, but which most surely would guide his

actions accordingly).  Give to him who asks of you, and from him who would

borrow of you turn not you away (this pertains to those truly in need, and not

those who are lazy and will not work - 2 THESS.3:10).  You have heard that

it has been said, You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.  But I say

unto you, Love your enemies, bless them who curse you, do good to them who

hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you ( the

actions of the enemies of goodness and of righteousness are to be "hated" with a

holy hatred; but personal hatred is to be met by love);  That you may be the

children of your Father which is in Heaven: for He makes His sun to rise on the

evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.  For if you love

them which love you, what reward have you?  do not even the publicans the

same?  And if you salute your Brethren only, what do you more than others?   do

 not even the publicans so? ( If our love is of no greater definition than that of

the world, then are claims are empty).  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your

Father which is in Heaven is perfect (Jesus is not teaching sinless perfection, for

 the Bible does not teach such; He is teaching that our imitation of our Heavenly

 Father must be as perfect as possible; the Holy Spirit Alone can help us do these

things, which He does according to our Faith in Christ and the Cross--Ro.8:1-

2,11).

                        Chapter 6

Take heed that you do not your alms before men, to be seen of them:  otherwise

you have no reward of your Father which is in Heaven.  Therefore when you do

your alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the

 Synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men (be seen of

men).  Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  But when you do alms, let

 not your left hand know what your right hand does ( not to be taken literally,

but rather to point to the intent of the heart):  That your alms may be in secret

( simply means that from the heart it is done as unto the Lord, and not for the

praise of men):  and your Father which sees in secret Himself shall reward you

openly.  And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are:  for they love

 to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they

may be seen of men.  Verily  I say unto you, They have their reward .  But you,

 when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut the door, pray to

 your Father which is in secret and your Father which sees in secret shall reward

you openly ( the word "closet" is not to be taken literally, but means that our

 praying must not be done for show; if we make God's interests our own, we are

assured that He will make our interest His Own).  But when you pray, use not

 vain repetitions, as the heathen do (repeating certain phrases over and over, even

 hundreds of times):  for they think that they shall be heard for their much

speaking.  Be not therefore like unto them:  for your Father knows what things

you have need of, before you ask Him.  After this manner therefore pray you: 

 Our Father Who is in Heaven, Hallowed be Your Name.  Your Kingdom come,

Your Will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.

  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors (the word debts here refers

 to trespasses and sins; His forgiveness on our part is predicated on our forgiving

others):  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:  For Yours is

the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.  For if you forgive

men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you ( forgiveness

rests totally on the Atoning Work of Christ; it is an act of sheer Grace):  But if

you forgive men not their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your

trespasses.  Moreover when you fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad

 countenance:  for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to

 fast.  Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  But you, when you fast,

anoint your head, and wash your face (the anointing and the washing were

actually  symbols of joy; this was the opposite of the sad countenance );  That

 you appear not unto men to fast, but unto your Father which is in secret:  and

your Father, which sees in secret, shall reward you openly.  Lay not up for

yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust does corrupt, and where

 thieves break through and steal:  But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven,

where neither moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves do not break

through nor steal:  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  The

light of the body is the eye:  if therefore your eye be single, your whole body shall

 be full of Light.  But if your eye be evil, your whole body shall be full of

darkness.   If therefore the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that

darkness!  No man can serve two masters:  for either he will hate the one, and

love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.  You cannot

serve God and mammon (this is flat out, stated as, an impossibility; it is total

devotion to God, or ultimately it will be total devotion to the world;  the word,

 "mammon" is derived from the Babylonian "Mimma,"  which means "anything

 at all").  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what you shall

 eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on.  Is

not the life more than meat, and the body more than raiment?  Behold the fowls

 of the air:  for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns;  yet

your Heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much better than they?  Which of

 you by taking thought (worrying and fretting) can add one cubit unto his

 stature?  And why do you take thought for raiment?  Consider the lilies of the

 field, how they grow;  they toil not, neither do they spin ( the man grows the flax

 [toil] the woman weaves it [spins]; the statement is meant to proclaim the fact

that the beauty of the lily has nothing to do with its effort, but is given

completely by the Creator):  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all

his glory was not arrayed like one of these ( it is said that the lilies of Israel  had

brilliant coloring, and especially the purple and white Huleh Lily found in

 Nazareth).  Wherefore, if God so clothed the grass of the field, which today is,

 and tomorrow is cast into the oven,  shall He not much more clothe you, O you

of little faith? (We are told here the reason for our lack; it is "little faith",

because God is Faithful, He can be trusted fully to  completely carry out His

 commitments to us in Christ. [ 1Co.1:9, 10:13; 2Co.1:18; 1Thess.5:24;

11Thess.3:3; etc.]).  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat?  or,

 What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (The Greek text

actually means that even one anxious thought is forbidden.  Such shows a

 distrust  of the Lord.)  For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your

Heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.  But seek you first

the Kingdom of God, and His Righteousness;  and all these things shall be added

unto you.  Take therefore no thought for the morrow:  for the morrow shall take

thought for the things of itself.  Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof ( this

means that we should handle daily difficulties in Faith, and have Faith for the

future that the present difficulties will not grow into larger ones;  we have God's

 assurance that they won't, that is, if we will sufficiently believe Him).

                   CHAPTER 7

Judge not, that you be not judged ( this statement by Christ harks back to Verses

 25 through 34 of the previous Chapter; the idea is , God may permit poverty to

test His Child, But fellow Believers are not to err, as Job's friends did, and

believe the trial to be a judgment for secret sin; as well , the word, "judging,"  as

 used here, covers every aspect of dealing with our fellowman).  For with what

judgment you judge, you shall be judged:  and with what meausre you mete, it

shall be measured to you again (a double emphasis is given here in order to

proclaim the seriousness of the Words of our Lord;  when we judge others, we are

 judging ourselves).  And why do you behold the mote that is in your brother's

 eye (the Believer is not to be looking for fault or wrongdoing in the lives of

 fellow Believers), but consider not the beam that is in your own eye? (We have

plenty in our own lives which need  eliminating, without looking for faults in

others.  The "mote"  and "beam"  are contrasted!  The constant judging of

others portrays the fact that we are much worse off than the one we are judging.)

  Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull out the mote out of your eye; 

 and, behold, a beam is in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first cast out the beam

out of your own eye; and then you shall see clearly to cast out the mote out of

your brother's eye (the very fact that we do not address ourselves, but rather

others, portrays the truth that our personal situation is worse;  when we properly

 analyze ourselves, then, and only then, can we  "see clearly"  this is speaking of

character assassination and not the correction of doctrine).  Give not that which

 is holy unto the dogs, neither cast you your pearls before swine (there may be

problems in the Church, as Verses 1 through 5 proclaim, but still, the Church is

 never to reach out into the world, i.e., "dogs,"  for help in order to solve its

 internal disputes), lest they trample them under their  feet, and turn again and

 rend you (no help will be coming from the world, but rather destruction.; we are

 to take our problems to the Lord, obeying His Word, concerning disputes [Mat,

 18:15-17]).  Ask, and it shall be given you;  seek, and you shall find;  knock, and

 it shall be opened unto you:  For every one who asks receives; and he who seeks

finds;  and to him who knocks it shall be opened (assumes that the person's heart

 is sincere before the Lord).  Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask

 bread, will he give him a stone?  Or if he asks a fish, will he give him a serpent?

(If, in fact, what we are asking for is not God's Will, and would turn out to be a

"stone,"  or "serpent,"  He will guard us from receiving such, and during the

 time of waiting and consecration, will show us what we truly need.)  If you then,

being evil (refers to parents sometimes giving their children things which are not

 good for them, as well as things which are good),  know how to give good gifts

 unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give

good things to them who ask Him?  (The Lord only gives good things.) 

 Therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you

 even so to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets (this rule does not

authorize capricious benevolent action, but only what is reasonable and morally

 helpful, and controlled  by Divine imitation [Mat.5:48];  this principle of action

 and mode of life is, in fact, the sum of all Bible teaching).  Enter you in at the

strait gate (this is the Door, Who is Jesus [Jn.10:1]):  for wide is the gate, and

broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat

 (proclaims the fact of many and varied religions of the world, which are false,

 and lead to eternal hellfire):  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way,

 which leads unto life, and few there be that find it (every contrite heart earnestly

 desires to be among the  "few"   the requirements are greater than most are

willing to accept).  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's

clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves ("beware of false prophets"  is

 said in the sternest of measures!  there will  be and are false prophets, and are

 some of Satan's greatest weapons).  You shall no them by their fruits ( this is the

 test as given by Christ as it regards identification of false prophets  and false

apostles).  Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  Even so every

good tree brings forth good fruit;  but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit (the

 good fruit is Christlikeness, while the evil fruit is self-likeness).  A good tree

cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit

 ( the good tree is the Cross, while the corrupt tree pertains to all of that which is

 other than the Cross.)  Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down,

 and cast into the fire ( Judgment will ultimately come on all so-called gospels,

 other than the Cross [Ro.1:18]).  Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.

  Not every one who says unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of

Heaven;  but he who does the Will of My Father which is in Heaven (what is the

Will of the Father? Verse 24 tells us).  Many will say to Me in that day, Lord,

Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name?  and in Your Name have cast out

 devils?  and in Your Name done many wonderful works? (These things are not

 the criteria, but rather Faith in Christ and what Christ has done for us at the

Cross [Eph.2:8-9, 13-18]. The Word of God alone is to be the judge of doctrine.)

  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you:  depart from Me, you who

work iniquity ( we have access to God only through Christ, and access to Christ

only through the Cross, and access to the Cross only through a denial of self

[Lu.9:23]; any other Message is Judged by God as "iniquity"  and cannot be a

 part of Christ [ 1Co.1:17].)  Therefore whosoever hears these sayings of Mine,

 and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a

rock ( the Rock is Christ Jesus, and the Foundation is the Cross [Ga. 1:8-9]): 

 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon

 that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock ( the foundation of

our belief system must be Christ and Him Crucified [Ga. 6:14]).  And every one

who hears these sayings of Mine, and does them not, shall be likened unto a

foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:  And the rain descended, and

 the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell:  and

great was the fall of it ( while the sun shines, both houses look good; but, when

 adversity comes and come it shall, Faith, which is alone in Christ and Him

 Crucified will stand [1Co.1:18]).  And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended

these sayings, the people were astonished at His Doctrine ( this message

proclaimed the True intent of the Law of Moses, and, above all, laid the

Foundation for the New Covenant):  For He taught them as one having authority

 ( refers to Divine Authority, which He had by the Power of the Holy Spirit; this

Sermon and that of Lk., Chpt.6 are probably one and the same; the Holy Spirit

lays the emphasis here on the heart, while in Luke, emphasis is laid on actions

produced by the heart; consequently, the distinction between "standing" and

"state" is apparant), and not as the Scribes ( those who claimed to be experts in

the Law of Moses).

    ( Explanations) taken from the Expositor's Study Bible, Jimmy Swaggart

             These words given in this Sermon by our Lord Jesus

Christ are to teach us how to live a Godly life that is pleasing

in the Father's sight.  If our Faith is in Christ and Him

Crucified then the Holy Spirit will guide and help us live

according to Christ's teachings.  There is no other way to live,

no other true joy to have, and no eternal peace to abide in

your soul apart from living for God the Father , God the Son,

and God the Holy Spirit. Let's pray for one another that

we may live a Godly and peaceable life until we are taken out

of this old world.

                               GOD BLESS

                                Sister Tracey