Charles

Sermon on the mount -Summary of the Beatitudes B (Matthew 5:7-11)

v.7 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy; The Lord is our Shepherd, and He leads us on into the area of forgiveness. He showed us how it is done and now expects us to give it in the same way. We must show that same mercy to others especially the poor! In everyday terms this means dealing with offences, resentments, and even full-blown hate. Hurt produces anger and then resentment manifesting in grudges and thought and/or acts of hatred. Mercy costs us the sinful fleshly pleasure of revenge. The seeds of resentment will produce a bitter harvest in our lives. resentment is like an addictive drug...

We must sow mercy and forgiveness and then the world will see Christ in us because it knows the thrill of revenge.

v.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God: We must lift clean hands to God flowing out from a pure heart. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks! Create in me a clean heart O God. We must purify our hearts by washing with the Word of God, which is sharper than a two-edged sword' piercing even to the division of the soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12.). We need to bring all our ugliness, prejudices, mental barriers and even our very motives to God having the removed and replaced by that which is truth. As our hearts are purified so the desire to see God grows. The Lord can only be revealed to those whose hearts are pure as only they have the correct motives and perspective to see Him. To see His hand, the finger of God moving, to see His MO [1] to see His motive and it is always agape Love.

As we allow our hearts to be purified our motives will become godly and will see God in others, in situations in our own lives and of course eventually we will see Him face to face.

v.9 Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the sons of God. The Son of God came to reconcile sinful man to a Holy God, He is the ultimate peace maker giving us peace with God and the peace of God. As we are purified so we become peaceable towards men and the desire to witness and evangelise grows i.e. to preach the gospel of peace. Like Father like Son, and hence like sons.

We must bring the peace of God to the unbelieving out of a pure heart, with correct motives and a lifestyle which is above reproach.

v.10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution! I call it 'negative confirmation ' that you are in the will of God! It seems that every step of faith we take in God that there is a persecution raised by the enemy.

Remember Nehemiah, at first, they mocked and then progressed through various steps to threatening to murder him. (Nehemiah is a good study in which to see Satan's strategy of discouragement of believers).

As we step out into God's plan, we will consider ourselves as blessed (and not be discouraged) in that we have been considered worthy to be persecuted for Jesus’ sake.

v.11 Blessed are you when men cast insults at you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely on account of Me... Bible-bashers, Jesus freaks, God-squad, nutters and worse, if you have or are being called such, rejoice Jesus says you are blessed. Do you believe Him? We are called to make up or share in the sufferings of Christ, who for the joy that was set before Him endured death, even death on the cross. Not just insults but nails and death.

We must consider ourselves blessed as the inevitable persecutions come forth and be of the same mind as Christ.

Summary

Consider the stepwise order of the Beatitudes (using the example of the salvation process).

Only the admission of our poverty in spirit to God can enable Him to breathe His life into us.

When we reach the point of mourning over our sins God can do something with us.

God begins to work in us producing meekness and humility.

Meekness with humility removes paralysing fear from us and produces courage in us to go and possess the land, to begin to fulfil all our destiny in Christ.

We no longer try to do things in our own strength. Our tastes and likes to begin to change.

God begins to fill us with a hunger and thirst for His things. We begin to hunger for His Word and to thirst for God’s presence. We also begin to long for the things that God longs for.

As we allow our hearts to be purified our motives will become godlier and will begin to see God in others and in situations in our own lives.

Having received the peace of God, we must bring it to the unbelieving out of a pure heart, with correct motives and a lifestyle which is above reproach.

We must consider ourselves blessed as the inevitable persecutions come forth and be of the same mind as Christ and remember to rejoice and not be discouraged.

Amen

Further study

Consider the Beatitudes in the book of Nehemiah.

Consider the Beatitudes in an area of your life.

Convert the beatitudes into a prayer for your own and others growth in discipleship.

Prayer

Lord, we come to you in Jesus’ name, confessing our poverty and inability to do anything for you in your kingdom. We realise that we are weak and sinful people and are fed up with our powerlessness. Lord, as we mourn over our sins, forgive, and cleanse us and produce meekness and humility in our lives. Free us from paralysing fear and enable and empower us to possess the land and fulfil all our destiny in Christ. Take away the desire to do things in our own strength but rather fill us with a hunger and thirst for you and your things. Let us be a people like David, men, and women after your own heart. Purify our hearts, motives, and lives that we might begin to see you and bring the unbelievers to your wonderful salvation. Cause us to rejoice and consider ourselves blessed when the inevitable persecution and reviling comes. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Further revelation; could it be that the step wise progression of the beatitudes are mirrored in reverse with the wicked, so that they end up becoming the persecutors? Check it out!

[1] Modus operandi i.e. his way of doing things.

Sermon on the mount -Summary of the Beatitudes Part 4a (Matthew 5:3-6)

Jesus departed from the crowds and went up the mountain, the disciples came to him. This in a sense represents going on with Him i.e. a step of consecration, coming out of the crowd to follow Him. Being a disciple means to follow the Master and obey his teaching and commands.

Come and meet Christ on the mountain if you want to be his disciple.

Q. Why go to the mountain? A. to get away from distractions and closer to God.

To the fleshly mind the Beatitudes seem like madness or confusion but to the spiritual man they are a source of joy and direction. Jesus commands His Church to go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.. Only disciples can disciple others and here is one of the major teachings to make us into disciples.

Matthew 5:3-12

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.

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

Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when men cast insults at you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely on account of Me…

Beatitudes; (Latin) meaning blessednesses.

Blessed; definition: happy, to be envied and spiritually prosperous (that is with life joy and satisfaction with God's favour regardless of the outward conditions). This is the state of heart and mind we all long for! It is the attitude of heart or mind that is fulfilled only in God.

Blessed: Makarios; Greek is used to describe God himself; it is enjoying life as God enjoys it

Consider a step wise progression of the Beatitudes. They represent the starting point and how to make progress in coming to maturity. Maturity in Christ is our vision.

It might also be that the beatitudes may give us the pattern of tackling every project in our spiritual lives!

v.3. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. We must admit our inadequacy and failure to God (sin, shame, pride, fear, insecurity, self-sufficiency). All our (own) righteousness, all our own good deeds are as filthy rags to God. This is the starting point. This poverty of spirit (attitude of heart/mind) opens the door to the kingdom of God. It is impossible to enter the kingdom in any other state of heart. The kingdom of God is within you i.e. when the love of Christ that is shed abroad in our hearts and influences our whole life, thoughts, and actions. Only admission of our poverty in spirit before and to God can enable Him to breathe His life into us (c.f. salvation experience).

v.4 Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. This means mourning over our sins to go on with God we must firstly confess our sins and express sorrow on an ongoing basis before God. The Greek word for mourn is mainly used in the New Testament in the context of mourning over other sins rather than bereavement.

James 4:8-11; v.9 mourns and weep for your sins.

1 Corinthians 5:1-2; v2 Church had failed to mourn over incestuous immorality.

2 Corinthians 12:21; Paul mourns over churches unrepented sin.

We might need to ask Him to take away any enjoyment of the sin. We then ask for forgiveness and the grace to avoid falling into the same trap. When we reach this point of mourning over our sins God can do something with us. We must mourn for our own sins, for the church’s sins and those of the nation.

v.5 Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Meekness is not weakness. Meekness incorporates strength and gentleness and includes humility (paradox). It is the branch that bears most fruit that bows the lowest on the tree. Humility is to see your true standing before God. To recognise His power and majesty (the surpassing beauty of holiness) and yet at the same time to realise his great love for you. In meekness we stop telling God how to do it and submit to His will. We then enter His strength and ability, as we become lesser in our own eyes, so He becomes greater and brings all his abilities into the situation. Meekness with humility removes paralysing fear from us and produces courage in us to go and possess the land, to begin to fulfil all our destiny in Christ. We no longer try to do things in our own strength.

v.6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Now that we are no longer bound in fear or in self-sufficiency (due to meekness with humility) we can ask God to fill us with a hunger and thirst for His things. Having confessed and turned from our sins and admitted our inadequacy before Him He is ready to create these desires in our hearts.

To hunger for

· The Word of God

· opportunities to minister

· opportunities to serve.

To thirst for

· His presence

· His Spirit

· His power in revival

No more yesterday’s manna but hungering and thirsting for a freshness each day with God. We begin to long for the things that God longs for...

See our next post, Lessons from the Beatitudes Part 5.

Amen

Personal Prayer

Blessed are the Meek

The Beatitudes

Matt. 5:3 “Blessed are those who recognise they are spiritually helpless.

The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

4 Blessed are those who mourn.

They will be comforted.

5 Blessed are those who are gentle (meek). They will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for God’s approval.

They will be satisfied.

7 Blessed are those who show mercy.

They will be treated mercifully.

8 Blessed are those whose thoughts are pure.

They will see God.

9 Blessed are those who make peace.

They will be called God’s children.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing what God approves of.

The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

- God’s Word Translation

The Blessing of God

The Beatitudes or ‘Blessed Sayings’ means ‘blessed is’ or ‘happy is’. Happy unfortunately has lost its meaning in modern times and is now used for a superficial moment of contentment. Someone has said that if would mean much more if we could qualify it by saying. “Oh how incredibly happy!” It means supremely blessed or fortunate. The One who is doing the blessing has our absolute good as his highest interest.

When God blessed Adam in Genesis 1:22 and Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3 he meant that everything else around them would be working together to bring about God’s favour.

We should live in a favourable and prosperous state that is not based on worldly circumstances but on divine conditions. These conditional blessings are frequent in Hebrew scriptures, including the wisdom literature, especially the Psalms (Job 5:17; Ps. 1:1; 32:1-2; 33:12; 41:1; 106:3; Prov. 8:34; 28:14).

The Beatitudes contrast Jesus' values with the values of the world

Jesus’ Values vs World’s Values

Poor in spirit Self confident, complete

Mourning Pleasure seeking, hedonistic

Meek Proud, self importance

Hunger for God Self made, self reliant

Merciful Assertive, forceful

Pure in heart Hidden, secretive

Peacemakers Competitive, aggressive

Persecuted Popular, crowd pleasing

Like most of Jesus’ teaching the beatitudes are contrary to the values that the world offers [1]. Leaders must serve if they want to rule; if they want to live they must first die; if they want to receive then they must to give away; if they want to be made worthy they should first recognise their unworthiness; if they want to be happy they first need make others happy.

Blessed are the Meek

In the church today there is little emphasis on humility or self-emptying. There are many Christian books on how to be happy, how to be successful, how to overcome problems, and so on. But sadly there are very few books in print on how to empty ourselves, how to deny ourselves, or how to take up our cross.

There are numerous commands about humbling ourselves (Matt. 18:4; 23:12; James 4:10; 1 Pet. 5:5).

The first step in experiencing humility is to turn our eyes away from ourselves and to look to God. It is the vision of an infinitely Holy God in all His sinless purity and perfection that enables us to see ourselves as sinners. To seek humility, we do not look at ourselves to find our faults, but to the perfection of God. Jesus invites the weary and overburdened of this world to take upon themselves his yoke and discover that he is “gentle and humble in heart.”[2]

People are increasingly aggressive and unkind (including Christians) to each other. There is a real need to nurture a gentle and kind spirit.

Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Titus 3:1 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.

๏ Meekness is learning to be kind

๏ Meekness is learning to not take offence

๏ Meekness is is not being angry or aggressive

๏ Meekness is not allowing people to affect our mood

Meekness should not be confused with weakness. Jesus didn’t let people control him. He was quite willing to confront and challenge. He wouldn't let them ‘make him king’, he overturned the tables when His Father’s house was being desecrated, he strongly denounced the Pharisees because of their hypocrisy.

Meekness does not mean that we fail to challenge, correct, rebuke or speak the truth in love.

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction.

‘For They will Inherit the Earth’

Psalm 37:11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.

To inherit the land has a twofold application, present and future.

Those that are at peace with themselves will be at peace with their surroundings. The world will be enjoyed and appreciated so much more when we have a tranquil spirit.

Romans 8:6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

His kingdom principles define and shape us. This is the meekness to which Jesus calls his followers. It is the meek who will “inherit the land and enjoy great peace”. It is those of a ‘gentle spirit’ , not the grasping or the greedy, who will receive from life its most satisfying rewards. The aggressive are unable to enjoy their ill–gotten gains. Only the meek have the capacity to enjoy in life all those things that provide genuine and lasting satisfaction.[3]

One day the earth will be transformed where the children of God will live. Those who are transformed by Christ will inherit the earth.

Amen

Personal Prayer

This was a joint teaching from Pastor Paul Meiklejohn and Charles Green.

References

[1] The NIV Application Commentary, p223

[2] New International Bible Commentary, Matthew chapter 5. Electronic version.

[3] Ibid

What does it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness?

To gain a clearer understanding of this concept, we will examine the original Greek words used in Matthew 5:6.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Hunger

Original Word: πεινάω Part of Speech: VerbTransliteration: peinaó

Phonetic Spelling: (pi-nah'-o)

Short Definition: I am hungry, needyDefinition: I am hungry, needy, desire earnestly.

It signifies that we should be starving for God in our souls, experiencing a constant hunger daily. This draws us closer to God and leads to eventual spiritual triumph. The earnest longing for God should be at the core of our being.

Only the bread of life from heaven can satisfy our souls.

Thirst

Original Word: διψάω Part of Speech: VerbTransliteration: dipsaó Phonetic Spelling: (dip-sah'-o)

Short Definition: I thirst for, desire earnestly Definition: I thirst for, desire earnestly.

Psalm 42:1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

Like a plant in the desert longs for water, it cannot survive without it. Only water can sustain life. Only the water of the Holy Spirit can quench your spiritual thirst.

Take a deep drink now from the wells of living water. Amen

Righteousness

Original Word: δικαιοσύνη, ης, ἡ Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine

Transliteration: dikaiosuné Phonetic Spelling: (dik-ah-yos-oo'-nay)

Short Definition: justice, justness, righteousnessDefinition: (usually if not always in a Jewish atmosphere), justice, justness, righteousness, righteousness of which God is the source or author, but practically: a divine righteousness.

There are at least two types of righteousness found in the New Testament. 1. Legal righteousness, which we receive from Jesus when we are born again, is the righteousness of Christ, a one-time event. However, this passage seems to refer to moral righteousness, which is something we pursue continuously. It is from our sense of divine justice that our good deeds flow to the poor and the suffering.

Filled

Original Word: χορτάζω Part of Speech: VerbTransliteration: chortazó

Phonetic Spelling: (khor-tad'-zo) Short Definition: I feed, satisfyDefinition: I feed, satisfy, fatten.

If we hunger and thirst for God, He will fill us as if we have just enjoyed a lavish meal. When we hunger, we will be nourished, we will be satisfied, and our souls will be enriched.

God is in the filling business;

He will fill us with:

1. The Holy Spirit

2. His love

3. His moral righteousness

4. A satisfaction that can continue to grow

One Bible scholar put it like this: The more of God you want, the more you get, and again, the more you want.

How can we become hungry and thirsty for God?

Jesus awakens the desires of his believers' hearts. Consider these words of Jesus: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you" Luke 11:9. Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking, it is an open secret. You need to want it, and it is appropriate for us to ask for it! Amen

It's whom you ask, where you seek, and what door you knock on that makes all the difference. What could be more exciting than a journey into God himself, for that is what he desires for you and me?

Conclusion

God does not ask us to deny our burning desire for intimacy, beauty, and adventure. Religion does that. Jesus invites us to intimate communion with himself and his Father that will truly satisfy the deepest longings of our souls. Where are you looking to satisfy your deepest desires and longings? Only God will satisfy your deepest desires if you look to him for fulfillment. God is calling his mature ones here today to hunger and thirst for him and to begin seeking his face.

Amen

Personal Prayer

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled

Hungering and Thirsting for God

How is your appetite today?

How strong is your desire for God?

What are you longing for today? Is it happiness, money, or a relationship? Where do you seek it? Be honest with yourself.

How strong is your thirst for God? If success is your goal, where will you find it?

Or do you crave revenge, fame, or wealth?

What are you yearning for today?

As a child, I sometimes went to the cinema and found that we entered halfway through the movie. This was fine since you could stay for the next showing and catch up on what you missed.

Today's message from the Lord is similar, as we are entering halfway through the Beatitudes, but I believe this is God's will for our message today.

To provide context, you should know that the Beatitudes are part of the remarkable sermon Jesus gave to his disciples, known as the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5 The Beatitudes

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The term ‘Beatitudes’ simply means ‘blessednesses’, and each verse starts with the word ‘blessed’, which signifies happy, fortunate, to be envied, enjoying the favor and approval of God, and also enjoying God’s smile (my favorite).

The Greek word for blessed is Makarios, and some of us may remember Archbishop Makarios in Cyprus many years ago.

How would you like ‘blessed’ as your last name? The best Bible scholars have determined that the Beatitudes are a stepwise progression, so we can't begin in the middle. We must start by being ‘poor in spirit’ and progress through the other Beatitudes.

When we recognize our spiritual poverty, we can begin to mourn over our sins and receive God’s comfort and guidance. The next step is developing meekness, best described as strength under control, like a trained stallion. Once we have this strength under control, we can begin to hunger and thirst for God himself. The Lord knows where each of us is spiritually, and if He is delivering this message to us today, that is what He wants us to receive.

Motive

Why should we desire to hunger and thirst for God and His righteousness?

Firstly, Jesus tells us that we will experience the smile and approval of the Living God, and it is His great pleasure to fill us when we hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Psalm 16:11 says, You will show me the path of life: in your presence [is] fullness of joy; at your right hand [there are] pleasures forevermore.

To hunger and thirst for righteousness is to hunger for God himself.

Matthew 5:6. The late Martin Lloyd Jones says this verse distinguishes believers from those who don’t know God. It only makes sense to one of these groups. Which group are you in?

Hungering and Thirsting

If we are what we eat, then if we consume righteousness, we will become righteousness!

This means pursuing God wholeheartedly in our lives. It is a relentless pursuit of God and all that is good in Him, especially seeking His will in every area of our lives.

We will further explore what it means to hunger and thirst for righteousness in Part 2 of this study.

Amen

Personal Prayer

What are the practical steps that we can take to begin to see people through God's eyes and love them like God does?

Jesus' compassion

A. We Must First Experience God’s Love Personally

Ephesians 3:17–19 (KJV)

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith… And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge…”

We cannot give what we do not possess.

Many believers intellectually know God loves them, yet do not deeply live in the reality of that love.

Paul prayed:

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith… that ye… may be able to comprehend… what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.” — Ephesians 3:17–19 (KJV)

When believers truly understand:

• Their own forgiveness

• Their own unworthiness

• Their own adoption in Christ

They become more merciful toward others.

People who know grace deeply usually show grace freely.

________________________________________

B. We Must Die to Self-Centredness

Luke 9:23 (KJV)

“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

One of the greatest barriers to loving others is self.

The self-life asks:

• “How am I treated?”

• “Am I appreciated?”

• “What about my rights?”

• “How do people make me feel?”

But Christ calls believers to crucify self.

“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” — Luke 9:23 (KJV)

The more self rules us, the less we can love others purely.

The love of Christ grows in yielded hearts.

________________________________________

C. Ask God to Let You See Souls Eternally

Matthew 9:36 (KJV)

“But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them…”

Jesus saw beyond the surface.

When He looked at people, He saw:

• Sheep without a shepherd

• Souls needing salvation

• Broken hearts

• Spiritual bondage

• Eternal destinies

“But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them.” — Matthew 9:36 (KJV)

Compassion begins with spiritual sight.

Often, we see:

• Irritating behaviour

• Personality flaws

• Political opinions

• Social differences

• Personal offences

God sees:

• Woundedness

• Bondage

• Fear

• Sin’s destruction

• Eternal souls needing redemption

Pray:

“Lord, help me to see people the way You see them.”

________________________________________

D. Remember How Patient God Has Been With You

Luke 7:47 (KJV)

“He that is forgiven little, loveth little.”

One of the greatest motivations for loving others is remembering God’s mercy toward us.

Jesus said:

“He that is forgiven little, loveth little.” — Luke 7:47 (KJV)

When we remember:

• Our failures

• Our pride

• Our rebellion

• God’s patience with us

We become slower to condemn others.

Merciful people are usually those who know they have received mercy.

________________________________________

E. Depend Upon the Holy Spirit

Galatians 5:22 (KJV)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love…”

Divine love cannot be produced merely by human effort.

It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love…” — Galatians 5:22 (KJV)

The Holy Spirit enables believers to:

• Forgive enemies

• Love difficult people

• Serve sacrificially

• Bless those who wound them

• Show kindness under pressure

This kind of love is supernatural.

It is Christ loving through yielded vessels.

________________________________________

F. Practical Ways to Love Like God Loves

1. Listen to People

Many people are starving for genuine attention.

Jesus often stopped to listen.

________________________________________

2. Refuse Bitterness

Bitterness destroys spiritual vision.

“Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” — Ephesians 4:32 (KJV)

________________________________________

3. Pray for People Instead of Judging Them

Intercession changes the heart.

It is difficult to hate those you sincerely pray for.

________________________________________

4. Look Beyond Outward Appearances

Some of the most broken people hide behind anger, pride, or indifference.

Christ looked deeper.

________________________________________

5. Serve Quietly and Sacrificially

True love is often demonstrated in unseen acts.

Jesus washed His disciples’ feet.

Love serves.

________________________________________

CONCLUSIONS

The world desperately needs to see genuine Christian love.

Not sentimental love. Not shallow tolerance. Not selective kindness.

But the love of Christ.

Human love, though often beautiful, remains incomplete without God.

Only divine love:

• Seeks the undeserving

• Forgives enemies

• Sacrifices self

• Values every soul

• Endures rejection

• Loves faithfully

• Transforms lives

God sees human beings as eternal souls made in His image and worthy of redemption through Christ.

The cross proves the value God places upon humanity.

As believers grow closer to Christ:

• Their hearts soften

• Their compassion deepens

• Their pride decreases

• Their love becomes more sacrificial

The ultimate goal of the Christian life is not merely knowledge, activity, or even ministry success.

It is Christlikeness!

And Christ is love.

1 John 4:11 (KJV)

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

May God teach us to:

• See people through His eyes

• Value souls as He values them

• Die to selfish love

• Walk in divine love

• Reflect Christ to a wounded world

Amen.

Personal Prayer

What value does God place on each human life?

The LORD looks at the heart

We now consider what value the Lord places on each human life both

according to Scripture and also in C. S. Lewis’ 'The Four Loves'

A. Humanity Bears the Image of God

Genesis 1:26 (KJV)

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…”

The value of humanity begins in creation.

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” — Genesis 1:26 (KJV)

Every human being possesses dignity because mankind was created in the image of God.

This applies to:

• The rich and poor

• The weak and strong

• The elderly and the unborn

• The righteous and the sinner

• Every race and nation

People are not accidents of biology. They are eternal souls.

The world measures value by:

• Wealth

• Beauty

• Intelligence

• Achievement

• Power

• Social status

But God measures value by eternal reality.

Jesus asked:

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” — Matthew 16:26 (KJV)

One soul is worth more than the entire world!

________________________________________

B. The Cross Reveals Human Worth

1 Peter 1:18–19 (KJV)

“Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold… But with the precious blood of Christ…”

The value of something is shown by the price paid for it.

God valued humanity so greatly that Christ shed His blood for sinners.

“Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold… But with the precious blood of Christ.” — 1 Peter 1:18–19 (KJV)

The cross reveals both:

• The seriousness of sin

• The immeasurable value God places upon souls

No one is insignificant to God.

Jesus sought:

• The leper

• The outcast

• The tax collector

• The Samaritan woman

• The thief on the cross

He saw eternal value where others saw rejection.

________________________________________

C. S. Lewis, author of ''The Four Loves” identified four categories of love from the Greek that help explain both the beauty and limitations of human affection.

Lewis describes four categories of love as follows:

1. Storge — Affection

This is natural affection:

• Family love

• Familiarity

• Tenderness

• Everyday care

This love can be beautiful, but also possessive or controlling when corrupted by selfishness.

________________________________________

2. Philia — Friendship

Friendship is companionship built around shared vision, interest, or purpose.

Lewis considered friendship one of life’s great gifts because it unites people around truth and common pursuit.

Biblically, David and Jonathan illustrate deep covenant friendship.

________________________________________

3. Eros — Romantic Love

This refers to romantic and marital love.

God created marriage as sacred and good.

Yet Lewis warns that romantic love becomes destructive when idolised or detached from God.

Human love was never designed to replace God.

________________________________________

4. Agape — Divine Love

Agape is the highest form of love.

It is:

• Self-giving

• Sacrificial

• Unconditional

• Rooted in God Himself

This is the love demonstrated by Jesus Christ.

Lewis emphasised that natural loves become dangerous when they become gods. Only divine love can purify and rightly order human loves.

Without God:

• Affection can become manipulation

• Friendship can become exclusion

• Romance can become idolatry

But when surrendered to God, human loves become expressions of grace.

________________________________________

D. Additional Insight From C. S. Lewis on Human Worth

C. S. Lewis also made a profound observation about the eternal value of human beings in his sermon, 'The Weight of Glory'. He wrote that if we were to see the glory of an ordinary believer as they will one day appear in eternity, we would be strongly tempted to worship them. Lewis was not encouraging the worship of people, but emphasising the breathtaking eternal destiny prepared for redeemed humanity.

He reminded believers that we never meet a “mere mortal.” Every person we encounter is an eternal being who will exist forever either in the glory of God’s presence or separated from Him. This radically changes how Christians should treat people.

Lewis wrote:

“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.”

From God’s perspective, every soul carries eternal significance. The stranger, the weak, the difficult person, the unnoticed individual, and the broken sinner are all beings of immense eternal value. This understanding should produce humility, compassion, reverence, and deep care in how we view, speak to and treat other people.

________________________________________

E. God Sees What Humans Cannot See

1 Samuel 16:7 (KJV)

“For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”

Human beings often judge outward appearance.

God looks deeper.

“For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” — 1 Samuel 16:7 (KJV)

When Samuel saw David, he overlooked him, but God saw a king.

Others saw:

• Moses as a fugitive

• Gideon as weak

• Rahab as immoral

• Peter as unstable

• Matthew as corrupt

God saw redeemed potential.

This is how divine love sees people and is also the way we ought to see people too!

Amen

Personal Prayer

In our final Part (3) we will consider the practical steps necessary to begin to see people as God sees them.

1.The difference between human love and God’s love.

: 1 John 4:7-8

Key Text: 1 John 4:7–11

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love… Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

This three part sermon will examine:

1. The difference between human love and God’s love.

2. How God values human beings according to Scripture and insights from C. S. Lewis’ The Four Loves.

3. How believers can begin to see people through God’s eyes and love them as Christ does.

A. Human Love Often Begins With Self

Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV)

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Much human love is sincere but fallen. Because mankind is affected by sin, even our love is often mixed with selfish motives.

Human love can be:

· Conditional

· Possessive

· Easily wounded

· Dependent on feelings

· Based on personal benefit

· Changeable

· Limited by offence or disappointment

People often love others because:

· They are lovable

· They make them feel good

· They provide companionship

· They meet emotional needs

· They share common interests

Human love frequently asks:

“What can I receive?”

Even good natural affection can become distorted through pride, insecurity, jealousy, fear, or selfish ambition.

The Bible says:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” — Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV)

Without God’s transforming grace, human love remains limited.

B. God’s Love Flows From His Nature

1 John 4:8 (KJV) “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

The Bible does not merely say that God possesses love.

It says:

“God is love.” — 1 John 4:8 (KJV)

Love is part of His very nature.

God’s love is:

· Holy

· Self-giving

· Sacrificial

· Faithful

· Unchanging

· Patient

· Merciful

· Redemptive

· Unconditional in its offer

Human love says:

“I love you because you are valuable to me.”

God’s love says:

“I love you, therefore you become valuable.”

Romans 5:8 (KJV) declares:

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8 (KJV)

God loved us when we were:

· Rebels

· Enemies

· Sinners

· Spiritually dead

· Unworthy

The cross of Jesus Christ proves that divine love is not based upon human merit.

C. Human Love Seeks Its Own; God’s Love Sacrifices Itself

John 15:13 (KJV) “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

The clearest picture of God’s love is Calvary.

Jesus did not merely feel compassion — He gave Himself.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

At the cross:

· Love suffered

· Love forgave

· Love endured rejection

· Love carried shame

· Love bore sin

· Love interceded for enemies

Jesus prayed:

“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” — Luke 23:34 (KJV)

This is entirely different from natural human love.

Human love often weakens when mistreated. God’s love reaches toward the undeserving.

D. Human Love Is Limited; God’s Love Is Transforming

Human love can comfort people. God’s love can transform people.

For example;

Peter denied Christ three times, yet Jesus restored him.

Saul persecuted Christians, yet God transformed him into Paul the apostle.

The woman caught in adultery found mercy instead of condemnation.

The demoniac of Gadara was restored to sanity, dignity, and purpose.

God’s love does not merely tolerate sinners. It redeems them.

Amen

Personal Prayer

In Part 2 we discover how God values each human life both from the scriptures and from the writings of C.S. Lewis.

What does the Aaronic blessing mean?

By Batnabas aka Linda Morris

The Aaronic Blessing is a very special blessing. It was sung over me by the

congregation in my church when I was christened as a baby. I in turn would have

sung it over other babies when they were christened, over the years. It was a custom

in many Scottish churches at the time. It may still be in some churches, I don’t know.

I also asked for it to be spoken over me on my 50 th (Jubilee) birthday, in Hebrew, as I regarded it as a re-commitment of my faith. Michael Cohen, the Rector of Christ Church, Jerusalem very kindly did this for me. It was very special.

So what is the origin of this Blessing? Let’s look at the source, in the Bible.

Numbers 6:22-26

God spoke to Moses saying: “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying ‘This is how you

shall bless the children of Israel (the people). Say to them:

“The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be

gracious to you.

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”

I need to make it clear that ‘The Lord’ here, is Yehoveh (יהוה) or God, as we call Him.

The word countenance in Hebrew is ‘face’.

This blessing is said every day in the synagogue. Twice a year, at Pesach

(Passover) and Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) huge crowds gather at the Kotel

(the Western Wall) in Jerusalem to hear this. All those who are descendants of the

priestly line are invited to recite the blessing over the others. It’s a very powerful

thing to observe.

Numbers 6:27 (God) says “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I

will bless them.”

The priests extend their hands towards the people as they recite the blessing, in a

special way. They hold their hands out with the thumb separated, the index finger

and middle finger together, another separation then the ring finger and pinkie

together. This forms the Hebrew letter ‘shin’ which represents the name of God (El

Shaddai). Both hands are held up in the same way, with the thumbs almost touching each other. In this way, they put the name of God on the people.

As I was reminded recently, this means that we carry the name of God on us. It

made me think – what impact does that have on my life? My witness? My walk?

You may remember the way that Mr Spock (Leonard Nimoy), in Star Trek, greeted people. He was Jewish, and he used that same hand sign that he knew from the Aaronic Blessing.

My friend Moshe Kempinski from Jerusalem wrote in his Jerusalem Insights Journal this week

“A Blessing is not about changing reality but it is about unleashing it.

The Hebrew for blessing is berachah, and it shares its root with the Hebrew word

l’havrich, an agricultural term that describes the re-rooting of a vine into the ground.

In working in a vineyard, havracha, ‘or kneeling’, involves taking a rooted plant and

‘kneeling’ it down into the ground and then this replanted vine eventually takes root as well.

So blessing is re-rooting.

When a blessing is bestowed, what is accomplished is the joining of the spark of

blessing in the person’s soul with the source of blessing above. In effect, nothing

new happens. The blessing merely activates the existing source of the blessing

above and reveals it below.

The blessing suggests a certain measure of guarantee in that it unveils that which is already there, albeit in concealed potential.”

God also said that He would put His name in Jerusalem forever (2 Chronicles 33:7)

and He did!

One of my favourite places to go is just a ten minute walk from where I lived. In

Hebrew it’s known at ‘the Tayelet’, the promenade. It’s also known as the Hass

promenade. It’s a beautiful place, with shrubs and trees, and paths winding down

the hill. The view from the top of the promenade is absolutely stunning. You look

down into the City of David. On the right, you look at the Mount of Olives and on the left what’s often termed nowadays Mount Zion although the Biblical Mount Zion (theTemple Mount) is straight ahead, rising up from the City of David.

The three hills have valleys between them, being the Kidron Valley, the Tyropean

Valley and the Hinnom Valley. When you look down, you can see that these valleys

together form the letter ‘shin’. God did indeed put His name in Jerusalem. And it’s

still there.

Amen

Linda Morris

May 2026

The 3 parables of Luke 15: the lost sheep , the lost coin, and the lost son.

Part 4 The three parables in Luke 15

Definition: A parable means something to ‘lay alongside’ something else.

The story in the parable lays it against a truth to make it easier to understand.

These three parables are usually thought to be about salvation but let us consider them afresh in the context of fellowship.

The parable of the lost sheep

Luke 15:1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

Lost in this passage does not mean dead, the sheep always refers to believers e.g. not 99 sheep and 1 goat!

The 100 sheep belong to the shepherd, but one wanders off out of the shepherd's sight c.f like a Christian getting out of fellowship. The shepherd goes after the lost sheep finds it and put it on his shoulders.

That is how the Lord feels when out of fellowship believers are found by him, there is great rejoicing in the same way we rejoice over sinners who come to repentance and faith in Christ.

The parable of the lost coin

Luke 15:8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbours together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The woman owned the silver coins.

Of course, this parable can be applied to the ‘salvation’ situation but does need a bit of tweaking as to who was the owner of the lost coin.

Again, there is great rejoicing over a sinner come to repentance i.e. changed their mind.

The joy is from God in the presence of the angels.

The parable of the lost son

11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

This parable is the best example of how God feels about sinners returning to him. By faith we are all children of God (Galatians).

This is a believing family. No matter what we change we remain our father’s son.

Life lived out of fellowship does not produce fruit for God.

Both sons got their inheritance (v12). God gifts and talents are to be used in his service.

The younger son wasted all his inheritance and got out of fellowship with his father.

v15 younger son comes into discipline by looking after pigs (no self-respecting Jew would do this). No-one would help him. He was in a bad place with no friends.

v17 Comes to his senses, he repents (changes his mind), and he comes to terms with his lifestyle.

18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’

20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

v20 and the father ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. That is what the Father God did with you and me when we first repented and believed.

How might the Father react to our repentance today?

v21 Confesses his sins as in 1 John 1:9.

Luke 15:22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.

23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it and let us eat and be merry.

24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

v22 His privileges are fully restored as a son, as are ours when we repent.

v23 A feast of celebration is organised, repentance is a time to be celebrated.

v24 This father’s love for his lost son reminds us of the fervent love of our heavenly father who embraces us when we confess our sins in repentance.

When we do sin, we must keep short accounts with the Lord and come into repentance ASAP.

Conclusion

Confessing your sins is agreeing with God that it was wrong and inappropriate for us as God’s family, then we can immediately receive our forgiveness by faith and come straight back into fellowship with the Lord.

Amen

Personal Prayer

For an in depth study of this topic please refer to Roger Price audio BBS 012 and BBS 021.

The ongoing remedy for our sin: 1 John 1:9 explained

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

All Christians have an ‘old sin nature’ inside us. See Paul’s comments in Romans about his 'old man'.

v9, we need to name our sins before the Lord and somehow God is able to cleanse us from them all –perhaps even the ones we did not remember!

This verse is constantly available to all true believers. The verb 'confess' is in the continual tense meaning ongoing. Yes it is available every time as often as we need need it.

We receive our forgiveness instantly by faith. This allows us to pick up on our walk with the Lord.

Unconfessed sin festers inside us and makes us unable to conduct the Lord’s work.

When we confess our sin then we agree with God that it is a sin and are instantly brought back into fellowship. PTL

The ongoing remedy for our sin- Keywords

¨ Repent-metanoeo (Greek) means to change your mind.

¨ Confess- homologeo (Greek) means to say the same thing (used in a court of law).

Meta =change noeo = mind So what this word Repentance means is to ‘change your mind.’

This means that we have changed our minds about the sinful things we have previously done and then we agree with God's view of the sin . We then confess (say) to the Lord the particular sin, which means we now are taking the same view as the Lord.

Paul called the Jews to repentance (change their minds about Messiah on a big white horse defeating the Roman invaders etc.)

Paul called the Gentiles to believe (did not know anything about the Messiah).

2 Cor 7:10 Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians had produced godly sorrow leading them to repentance and life in contrast the world’s sorrow can only produce death.

Amen

Personal Prayer

In Part 4 We consider the three parables in Luke 15 in the context of both salvation and fellowship.

The chastening of the Lord

How does God deal with Christians who are out of fellowship?:

Hebrews 12: 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”

7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

v5 Chastening= humbled by defeat or wrongdoing with a view to doing better

rebuke=express sharp disapproval or criticism of (someone) because of their behaviour or actions:

scourges= whips

v6 When the Lord brings us correction (chastening which may involve grief and pain), we need to be willing to accept it (or even welcome) since we are true sons and daughters of God.

We ought to be pleased that the Lord loves us enough to chasten and rebuke us.

v7-8 We need to come under his discipline of our Father (discipline is a family matter-see Zechariah 3:3)

v10 God only chastens (trains) his children for their benefit which should lead us into holiness.

v11 The Lord’s chastening is painful for a season but later brings peace and a more holy lifestyle.

Carnal vs Spiritual Christians

¨ Carnal = a Christian who is out of fellowship with Lord

¨ Spiritual = a Christian who is in fellowship with the Lord

1 Corinthians 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

A carnal Christian can behave just as badly as an unbeliever.

An unbeliever cannot receive the things of God see 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

A spiritual believer can operate through the Spirit,

1 Corinthians 3:3 mere men= unbelievers

Amen

In Part 3 we consider what confession and repentance means.

1 John 1:9 The ongoing remedy for our sin

In some ways when we get saved or born again the Lord could say ‘I have cleansed every sin from your life so go and sin no more.’

However, we know that we often slip and fall into sin (due to the old sin nature), and we would be stuck in sin if the Lord had not provided an ongoing way to get us back into fellowship with him.

That is what we are going to study today ‘how do we keep in continual fellowship with the Lord.

We can only bear fruit when we are in fellowship with the Lord and when are in sin we can bear no good fruit.

This is like playing badminton say 20 years ago or more, you could only score when serving.

The suggestion is that we can bear fruit only when we are in fellowship with God.

Relationship versus Fellowship

¨ Relationship is permanent.

¨ Fellowship is conditional.

Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

Salvation has two parts to it: kindred relationship and fellowship.

If like me, you agree that once saved always saved then our kindred relationship is permanent (eternal). If you disagree then you must consider just how permanent our relationship with Father God is, and what could break it. However, hopefully we can agree that our relationship is stronger than our fellowship.

We are born again into the family of God and are secure in it.

Fellowship (koinonia) is our ongoing interaction with God and can be broken quite easily.

Amos 3:3 can be understood as ‘how can we walk in agreement with a Holy God’? When we are out of fellowship with him through sin.

Fellowship in this context is our old friend koinonia which means an intimate sharing of our life

with God and with our fellow believers.

Fellowship with Him and One Another

1 John 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

As always when we want to correctly interpret scripture, we need to put in in context.

v5-7 God has no darkness or sin in his being whatever and has no truck with sin.

If we live in sin our fellowship (koinonia) with God is broken and we are kidding ourselves on (self-deception).

If we walk in the Spirit, we are agreed with the Lord, this brings us into fellowship with each other and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.

v8 If Christians say that they do not sin then John says that they are lying indicating an aversion to the truth.

v9-10 We will return to these verses further into the sermon.

In Part 2 we will consider 'the chastening of the Lord'.

Key stages in how Rees Howells “self-life” was dealt with by the cross.

Here are the stages in the life of Rees Howells :Intercessor in which the cross was applied to his self-life. For a short biography of Rees Howells refer to the first part of this teaching

A) Surrender of personal ambition

Early in his life, Howells had:

business prospects

personal plans

God required him to abandon total control over his future.

Cross dynamic:

letting go of self-determination.

accepting God’s direction without any guarantees

B) The crisis of full surrender

A defining moment described in the book is when he yielded:

his will

his rights

his entire life to God’s control

This is often presented as a decisive “death to self” moment.

But importantly—it was not the end.

C) Repeated “tests” of obedience

After initial surrender, God continued to deal with deeper layers of self through specific, sometimes uncomfortable commands, such as:

giving away money when it felt unreasonable.

obeying promptings that risked his reputation.

accepting situations that exposed his pride or independence.

Pattern:

God would ask → resistance exposed → surrender required.

This aligns closely with progressive cross application.

D) Identification with others through intercession

One of the most distinctive aspects of his life:

He believed God called him to identify with people or situations in prayer.

This sometimes meant bearing burdens that were not naturally his own.

In his understanding: Intercession required a kind of “death to self-interest” so that God’s purposes could flow through him.

E) Breaking of self-reliance

Repeatedly, the book shows God dealing with:

independence

natural strength

personal reasoning

So that:

his reliance shifted fully onto God

This echoes Paul the Apostle’s principle:

'strength perfected in weakness'.

Other points

The theological framework behind it.

The book strongly reflects a particular stream of teaching:

union with Christ in death and resurrection

the “crucified life” as experiential reality

obedience as the pathway to deeper spiritual authority

In simplified terms:

The more the self-life is yielded, the more God can act through the person.

Important clarification (this matters)

While the book (Rees Howells;Intercessor by Norman Grubb) is powerful, but it should be read with discernment.

Strengths:

Seriousness about obedience

Real cost of discipleship

Consistency with “take up your cross daily.”

Potential risks if misapplied:

Over-subjectivising guidance (“God told me…”)

Confusing personal impressions with divine command

Placing all believers under identical patterns of experience.

Not every believer will be led in the same way or intensity.

How it connects to “taking up your cross” in Luke 9:23

In Howells’ life, cross-bearing looked like:

surrender of will → “deny yourself.”

obedience at cost → “take up your cross.”

ongoing responsiveness → “daily”

But crucially:

It was not a single event—it was a lifestyle of repeated surrender.

Final Conclusions

The biography portrays the “self-life” being dealt with in two layers:

1. Decisive surrender

a clear yielding of the whole life to God

2. Progressive outworking

repeated situations exposing deeper self-will.

ongoing obedience shaping character.

Bottom line

According to Rees Howells: Intercessor:

God deals with the self-life not only through a one-time surrender, but through a lifelong process of testing, obedience, and deeper yielding—so that the believer becomes increasingly aligned with His will.

Remember how Jesus viewed the cross.

Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV)“Looking unto Jesus... who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…”

Fix your eyes on Jesus and follow Him in cross-shaped living.

What cross is the Lord asking you to take up today?

Personal Prayer and waiting on the Lord

Amen

Practical Applications— The Cross in Practice with examples from the life of Rees Howells.

In Part 1 we considered the biblical basis for taking up your cross daily and following Jesus. We then did a quick biography of Rees Howells: Intercessor, a man whose life demonstrated day by day what it is to take up your cross daily and follow Jesus.

A) Control (Self-Will)

Luke 22:42 (NKJV)“Not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Example: Rees surrendered his life direction completely.

Cross expression: Yield decisions and release control.

B) Possessions and Security

Matthew 6:24 (NKJV)“You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Example: He travelled without money for a train ticket, trusting God many time for provision. Cross expression: Trust God beyond visible provision.

C) Reputation and Pride

Philippians 2:7 (NKJV)“He made Himself of no reputation…”

Example: Rees appeared before the nobility without a hat (a major faux pas), risking serious misunderstanding.

Cross expression: Rees accepted the loss of recognition.

D) Obedience in Small Things

Luke 16:10 (NKJV)“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much.”

Example: Rees restricted his food to simple meals in obedience to God.

Cross expression: The practice of immediate obedience.

E) Dependence vs Self-Reliance

John 15:5 (NKJV)“…without Me you can do nothing.”

Example: Rees lived without provision, relying fully on God.

Cross expression: Dependence on God over his own ability.

F) Love Through Sacrifice

Galatians 6:2 (NKJV)“Bear one another’s burdens…”

Example: Rees welcomed tramps into his home.

Cross expression: Rees served sacrificially.

G) Comfort and Ease

Example: He accepted discomfort rather than ease.

Cross expression: Rees choose obedience over comfort.

H) Ownership and Rights

Example: Rees treated everything as belonging to God.

Cross expression: He lived in total surrender (stewardship).

I) Relationships

Example: Rees followed God even when relationships were often strained especially with his parents.

Cross expression: He put Christ first always.

J) Control of Outcomes

Example: Rees obeyed God without seeing results.

Cross expression: He operated in faith without sight.

K) Consistency Over Time

Example: Rees lived this out over years.

Cross expression: Rees lived a daily cross-bearing.

Amen

Personal prayer

In Part 3 we consider the key stages of how the self-life of Rees Howells was dealt with by taking up his cross daily.

How to crucify the self-life with examples from the life of Rees Howells :Intercessor

Key Scripture

Luke 9:23 (KJV)

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

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1. The Call to Discipleship

Luke 9:23 (KJV)

“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Jesus calls for a reoriented life: deny self, take up the cross, and follow Him.

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2. The Cost of the Cross

Matthew 10:37–38 (KJV)

“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me... and he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”

Following Christ may cost relationships, comfort, and possessions.

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3. The Daily Nature of the Cross

Romans 12:1 (KJV)

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

The cross is a daily surrender, not a one-time event.

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4. The Inner Meaning of the Cross

Galatians 2:20 (KJV)

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me...”

The self-life is replaced by Christ living within.

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5. The Misunderstanding of the Cross

The cross is not inconvenience or random suffering—it is obedience to Christ at cost.

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6. The Paradox of the Cross

Matthew 16:25 (KJV)

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

Losing your life for Christ leads to finding true life.

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7. The Pattern of Christ

Philippians 2:8–9 (KJV)

“And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name.”

Christ’s pattern: humility, obedience, death, then glory.

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8. Practical Application — The Cross in Practice

With Examples from the Life of Rees Howells

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A Short Biography of Rees Howells

Based on: Rees Howells: Intercessor by Norman Grubb. Published by Lutterworth Press, 1952.

Rees Howells’ story continues to inspire believers to pray with boldness, perseverance, and expectation, believing that God still moves through intercessors today.

Rees Howells (1879–1950) was a Welsh coal miner turned missionary and intercessor whose life became a striking example of radical obedience to God.

After a conversion experience and early exposure to faith missions, he sensed a call to total surrender, which led him into a series of costly acts of self-denial—giving away money, embracing dependence on God for provision, and yielding personal rights and ambitions.

He served as a missionary in Africa, where he learned deeply practical lessons in faith and identification with others, before returning to Wales to help establish the Bible College of Wales.

During the Second World War, he became especially known for a ministry of strategic intercession, believing that God led him and his community to pray through critical moments that affected the course of the war.

His legacy lies not in public prominence but in demonstrating a life shaped by the cross, marked by obedience, faith, and a sustained commitment to intercessory prayer.

Amen

Personal Prayer

Heavenly Father, teach us what it truly means to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

Deliver us from self-will, pride, fear, and dependence upon the flesh. Form the character of Christ within us through obedience to Your Spirit.

Help us to embrace the cross, not merely in theory, but in daily practical surrender.

May our lives become vessels through which Christ can express His love, humility, obedience, and power.

And Lord, raise up in these days men and women with the same spirit of faith, surrender, and intercession that marked the life of Rees Howells.

In Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.

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Part 2

In Part 2 we consider the application of the cross to the self-life with specific examples from the life of Rees Howells