The miracle of the Cross in the life of the (believer) saint!

But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:14

The Apostle Paul’s final statements to the Galatians is the corner stone of Christian faith. The main teaching of Christ is based the cross and crucifixion should be the defining mark of the believer. There are many people who want Jesus’ morality, but don’t acknowledge the need for His death on the cross. No one can be in Christ without identifying the Lord's death. The cross is not only the symbol that reminds us that we can’t save ourselves but much more than that, in fact, it is the basis of Christian life. Without the cross, Jesus teachings are just good ideas which are simple letters and words and sentences but with cross it becomes life for the believer.

The cross opens our eyes to divine revelations and we see the world around us in a new light. Proud, vain, and carnal hearts are content with just so much religious doctrines as will help to keep up a fair show before the world but the cross destroys it. We become a humiliation because of the cross and the world will consider as fools. carnal men glorify themselves with the world because their eyes are blinded to the glory of the cross. The apostle expresses his aversion to glorying in anything the worldly men did; not in his outward carnal privileges, as a Jew; nor in his moral, civil, and legal righteousness; nor in his gifts and attainments; nor in his labors and success, as of himself; nor in the flesh of others, or in any outward corporeal subjection to any ordinance, legal or evangelical; his glorying and rejoicing were rather in the spirituality, the faith, hope, love, patience, order, and steadfastness of the saints, than in anything in the flesh, either his own or others: and indeed he chose not to glory in anything, but in faith, hope, and joy; and that his principal glory was in the cross of Christ.

By the cross of Christ, the world is crucified to the believer, and he to the world so that the world has nothing to do with him. But Paul also has his glory in this world but that is not derived from the world or his flesh and cannot find glory in anything or anyone except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ through whom the world has been crucified to him, and he to the world! So this glorification is the opposite of worldly glorification. it can come only through crucifixion. Romans 6:6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— This is redemption of the believer from eternal slavery. The glorification of the believer through the cross happened because of the greatest even in the history of the mankind occurred in the Calvary. In one action he has killed the whole mankind and even all that belonged to the God’s law. Paul’s only glory is his crucifixion. Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. All of us who are crucified are dead to everything that worldly people boast off themselves because they are not our passion or desires. Galatians 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. This is the whole essence of what the whole Bible is about. Without crucifixion there is no glorification. This is the very purpose of God’s heart desire for mankind and the message of the Paul. This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Many may accept Christ but when it comes to the cross they becomes the enemies of the Gospel of the cross. "But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God."—1 Corinthians 1:23-24. It is little wonder that the cross becomes a stumbling block for many. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 the perishing will never accept the message of the God but for us it the power of God for our daily salvation. Philippians 3:18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Most of them become the enemies of God knowingly or unknowingly. Outwardly they may talk a lot about Lord but inwardly there will not be any transformation as the cross of the Lord will not work in them. The cross brings Christ in us and as we are crucified daily the righteousness of God will spread through every area of our being. Power of the cross in the believer is everything. Romans 8:10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. The outer man breaks but the inner man is renewed day by day!

We are circumcised in our flesh so that we no longer are interested in the world and its charm. Philippians 3:3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— but our love and heart desire will be only for our Lord. Song of Solomon 7:10 I belong to my beloved and his desire is for me. This makes us one with Christ so without cross we can never be united with the Lord. 1 Corinthians 6:17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. This is the miracle of the Christian life – the miracle of Cross!!

Do you belong to any ot these groups?

At least six, according to a new study.

Two researchers at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga found that atheists and agnostics run the range from vocally anti-religious activists to nonbelievers who nonetheless observe some religious traditions.
“The main observation is that nonbelief is an ontologically diverse community,” write doctoral student Christopher Silver and undergraduate student Thomas Coleman.

“These categories are a first stab at this," Silver told the website Raw Story. "In 30 years, we may be looking at a typology of 32 types.”

Silver and Coleman derived their six types of nonbelievers from 59 interviews.
See if you belong to any of these groups;-

1) Intellectual atheist/agnostic
This type of nonbeliever seeks information and intellectual stimulation about atheism.
They like debating and arguing, particularly on popular Internet sites.
(Ahem.)
They're also well-versed in books and articles about religion and atheism, and prone to citing those works frequently.

2) Activist
These kinds of atheists and agnostics are not content with just disbelieving in God; they want to tell others why they reject religion and why society would be better off if we all did likewise.
They tend to be vocal about political causes like gay rights, feminism, the environment and the care of animals.

3) Seeker-agnostic
This group is made up of people who are unsure about the existence of a God but keep an open mind and recognize the limits of human knowledge and experience.
Silver and Coleman describe this group as people who regularly question their own beliefs and “do not hold a firm ideological position.”
That doesn't mean this group is confused, the researchers say. They just embrace uncertainty.

4) Anti-theist
This group regularly speaks out against religion and religious beliefs, usually by positioning themselves as “diametrically opposed to religious ideology,” Silver and Coleman wrote.
“Anti-theists view religion as ignorance and see any individual or institution associated with it as backward and socially detrimental,” the researchers wrote. “The Anti-Theist has a clear and – in their view, superior – understanding of the limitations and danger of religions.”
Anti-theists are outspoken, devoted and – at times – confrontational about their disbelief. They believe that "obvious fallacies in religion and belief should be aggressively addressed in some form or another.”

5) Non-theist
The smallest group among the six are the non-theists, people who do not involve themselves with either religion or anti-religion.
In many cases, this comes across as apathy or disinterest.
“A Non-Theist simply does not concern him or herself with religion,” Silver and Coleman wrote. “Religion plays no role or issue in one’s consciousness or worldview; nor does a Non- Theist have concern for the atheist or agnostic movement.”
They continue: “They simply do not believe, and in the same right, their absence of faith means the absence of anything religion in any form from their mental space.”

6) Ritual atheist
They don't believe in God, they don’t associate with religion, and they tend to believe there is no afterlife, but the sixth type of nonbeliever still finds useful the teachings of some religious traditions.
“They see these as more or less philosophical teachings of how to live life and achieve happiness than a path to transcendental liberation,” Silver and Coleman wrote. “For example, these individuals may participate in specific rituals, ceremonies, musical opportunities, meditation, yoga classes, or holiday traditions.”
For many of these nonbelievers, their adherence to ritual may stem from family traditions. For others, its a personal connection to, or respect for, the "profound symbolism" inherent within religious rituals, beliefs and ceremonies, according the researchers.

Are you an atheist?

Parable of the sower

The parable of the sower is simple but a very important in our Christian life.

A farmer sows seed in a field:

· Some seed falls on the paths, and the birds quickly eat it.

· Some seed falls where there are rocks, and not much soil. Plants grow quickly, but soon the sun dries them. There is not enough soil, and the plants die.

· Some seed begins to grow in a place where there are too many weeds. The weeds stop the growth of the plants, and the plants die.

· But other seed falls on good ground. So, the plants grow well. The farmer has a harvest from these plants.

The explanation of the story is also simple. Jesus himself explained it to the disciples. The farmer is like Jesus. The seed that he sows is the seed of the good news about Jesus. The field is the heart. The farmer sows the seed. It depends on the way individual heart how people respond to the word of God. What happens to the seed is different in different places. It is the same with the good news about Jesus. Sometimes the word of God has a good result in our lives, and sometimes it has a poor result in our lives.

The first seed fell on the path, where there was no soil. We hear the Word of God but give no attention to it at all. This is like the seed on the path. There is change our behavior. We are selfish and worldly. We quickly forget about the all we heard. There is no result at all.

Some seed falls where there are rocks. It grows quickly, but then it dies. This teaches us that we listen to the word of God but it is short lived. We seem to like what they hear about Jesus. But this does not last. When we have a difficult time, or other people laugh at us. We loose the interest because we never really trusted Lord.

Some seed began to grow among weeds, and the weeds killed it. This teaches us that some people have no time for Jesus. They are selfish, and they want things for themselves. All the worldly things will destroy the word that is sowed. Perhaps they want to be rich, or to be powerful. They worry all the time. They are anxious about their possessions. They concern is more for this world than the world above so the word of God has little effect in their hearts.

Finally we hear in the story about seed on good ground. The good ground is like heart that love the Lord. They believe in lord and trust in him completely. God is their blessing and they do not have any interest with the worldly. The Holy Spirit will change their life with each word that they have heard. They will be able to love other people. They will be able to forgive other people, and to live in peace with them. They will be joyful. This is because because the land is so fertile for the word of God and God can change them. He changes the inside of these people, and this changes their behavior. They will bear much fruits - the fruits of spirit from their lives.

 

Third Temple rebuilding is much closer in Jerusalem?

As reported in The Jewish Press on March 14, 2013, there is a new call for something previously unthinkable. Sinem Tezyapar, a Muslim TV producer in Turkey, has called for the rebuilding of the “Prophet Solomon’s” Temple.

She assures her fellow Muslims that they need not be nervous because:

“There is a broad expanse of land around the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. The land there is quite convenient in that respect, and the Temple can be placed just a little way from Qubbat As-Sakhrah, and a little ahead of Masjid el-Aqsa.”

There are overtones of wanting peace and togetherness with the Jewish people in her statements as well. This is a very interesting development and would be easy to dismiss as just one secular Muslim’s simplistic idea. Unfortunately, the fact that she is a woman in the Muslim world makes the idea even less feasible.

However, this is not the first time this idea has come from the lips of a Muslim. According to an article in Word Net Daily, an influential Muslim leader by the name of Adnan Oktar in Turkey is described as making the same proposal, to rebuild the Jewish Temple, calling it the “Palace of Solomon.”
The Jewish people have longed for their Temple to be rebuilt. In an article about the rebuilding of the Temple, Hassidic writer and publisher Mordechai Housman, describes the first and primary obstacle as being political, and second being safety reasons due to Muslims. If a significant Muslim leader would declare that Solomon’s Temple should be rebuilt, then if the Muslim community would follow, it is likely the Jewish people would jump at the opportunity and be able to overcome whatever ceremonial obstacles also lie in the path.

“Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire,
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Smoke before the real fire!!

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat last week said it was time for Israel to finally implement true religious freedom and allow Jews to pray atop the Temple Mount.

"The government is ultimately responsible for whether or not Jews can pray on the Temple Mount, not the Jerusalem municipality," Barkat told students at a religious high school. "My opinion is that everyone should be able to pray there."

Despite being the holiest site in the world to Jews and many Christians, none but Muslims are permitted to pray atop Jerusalem's Temple Mount.

Technically, anyone can pray there, but threats of Muslim violence have resulted in a police policy forbidding Jews and Christians from even mouthing prayers while visiting the Temple Mount.

Despite the ban, a growing numbers of Jews have been saying quiet prayres while visiting the Temple Mount, and many have been arrested for doing so as a result of Muslim authorities complaining to police.
The Muslims claim Jerusalem's Temple Mount as an "Islamic Trust," and therefore view "infidel" prayers as desecrating a site holy to them. Local Muslims have in the past responded with deadly violence to visits to the Temple Mount by prominent Jewish leaders.

In what is becoming an all too common occurrence, a Jewish man this week was denied freedom of worship at Judaism's most holy site, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Right-wing activist Moshe Feiglin, who is expected to enter the Knesset as a Likud lawmaker in the upcoming election, was arrested on Tuesday after the Muslim authorities that control the Temple Mount spotted him quietly bowing down in prayer.

It is not the first time Feiglin has been arrested for praying atop the Temple Mount, and he joins a long list of others, many of whom have been detained for nothing more than silently mouthing Jewish prayers while visiting the holy site.

Out of fear of another violent Muslim reaction, the Israel Police cooperate with the Islamic Waqf that occupies the Temple Mount by forbidding visiting Jews and Christians from praying at or carrying Bibles into the compound.

Israel officially guarantees freedom of religion and worship for everyone in the country. The only group that is semi-officially discriminated against are Jews when they are visiting the Temple Mount.
This time the police are going so far as to recommend that Feiglin be officially indicted, even though there is no official law against Jews praying at the Temple Mount.

Groups of Jewish visitors were prevented from ascending the Temple Mount (Judaism's holiest site) by a mob of hostile Muslim women on Wednesday morning.

Like very day, the Jewish groups lined up below the Temple Mount's Mughrabi Gate, where police checked to make sure they weren't committing the heinous crime of trying to bring a Bible into the premises. The Muslim authorities forbid the presence of Jewish and Christian holy items, and, out of fear, Israel plays along.
As the groups began to move through the gate, a group of Muslim women blocked their path and began hurling insults at the Jews. Police officers managed to disperse the women, only to then be confronted by an even larger group of angry Muslim men.

In order to avoid any violence, Israeli police decided to close the Temple Mount to non-Muslim visitors and ordered the Jewish groups to leave.

A similar incident occurred on Monday, when new Knesset member Moshe Feiglin (Likud) attempted to use his parliamentary immunity to enter the Temple Mount, but was turned away by security officials afraid of a confrontation with the Muslims.

Feiglin said it was "a clear admission of the loss of Jewish sovereignty on the Mount."

In related news, Arab Muslim leaders have again warned US President Barack Obama to avoid visit the Temple Mount during his upcoming trip to Israel. Obama would almost certainly ascend the holy site with Israeli representatives or security, and Muslim leaders say this would legitimize what they call the Israeli "occupation" of the Temple Mount.

"We warn Obama not to cause damage to Palestinian interests or our holy sites," said a representative of the local Islamic Movement.

Discipleship

The test Christ supplied to those who admitted his testimony - true discipleship and the freedom in Christ. So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, Jesus makes it clear that the true discipleship comes with the abiding in the His word. He is word who became flesh. The true disciple receives and continues in the word of his Master. It is just not only believing in Him but continuing in His. it is used in continuous tense. You believe in Christ as the Messiah - the Word from God but you have to continue living in His word. How can we we do that? We have to live Christ. When we live Christ, we will be abiding in His words. His Words are the truth and the Truth will set them free. Truth only can set the mind free from its bondage under ignorance and prejudice and evil habit. 

If the Light of the world shines into the dark places of the heart, the chains ere while misunderstood will not only become visible, but will be broken. This is the freedom in Christ. he will break all the bondage of the sin and sets us free. The piercing power of the word can do this work in the believer. If this is not happening in us we are useless believers. Christ is both the author, and preacher, and sum, and substance of it: and to continue in it, is having cordially received it, to abide by it, and hold it fast, and not to be moved from it, by the temptations of Satan; the cunning of those that lie in wait to deceive; nor by the revelings and persecutions, the frowns and flatteries of men: and when men continue thus steadfast in it, and faithful to it, it is an evidence that it has come with power, and has a place in their hearts, and that they are the disciples of Christ. This is living Christ. Without abiding in His word you cannot live Christ. When we abide in Christ we will have the mind of Christ. We cannot be carried away by the world or the Satan from the Love of Christ. This Word will bring forth sixty and hundred fold. Mat 13;8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

Rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem

The Temple Mount in Jerusalem, with Al-Aqsa Mosque in the background.

Although it does not exist today, the Jewish Temple is undoubtedly an important part of end times Bible prophecy, and we can easily point to relatively recent events to see how it is shaping up to become a major event. 



No praying. No kneeling. No bowing. No prostrating. No dancing. No singing. No ripping clothes.
These are the rules that Jews must abide by when visiting the Temple Mount, the site where the First and Second Holy Temples once stood, located above and behind the Western Wall in the heart of Jerusalem’s Old City.

Although the area is under Israeli sovereignty, the mount — known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif — is controlled by the Islamic Wakf, a joint Palestinian-Jordanian religious body. As the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, whose golden dome overlooks the city, the Temple Mount attracts daily crowds of Muslim worshipers.

Under Wakf regulations, Jews may only access the mount for 4 1/2 hours per day and are forbidden from praying there.

So most Israelis has no aspirations of rebuilding the Temple. Even among those who would like to see the Temple restored, most do not believe Israel can undertake something so controversial absent a direct act of God. Many Israelis also view the goal as a danger to the status quo that has kept this site holy to Muslims and Jews from turning into a tinderbox.


 In spite of all these, an Israeli cabinet minister last week publicly stated that perhaps the time has come to rebuild the biblical Temple on Jerusalem's Temple Mount.

But that didn't stop Housing and Construction Minister Uri Ariel (Jewish Home) from stating that "we need to build a real Temple on the Temple Mount."

Ariel was speaking at a press event in the Samarian community of Shilo, where archaeologists have uncovered remains of the biblical Tabernacle that was located there for hundreds of years before King David's conquest of Jerusalem.

Abbas is held aloft as a "moderate" leader by most in the West. His predecessor, Yasser Arafat, was not. In fact, one of the things that most convinced former US President Bill Clinton of Arafat's extremism was his open refusal to accept that the Temple Mount had once been home to the biblical Temple, and was therefore important to Jews.

One must wonder why Abbas is treated any differently when he holds the same extreme position?
This is because it has to happen according to the prophesy of the Bible.


Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, II Thessalonians 2:4, and Revelation 11:1 all explicitly state that the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt in these end-times. Can you imagine the effect on the people of the world when construction on the Israeli Temple begins?!

The rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem will probably be the next step in the near future. This can occur before the rapture of the church or after. One thing is certain, it will be rebuilt in the near future.


“Our goal is to fulfill the commandment of ‘They shall make a Temple for me and I will dwell among them,’ ” Richman says, quoting Exodus. “The basis of a Torah life is action.”

Following the Second Temple’s destruction in 70 C.E., most rabbis adopted the position that Jewish law prohibits reconstructing the Holy Temple prior to the age of messianic redemption, or that the law is too ambiguous and that the messiah must come first.

This is all a part of God’s plan. From 70 A.D. until 1948, the Jewish people had no homeland. In 1948 the nation of Israel was reborn. However, the Temple Mount was still held by the nation of Jordan. When the temple area was recaptured in 1967, the Jews wept. The joy of the Jewish people was quickly dashed to pieces. A few hours after the recapture, Moshe Dayan, the Defense Minister of Israel, announced that the Temple Mount would remain under Arab control. The rejoicing of the Jews was turned to sorrow, This action to religious Jews was absolutely beyond comprehension. Jews still cannot go to the Temple Mount area to pray, to offer sacrifices, and, above all, to build their Third Temple. This temple will be rebuilt very soon.

In 1984, Israel’s security services stopped a group of Jewish terrorists conspiring to blow up the mosque at the mount who reportedly got very close to achieving their goal. Ever since, authorities say they have kept a close watch on any attempts to disturb the peace on the mount.

There are many organizations right now who have almost all the temple instruments and materials pre-made for the day when they will rebuild the temple. The Temple Institute is dedicated to all aspects of the Divine commandment for Israel to build a house for G-d’s presence, the Holy Temple, on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. The range of the Institute's involvement with this concept includes education, research, activism, and actual preparation. Our goal is firstly, to restore Temple consciousness and reactivate these “forgotten” commandments. We hope that by doing our part, we can participate in the process that will lead to the Holy Temple becoming a reality once more.

Something else that is quite startling. Rabbi Chaim Richman of the Temple Institute stated that, according to the revered Jewish teacher Mammonides, various treasures from the First Temple are buried beneath the Temple Mount. Rabbi Getz, the 82 year old chief rabbi of the Western Wall, said that they know for sure the location of the ark of the covenant, the candle-sticks made by Moses, and the stone tablets containing the ten commandments.

Rabbi Shlomo Goren, the former chief rabbi of Israel, said that they were digging towards these items. The Arabs, fearing what would happen if the ark of the covenant and the ten commandments should be recovered, rioted. The Israeli government became fearful and ordered the digging to be stopped.

A 200-pound. gold menorah, built for use in a future Third Temple by the Temple Institute, stands in a case overlooking the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Chaim Richman, international director of the Temple Institute, standing next to a replica of the holy ark at an exhibit of Third Temple vessels in the institute’s offices in Jerusalem.

But when Rabbi Chaim Richman stands only feet from the Dome of the Rock, surrounded by Muslim visitors, he whispers a chapter of Psalms.

“God will answer you on your day of trouble,” he mutters on a recent visit. “The name of the God of Jacob will protect you.”

On previous visits to the mount, Richman says he’s sung the entire Hallel prayer under his breath.
A frequent presence on the mount who knows the guards by name, Richman is the international director of the Temple Institute, an organization based in the Old City with a singular goal: to rebuild the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. This is the aspiration of all the Jews.

A model of the Second Temple at an exhibit of Third Temple vessels in the Temple Institute’s offices in Jerusalem.

The high priest’s diadem, created for use in a future third temple by the Temple Institute, at an exhibit of Third Temple vessels in the institute’s offices in Jerusalem.

Though observant Jews pray thrice daily in the Amidah prayer for the Temple to be rebuilt, few do anything about it. That’s as it should be, says Michael Melchior, an Orthodox rabbi and former Knesset member who is considered a religious moderate.

“We pray for holiness, but we also need to be careful of others’ desire for holiness,” Melchior said. “The moment you want to translate that into building a Temple, you upset the sensitive balance we’ve created here, by which we exist here.” He called Temple construction advocates “irresponsible.”

Given the obstacles to breaking ground on a Holy Temple, the institute also has taken up a more modest cause: expanding Jewish rights on the Temple Mount to allow unrestricted access and prayer. In that endeavor, Richman is joined by several right-wing Knesset members and a group of archaeologists who say the Wakf is reckless with archaeological remains at the site.

How can the poor in spirit inherit the kingdom of God!?!

 

Poor in spirit means that you feel you have no moral riches and are in need. You feel
you need 'spiritual' life. 'Poor' (πτωχός) used in this verse means 'reduced to being a beggar'. Actually it should have been opposite the people who are rich in spirit should have inherited the Kingdom of God but our Lord speaks the opposite. This makes sense as we confirm its meaning by comparing other statements of Jesus, for he often said the same things in many ways.

In Luke 16:19-31 In Jesus acceptance of Lazarus many believers teach that in this story, Jesus was offering His hearers a glimpse of what existence in the afterlife is like. Others, citing numerous passages of Scripture that seem to contradict the portrayal of heaven and hell contained in this passage, feel that Jesus was teaching an altogether different kind of lesson. Unfortunately, many modern religious teachers have isolated the story from its original context and used it as a device for scaring people. Religious “conversions” resulting from a fear of hell as it is depicted in this passage have indeed occurred, but are based on a foundation sorely in need of the strength that comes only from a genuine appreciation of God’s character and a proper understanding of Scripture.

But the Verse 14 says, “And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.” He was speaking about hypocrites who are rich in themselves. Their main work is to condemn other fellow believers to cover up their own faults. They get a kind of satisfaction in speaking self-righteousness. It will lead them to self-righteous-mess because their life is in a mess and Christ calls them as hypocrites.

They were always around to condemn or accuse Him. There are many examples in the holy scriptures of their actions ending in the crucification of our Lord. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (NIV Mark 2:16-17) This is called as spiritual pride and this was the main reason why they could not recognize the Messiah. Jesus’ prayer in Luke 10:21 mention about it, “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hath revealed them unto babes.” They are rich in spirit and will fail to recognize or gain the kingdom of God.

Hypocrites will hoard the truth to show that they are religious, pious and righteous. The pharisees had hoarded the truth, and in so doing, they had corrupted themselves. Only moments before relating this parable, Jesus had rebuked the Pharisees for their spiritual conceit. “Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” Luke 16:1 hey will despise the poor and say that they are sinners and harlots. The Jews had enjoyed “the good life” while on earth but had done nothing to bless or enrich their neighbors. No further reward was due. “Woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger.” Luke 6:24, 25.

Conversely, the poor in spirit, symbolized by Lazarus, would inherit the kingdom of heaven. The Gentiles who hungered and thirsted after righteousness would be filled. The “dogs” and sinners, so despised by the self-righteous Pharisees, would enter heaven before they would. “Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.” Matthew 21:31. The poor in spirit will feel their insufficiency and will depend on the sufficiency of Christ.

Those who feel they are sinful or 'morally sick' and so cry out to Jesus to be saved, are 'poor in spirit' thus they are the ones and only ones that inherit God's kingdom. Those who are self righteous are morally confidant and rich, these Jesus can not save.

This makes sense that Jesus would make this the first attitude of a Christian because it is by being poor in spirit or 'reduced to being a beggar'. That you actually 'begin' the Christian life with this explains why it is the first be-attitude. It also fits and explains the second attitude of mourning which is the other side of the same coin. It naturally follows for a Christian once recognizing his poverty due to sin, he will mourn on account of it.

God will make happy, or 'bless' such people with inexpressible spiritual riches and joy.

The Greatest Commission of our Lord!!

Ezekiel 34:2

 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?

 

Acts 20:28

 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

 

John 21:12

 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.

 

Luke 12:32

 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

 

Luke 22:32

 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."

John 21:1-14

21 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. ² Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. ³ Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

⁴ Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵ Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶ He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. ⁷ That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. ⁸ The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards^[a] off.
⁹ When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. ¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

¹⁵ When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶ He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷ He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

²⁰ Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” ²¹ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” ²² Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” ²³ So the saying spread abroad among the brothers^[a] that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”
²⁴ This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
²⁵ Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

 

The word used for "love" by the Lord is ἀγαπάω, but that which is used in response by the apostle is φιλῶ, the love of natural emotion, and even tender, intimate, personal affection. The Latin language, by rendering φιλῶ by amo rather than diligo, expresses the subtle shades of meaning between φιλεῖν and ἀγαπᾶν. There is, however, no English word but "love" for them both. The admirable remarks of Archbishop Trench ('Synonyms of New Testament,' § 12.) find special illustration in these verses. Many passages occur in which amo and φιλέω seem to mean more and have deeper intensity than diligo and ἀγαπάω. Amari is the affection which a friend may desire from a friend, even more than diligi; but the latter denotes choice, mental conviction, and self-recognition of the fact. Antony, in his funeral oration over Caesar (Dion Cassius, 41:48, quoted by Trench), says, Ἐφιλάσατε αὐτὸν ὡς πατέρα καὶ ἠγαπήσατε ὡς εὐεργέτην. Thus in the New Testament we are continually told of the ἀγαπᾶν τὸν Θεόν, but never of the φιλεῖν τὸν Θεόν. God is himself said to ἀγαπᾶν and φιλεῖν τὸν υἱόν. When, therefore, the Lord here asks Simon, Ἀγαπᾶς," Dost thou esteem me worthy of thy love?" Simon, with a burst of personal affection, says, yet with a certain humility, "I love thee" - meaning, "Such love as I can lavish upon thee, such as I may dare in my humility to offer thee, O my Master, Brother, Friend!" This being the case, Jesus saith, Feed my lambs. Love to Christ is the first, high, main condition of faithful service. When we love the Lord He will be in us and He will pour out through us. This will be the feeding for our fellow brothers. So the first condition to feed others is to Love the Lord. When we love the Lord we will be filled with Him and we will have an outpouring which will become the food of the fellow brethren. So our Love for the Lord is first condition for the fulfillment of everything that God expects from us. The Love starts from our surrender to God's will!!