Finding
the Kingdom
Session
1 – Believing
For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3.16
|
Notes. This is God’s wonderful promise to
us. If you believe you will be saved.
It tells us that God loves the whole
world including those people that reject his love. The offer is to everybody.
If you accept the offer, you enter into
God’s love. You are justified before God.
If you reject the offer, you stand
condemned. Not to believe in Jesus is a sin which will lead to your soul being condemned to hell on judgement day.
If you believe you will be saved. But
with belief comes a box full of treasures that God has given those that believe
in his one and only Son.
Righteousness
You have become right with God. We are now justified and made right before
God. We have received righteousness through our faith.
In Matthew 5, it tells us to seek God’s
righteousness each day by following Jesus. Your spirit is alive because of
righteousness. We need to stay right
with God each day of our lives.
Slide 2
Therefore, since we have been justified
through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 5.1
|
Note. We are at peace with God.
Grace
We now stand in God’s grace. Grace is the love and mercy given to us by God
because God wishes to give it to us, not because of anything we have done.
Slide 3
We have gained access through faith into
this grace in which we stand. Romans 5.2
|
Notes. We enter through the door of faith
into God’s grace where we now stand. We are surrounded by God’s love and
protection.
The Holy Spirit
By believing, we receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit which is a life changing experience. He will be with you always guiding
and helping you even when you don’t know he’s there.
Slide 4
If anyone
loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come
to him and make our home with him.
John 14.23
|
Notes. This is Jesus’ promise of The Holy
Spirit. This statement is awesome, mind boggling and a game changer.
It gives proof to the fact that God is
three persons. The trinity. It implies that not only is the Holy Spirit is in
us but God and Jesus are in us through the Holy Spirit.
But note it is conditional there is an
‘if’. To receive the Holy Spirit, you
must Love Jesus and obey his teachings.
With it comes responsibility. If the Holy
Spirit is in you, you don’t want to upset or grieve the Holy Spirit that is in
you. You want to do the opposite but
please the Holy spirit that is in you.
You please the Holy Spirit in you by
loving Jesus and obeying his teachings.
Serve in the way of the Spirit
We become part of the body of Christ and
within that body we have gifts of the Spirit.
If you don’t know what your gift is then you need to ask God to show
you.
Then we receive the fruits of the Spirit.
The fruit of the Spirit is love, peace,
forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.
Forbearance - patient, self-control, restraint and tolerance.
Forbearance - patient, self-control, restraint and tolerance.
Note – Gentleness is not one of the
fruits, but is mentioned in Philippians 4.4 as a quality that Christians should
have.
Slide 5
Ask and it
will be given you;
Seek and you will find; Knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7.7
|
Notes. Ask God to give you the faith to
believe in Jesus Christ
Knock on Jesus' door and ask him to come into your life.
Ask and you will receive the Holy Spirit in you
Knock on Jesus' door and ask him to come into your life.
Ask and you will receive the Holy Spirit in you
End of Session 1
Session
2 – Love
Slide 1
Follow
the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts
1
Corinthians 14.1
|
Notes.
Paul encourages us to follow the way of love. In 1 John 4.8 it says. ‘Whoever does
not love does not know God, because God is love’. In 1 Corinthians 13 it tells us a lot about God’s love. And because God is Love the qualities of Love
described in 1 Corinthians 13 are also God’s qualities. These are the qualities
that we should display in our daily lives.
Slide 2
Love is patient,
Love is kind,
It does not envy,
It does not boast,
It is not proud,
It is not rude,
It is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil
But rejoices with the truth.
It always protects,
Always trusts,
Always hopes,
Always perseveres.
Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13. 4
|
Notes.
These are God’s qualities and he wants us to show the same qualities.
Just reading these words or saying them in your mind brings an inner sense of
calm.
In 1 Corinthians 13.10 it describes God’s
love as perfect. That means there are
only four perfect things in the whole cosmos.
GOD, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God’s
Love.
God's love is perfect and never
fails. It perseveres and protects. Love must be our motivation in everything we
do. Otherwise everything we do is meaningless 1 Corinthians 13.1 to
3.
We can speak in tongues, prophecies, have
faith to move mountains, but if we don’t have God’s love in us it is nothing.
God is everlasting so God’s love is
everlasting. It also never fails.
That’s how powerful and gentle it is.
Now this powerful and gentle love is in
us. How magnificent is that.
Paul says that following the way of love
is a most excellent way.
Slide 3
If anyone loves me, he will obey my
teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home
with him. John 14.23
|
Notes.
We discussed this slide in session 1 and this is Jesus’ wonderful promise
of The Holy Spirit. It also shows that God’s
love goes round in a circle. We love God
and God loves us in return. The circular flow of love. We enter grace through faith in Jesus Christ
and receive God’s unconditional love.
God loves us and asks us to love him in return. Hence there is a circular
flow of love.
But we need to remain in Jesus’ love
because we can fall out of it. Remember the illustration of the vine and how
the branches can die. How can we remain in Jesus’ love?
Slide 4
If you
obey my commands, you will remain in my love
John
15.10
|
Notes.
This is another game changer. If
you obey Jesus’ commands, you will remain in Jesus’ love.
To remain in Jesus’ love we must obey
Jesus commands.
Jesus teachings on how we should behave,
are set out in Matthew 5, 6 and 7.
It is very important that to live each
day in accordance to Matthew 5,6 and 7. That is what Jesus wants you to
do. He wants all of us to follow these
commands.
Slide 5
Love keeps no records of wrongs.
1 Corinthians 13.
|
Notes. Each day we start with a clean
sheet. There is a clean sheet for my
sins and a clean sheet for all those people that have sinned against me. Jesus’ death on the cross has taken them all
away.
So each day, try to obey his commands as
set out in Matthew 5, 6 and 7. You should have them in your heart and in your
mind. Helped by the Holy Spirit.
Slide 6 -Recap
If you Believe, Love and Obey (BLO)
You will remain in Jesus’ love.
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End of Session 2
Finding the Kingdom
Session 3 – Bear Fruit
Slide 1 -Recap
If you
Believe, Love and Obey (BLO)
You
will remain in Jesus’ love.
|
Notes. If you Believe, Love and Obey BLO,
you will remain in Jesus’ love (session 2).
Slide 2 - Recap
If
you love me, you will obey what I command. John 14.15
if you obey my commands, you will remain
in my love. John 15.10
|
With
faith comes love; with love come obedience.
And obedience opens up a whole new ball game because obedience is key to
remaining in Jesus’ love. Each day you start with a clean sheet because love
keeps no record of wrongs and try to follow his commands as set out in Matthew
5,6 and 7.
Slide 3
If a man remains in me and I in him, he
will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15.5
|
Notes: Jesus says that he is the vine, the Father is
the gardener, we are the branches and we should bear fruit. Bear fruit means bringing people to Jesus. You bring them Jesus will turn them and heal their hearts.
If you remain in Jesus, you will bear
much fruit. Like the good branches on the vine God will prune you and care for
you so that you bear much fruit.
If you don’t remain in Jesus you will not
bear fruit and you will be cut off.
There is a condition - you must remain in
Jesus. How do you remain in Jesus? By obeying his commands.
Slide 4
If you remain in me and my words remain in
you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my
Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my
disciples.
John 15.7 and 8.
|
Notes
This is a life changer.
How do you bear fruit? This verse says that you bear fruit by
asking. By asking God in prayer to save someone. As simple as that.
Purpose – We were created to glorify
God. We should live every day to glorify
Him. This is the purpose of all our
thoughts, words and deeds. We should not
only Glorify God each day but also glorify his Name. Hallowed be your name. His name is YAHWEH. He is ELSHEDAI (GOD
Almighty).
Outcome of our Action – Bear fruit – bringing people to Jesus.
How is this Achieved – By asking. How do
we ask? By praying to him. Our Father which art in heaven. God is telling us
all to ask. To ask not for ourselves but for the people around us.
Conditions – if you remain in me and my
words remain in you. Jesus’ words must
be in us. We should have Jesus’
words in our hearts and minds daily. Whether by reading the new testament or
from memory. They must be part of us. God will show you the words that are
important to you.
Always remember the purpose of all this
is for the glory of God. We are helped by the Holy Spirit in us and
around us. We have received God’s grace which is the love he gives us believers.
We have God’s righteousness which is credited to us by faith. Most of all, we
have God’s love in us. We know from
1 Corinthians 13 that God’s love never ever fails.
BLOB FOR GLORY
Slide5
Believe,
Love, Obey, Bear Fruit
BLOB FOR GLORY
|
Notes To make this easy to remember BLOB. Why does God want us to bear fruit?
For his glory
BLOB FOR GLORY
STEP 1 – BLOB FOR GLORY
STEP 2 – Remain in Jesus’ love
and following the way of Love
STEP 3 – Hold Jesus’ words in
your hearts
STEP 4 – Ask in prayer
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End of Session 3
Session 4 – Pray for the Kingdom
The new testament asks us to pray to the Father
in many places.
Slide 1
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and
you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7.7
|
Slide 2
Do not be anxious about anything, by
prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4.4
|
Slide 3
|
John 15.7 and 8.
|
Notes
Jesus commands us to pray. We should talk to God frequently throughout
the day. In the bathroom in the morning, over breakfast, on the bus waiting for
the bus, walking the dog, in the gym, waiting in the dentist, driving the car,
lying in bed first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
Jesus commands us to pray in secret
- No one must know when we pray or what
we pray for. Not even your wife or
husband. Its your secret with God.
What do you pray for? – You pray for the
kingdom. Your kingdom come.
You
pray that God will come into their hearts and deliver them from evil. Use the
Lord’s prayer as a model for your prayers.
Pray with passion for the people that
God’s put in your hearts to pray for. Pray with love in your heart believing that
it will happen. Persevere with your prayers for that person until God removes
that person from your memory which might be never.
Remembering
God’s love is perfect and never fails. When each member of the church prays
with love in his heart for a member or a non-member a powerful mesh or web of
love forms. Bearing fruit for the glory of God.
Slide 4
STEP 1 – BLOB FOR GLORY
STEP 2 – Remain in Jesus’ love and
following the way of Love
STEP 3 – Hold Jesus’ words in your hearts
STEP 4 – Ask in prayer
|
End
of session 4
Finding
the Kingdom
Session 5 – Finding the Kingdom Part 1
Slide 1
Jesus
told us to:
Seek
his Kingdom and his righteousness.
Matthew
6.33
|
Notes. In Matthew 6 Jesus told us not to worry about what we
eat, drink or wear or any aspect of our life but first seek his Kingdom and his
righteousness and all these things will be yours. You seek God’s kingdom with your hearts. We
should seek God’s Kingdom and his righteousness each day. This talk is about
how you go about finding God’s kingdom each day.
The kingdom of God is within
you. Luke 17.21
|
Notes. Where is God’s Kingdom? The kingdom of God is within you. The kingdom of God is made up of God’s
people. If you believe in Jesus, you are
part of his Kingdom. If you have
received the Holy Spirit, the kingdom of God is in you now. You could say that
you have already found the Kingdom because it is in you. You keep God’s kingdom
in your heart.
Jesus told many parables to explain the kingdom of God. These parables fall into two types. There
were those that explained the future Kingdom that will be set in place when
Jesus returns. For examples, the parable of the weeds and the wheat and the parable of the wise and foolish
servants. The other type of parables is
those that referred to the kingdom of God that exists in the now.
Slide 3
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a
field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and
sold all he had and bought that field.
Matthew 13.44
|
Notes. The man had to
consciously search for the Kingdom because it was hidden. You must seek the kingdom to find it. The man didn’t have to wait until the
resurrection to find it. He found the
joy of finding the kingdom of heaven in the present world in the now. The kingdom of heaven is in you now.
Notice that he gave all he had to buy it. Jesus requires total commitment. It becomes
the most important thing in your life.
The kingdom of heaven is in your hearts because that where God’s
love is.
Again, the kingdom of
heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of
great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Matthew 13.45
|
Notes. Again, he is searching for the pearl and again he sells
all he has to buy it.
Slide 5
He
told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed,
which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all
seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a
tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.
Matthew 13.31
|
The
kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty
pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.
Matthew13.33
|
Notes. You find the kingdom of God by
praying for it. Praying for it to come into your heart and into the hearts of
the people you know. You are the mustard seed and your prayers
will cause the kingdom of heaven to grow like the mustard seed. You are the
yeast and your prayers will cause the kingdom of heaven to spread like the
yeast.
Pray
for the people God puts in your heart so that you bear fruit for the Kingdom
through prayer. And all this will happen
for the glory of God on earth and in heaven.
If
you place your self in the right place with God, God will use you for his
Glory. Guided by the Holy Spirit, motivated by Love, he will give you the
opportunity to serve him. Jesus must be in us to achieve God’s outcome.
You pray for the kingdom.
Our Father, Your kingdom come in my heart
and in the hearts of the people I pray for. Amen
Your kingdom come in people hearts. You pray for the people that God puts on
your heart to pray for. They might be
believers or non-believers. They might
be people in the church or not in the church.
Pray with passion for the people that
God’s put in your hearts to pray for. Pray
with love in your heart believing that it will happen. Persevere with your
prayers for that person until God removes that person from your memory which
might be never.
End of session 5
Finding
the Kingdom
Session
6 – Finding the Kingdom Part 2
Jesus was determined to teach us
about the kingdom of heaven. 15 of the
16 parables in Matthew are about the kingdom. He wants everyone to enter the
kingdom of heaven.
The Parable of the Sower
Slide 1
Then he told them many things in
parables, saying: A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he
was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate
it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It
sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun
came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no
root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the
plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a
crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
Whoever has ears, let them hear.
The disciples came to him and
asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He
replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven
has been given to you, but not to them. Otherwise they might see with
their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and
I would heal them.
Listen then to what the parable of
the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom
and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was
sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
The seed falling on rocky ground
refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But
since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or
persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed
falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the
worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making
it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and
understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred,
sixty or thirty times what was sown.
Matthew 13. 1 to 23
|
Notes. To bear fruit for Jesus, you must hear the word and
understand it. You must understand the
message about the kingdom. Notice the
things that can happen to prevent this happening. Worrying about life, the deceit of
wealth, trouble or persecution because
of the word or, simply, not understanding.
Satan does not want you
to understand the message about the kingdom.
God does.
Slide 2
Otherwise
they (the people) might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand
with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.
Matthew13.15
|
Notes. The kingdom of heaven is God’s people here on earth
now. To enter God’s kingdom, you need to
see with your eyes, hear with your ears and understand with your heart. Once you understand you need to turn. It says Jesus himself will heal you. That is how important understanding the message
is. You should want to understand the
message more than anything else in the world.
The kingdom of heaven should be the centre of your life.
Rejoicing in Heaven
Slide 3
In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing
in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke
15. 10
|
Notes. Like the prodigal son,
who realised he had sinned against his father and against heaven, you need to
turn. And the father will welcome you with open arms.
The stories of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son
say that there will be rejoicing in heaven when one just one person repents and
turns to God.
Like the story of the one in a hundred sheep. Father does not want to lose anyone. He wants
everyone to turn to Jesus for salvation.
When you turn to God, Jesus will heal you. We all need Jesus’ healing hands in our life,
every day of our lives. He will heal your hearts.
Slide 4
The kingdom of heaven has been forcefully
advancing and forceful men lay hold on it
Matthew 11.12
|
Note. You forcefully
advance the kingdom of heaven by praying for it to come into people’s hearts.
Slide 5
Remembering God’s love is perfect and never
fails. When each member of the church prays with love in his heart for a
member or a non-member a powerful mesh or web of love forms. Bearing fruit
and advancing the Kingdom of heaven for the Glory of God.
|
End of Session 6
Finding the Kingdom
The Beatitudes
Slide 3
Finding the Kingdom
If you obey my commands, you
will remain in my love
John 15.10
|
Notes.
If you Believe, Love and Obey (BLO), you will remain in Jesus’ love.
Obeying Jesus’ commands is important to our
Christian life.
Slide 2
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
Mark 12.30
|
Notes
This is Jesus’ greatest command. Notice that you not only love with your
heart, but also you love with your soul and mind. If you love someone with your heart, soul and
mind you really are loving them. Again,
it shows the circular flow of love. If
we love God, God will love us in return
Jesus teachings on how we should behave,
are set out in Matthew 5, 6 and 7.
It is very important that to live each
day in accordance to Matthew 5,6 and 7. That is what Jesus wants you to
do. He wants all of us to follow these
commands.
Chapter 5 covers Jesus’ sermon on the
mount in which he tells all the people how they should behave. Before the sermon Jesus preached to the
people, ‘Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near’ – Matthew 4.17. Becoming a Christian is a life changing
experience and not to be entered lightly.
As part of the change, God expects us to acknowledge that our old lives
were wrong. They might not feel that wrong, but because you did not love God
and believe in Jesus before your old life was sinful.
It is a sin not to believe in Jesus. It
is a sin not to love God.
The Beatitudes
In chapter 5. Jesus starts by explaining
how we can achieve happiness on earth (the beatitudes).
Slide 3
And he began to teach them. He said:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5.1 to 10
|
Notes. These are the 8 conditions to acquiring happiness as a Christian.
The poor in spirit - those who realise they need to be saved. Those who realise that they need to repent of
their sins, change their ways and need God’s help to do so. All Christians
should be poor in spirit because all Christians need God’s help.
Those that mourn – Those who pray for God’s
help to be saved. How do you mourn? You mourn by praying to God either for
yourself or other people. The Holy
Spirit is the comforter. All Christians should mourn to God for help.
Happy are the meek - They that are humble
before God. All Christians should be humble before God.
They that hunger and thirst after righteousness
- Those who want to be right with
God. Righteousness is achieved through
faith. You should seek righteousness every day of your life. All Christians
should seek righteousness.
The merciful are the tender hearted, who love
all men as themselves – Jesus’ the second commandment - Love everybody
The pure in heart – those who have God’s love
in their heart.
The peace makers – Those that spread the word
of Christ. The sowers of the word who keep Jesus’ words in their hearts. Spread
the word.
You are persecuted when someone says, thinks or
does bad things against you because you are a Christian. This is a situation
you find you self in through no fault of your own. Don’t worry because God’s love will protect
you. Endure dislike because God’s love is with you.
POMMER
P - poor in spirit-
needing God’s help to be saved
M - mourn – pray for yourself and others
M - meek before God
R - right with God through believing in Jesus.
MPPP
M – Mercy - Love everybody
P – Pure in heart - God’s love is in you.
P – Peacemakers - spread the word
P – Persecution - Endure dislike
A Christian needs these 8 qualities to be a
Christian.
Jesus starts is sermon explaining the 8 conditions to finding true happiness on earth. The
world will not understand them but we as Christians need to understand
them. If you follow them then you are
following Jesus’ way - to remain in his love.
Slide 4
If you obey my commands, you will remain
in my love
John 15.10
|
End of Session 7
Finding the Kingdom
If you obey my commands, you
will remain in my love
John 15.10
|
Notes.
If you Believe, Love and Obey (BLO), you will remain in Jesus’ love.
Obeying Jesus’ commands is important to our
Christian life. Last week we started going through Matthew 5, 6 and 7 to understand
what were Jesus commands.
Slide 2
You are the
salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made
salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and
trampled underfoot.
Matthew
5.13
|
Notes.
Although we Christians are few in numbers we put God’s flavour into the
whole world. But be careful, because if
you do not obey Jesus commands, you can fall out of Jesus’ love and lose your
saltiness and be like the dead branches
on the vine.
You are the light of the world. A town built on a
hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it
under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to
everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5.14 to 16
|
Notes.
When Jesus was in the world he was the light of the world. When he left
we became the light of the world. Let your light shine so everyone can see it.
How do you shine your light? By the
gentleness, patients and kindness you show when you do good things for
others. You are justified by faith but
works are important so that your light can shine. This was one of Jesus’ commands to you, Let your
light shine.
Slide 4
|
Matthew
5.19
|
Notes Do not forget to keep the ten
commandments. They are equally as important as Jesus’ teachings.
Slide 5
Have only one God me
Do not worship idols
Do not miss-use my name
Rest for one day each
week
Honour your father and
your mother.
Do not murder.
Do not commit adultery.
Do not steal.
Do not lie.
Do not
covet.
|
Notes.
They are just as important in today’s world as they were in biblical
times.
Jesus added the following 6 commands to
these ten. This is a summary of Mathew 5. 21 to 48.
Slide 6
Do not be angry, be friends with everyone.
Do not look at a woman lustfully.
Do not divorce your wife unless she is
unfaithful.
Keep your promises, keeping them simple as
yes or no
Do not resist an evil person who hurts you
or steals from you
Love and pray for your enemies and those
who dislike you
|
End of Session 8
Session 9
– Obey part 3
Slide 1
If you obey my commands, you will remain
in my love
John 15.10
|
Notes. If you Believe, Love and Obey
(BLO), you will remain in Jesus’ love.
Obeying
Jesus’ commands is important to our Christian life. Last week we started going
through Matthew 5, 6 and 7 to understand what were Jesus commands. Today we are
covering Matthew chapter 6.
Slide 2
Give to the needy in secret.
Fast in secret Pray in secret. And your Father will reward you
Matthew 6. 1 to 18
|
Notes. Jesus emphasised the importance of
doing all these in secret. As far as
possible you should do them without telling your wife, your children, your
family. The Lord will give you the
opportunity to do them in secret. If you
are found out don’t lie.
Jesus taught us how to pray;
Slide 3
Our Father who art in heaven
Hallowed is your name (YAWEH) Your kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven Give us today our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive others their trespasses against us And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil.
Matthew 6. 9 to 13
|
Notes.
We should pray to the Father. His
name is important and it is YAWEH. We should pray for the kingdom. The kingdom of god is made up of the people
of God. The Kingdom of god is in your hearts. You should therefore pray for the
kingdom of God to come into the people’s hearts. God will lay on your heart the
people he wants you to pray for. They
might be believers or non-believers.
They might be people in the church or not in the church. You pray that
God will come into their hearts and deliver them from evil. Praying for the
kingdom is important.
Asking God’s help to deliver us from evil
each day is important. The enemy is in
us and around us and we should ask God’s to help us each day.
Use the Lord’s prayer as a model for your
prayers
Forgiving others is so important it is
mentioned twice.
Slide 4
For if you forgive other people
when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matthew 6. 14
|
Forgiving - Letting go of the past. Letting go of things that hold you. Setting
yourself free from the past. Forgiveness is continuous. It is not a one time
thing. That is why Jesus asks us to do
it daily in the Lord’s prayer.
But there is an added bonus. If we
forgive others in our hearts, God will forgive us our sins. Each day start with
a clean sheet holding no resentment for anyone or anything. You will feel a
lightness in your heart as God’s love takes over.
Fasting
Fasting. Notice in Matthew 6 it says when
you fast not if you fast. So why do Christians fast? It is explained in Acts 13. 1 to 3. We fast
to show God that we are serious about what we are praying for and that we are
intent on those prayers being answered.
Fasting intensifies our prayers. Fasting makes our prayers stronger in
God’s eyes.
Treasures in Heaven
Slide 5
But store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves
do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will
be also.
Matthew 6. 20,21
|
Notes.
This section comes immediately after Jesus tells us that God will reward
us if we give to the needy, pray and fast in secret. Doing these things will result in us being rewarded. Notice it doesn’t just say store it says
store up. That means the more you do these activities the more rewards will
accumulate. This is our heavenly
treasure which is unlike any earthly treasure.
Your body might belong to the world, but
your heart belongs to Jesus. Your heart is part of God’s heavenly kingdom. Your
heart is in the Kingdom of Heaven that’s in you. Your heart is where Jesus’
love remains. His love combined with our love creates a love that never fails.
Your heart must be right when you give,
pray and fast.
Give to the needy with love
Pray for others with love
Fast with love.
When you die your spirit and heart go to
heaven.
The Eye
Slide 6
The eye is the lamp of the body. If
your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if
your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness.
Matthew 6. 22
|
Notes.
If Jesus’s love is in you, you will look at life with a completely
different attitude. You will see with
your heart the goodness and beauty that is in the world that he created.
Human nature makes us lust, covet and
envy. Jesus’ love overcomes these
desires and helps us see with a healthy attitude.
You can train your eyes to be good so that when
you feel human nature taking control of your mind, YOU THINK OF JESUS’
WORDS. Receipting the Jesus’ words will
expel any bad thoughts from your head.
Slide 7
You cannot serve both God and money.
Matthew 6. 24
|
Notes.
Jesus tells us to serve God. We were created to serve God. There is no choice. When we serve God, we
trust in him and he will provide. We serve God by obeying his commands.
Everybody needs money to live. Money
is hard to earn. We spend most of our waking life earning it. But it is wrong when money controls our life.
God should be the motivation for all we do. We should not be motivated by
money.
End of Session 9
Finding the Kingdom
Session 10
– Obey part 4
Slide 1
If you obey my commands, you will remain
in my love
John 15.10
|
Notes. If you Believe, Love and Obey
(BLO), you will remain in Jesus’ love.
Obeying
Jesus’ commands is important to our Christian life. In the last two weeks, we have been going through Matthew 5, 6 and
7 to understand what were Jesus commands. Today we are covering Matthew chapter
6. 24 and chapter 7
Slide 2
Therefore I tell you, do not worry
about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you
will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes
But seek first his kingdom
and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6. 25 and 33
|
Notes. Isn’t this a wonderful command. Do not worry
about anything.
He knows that our human nature is to worry and
he tells us to stop it immediately and start trusting in God every day of our
lives.
Now we have
stopped worrying, what do we do instead each day. Each day we seek his kingdom
and his righteousness. How do we do this
by praying for the kingdom.
Judgement
Slide 3
Do not judge, or you too will be
judged.
Matthew 7.1
|
Notes.
As soon as you see a person, your human nature has formed an opinion of
that person. That’s human nature and
very difficult to stop.
The eyes are the lamp of the body and if
the eyes are good the whole body is good.
If Jesus’s love is in you and your eyes are good, you
will not be judgemental.
You should be friendly towards others,
yet cautious of their human nature.
Slide 4
Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not
throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet,
and turn and tear you to pieces.
Matthew 7.6
|
Notes. Be discreet with whom you share
your inner beliefs. The Holy Spirit will guide you as to whom to witness. You
don’t witness to everybody.
Asking
Slide 5
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and
you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7.7
|
Notes. Jesus commands us to ASK. God
wants us to ask for things. He wants us to communicate with him each day.
Evil in Us
In Matthew
7. 11 Jesus says. ‘If you, then, though
you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will
your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!’
This is Jesus stating as a fact that
we are all evil because our human nature was corrupted by Satan in the
Garden of Eden. We often forget this
fact. It is good and sobering to remember that we are indeed evil and we are
completely reliant on God for our salvation from the evil in us.
Slide 5
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is
the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter
through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads
to life, and only a few find it.
Matthew 7.13, 14
|
Watch out for false prophets. Thus, by their fruit you will
recognize them.
Matthew
7.15 and 20
|
Not
everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but
only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Matthew
7.21
|
Slide 8
Everyone who hears these words of mine and
puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the
rock.
Matthew 7.24
|
Notes.
At the end of his speech on how we should
behave in Matthew 5,6 and 7. Jesus said that whoever hears these words and
importantly puts them into practice
is like a wise man building his house on rock hard foundations. You must do three things; hear the words,
understand them and thirdly put them into practice in your daily lives.
It is not easy to obey all these
commands. You will fail. Otherwise you
would be free of sin and nobody is free of sin.
But what Jesus wants us to do is to try each day.
But we are not on our own. We have the Holy Spirit inside us and God’s
love helping us each day.
End of
session 10
Finding the Kingdom
Session 11 – Heart, Spirit, Soul, Mind and Body
There is spiritual
man with heart and spirit
There is physical man
with mind soul and body.
Spiritual
Man
The heart and spirit
of an unsaved person is set on earthly desires and needs. When a person asks Jesus
into their lives there is a transformation of the heart and the spirit.
God's love is poured
into their heart, the Holy Spirit enters the heart, Jesus' words enter the heart and the heart is healed. The heart miraculously understands Jesus' message and is
turned. This can occur instantly or over a period of years.
The heart fills up
with God's love and treasures leaving less room for earthly desires. The hearts
capacity to believe, love and obey is increased.
Slide 1
Because you are sons, God has sent forth the
Spirit of His Son into our hearts,
crying, "Abba! Father!" Galatians 4.6
|
Slide 2
And hope
does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who
has been given to us. Romans 5:5
|
The heart is our
innermost spiritual being. The heart thinks, plans and feels all our emotions.
The heart of a saved
person is fused with the spirit because it is working continually with
the spirit.
The spirit of an
unsaved person is virtually dormant and inactive because they have no or little
communication with God.
When they are saved
the spirit is reborn, refreshed and made new.
Before they were
empty glasses now they are full or partly filled glasses.
The Holy Spirit that
dwells in the heart combines with our new born spirits to glorify and
worship God. The heart and the spirit work together
to serve and communicate with God.
Slide 3
The Spirit himself testifies with
our spirit that we are God’s children. Romans 8:16
|
This is the spiritual
man that lives within the physical man which is in us.
Physical Man
The
thoughts and deeds and emotions of the spiritual man overflows
into the life
of the physical man influencing the mind, soul and body. Goodness overflows from the heart into the soul.
For example, when we glorify God with our hearts and
spirits this overflows into the mind, soul and body of the physical man who
also glorifies God.
If the heart is right
with God the soul and mind will follow because the soul and mind are led by the
heart. Love the Lord your God with all your
heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The
heart loves first the physical body follows.
Unfortunately, not
only does the good things overflow from the heart into the soul but also sinful
thoughts and deeds. How do we stop these sinful thoughts when they occur in the
heart and soul? Think or speak Jesus words when the thought occurs.
God has given us
his words in our hearts. Use these words to overcome the evil that is in us. I
receipt, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life no one comes to the
father except through me.” “The eyes are the light of the body, if the eyes are
good the whole body is good,” also works.
Slide 4
The good man brings
good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings
evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth
speaks (Luke 6:45).
|
When we die our
spiritual body goes back to heaven. Our physical body rots away. However, at
the resurrection, all the saved souls will rise to meet the Lord and find rest
in heaven. All the unsaved souls will suffer in hell. We are not alone. Our
spiritual body is part of Jesus' spiritual body. Jesus said remain in me and I
will remain in you. We are part of the larger body of Christ.
Blessed are those who
realise that their own spirit is poor and inadequate. They are the ones that mourn
to God for help. They are meek before God. God makes them righteous because
they have faith in Jesus. God purifies their hearts through the
Holy Spirit. Matthew 5.1
End of Session 11
Finding the Kingdom
Session 12 – The Heart.
The condition of the heart is important.
When we become Christians, god’s love transforms our hearts from
being self-seeking to become kingdom seeking.
Our heart is where our heavenly
treasure is.
The heart is where we keep God’s love
(Rom 5.5)
The heart is
where we keep Jesus’s words (Rev1.3
and Psalm 119.9)
The heart is where the Kingdom of heaven
is in us.
The treasure therein is our love for
Jesus our Saviour, our love for the Father God Almighty and our love for the
Holy Spirit in us and around us.
The heart is where we commit our lives to God.
The heart is where we decide to follow Jesus.
Because you are sons,
God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Galatians 4.6
|
The heart is where the Holy Spirit lives making our hearts pure.
And hope
does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our
hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:5
|
Our hearts are where God’s love is.
Slide 2
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this
prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what
is written in it, because the time is near. Revelation 1:3
|
Slide 3
I have
hidden your word in my heart that
I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11
|
The heart is where we keep Jesus’s words
God has given us a new pure heart
Slide 4
Let us draw
near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith
brings, having our hearts sprinkled
to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure
water. Hebrews 10.22
|
Slide 5
God, who
knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to
them, just as he did to us He did not discriminate between us and them, for
he purified their hearts by faith.
Acts 15.8-9.
|
He has
purified our hearts by faith.
Functions of the Heart.
Slide 6
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in
your heart that God raised him
from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that
you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your
faith and are saved. Romans 10.9-10
|
It is with our
hearts that we believe. Faith comes from
the heart.
Slide 7
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind and with all your strength.’
Mark 12.30
|
It is with our hearts that we love
God.
Slide 8
Otherwise
they (the people) might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand
with their hearts and turn, and I
would heal them.
Matthew13.15
|
It is with our hearts that we understand what is written in the
Bible. We take God’s words to heart.
Slide 9
For the word of God is alive and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and
spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
|
We
think with our hearts. The word of
God judges our hearts.
Our hearts have a dark
side.
Slide10
For it is from within, out of a person’s
heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft,
murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander,
arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a
person.” Mark 7.21-23
|
Notes. Both good and evil thoughts come
from the heart.
And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus. Philippians 4.4
We
Praise God with our Hearts and Souls
Slide11
I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I
will glorify your name forever. Psalm 86:12
|
We Sing with our Hearts
Slide12
speaking to one
another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music
from your heart to the Lord, Ephesians 5:19
|
We Call on the Lord with our Hearts
Slide13
Flee the evil
desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with
those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22
|
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will
see God
Matthew 5.8
|
God’s love makes our hearts pure.
Slide 15
In the time of
judgment God will expose the hidden counsels of the heart. 1 Corinthians 4.5
|
At the time of judgement God will judge our hearts.
"A happy heart makes the face cheerful,
but heartache crushes the spirit" ( Prov 15.13). "a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit
dries up the bones" (Proverbs 17.22).
The heart and spirit are
fused together.
The heart is the centre of man’s
character
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his
heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his
heart. For out of the overflow
of his heart his mouth speaks (Luke 6:45).
|
The heart is closely linked to our
spirits
But Sihon king of
Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the LORD your God had made his
spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to give him into your hands,
as he has now done. Deuteronomy 2:30
Create in me a pure
heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
A happy heart makes the face cheerful; but heartache crushes the
spirit. Prov 15.13
My sacrifice, O God,
is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
Psalm 51:17
It is with the heart that we repent.
It is with the heart that we repent.
God has given us a new heart
I will give them an
undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their
heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 11:19
Rid yourselves of
all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why
will you die, people of Israel? Ezekiel 18:31
End of session 12
Session 13 - The spirit
When a baby is born, he has a spirit in
him giving him life. As the body grows,
the spirit grows in the same way until a fully-grown spirit exists in that
person. But that spirit is inadequate or
insufficient on its own. That is why there is no true happiness on earth. That spirit needs God’s Holy Spirit to make
it complete.
Slide 1
Do you not
know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in
you?" 1 Cor. 3:16
|
Slide 2
And he
began to teach them. He said:
Blessed are
the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5.1
|
Blessed are those who realise that their
spirits are insufficient or inadequate and need God’s help. That is why those
who realise that they are poor in spirit and need God’s help will inherit the
kingdom of heaven.
People are walking about like half-filled
glasses. Only when they receive the Holy Spirit inside them will the glasses be
topped up and become full (regeneration).
Slide 3
| The Spirit himself
testifies with our spirit that we
are God’s children Romans 8.16 |
The Holy Spirit needs a conduit or vessel
to praise God on earth. We are that conduit.
The Holy Spirit combines with our spirit to pray praise, worship, serve
and rejoice in the Lord.
Slide 4
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the
kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh
gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. Matthew 3.5-6
|
We need to ask God to purify both the spiritual
man (spirit) and the physical man (body).
Slide 5
Therefore, since we have these promises, dear
friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of
reverence for God. 2 Corinthians 7:1
|
Slide 6
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify
you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23
|
We need to ask God to sanctify our whole
spirit. Your spirit, body and
soul need to be cleansed by God.
When we praise, worship and pray to God the action starts in spiritual
man (heart and spirit) and overflows to physical man (mind, body and soul).
Slide 7
I will pray
with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will
also sing with my mind. 1 Corinthians 14:15
|
God, whom I serve
in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness
how constantly I remember you. Romans 1.9
|
We serve with our spirits
Rather, it should
be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s
sight. 1 Peter 3:4
|
Develop a quiet and
gentle spirit.
Your spirit is not
constant. It varies with our moods. It can be refreshed.
For they refreshed my spirit and yours
also. Such men deserve recognition. 1 Corinthians 16:18
|
Our feelings are felt by
our spirit
When
Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping,
he was deeply moved in spirit and
troubled. John 11:33
|
After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and
testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.” John
13:21
|
Our preception comes from our spirit
Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were
thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these
things? Mark 2:8
|
The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with
you all.
2 Timothy 4:22
|
The grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Philippians
4:23
|
The
spirit gives the body life. We give up
or spirit when we die.
And when Jesus had
cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. Matthew 27.50
|
End of Session 13
Session
14 - The Soul
The
feelings, emotions and thoughts of the heart overflow into the soul. The soul is led by the heart. If the heart
is good the soul will follow.
God
will judge the words and thoughts of the heart, but if the heart is found
wanting, it is the soul that will pay the price of sin.
Slide 1
Do not be afraid of those
who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew
10:28
|
Slide 2
What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit
their soul? Mark 8:36
|
The
soul of sinful man will be destroyed in hell.
This is what Satan wants.
The
soul is part of physical man which consists of soul, mind and body. The spirit is part of spiritual man
consisting of heart and spirit. Jesus’
words are part of spiritual man and overflow from the spirit to the soul at
times of worship. Hence the word of
God divides soul and spirit.
Slide 3
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and
marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
|
Slide 4
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and
through. May your whole spirit, soul and
body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians
5:23
|
You
need to ask God to sanctify both spiritual man (spirit) and physical man (soul
and body). Both need to be kept
blameless. But if the heart and spirit are right with God, the soul will
follow.
Slide 5
And Mary said: “My soul glorifies
the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.” Luke 1:46
|
Mary’s
spirit was right with God and her soul followed.
Slide 6
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain
from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 1 Peter 2:11
|
It is from within
a person’s heart that evil thoughts and desires come (Mark 7.21). But it is the
soul that will suffer on judgement day because of these sinful desires. You stop
them by receipting Jesus’s words.
Seeking
God’s kingdom and righteousness each day of your life will keep your heart
pure. A pure heart will lead to a pure
soul that praises the Lord each day.
Slide 7
Praise the LORD, my
soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Psalm 103:1
|
End
of Session 14
Finding the Kingdom
Session 15 - The Christian Journey
God has chosen you.
You chose God out of your own free will. But God knew that
you would choose him before you chose him because he knows everything.
You start your Christian journey at the point, that you see
with your eyes, hear with your ears, understand with your heart, turn to Jesus.
Jesus comes into your heart and heals it. You understand with your heart and
believe. You receive the Holy Spirit and your heart and spirit are renewed. You
are saved. You now stand in God’s grace. You are righteous with God through
your faith.
At this point, in Christian terms you are like a young child
(even though you are a grown person) who has much to learn from Jesus. God has
a long and fruitful education planned for you.
At this point you have a split heart. Part of it holds the Holy Spirit and God’s
love in you. Part of it holds your sinful nature and desires. These two parts
are in conflict within you. This is the
hybrid Christian struggling between sin and goodness.
Sometimes Satan wins and you lose your saltiness or your
branch withers and dies.
God has started a transformation process in you and
gradually or suddenly he turns your heart from being self-seeking to being God
seeking. Your ‘good’ heart becomes stronger and God
teaches you to use the power of God’s word to overcome your sinful desires. The
kingdom of God grows in you.
Each day you seek his kingdom and his righteousness and the
Holy Spirit helps you.
Your life becomes controlled by the spiritual man (heart and
spirit) that lives inside you. Physical man (soul, mind and body) has less
control over your daily life.
The next change point comes when you dedicate yourself
completely to God and to his Glory. You
give him your heart, spirit, soul mind and body to serve him as he pleases. At this point, you completely trust in Jesus
your saviour and in God the Father Almighty. You are His.
This process took me 34 years. I am sure it can happen in
days.
Then once you enter this wonderful state with God, anything
can happen. Each day you live for Him
and for his Glory.
My Testimony
Before I became a Christian, I wanted to know the meaning to
life and started reading different articles on evolution and the origins of man. I also started reading The New Testament especially
the book of Matthew. I was 34 with a
busy job and a busy life with a wife and two children. Yet each evening I found the time to go into
my bedroom and read the Bible. I wrote
notes on what I learnt and typed it up into a small booklet. It was only looking back years later, that I realised
that the Holy Spirit was with me, leading me through the Bible and teaching me
thinks that had been hidden. After two years of studying alone, a voice inside
me said that I should find a church to attend.
Within a year of this I was baptised.
It was the custom at our church that when a person was baptised that
they ask God secretly for a gift in the Spirit. I asked for the gift of prayer. Again, it was
only years later that I realised that I had been using the gift I asked for many
years without realising it.
I became a hybrid Christian struggling between the good in
my heart and my sinful self-seeking desires. I could have easily gone back to the
dark side, but God persevered with me.
It took me 33 years and the cancer to bring me fully to my
senses. It was in January 2017, I went to the front in a church meeting and
dedicated my heart, spirit, soul, mind and body to Jesus.
I am no longer my own person. I belong to Jesus. I am His.
Suddenly
and dramatically, the Holy Spirit gave me a deep understanding of the Bible. I wrote it all down and created this blog.
At 69 years of age, God showed me great mercy. He not only
healed my heart but also my physical body. I don’t want to go back to where I was a
hybrid Christian. I want to stay in the
control of Spiritual Man inside me being united with the Holy Spirit. Each day, I pray for God’s kingdom and to be
delivered from evil. I keep Jesus’s words in my heart and mind, my protection
from the evil in me and in the world. I
live to glorify God. I breath to love God. I love God the Father Almighty,
Jesus our Saviour and the hard-working Holy Spirit. I am so grateful for everything that he has
done and will do. My heart and soul rejoices in Christ my Saviour. I am His.
End of session 15
Blessed are the poor in spirit
Everybody on earth needs you
Lord I need you.
Finding
the Kingdom
Session
16 – Epilogue
What did Jesus mean when he spoke of the poor in spirit in Mathew 5.1?
Poor in Spirit
It's the starting point/the launching point from where you start to talk
to God. The poor in spirit are ready to talk to God.
It is when your spirit concedes to God. Recognising Him for who he is. Your
spirit is poor because you realise how inadequate your life is and how much you
need him.
Lord I need your help today and
everyday
Lowly in heart and spirit
Lowly in your innermost self
An inner peace
Meek before God
Trusting him
Lowly in heart and spirit
Lowly in your innermost self
An inner peace
Meek before God
Trusting him
Yielding yourself to him
Aware of his presence
Safe in his care
Sorrowful for your sins
Sorrowful towards the world
Yet joyful In the Spirit
Open to God
Yet not wanting
Happy in his presence
Content
At peace
Wanting to be righteous
In his eyes
Wanting to please him
Slow breathing
Hypnotic state
Yet wide awake
Touching the kingdom of heaven Inside you
Aware of his presence
Safe in his care
Sorrowful for your sins
Sorrowful towards the world
Yet joyful In the Spirit
Open to God
Yet not wanting
Happy in his presence
Content
At peace
Wanting to be righteous
In his eyes
Wanting to please him
Slow breathing
Hypnotic state
Yet wide awake
Touching the kingdom of heaven Inside you
Blessed are the poor in spirit
Because theirs is the kingdom of heaven
You have just found the Kingdom of Heaven
The Truth
You have just found the Kingdom of Heaven
The Truth
Truth and justice come through Jesus
our Lord and Saviour
On this I will build my church
And the truth that is in me will set you free
From sin that is in the world
On this I will build my church
And the truth that is in me will set you free
From sin that is in the world
Stand in my faith and grace
Rejoice in my love
Believe in me and anything is possible.
Rejoice in my love
Believe in me and anything is possible.
Prayer
Everybody on earth needs you
Lord I need you.
End of session 16
