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This is a reminder that our kids are studying the book of Matthew for the 2013 LTC competition in Dallas. We are using this year to look at the text of Matthew (especially the sermon on the mount) with them. Bulletin articles and sermons from Matthew will allow us, as parents, grandparents, and friends to have a common thought with our youth. They need this desperately. Faith is not something we leave our kids alone to discover for themselves, not at all! Rather, we are an active part of God’s plan for our kids to know Him through His word and to hold to the faith – as precious as, as equal to, and of the same kind as ours (2 Pet 1:1 NIV, ESV, NASB). We, like Lois and Eunice, are embracing the chance to teach the next generation the sincere faith we have.  I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also (2 Tim 1:5 NIV).

            This week’s Treasure in the Extra Mile that we are reading, considering, learning, and treasuring is – Matt 5:7–8. 

⁷ Blessed are the merciful,

            for they will be shown mercy.

⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,

            for they will see God.

            In the kingdom of heaven, God is showing mercy, through Christ Jesus, to sinners. The blessing for sinners is that the reign (kingdom) of Christ can produce in them the very thing that was shown them – mercy (Matt 18:23–35). God simply wants us to treat other sinners the same way He has treated us – mercifully.

            Blessed are the pure in heart in this kingdom, because they receive the mercy of God, and so, they will see God. This means they are willing to show mercy to others, just as they have received it – based upon Christ’s death at the cross (Col 1:20). To the pure, all things are pure; it is the corrupted that claim to know God but by their actions they deny Him (Titus 1:15–16).

            May God bless our study of His word this week, and may we be willing to receive His mercy with the purity of heart that transforms our lives in the kingdom – Amen!

                                                                         Peace,

                                                                                        Jay Don

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them, saying: . . .

⁵     Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

⁶     Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.  (Matthew 5:1–2, 5–6 NIV)

            Psalm 37 is an entire psalm devoted to the idea that the way of the world, in which men trust in their own strength to reward them, is really futile. The blessing of God comes to those who live in humility before God and trust in His way. In Psalm 37:11,29 it is the meek/righteous that inherit the land and peace, God’s promise to them. It seems that Jesus declares to His disciples that God has not changed with this coming kingdom, but that in His kingdom the blessed are still those who are humble enough to trust in God instead of themselves. Blessing in the coming kingdom will be as it has always been for God’s people. The blessing of God comes to those who choose to trust and obey Him rather than self!

            The blessed of the coming kingdom are those who choose to pursue righteousness over worldliness. They hunger and thirst for the things of God rather than the things of men. God satisfies their desire for Him and His rewards!

            I have said the coming kingdom, meaning still coming at the time of Jesus speaking the Sermon on the Mount, but now the kingdom from heaven is here in the reign of Messiah/Christ. Peter declares Jesus to be crucified, buried, resurrected, ascended, reigning as Christ at God’s right hand, and the source of authority for his sermon in Acts 2:14-39. In doing this Peter has proclaimed the King to be reigning and the kingdom to be no longer near, but here! Christ now reigns over all things for the church (Eph 1:20–21) and His kingdom that was preached, as coming, came within the very generation that heard Jesus preach about His kingdom and its blessings (Mark 9:1). Now, is the time of blessing (cf. 2 Cor 6:2); now, is the time of meekness and hungering and thirsting for righteousness. May God bless each of us with a faith that longs for God’s blessing and avoids the temptation of looking to ourselves for inheritance/blessing, Amen!

                                                                 Peace,

                                                                           Jay Don

What this world promotes self and happiness, but Christ is offering us His kingdom and the blessings that accompany it.

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them, saying:

³     “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴     Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted. – Matthew 5:1-4

            The world tells us on a daily basis that blessing comes to the rich and the powerful. The world calls us to depend upon ourselves to dig deep within ourselves and to rely upon our own strength, whether physical or spiritual. However, Jesus begins teaching His disciples about the nature of His kingdom with the very opposite thought.

            The blessed, in the kingdom, are not those who can survive on their own strength of spirit nor are they who see themselves as rich in spirit. No, the nature of the kingdom is that its blessing comes to those who have the humility to acknowledge their poverty of spirit and seek the strength of spirit that comes from the reign of Christ in their hearts.

            The world preaches to us the gospel of happiness that says we come to Christ for Him to make us happy by giving us what we want in this life. However, Jesus would teach His disciples that the nature of the kingdom is that it blesses those who mourn in the promise that they will be comforted. In other words, the blessing we have in Christ is not that we never mourn but that we have a comfort from Him awaiting us.

            Our victory over this world (1 John 5:4) comes in knowing and relying upon the reign of Christ over all things for the church (Eph 1:20–22). What Jesus taught His disciples long ago is still a lesson that we need today – true blessing is found only in the humility that brings us to trust and obey!

                                                                 Peace,

                                                                           Jay Don

Journey of Faith, from the text of Genesis, was the theme of the 2012 Leadership Training for Christ (LTC), and for our youth, it truly has been a journey of faith. Attending the competition and watching our young people perform has both judged and inspired me!

            LTC judged my heart in that it made me realize what an opportunity I had missed by being to busy to encourage and help these kids learn God’s word. I should have done more than observe their success; I should have coached and encouraged their success. I am sorry that I was not more involved!

            However, LTC inspired me in several ways. First, I observed our youth and their coaches working together to please the Lord and accomplish His purpose in their performances. Secondly, I saw our kids love, support, and encourage one another in a way that only God can provide. They were an example of what the church of Christ in Merkel, Texas strives to be. Thirdly, I was inspired by the fellowship and company of all the parents and coaches who came and were apart of their children’s lives at this event. Finally, as I walked among the thousands of Christians gathered, I saw and hugged people that I know from all over the state and was reminded of the common bond we have in Christ and through our young people. All of these things brought to mind of the final goal of our Journey of Faith, Heaven!

            I have repented and decided to be a more active part of our kids’ training for the 2013 LTC events, and I am inviting the congregation to join me. This year’s title is Going the Extra Mile using the text of Matthew. We are challenging all of our kids to learn the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5 -7, over the next year, and we want to challenge the entire congregation to learn it with them. It will only take a couple of verses per week to do this. Each week we will give the verses to be read, considered, learned, and treasured. We are asking everyone to read/listen to these verses 7 times everyday. If you will post these verses where you can see them regularly – on the fridge, mirror, coffee pot, light switch, and door, then you will soon find that God has posted them in your heart (where your treasure is – Matt 6:21), and they will not be idle words for you, they will be your life (Deut 32:47)! This week we want to read, consider, learn, and treasure:  Matthew 5:1-2 – Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them, saying:

            This week’s Treasures in the Extra Mile:  Jesus puts Himself in position to teach those disciples who are willing to come to Him. He wants to teach them and they want to learn. His words are spirit and they are life! May God grant us the wisdom to grow and learn together as a family of disciples!

                                                                  Peace,

                                                                          Jay Don

    Here are ten rules by which you can get along with people. These rules are based on Bible principles, and are absolutely dependable. They are guaranteed to do the job of cultivating good friendships in the most efficient manner. Faithfully apply these ten rules to your daily life, and see how much more real cheer and happiness you have to enjoy and pass onto others. Some real Christianity can be found in so doing.

1.  Keep skid chains on your tongue; say less than you think. “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”  James 1:29

2.  Make promises sparingly and keep them faithfully, no matter what it costs you. “Do not lie to one another.” Colossians. 3:9

3.  Never let an opportunity pass to say or do a kind thing to another. “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” Luke 6:31

4.  If criticism is merited, criticize helpfully, never destructively or spitefully. “But we do all things, beloved for your edification.” II Corinthians 12:19

5.  Be interested in others, their pursuits, their welfare, their problems and their burdens. “Rejoice with them that rejoice, weep with them that weep.” Let everyone you meet, however humble, feel your sincere interest in him. “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

6.  Be cheerful. Keep the corners of your mouth turned up. A soured person is not a good representative of Christ or country. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice…..Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:4-6

7.  Don’t complain about your pains, your worries, and disappointments. Be long suffering. “Let your gentleness be known to all men.” Philippians 4:5 “…patient in tribulation…” Romans 12:12

8.  Preserve an open mind on all debatable questions. “They searched the scriptures daily whether these things were so.” Acts 17:11

9.  Be consistent. No one admires a Christian flirting with the world any more than did the chief priests and elders admire Judas for betraying Jesus into their hands. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, Knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” I Corinthians 15:58

10. Nothing is wrong with the mind of the man who minds his own business. “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters.” I Peter 4:15. A person usually tries to run another’s business after he has lost his own.

-Borrowed

“[Jesus] disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.”¹   Join us this Sunday at 10:35am for another lesson from Jesus’ sermon on the mount.  We meet at 700 Ash Street in Merkel, Texas.  Map it

This week’s lesson will come from the beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-6

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

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¹ Matthew 5:1b-2 (NIV)

            A significant number of our children are currently giving us an excellent example to follow by their participation in this year’s Leadership Training for Christ (LTC) activities. Set to compete next week on April 6^th, 7^th are the following:  Will Jackson, Stephen McFadden, Austin Bustemante, Cary Bryan, Canyon Jarrett, Jessi McGuire, Preston Jackson, Shawn McFadden, Connor Barnett, Autumn Jarrett, Kyle Owens, Kailee Jones, Jaylee Poindexter, and Zack Owens are this year’s participants. They are spending time and energy to learn God’s word, and they are finding variety of ways to express and share the word of God with others.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

² He called a little child and had him stand among them. ³ And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 18:1-4 NIV).

            It remains our obligation to teach the next generation, but we can also learn from their willingness to sacrifice for the purpose of God by spending time in His word and with each other. May God bless us with the wisdom to not only learn from the example of these young people but also to encourage them and pray for them as they grow. If you see them, this week, make it a point to encourage them in the example they are to you! Thank you, LTC participants, for your shining example of courage and sacrifice! We all need to be doing such things!

                                                         Grace and Peace,

                                                                                      Jay Don

Someone has said, “The church is always one generation away from apostasy.” This may sound like a pessimistic statement to some, but it carries a certain burden of scripture. What I mean is that scripture makes clear our role of teaching the next generation about God and His word. God’s warning of ancient Israel is an example to teach us (Rom 15:4):

Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship

             other gods and bow down to them.Then the Lord’s anger

             will burn against you . . . Fix these words of mine in your

             hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and

             bind them on your foreheads.  Teach them to your children,

             talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk

             along the road, when you lie down and when you get up

(Deut 11:16–19 NIV).

The prophet Joel introduces his message of true repentance (rend your hearts and not your garments – Joel 2:13), God’s judgments, and God’s promise of restoration with this command: Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation (Joel 1:3). The Psalmist reminds Israel of God’s glorious purpose of one generation teaching the next — one generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts (Psa 145:1,4), and in the prayer of the old man — Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come (Psa 71:18).

Truly, no generation can remain faithful to God or have faith in Christ without knowing the message of the Holy Scriptures (John 17:20; Rom 10:17; Heb 11:1,6). It falls, then, to the current generation to know and teach the word of God to the next. My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6) is as true today as it was in Hosea’s day.

May God continue to bless all of our efforts in teaching the next generation through:  the Tues/Thurs School, the Bus Program, LTC Training, Youth Ministry, Bible Classes, Worship Services, and teaching our children on a daily basis at home. May God bless richly all of our parents, grandparents, and Bible Teachers for what they do to teach the next generation, Amen!

Peace,

Jay Don

            This last Sunday evening we began our monthly (first Sunday of every month) fellowship groups, and what a blessing they were to so many. It is so encouraging to be able to spend a little time with one another in an intimate setting. Just to hear the laughter, the thoughts, the comfort, the dreams, the memories, and the concerns of this body is precious to me. As I reflected on our time together and what made it so precious and powerful, I came to the conclusion that what made it so special was the fact that God had provided it in His commandments to us about one another. God never commanded us to have fellowship groups on Sunday nights. He did, however, command us to love and be devoted to one another and what a blessing these groups were and will be.

            Anytime we can share God’s love it blesses others and binds our hearts to Him and His purpose for our lives. May God continue to bless our efforts to share what He gives us!

                                                               Peace,

                                                                         Jay Don

The gospel of Jesus Christ is based on three historical facts, His death, His burial, and His resurrection (1 Cor 15:1-4). The death of Christ, as we examined last week, was the atoning sacrifice for our sins (Rom 3:25; 1 John 2:2), satisfying both the wrath and justice of God toward sin (Rom 5:8-10; Col 1:20). It seems simple enough then that the fact of Christ’s death is a significant part of the gospel. Sometimes the second historical fact of the gospel, His burial (1 Cor 15:4), may seem less significant to us, but His burial holds some significant information that should encourage our hearts and secure our faith in Jesus.

            His burial is also according to the scriptures. In the first gospel (of Christ) sermon ever preached (Acts 2:14-36), Peter appeals to the Jews to hear the words of David, written nearly one thousand years before Jesus was born (Psa 16:8-11), and believe that Jesus’ burial and resurrection were the fulfillment of God’s promise to David. Christ’s victory over the grave (Sheol in Hebrew and Hades in Greek) gave Him authority over it, and He now holds the keys of death and Hades (Rev 1:18). Jesus’ authority over the grave is the basis of His promise to us that He will rescue us from the grave and this world so that we will be with Him forever (1 Thes 4:13 -17). Then the saying that is written will come true: O death where is your victory? O death where is your sting (1 Cor 15:54–55). God will redeem us from the grave and surely take us to Himself (Psa 49:15). The call of the gospel is that we encourage each other with these words (1 Thes 4:18).

                                                                        Peace,

                                                                                    Jay Don