Jesus looking sorrowfully down at those who are grafted in, yet dismissive, and continued with His lesson:"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
OK, this guy is all over the theological map! One second preaching law and the next sounding like Jim Wallis from that Sojourners social gospel outfit. Blessed are the merciful? Does this guy own a television? Are we supposed to be merciful to our sworn enemies? Are we supposed to be merciful to people who want to behead us? Hasn't this guy read the story of Jesus over turning the moneychangers tables? He used a whip! We do not serve a weak Savior! We serve a lion! If Jesus was around today He would be a gun owner. He would be a Republican. He would not be crying mercy from the mountaintop. I know that Micah 6:8 says that God requires us to love mercy but that is so Old Testament!
Despite the increased murmuring, Jesus continued:"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
Well, finally something we can agree on! God knows my heart. God knows my intentions. Just like He knows the heart of my pastor and the speakers here. I tell this to those heresy hunters all the time! You do not know the heart of those you seek to criticize. The Bible says we are not to judge. What part of this do they not get? We are just supposed to love and let God sort out all the other stuff.
We see God all the time. I've been prophesied over hundreds of times! I know God is real because I feel it! See God? I saw Him this morning in my bowl of cereal! Granted it was Alpha Bits and God is only three letters but I felt it was God speaking to me! I saw Bethel Church's glory clouds in person! I know people who have had gem stones magically appear in a church service. Angel feathers floating from the heavens. I saw an atheist have his shorter leg lengthened in that Holy Ghost movie! The church is too busy with their religion to get a true revelation of God. To know in your heart that you have seen God. Joseph Prince hears from God all the time! Kim Walker-Smith has been to the throne room and seen the Father! Benny Hinn has said Jesus Himself has shown up at his meetings. The supernatural is all around us!
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus still went on teaching: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
Peacemakers? In these times? The culture now is different than it was in the times of the Bible. Besides, doesn't the Bible say there is a time for war? Are we supposed to be at peace with those who hate us? Shouldn't we be calling down fire from heaven upon them? Are we supposed to be at peace with people that do not share our beliefs? Didn't Jesus send out His disciples with a sword? Those liberals keep trying to turn Jesus into some long haired hippie, who favored socialism and universal health care. Doesn't the Bible say if you do not work you should not eat? Make your peace with that.
Shaking His head in disbelief Jesus starts to wrap up His teaching:"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Preaching to the choir here brother. We see persecution growing in this country every day. I saw a story the other day where a fifth grader was demanding an apology from his teacher because he had been forbidden to read his Bible during free reading time! That's the kind of no-nonsense and no-tolerance policy we ought to have as believers. Look to the fifth graders! Stand up for Jesus! Don't even get me started with the war on Christmas! You can keep your happy holidays. As for me and my family, we say Merry Christmas. They can have my tree when they pry it from my cold dead hand. So yeah, we have to deal with being persecuted every day but what are you supposed to do? I guess that is what it means when it says we have to carry our own cross.
At least it seems like this guy is done. Thank God! He had a couple of good points but so much of it seemed so oddly out of place here. He simply did not measure up. It is a tough standard though. The folksy charm of a Brian Houston teaching us how much God wants us rich. The affable relatedness of a Joseph Prince teaching us how the grace of God covers anything we might want to do - not that it means we should sin - nod nod wink wink. The complete sense of peace as Rick Warren breaks down your purpose for you. Who knew what was missing from my entire life was being a parking attendant at Saddleback Church? Yeah, this guy just didn't have the chops of the headliners at this conference. I kind of feel bad for Him in a way. I mean He is missing so much from His Christian experience. It was almost as if He was preaching that Christianity is not about us. That is sad. Maybe He was new though. Maybe if He sits under the authority of one of these great men of God He too can come to realize the deeper truths of Christianity. Maybe God will throw open those windows of heaven over Him. Maybe He will get a revelation of the Holy Ghost through signs and wonders and emotions. Nothing confirms the Spirit like liver shivers and goose bumps. Maybe in a few years He can come back here and rev the crowd up like He is supposed to. It is possible. Anything is possible with God. He would have to change a lot of things though. Starting with a shave"but hey, who am I to judge?
Oh no, here comes the offering plate again"how many chapters are there in the Book of Malachi anyway? It is so Old Testament but Robert Morris just said that I curse all of my money if I do not give the first ten percent to him. Must be in Leviticus. No point in looking it up. I mean, c'mon, who reads Leviticus anyway?
Reverend Anthony Wade - October 4, 2014
