THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT<br> <br>

PROGRAM AIR DATE – 9-3-17<br> <br>



LESSON TITLE: “CALLED TO BE BLESSED”<br> <br>



WELCOME<br> <br>

      TODAY WE ARE BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD, THE BIBLE. THIS BOOK IS GOD'S LIVING WORD. IN ITS PAGES, WE ARE TOLD “FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD.” IT IS IN THIS BOOK OF BOOKS THAT WE FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF MAN'S QUESTIONS AND NEEDS. THIS MORNING YOUR AREA CHURCHES OF CHRIST WELCOME YOU TO A PROGRAM COMMITTED TO THAT PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY. AS WE PRESENT THE LIVING WORD. NOW HERE IS YOUR HOST RAY SULLINS.	<br> <br>

      

      LET ME WELCOME EACH OF YOU TO OUR PROGRAM THIS MORNING. WE ARE EXCITED THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO BE WITH US TODAY FOR THIS TIME OF OFFERING AND ENCOURAGEMENT, AS WE PARTICIPATE IN THE THINGS OF GOD. THIS PROGRAM REMAINS COMMITTED TO DOING WHAT GOD WANTS, IN THE WAY HE WANTS. WE ACCOMPLISH THIS BY COLLECTIVELY SINGING SONGS OF PRAISE TO GLORIFY HIS NAME, BY STUDYING HIS WORD, AND BY APPROACHING HIS THRONE IN PRAYER. SO, AT THIS TIME, LET’S HUMBLY BOW OUR HEADS BEFORE OUR GOD. <br> <br> 

      PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY AND EVERY DAY OF LIFE. FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR YOU'RE A GREAT AND WONDROUS GOD. YOU'RE A GOD WHO GIVES US ALL THINGS FATHER; SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL. AND THEREFORE FATHER, WE THANK YOU. AND FATHER, WE ALSO ARE MINDFUL OF JESUS AND ALL THAT JESUS HAS DONE FOR US IN OUR LIVES. WE THANK YOU FOR HIM - WE THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT SACRIFICE HE MADE ON THE CROSS; THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD AS WELL AS HIS BURIAL AND HIS RESURRECTION. AND HELP US TO LIVE EVERY DAY WITH THESE THINGS IN MIND THAT WE MIGHT ALWAYS DO WHAT IS RIGHT IN YOUR SIGHT AND BE FOUND PLEASING IN ALL THINGS. FATHER HELP US AT THIS TIME IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH TO GIVE YOU OUR VERY BEST AS WE LIFT UP, LAUD, AND PRAISE YOUR MAGNIFICENT NAME. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN. <br> <br>

      ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS WE HAVE AS CHRISTIANS IS THE FACT THAT GOD CONTINUES BLESSING US IN SO MANY WAYS. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHETHER YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE PHYSICAL THINGS WE NEED OR THE SPIRITUAL HELP HE HAS PROMISED - OUR GOD IS THERE TO HELP US WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE NEED OF. MANY OF OUR SONGS OF PRAISE DEAL WITH THIS IDEA OF THE WONDERFUL BLESSING WE HAVE IN JESUS CHRIST. AND ALL OF THEM INFER THE IDEA THAT AS LONG AS WE ARE DOING OUR PART, GOD WILL KEEP DOING HIS. I REMEMBER ONE OLD SONG THAT SAYS, “IF IT KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER, OH LORD, I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M GOING TO DO.”  WHAT ENCOURAGING TRUTHS WE FIND IN THESE WORDS. THIS MORNING OUR FIRST SONG DEALS WITH SOME OF OUR GREATEST BLESSINGS FROM GOD.  SO, AT THIS TIME WON’T YOU JOIN IN WITH THE CONGREGATION AS WE TOGETHER SING, “THE GLORYLAND WAY.” (X-X-X-X)<br> <br>



DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS<br> <br>

      WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU FELT LIKE YOU JUST COULDN’T DO ANY MORE OR LIKE YOU JUST COULDN’T GO ON? I THINK WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE BEFORE AND WONDERED WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO TO GET STARTED UP AGAIN. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHETHER YOU ARE REFERRING TO OUR SPIRITUAL OR PHYSICAL LIVES, WE ALL HAVE THESE UPS AND DOWNS THAT MAKE US FEEL LIKE GIVING UP. <br> <br>

      IF WE LOOK IN THE BIBLE, THIS PROBLEM IS NOTHING NEW, BECAUSE WE FIND THAT EVEN THOSE WHO LIVED LONG AGO HAD THE VERY SAME PROBLEM. FOR A WHILE THEY WOULD BE STRONG AND FAITHFUL TO GOD, BUT THEN THEY WOULD FALL AWAY AND HAVE TO BE REMINDED, BEFORE THEY WOULD TURN BACK TO THEIR GOD. IN LAMENTATIONS 3:40 WE READ THIS STATEMENT, “LET US SEARCH OUT AND EXAMINE OUR WAYS, AND TURN BACK TO THE LORD;”  HERE JEREMIAH TALKS OF A NEED FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO EXAMINE THEMSELVES, AND WHY? SO THAT THEY WOULD TURN BACK TO THE LORD.  <br> <br>

      TO ME THIS IS VERY ENCOURAGING TO KNOW THAT WHEN WE AREN’T DOING OUR BEST OR FEEL LIKE WE WANT TO GIVE UP THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE. EVERYONE HAS BEEN THERE AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING, EVEN MANY GREAT FOLLOWERS OF GOD IN THE BIBLE. I LOVE THE WAY PAUL PUT IT WHEN HE EXHORTED THE GALATIANS WITH THE FOLLOWING WORDS, “AND LET US NOT GROW WEARY WHILE DOING GOOD, FOR IN DUE SEASON WE SHALL REAP IF WE DO NOT LOSE HEART.” AGAIN, HE TELLS US NOT TO GROW WEARY OR GIVE UP, AND AGAIN WHY? BECAUSE IF WE ENDURE AND MAKE IT WE WILL REAP GREAT THINGS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISES OF GOD. BUT WE CANNOT FAINT OR QUIT ON THE LORD. <br> <br> 

      WHAT ELSE DOES GOD DO TO MAKE SURE WE CAN MAKE IT TO THE END.  WELL, AS FAITHFUL CHILDREN OF GOD, WE KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS ONE - HE IS THERE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. IN FACT, IN HEBREWS 13:5, WE HAVE RECORDED THE WORDS OF OUR GOD, WHEN HE SAID, “I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.” YOU SEE GOD IS ALWAYS THERE TO HELP US WHEN WE FALL OR WHEN WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE ALONE. SO THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE DOWN AND FEEL LIKE THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO GET GOING AGAIN, REMEMBER THAT GOD IS BY YOUR SIDE. AND THAT WITH HIS HELP, ALL THINGS ARE TRULY POSSIBLE. I CAN ASSURE YOU, IT WILL BE WELL WORTH THE EFFORT. ARE YOU STANDING STRONG ON THE WILL OF GOD? <br> <br> 

      TODAY, WE WILL BE CONSIDERING ANOTHER LESSON FROM OUR SERIES ENTITLED, “HIS OWN SPECIAL PEOPLE.” OUR SPECIFIC DISCUSSION TODAY WILL FOCUS ON THE IDEA THAT WE ARE, “CALLED TO BE BLESSED.”  SO, PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US THIS MORNING, AND AFTER OUR NEXT SONG TOGETHER I WILL RETURN WITH THIS STUDY FROM GOD’S WORD. THE NAME OF OUR NEXT HYMN IS, “STEPPING IN THE LIGHT.” 

<br> <br>

LESSON <br> <br>

RAY SULLINS<br> <br>

      THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING WITH US TODAY AS WE RETURN TO OUR DISCUSSION AND CONSIDER THIS DAY “CALLED TO THE BLESSED.” ONE OF THE GREAT DISCUSSIONS OF THE BIBLE THAT REALLY IN EVERY AGE WAS BENEFICIAL TO THE HEARER BECAUSE IT MOTIVATED THE HEARER TO WANT TO OBEY AND TURN TO GOD IS THE IDEA OF BLESSINGS FROM GOD. AND REALLY THE IDEA BLESSED OR BLESSINGS COMES FROM THE CONCEPT OF HAPPINESS OR JOY THAT IS FOUND DIRECTLY BECAUSE OF THE BENEFITS OF GOD. AND SO THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT MIGHT BRING US JOY OR HAPPINESS THAT GOD HAS PROMISED - AND THEREFORE, THOSE BENEFITS CAUSE US TO WANT TO SERVE HIM MORE. WANT TO KNOW MORE OF HIS WILL AND THEREFORE OBEY. <br> <br>

      IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS, WE FIND THERE IN PSALM 115 AN INTERESTING STATEMENT MADE BY DAVID. AND THERE IN THE TEXT (VERSE 15) THE FIRST PART SAYS THIS, “MAY YOU BE BLESSED BY THE LORD.” OH, WHAT A WONDERFUL REQUEST! WHAT A WONDERFUL REQUEST THAT WE SHOULD MAKE FOR ONE ANOTHER, THAT WE SHOULD MAKE FOR GOD'S PEOPLE. WE SHOULD DESIRE THAT GOD BLESS THE FAITHFUL. AND WE KNOW THAT GOD WILL. BUT CERTAINLY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD ASK FOR AND THAT'S WHAT DAVID WAS ASKING HERE, THAT GOD WOULD BLESS THE FAITHFUL. BUT THEN I WANT YOU TO NOTICE WITH ME IN WHAT WAYS DID DAVID HOPE THAT GOD WOULD BLESS OR BENEFIT THE FAITHFUL WHO SERVED HIM? BACK UP TO VERSE 12 THERE AGAIN IN PSALM 115. THE BIBLE SAYS, “THE LORD HAS BEEN MINDFUL OF US; HE WILL BLESS US.” YOU SEE, GOD KNOWS. WHY DOES GOD KNOW? HE MADE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US. HE KNOWS THE NUMBER OF HAIRS ON OUR HEAD, AND THEREFORE, IT SAYS HE IS MINDFUL OF US, AND THEREFORE, WILL BLESS US. IF HE MADE US, IF HE CREATED US, WHY WOULDN'T HE BLESS US IF WE'RE HIS CHILDREN? IF WE'RE STRIVING TO BE FAITHFUL? IT ALSO SAYS IN THE NEXT PHRASE, “HE WILL BLESS THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL.” GOD WILL NOT ONLY BLESS US AS HIS PEOPLE BUT HE WILL BLESS HIS PEOPLE AS A WHOLE. AND HE WILL BLESS THE HOUSE OF AARON, HE WILL BLESS HIS SERVANTS. SO HE BLESSES THE INDIVIDUAL. HE BLESSES THE PEOPLE OF GOD AS A WHOLE AND HE BLESSES THE SERVANTS; HIS SPECIAL SERVANTS LIKE PRIESTS, AND LIKE ELDERS, AND PERHAPS LIKE PREACHERS, THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIVES IN SPECIAL WAYS TO GOD. IT GOES ON TO VERSE 13, AND HE WILL BLESS THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. NOT ONLY DOES HE BLESS ALL OF HIS CHILDREN AND THE FAITHFUL BUT HE BLESSES THOSE WHO FEAR. WHY? BECAUSE THOSE WHO FEAR LOVE GOD ENOUGH TO OBEY. SO ONE WHO FEARS RESPECTS GOD WITH A HEALTHY FEAR HAS THEREFORE RESPONDED TO THE THINGS OF GOD. AND IT DOESN'T MATTER, IT SAYS HERE, WHETHER YOU’RE GREAT OR WHETHER YOU'RE SMALL. VERSE 14 CONTINUES TO SAY THIS, “MAY THE LORD GIVE YOU INCREASE MORE AND MORE.” OH, WHY SHOULD WE BE JOYFUL AND HAPPY? BECAUSE GOD BLESSES US INDIVIDUALLY, BLESSES US AS HIS PEOPLE, BLESSES THOSE WHO HAVE MADE THEMSELVES SPECIAL SERVANTS IN HIS KINGDOM, BUT ALSO BLESSES ALL AND GIVES THEM INCREASE. SO MANY TIMES IN THE BIBLE WE READ THIS IDEA WHERE THE BIBLE SAYS GOD CARES FOR HIS OWN; HIS CHILDREN. AND AS HE CARES FOR THE BIRDS OF THE AIR HOW MUCH MORE IS HE GOING TO CARE FOR THOSE OF US WITH FAITH? YOU SEE, THAT'S THE GOD WE SERVE. HE'S GOING TO GIVE US THAT SHELTER, THAT FOOD, THAT CLOTHING, THOSE THINGS THAT WE NEED - AND CERTAINLY, AS WE CAN LOOK AT THE LIVES THAT WE LIVE HERE IN THIS COUNTRY, WE'RE WAY MORE BLESSED THAN THAT. GOD HAS RICHLY BLESSED US WITH SO MANY PHYSICAL THINGS OF THIS LIFE AS WELL. GOD WILL GIVE THE INCREASE MORE AND MORE TO WHO? THOSE WHO ARE FAITHFUL. HE ALSO SAYS THERE AS WE READ IN VERSE 15, “MAY YOU BE BLESSED BY THE LORD.” WHO IS HE? WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH. GOD IS NOT ONLY THE ONE WHO SAYS HE WILL BLESS BUT GOD IS THE ONE WHO IS ABLE TO BLESS BECAUSE HE IS THE CREATOR OF ALL, WHICH MEANS HE HAS POWER TO DO ANYTHING! DON'T DOUBT THE BLESSINGS OF GOD. AS GOD HAS SAID HE WILL BLESS, GOD WILL BLESS, AND REMEMBER THAT GOD CAN BLESS! HE ENDS THAT PSALM BY SAYING THIS, VERSE 16 CONTINUING, “EVEN THE HEAVENS ARE THE LORD'S BUT THE EARTH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE CHILDREN OF MEN.” THE DEAD DO NOT PRAISE THE LORD NOR ANY WHO GO INTO SILENCE. BUT WE WILL BLESS THE LORD FROM THIS TIME FORWARD AND FOREVER MORE. SO YOU SEE HERE, GOD BLESSES THE FAITHFUL. HE PUNISHES THOSE, VERSES 16 AND 17 INDICATE, HE PUNISHES THOSE WHO WILL NOT SERVE HIM OR FOLLOW HIM. BUT THEN IT SAYS BUT HE ALSO WILL BE BLESSED BY HIS PEOPLE. <br> <br>

      THE WORD BLESSING OR BLESSED IS ALSO USED IN SCRIPTURE NOT ONLY AS SOMETHING WE RECEIVE BUT SOMETHING THAT WE DO TOWARDS OTHERS. WE SHOW A KINDNESS OR A BENEFIT TO OTHERS EVEN THOUGH SOMETIMES THEY DON'T DESERVE IT, GRACE. BUT ALSO WE MUST DO THAT TO GOD. HE IS DESERVING OF IT. FULLY DESERVING OF IT AND THEREFORE, WE MUST DO WHAT? BLESS HIM. WE MUST BRING HIM THAT JOY. WHY? BECAUSE OF THE THINGS THAT HE BENEFITS THROUGH OUR OBEDIENCE, THROUGH WHAT WE HAVE COMMITTED TO, AND WHAT WE ARE DOING IN HIS NAME AND OBVIOUSLY BY HIS AUTHORITY AS FOUND IN THE SCRIPTURE. ANOTHER VERSE THAT HELPS US WITH THESE CONCEPTS OF THE BLESSED OR THE JOY; THE HAPPINESS, REALLY HELPS US THERE IN THE SAME BOOK OF PSALMS BUT SPECIFICALLY PSALM 84. AND IN PSALM 84 WE SEE THE IDEA AS IS MENTIONED THAT WE ARE THOSE WHO ARE BLESSED WHEN WE DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. WE ARE THOSE WHO KNOW VERSE ONE HOW LOVELY THE TABERNACLE OF THE LORD IS! HOW LOVELY THE COURTS OF THE LORD ARE! HOW WONDROUS THE ALTAR OF GOD IS! AND THEN IF YOU'LL NOTICE IN THE TEXT HE SAYS, VERSE FOUR, “AND BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD.” YOU SEE WHAT HAPPINESS BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE ONE WHO IS WILLING TO DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD WHAT DOES THAT SHOW GOD? THAT YOU'RE COMMITTED TO HIM. THAT YOU HAD FEARED HIM AND KEPT HIS COMMANDMENTS. THAT YOU ARE FAITHFUL IN HIS SIGHT. BUT HE DOESN'T STOP THERE. HE SAYS BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, VERSE FIVE SAYS, “BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO HAS STRENGTH IN GOD.” AND THAT'S WHERE WE FIND OUR HOPE, OUR STRENGTH, OUR ABILITY, OUR POWER. THEN AS YOU'LL DROP DOWN HE AGAIN HAS THIS IDEA IN VERSE 12, “O LORD OF HOSTS, BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO TRUST IN YOU.”<br> <br> 

      SO WHAT DO WE BEGIN TO LEARN IN THIS TEXT? WELL, THERE ARE A LOT OF SPECIFIC THINGS THAT GIVE US THAT BENEFIT, THAT JOY, KNOWING OF WHAT GOD HAS DONE. AND SO WHAT HAS GOD DONE? WHAT GOD HAS DONE, TWO THINGS THAT ARE MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY HERE IS, HE OFFERS US STRENGTH. HE GIVES US THE ABILITY TO KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE AND THAT WE CAN TURN TO HIM AND FIND HELP THROUGH HIS WORD AND THROUGH THE WORK THAT HE DOES PROVIDENTIALLY. BUT ALSO HERE HE GIVES US SOMETHING TO TRUST IN, AS WE KNOW GOD CAN BE COUNTED ON, AS WE KNOW THAT GOD IS TRUSTWORTHY, THAT GOD DOES NOT LIE. AND THEN THERE ARE PEOPLE AS WE CAN SEE WHO SHOULD BE BLESSED AND THE FACT THAT WE CAN TRUST THE LORD AND FIND STRENGTH IN HIM. <br> <br>

      WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO NOW WITH THE REMAINDER OF OUR TIME IS I'D LIKE TO GO OVER INTO THE NEW TESTAMENT AND LOOK AT SEVERAL PASSAGES THAT HELP US TO SEE AGAIN THIS JOY; THIS HAPPINESS THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE OF SPECIFIC BENEFITS, LIKE STRENGTH, AND TRUST, AND SUCH. WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE SPECIFIC BENEFITS THAT GOD SAYS THAT HE GIVES US STILL TODAY AS HIS FAITHFUL CHILDREN? WELL, ONE VERSE THAT WILL HELP US WITH THIS, AND BY THE WAY, THE CONCEPT OF BEING BLESSED OR BLESSED IS USED MANY TIMES...HUNDREDS OF TIMES THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE AND EVEN SPECIFICALLY THERE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. BUT THERE IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 1 AND VERSE THREE IT SAYS, “BLESSED BE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO HAS BLESSED US WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST.” NOW WHAT'S BEAUTIFUL ABOUT THIS VERSE BESIDES THE OBVIOUS IS, FIRST OF ALL, IT MENTIONED THIS IDEA THAT GOD IS BLESSED. GOD IS THAT GIVER OF JOY. GOD IS THAT PROVIDER. GOD IS THAT HELPER. HE IS THEREFORE WORTHY OF WHAT? BEING ABLE TO SEE THAT HE IS REVERENCED AND HONORED AND RESPECTED. WE SHOULD SHOW THAT GOD IS BLESSED BEFORE US AND THAT WE SHOW BLESSINGS TOWARD GOD. BUT THEN HE SAYS BUT GOD HAS BLESSED US WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING. SO WHY DO WE RESPOND? SO THAT GOD MIGHT BE BLESSED OR BLESSED BECAUSE GOD HAS FIRST LOVED US. HE HAS FIRST BLESSED US. BUT SPECIFICALLY IN THIS TEXT IT SAYS THAT HE'S GIVEN US NOT SOME, NOT A FEW, NOT MOST BUT ALL, EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING. THAT'S THE LOVE THAT GOD HAS FOR US. THAT'S HOW BLESSED WE ARE. TO BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT DOES GOD WANT OF ME? WHAT IS REQUIRED? WHAT SHOULD I DO? HOW SHOULD I ACT? WHAT SHOULD I SAY? GOD HAS BLESSED US WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING. AND SO, AS WE KNOW THAT, THAT SHOULD DO WHAT? GIVE US THAT JOY. GIVE US THAT HAPPINESS. GIVE US THAT CONFIDENCE. HELP US TO KNOW THAT WHEN WE ARE HIS OWN SPECIAL PEOPLE, WHEN WE ARE DOING WHAT HE ASKS OF US AND WE ARE GETTING IT RIGHT THEN HE IS GOING TO BLESS US WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS AND AS WELL AS WE'VE ALREADY SEEN WITH ALL THE PHYSICAL NEEDS (MATTHEW SIX) THAT WE HAVE NEED OF. <br> <br>

      ANOTHER TEXT THAT I WOULD LIKE US TO LOOK AT AS WELL A VERY FAMILIAR TEXT IS ALSO FOUND THERE IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 5. BUT AS WE LOOK THERE IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 5, THERE IS WHAT IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE CHRISTIAN BEATITUDES OR THOSE BLESSED VERSUS. AND WITHIN THAT WE FIND SO MANY THINGS THAT WE ARE BLESSED IN. REMEMBER, THAT CONCEPT OF GOD'S BENEFITS THAT BRING JOY, ELATION, EXCITEMENT, HAPPINESS, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, AND SO WHAT WAS IT THAT JESUS TOLD THEM IN THIS GREAT SERMON? HE SAID: BLESSED. YOU SEE THAT JOY, THAT HAPPINESS BECAUSE OF GOD'S BENEFIT, ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT, THOSE EVEN WHO ARE WILLING TO HUMBLE THEMSELVES BEFORE GOD BECAUSE WHAT WILL BE THE BENEFIT? THEIR'S IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. AND WHAT A PROMISE! WHAT A BENEFIT! WHAT HAPPINESS THAT SHOULD BRING US! NO WONDER WE ARE CALLED THE BLESSED OF GOD. SO YOU SEE A DIRECT RESULT IN CONNECTION TO OUR ABILITY TO BE WHAT GOD WANTS; TO BE HUMBLE, TO BE FOCUSED, TO BE FAITHFULLY SERVING. LOOK ALSO AT VERSE FOUR, “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN.” WE SHOULD CERTAINLY BE AWARE OF OUR SITUATION, OUR CONDITION, THE THING THAT SIN HAS DONE TO THE WORLD AND HOW SIN CAN KEEP US FROM GOD. BUT IF WE'LL BE MOURNFUL OF SPIRIT THAT WE MIGHT ACT AND DO WHAT GOD SAYS WE WILL BE WHAT? COMFORTED. WE WILL BE COMFORTED. WE'LL HAVE THAT COMFORT WE NEED. AND GUESS WHERE THAT COMFORT COMES FROM? YET ANOTHER BENEFIT FROM GOD. HOW BLESSED WE ARE TO BE COMFORTED BY GOD! HE MENTIONS ON: BLESSED ARE THE MEEK. WHY? THEY'LL INHERIT THE EARTH. BLESSED ARE THOSE (VERSE SIX) “WHO HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS.” WHY? THEY SHALL BE FULFILLED. YOU SEE THE BENEFITS? BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL (VERSE SEVEN) FOR THEY SHALL OBTAIN MERCY, SHOW MERCY, AND RECEIVE MERCY. BLESSED (VERSE EIGHT) ARE THE PURE IN HEART. WHY? THEY SHALL SEE GOD, THE DIRECT BENEFIT OF THAT OBEDIENCE. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS FOR THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF GOD; THE DIRECT BENEFIT. YOU SEE WHY THEN THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE SAID TO HAVE BEEN BLESSED? WHY YOU AND I, WHEN WE PARTAKE OF AND PRACTICE THE SAME THINGS, WILL ALSO FIND THOSE BLESSINGS FROM GOD. BECAUSE OF FAITH WE SEE THAT GOD HAS SAID WHEN YOU DO WHAT IS RIGHT YOU WILL BE BLESSED. WHEN YOU OBEY MY WILL YOU WILL RECEIVE THEIR AWARDS, THE PROMISES THAT I'VE SPOKEN OF IN CONNECTION TO SUCH THINGS. <br> <br>

      BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO LOOK OVER IN THE BOOK OF JAMES AND WILL CONCLUDE OUR THOUGHTS HERE JUST TO KIND OF REALLY HELP YOU TO SEE THAT GOD REALLY IS  ALWAYS THERE FOR US. IT'S KIND OF LIKE WHEN WE READ THERE FROM THE END OF THE GOSPEL ACCOUNTS MULTIPLE TIMES BUT SPECIFICALLY THERE I'M THINKING OF MATTHEW 28 WHEN HE TOLD HIS DISCIPLES, “LO, I'M WITH YOU ALWAYS.” SEE GOD IS THERE FOR HIS PEOPLE AND HE'S WITH HIS PEOPLE BECAUSE HE WANTS HIS PEOPLE TO FIND THAT JOY AND HAPPINESS AND, THEREFORE, THAT MOTIVATION TO DO WHAT? TO KEEP DOING WHAT IS RIGHT. BUT NOW NOTICE WHEN WE DEAL WITH TRIALS, AND I THINK SOMETIMES THAT'S WHERE THE REAL QUESTION IS, PEOPLE BEGIN TO SAY WHERE IS GOD? WHY DOES GOD ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN? IF I'M FAITHFUL AND IF I'M DOING WHAT'S RIGHT THEN HOW CAN THIS BE? LOOK AT WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS THERE IN VERSE TWO OF JAMES CHAPTER 1, “MY BRETHREN, COUNT IT ALL JOY WHEN YOU FALL INTO VARIOUS TRIALS.” WHY? HE SAYS THAT, “THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH PRODUCES PATIENCE,” IN VERSE THREE. BUT NOW LOOK AT VERSE 12, “BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO ENDURES TEMPTATION.” YOU SEE, EVEN THOUGH THE TRIALS OF LIFE COME, EVEN THOUGH EVIL EXISTS, EVEN THOUGH THERE IS SIN OUT THERE, EVEN THOUGH WE MIGHT BE TEMPTED OR THERE MIGHT BE TRIALS AND WE MIGHT STUMBLE AND PERHAPS EVEN FALL AND WE GET BACK UP AND TURN BACK TO GOD. GUESS WHY WE SHOULD. AND GUESS WHAT THE MOTIVATION IS. THOSE WHO HAVE ENDURED TEMPTATION, LOOK THERE AT VERSE 12, WILL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE WHICH THE LORD HAS PROMISED. YOU SEE EVEN IN THE DARKER MOMENTS OF LIFE, THE MORE DIFFICULT TIMES, THE TRIALS, STILL WE ARE BLESSED BY GOD. THERE IN THE BOOK OF CORINTHIANS IN FIRST CORINTHIANS WE FIND THERE THAT GOD ALSO SAYS HE'LL GIVE US A WAY OF ESCAPE IN TEMPTATION WHEN WE ARE STRIVING TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT. <br> <br>

      YOU SEE, WE'RE NOT ALONE. WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THING. WE ARE THE BLESSED OF GOD. WE WILL BE BLESSED BY GOD BECAUSE WE ARE HIS CHILDREN AND WE STRIVE TO DO HIS WILL - THEREFORE, FIND COMFORT. FIND PEACE. FIND HELP. FIND STRENGTH. FIND TRUST. ALL THOSE THINGS WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS MORNING THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, NOT ONLY KNOW THAT GOD IS THERE, BUT THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SEE THAT GOD IS THERE IN OUR LIFE BECAUSE WE ARE SO BLESSED AND CARED FOR. KNOWING THAT IT IS NOT ONLY THE BLESSINGS OF THIS LIFE THAT MATTER BUT ULTIMATELY THE BLESSINGS OF THAT REWARD TO COME. 

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CLOSING COMMENTS<br> <br>

      AGAIN, LET ME THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US THIS MORNING. I HOPE WE ALL HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED THROUGH OUR TIME SPENT TOGETHER. PLEASE REMEMBER, YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN US EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AT 7:30, AS WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THIS SERVICE OF GOD.<br> <br>

	NOW LET ME ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT TODAY’S LESSON? MAYBE, YOU WOULD LIKE A FREE TRANSCRIPT OR A FREE CASSETTE TAPE OF THIS PROGRAM? POSSIBLY, WE COULD ASSIST YOU WITH FREE BIBLE MATERIALS OR FREE BIBLE CORRESPONDENCE COURSES?  NO MATTER WHAT YOUR NEED IS, PLEASE CONTACT US AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:  

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      MAY WE REALIZE JUST HOW BLESSED ARE BY GOD AND THUS USE THIS AS A MOTIVATION TO LIVE FOR CHRIST AND TO MAKE SURE THAT OTHERS SEE GOD IN US.  ARE YOU A BLESSING TO OTHERS AS YOU HAVE BEEN SO RICHLY BLESSED BY GOD?  

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