You Are Blessed!

10 March 2015

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"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:3-6)
"And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh." (Luke 6:20-21)

Jesus begins this truly powerful sermon in a very shocking way. He starts by describing the life condition of many of His disciples using terms like poor, hungry, and meek. However, rather than reminding them that these conditions are bad (and giving them an excuse to complain), He declares that these conditions are actually evidence of great blessing in their lives. If any or all these conditions are true, then the gospel is for you! (Isaiah 61:1-2) These are clear evidences of your merciful election by God!

Whether you are poor in spirit (downcast and depressed) or you are actually poor, the truth is that you a citizen of the kingdom of heaven and a joint heir of glory with Christ right now! (Philippians 3:20) Great joy and deliverance awaits you in glory and you can anticipate it with joy now.

If you mourn for sin or weep for loss, you will receive comfort. Or as it is recorded in Luke, you shall laugh!

These two conditions remind us that this place is not our home. Jesus reminds us in Luke that some people ARE comfortable here in this sin cursed earth and they will be poor and crying later. We don't want to be that way!

The blessing or happiness in being in these two conditions is that the gospel is for you!

It is only those who have a sense of sin and its wretched effects that have a great Physician! (Matthew 9:9-13)

While we are reminded that we have a low estate here in this world, it is to those very people that the gospel declares, "behold your God!" And shows what wondrous acts of grace in salvation through Jesus Christ He has done for us. (Isaiah 40:9)

I’m reminded of the word of an great,old hymn:

Poor, weak, and worthless though I am,
I have a rich Almighty Friend!
Jesus, the Savior is His name.
He freely loves and without end.

Tags: beatitudes, harmony_of_the_gospels, isaiah, jesus, luke, matthew

Welcome

Brentwood Hills Primitive Baptist Church is a community of believers working together to transform our lives to the image of Jesus Christ. We believe it is our duty and privilege to live the gospel of the doctrines of grace in such a way as to edify the families within our church and other children of God in our community. Through regular worship based on strong Biblical principles, fellowship, admonishment, and outreach, we glory in the grace of the sovereign God working in our lives thereby showing the Spirit of God in the world.

Brentwood Hills was organized in 1906 in Fort Worth, Texas as Laodicea Primitive Baptist Church. You can find much of the history of the church, as well as other churches here: Primitive Baptist History Database

We identify ourselves as an old-line Primitive Baptist church. If you read our Articles of Faith, you’ll see that we hold to such doctrines as the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. We recognize the King James Version (KJV) as the only English translation worthy of being called the Bible. We believe in salvation solely by the grace of a sovereign God. We believe that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, came to the earth to do the will of His Father, which was to deliver from the sentence of death all those the Father gave Him before the world began. We believe that Jesus fully satisfied the Father by atoning for all the sins of all His people. In time, we believe the Holy Spirit comes to each person that belongs to Jesus and regenerates them. Then (and only then) can anyone have faith, which is a fruit of the Spirit, by which you are able to believe the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether or not you ever hear the gospel, or believe it if you did hear it, or obey it if you did believe it, rest assured that Jesus will remain forever faithful to you because, if He died for you, He will never deny that you belong to Him.

We believe that everyone for whom Christ died will without fail be raised again from the dead to a glorified life. Even if we are alive when He returns to raise the dead, we shall be changed to a glorified life. All the Redeemed will meet the Lord in the air. Then He will take us to Heaven and there we shall forever be with the Lord. The wicked will be raised at the same time as the righteous, but the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment along with Satan and his angels. Until that glorious day when Christ returns to raise the dead, He has provided a place for His people to find rest for their souls. This place is the Church. Jesus Christ set-up His church on this earth before His death on the Cross. The church is there for those of His people who have come to believe that God saved them by His Son, Jesus Christ. To believe that Christ “paid it all” gives believers the strongest motivation to serve Him. Once enlightened to this glorious truth, then the child of God should feel an obligation to become and remain an active member of the His church. To serve the Lord in His church makes for one of the great blessings to experience this side of Heaven. It fulfills you to serve in His church and it gives your life purpose and meaning.

Living in Liberty

Elder Bryce Lowrance

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