BLESSED ARE THEY THAT MOURN (from Christian Insights)

BLESSED ARE THEY THAT MOURN (from CHRISTIAN INSIGHTS)
In the beatitudes of Jesus, one "grabbed" me the other day. It is Matthew 5:4 Blessed [are] they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
We all know what mourning means to human beings. It means to be sorrowful or downcast over a loss or some other catastrophy. This is as it should be. We MUST give expression to our grief. Grief and grieving are NOT WRONG. In fact, they are a NECESSARY PART of life. "Happy" are they that mourn.
But someone mentioned that the word which Jesus used on the Mount could also mean "Blessed are those who REPENT."
The mourning, in this case, would be because of our lives coming short of the Ways of God. We all do-- every day.
We all are falling far short of the Glory of God. Failure is the story of each of our lives.
We were never promised eternal life and the blessings of God because of any goodness we have within ourselves. It is always based upon our faith in His Atonement for us at the Heavenly Mercy Seat. We can NEVER get good enough to earn it.
"Happy" are we, if we walk in continual repentance, and thanksgiving to God for His Mercy toward us. "Happy" or "Blessed", because walking in repentance opens the way for added blessings from God, over and above being saved from our sins.
"For they shall be comforted." The word "Comforted" comes from the word used to describe the work of the Holy Ghost in our life-- One called alongside-- the Paraklete.
The main purpose of the Holy Ghost is to lead into Truth. John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
I Corinthians 2:10 -- for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
It is as simple as that. If we want to know more about God, walk in repentance rather than pride of man.
Have you noticed that most of the real scholars of the Word are men of great humility? Psalms 25:14 The secret of the LORD [is] with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.



This formula for personal revival was quoted by Larry Lundstrom is his January 1998 news letter.

1) Get thoroughly dissatisfied with yourself. Complacency is the deadlyenemy of spiritual progress.The contented soul is a stagnant soul.
2)Set your face like a flint toward a sweeping transformation of yourlife. Timid experiments are tagged for failure before they start. We must throw our whole soul into our desire for God.

3)Put yourself in the way of blessing. Its a mistake to expect Gods help to comeas a windfall apart from conditions known and met. To desire revival, and at the same time to neglect prayer and devotion, is to wish one way and walk another.

4)Do a thorough job of repenting. Hasty repentance means a shallow spiritual experience. Let Godly sorrow do her healing work. It is our wretched habit of toleration sin that keeps us in our half-dead condition.

5)Make restitution wherever possible. If you owe a debt pay it. If you have quarreled with anyone, go as far as you can to achieve reconciliation. As fully as possible, make the crooked straight.

6)Bring your life into accord with the Sermon on the Mount and other such New Testament Scriptures as are designed to instruct in the way of righteousness. An honest man with an open Bible and a pad and pencil is sure to find out what’s wrong with him quickly.

7)Be serious minded. The people of the world used to go to the movies to escape serious thinking about God and religion. There must be a radical change in your habits, or there will not be any permanent improvement in your interior life.

8)Deliberately narrow your interests. Too many projects use up time and energy without bringing us nearer to God. The mansions of the heart will become larger when the doors are thrown open to Christ and closed against the world and sin.

9)Begin to witness. Find something to do for God, and your fellowman. Make yourself available. Do anything you are asked to do. Learn to obey.

10) Have faith in God. Begin to expect. Look up toward the throne. All heaven is on your side. God will not disappoint you.

These suggestions constitute a formula for personal revival. When personal revival is experienced, there is no knowing how far it may spread. The Church is in desperate need of a spiritual resurrection and it can only come through the revived individual