Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson
Insight and inspiration for You!
Listen on:
Episodes
Thursday Feb 16, 2023
Thursday Feb 16, 2023
Matthew 5:14-15, You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
For many of us who are not naturally outgoing, and even somewhat introverted, the concept of being a light to the world, goes opposite our nature.
But Jesus made it very clear that what He gave us was not only for us. The life, peace, and joy that we possess was designed by God to be shared. It is part of the purpose for which he created us. What we don't need to see is a show or any kind of a spiritual circus act–bringing glory to self, and not to God. There are many ways to let your light shine without treating it like a spotlight meant for performing.
Jesus said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John.9:5). When He said to His disciples You are the light of the world, it was a call to rearrange their priorities to serve God's greater purpose. We always have our privacy, but we do not dishonor God by allowing our light to be hidden.
Jesus did not say, “You are the light of the Church.” He said, "You are the light of the world.”
Three purposes for your light:
1. God designed light to be seen. This how we hold public meetings, publish works, use social media, and more. Just because I do things the wrong way does not mean we should do nothing. That would dishonor Jesus, while honoring human arrogance.
2. Light is a guide: and in our world of bright lights, we could not imagine existing in darkness, living only by candlelight at night as people did for centuries. When we shine our light, we help people. When we do not allow our light to shine, we permit the hurt and pain of people to continue.
3. Light can be warning. Just as can show the way to good places, it can also provide advance warning of dangers ahead.
So let your light shine by making the best of the opportunities God has provided.
Reflection questions:
1. In what ways is your light, your good works, seen by others?
2. How is your life, as a light, guiding others?
3. In what ways does your life, as a light, help others avoid dangers?
Wednesday Feb 15, 2023
Wednesday Feb 15, 2023
Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.”Considering our topic today, I would you answer this question: “Who are the people who have made a difference in my life?”The answer to this question reveals the “salt” principle. Historically, there were four uses for salt.1. To Purify: Indicated by is brightness, ability to soften hard water and remove toxic metals2. To Offer: As currency, and something required with offerings by the ancient Hebrews3. To Preserve: As a chemical that retards decay in meat, allowing storage without refrigeration4. To Flavor: As an enhancement to the taste of foodA single word that can best describe the function of salt is INFLUENCE.In Leviticus 2:13, God gave a command to the Hebrews that included the use of salt;“And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.”God wanted the people use salt, not for flavor or for preservation. He wanted the people to include salt with all their offerings because it represented God's influence in their lives.Jesus said, for salt to lose its taste and saltiness, is equivalent to a loss of influence––not our influence over others, but God's influence in us. Jesus in Mark 9:50, “Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”This is an example of the salt principle at work inside the believer that can have the effect of bringing peace with others. We cannot hope to influence others positively if we are not being influenced by God.As Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
REFLECTION QUESTION:How does salt represent God’s influence?ACTION ITEMS BASED ON TODAY'S LESSON:
Tuesday Feb 14, 2023
Tuesday Feb 14, 2023
Matt. 5:10-12, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you."
We value a life free from difficulty. There’s nothing wrong with that desire, but life doesn’t always work that way.
We all face difficulties and challenges related to our purpose and tasks. If you are into customer service, you know what it’s like to be personally criticized for something that was not your doing. People are often frustrated and feel the need need to vent to whomever seems to be closest to what frustrates them. If the mail carrier delivers an overdue bill, some people become angry at the person who is only doing his or her job. If one did not study well and then fails an examination, being angry at the teacher does not make sense. There are things about human nature that are irrational and illogical, but this is the reality of human nature.
I remember when I was in art school as a 20 year old, I had a professor who was strict. He seemed to always be critical of my work. One day I called him a racist thinking that he was singling me out because I was Black. His response was “Bryan, you are delivering substandard work. I expect better and you can do better.” I felt that I was being persecuted, but in reality my professor only objectively identified where I was coming short of the standards of this prestigious art school.
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake…”
In this statement, He was not talking about everyday life. Jesus spoke specifically to those who were serving God's purposes, not their own. Persecution is suffering in the service of doing God‘s will. Because many people are at odds with God and living opposite His values, they lash at those who represent God’s purposes and values.
Persecution can take many forms. Apart from martyrdom (death), which is obviously the worst form of persecution, all other forms are intended to inflict some level of emotional pain, mental distress, with the aim towards discouraging further activity in His name. Examples include:
• Physical attacks
• Abusive words
• Rejection of one's message
• Refusal to support
• Slander and speaking negatively to others about the person serving God
But as we like to say, “Don’t get it twisted!” Peter explained:
“Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.” (1 Peter 2:20, NLT)
Getting in trouble for doing wrong IS NOT persecution! When you suffer for doing good, THIS IS persecution.
As Paul instructed Timothy, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12)
So, the blessing of being persecuted for righteousness sake is that we are in the “good company” of Jesus Christ and all those who suffered doing God’s will. From another context, we remember the late, great John Lewis, who famously said, “Speak up, speak out, get in the way. Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.”
We should do the same and more for the Gospel of Christ!
Reflection Question:
For God’s purposes, what “good trouble” have you experienced?
Friday Feb 10, 2023
Friday Feb 10, 2023
Matt. 5:9, Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called sons of God.
In Greek, the word for peace is eirēnē (εἰρήνη), and in Hebrew it is shalom. In Hebrew peace is not simply the absence of trouble. In the Bible peace means not only freedom from all trouble, it means enjoyment of all good.
Jesus did not say, “Blessed are the peace lovers.” He said “Blessed are the peace makers.” It is not enough to desire peace, but take no action to help bring it about. The spirit of peacemaking is being willing to act to bring about a better state for people.
William Barclay wrote, “The peace which the Bible calls blessed does not come from the evasion of issues; it comes from facing them, dealing with them, and conquering them. What this beatitude demands is not the passive acceptance of things because we are afraid of the trouble of doing anything about them, but the active facing of things, and the making of peace, even when the way to peace is through struggle.” (Barclay's Commentary on the New Testament:)
As I write, we are celebrating Black History Month in the United States. The work of leaders such as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an excellent example of being a peace maker. Dr. King was not just a peace lover, he did actual work to bring peace to others. Ironically, the efforts of brave Americans and Christ followers in that era revealed the hatred of white supremacists as well as the indifference of people who were content to “love peace,” but do nothing.
“We must find new ways to speak for peace… for justice throughout the developing world, a world that borders on our doors. If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight.” (M.L. King, Conscience and the Vietnam War, The Trumpet of Conscience, 1968)
The ultimate work of peacemaking, is helping people become reconciled to God, casting off their hostility to truth, rejection of light, and violence against the Holy Spirit through rebellion.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:14-16,
For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation…so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace
Jesus very life became the testament of breaking down the barriers that separated people from God. Jesus estimate peacemaker.
Reflection Question:
How is being a peace-maker more than being a peace-lover?
Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
Matthew 5:8, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
All the Beatitudes are lessons in basic living and possessing core character attributes. Being “pure in heart” is essentially operating with good and godly motivations, which answers the question: “Why am I doing what I do?”
We are all motivated by something: Items such as the desire for money, security, fame, fear of rejection, adoration, being helpful, controlling others, fulfilling a “hidden agenda,” pleasure, or other motivations. The whole reason for being a Christ follower and becoming a “new creation in Christ” (2 Cor. 5:17) is to experience a change of heart and motivation. In Christ, motivations should revolve around pleasing God, learning His ways, handling our responsibilities, loving/serving people, and doing His will as we understand it.
As a 19 year old, before becoming a Christ follower through the “new birth” at age 21, my motivation was to go to church, not to hear the Word and grow in Christ, but to see young ladies and “hang out.” We now call that behavior “church-wise,” which was akin to being “street-wise” – knowing just enough to “get over” and survive, but not to change for the better.
I was not pure in heart, and did not fool discerning adult believers who were paying attention. All that changed on July 8, 1978 when I had a genuine encounter with the risen Christ! (No time to share details here). All of the Beatitudes, which I had heard, but did not understand, became reality in my life.
The Greek word for pure is katharos (καθαρός). It is defined as: Clean, free from corrupt desire, sincere, genuine, blameless, innocent.
Nothing in us, apart of Christ, can achieve purity. That is not to say that people cannot be good and productive, but there are things only God can do with the human heart.
Again, Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
It is not that God forbids access to people who are not pure in heart, or hides himself. It is more that, any person controlled by motivations that are not genuine cannot see God because He is unrecognizable.
We’ve all had the experience of looking for something, but looking in the wrong place. The heart that is fundamentally impure either searches in wrong places, such as man-made religion, or is not interested in seeking God at all.
Being or becoming pure in heart is not something we can “work at,” it is a state of being like water being in a state of solid, liquid, or vapor. Only God can change the state of a person’s heart, and only a relationship with God through Christ will open that door.
Reflection Question:
In addition to your ideal core motivations as a Christ follower, what other real motivations control you? What needs to change?
Monday Feb 06, 2023
Monday Feb 06, 2023
Matthew 5:7, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
In our day, we talk about the importance of interpersonal skills. One of the most important of those skills is the ability to be merciful. Having mercy is much more than an emotional wave of pity. It is a deliberate effort of the mind and of the will.
There is a story in the Bible of someone who was forgiven of his debt. The sad part was, the person who was forgiven, went and demanded payment from someone who owed him some money. “He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.” (Matthew 18:21-35)
The essence of mercy is forgiveness and compassion.
"For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy" (Jas.2:13)
"So also my heavenly Father will do to everyone of you; if you do not forgive your brother from your heart" (Matt. 18:35).
"Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors". "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matt. 6:12,14,15)
Having mercy requires empathy. We just don't feel for people, we attempt to feel with people.
In the Bible languages, one of the words for mercy carries this idea: The wish to get inside the other person's skin until we can see things with his eyes, think things with his mind, and feel things with his feelings.” (Barclay)
Most people are so consumed with their own feelings that there is no room to be concerned with the feelings of anyone else.
Among the greatest attributes of God is His love and mercy for humanity.
Jesus came to the earth (Emmanuel, “God with us.”), took the form of a human, and dealt with all of the pressures and temptations of being human. This gave God the “data” or the experiential knowledge He needed show mercy towards you, me, and all people!
The present blessing of mercy from this Beatitude is that our hearts are broken for others. Mercy paves the way for us to be useful in the lives of others.
Reflection Question:
For whom do you need to show mercy?
Sunday Feb 05, 2023
Sunday Feb 05, 2023
Matthew 5:6, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled (satisfied)
We live a discontented, dissatisfied world. Seems like nothing is good enough and we find room to complain while experiencing many of the best conditions in life here in the USA. We are very aware of all the things that are wrong, and don’t ignore those conditions, but we should be intentional about thinking on the things that are good.
The Apostle Paul wrote, Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (Philippians 4:8)
A function of having hunger and thirst for righteousness is focusing on right things. Biblical righteousness is “right standing with God.” Righteousness is living inside of God’s goodness. Righteousness is also “standing in the right place.”
There is something about God’s righteousness that adjusts our attitude, helps us focus on good things, removes religious arrogance, and cancels self-righteousness.
The fact is that very few of us in modern conditions of life know what it is to be really hungry or really thirsty. In the ancient world it was very different. A working man's wage was the equivalent of three pence a day, and, even making every allowance for the difference in the purchasing power of money, no man ever got fat on that wage. A working man in Palestine ate meat only once a week, and in Palestine the working man and the day labourer were never far from the border-line of real hunger and actual starvation. (Barclay)
Hunger and thirst is a passion for something needed, like food and shelter, not just something we want like a bigger television. In our culture, we confuse wants with necessities. We hunger and thirst because righteousness is NOT something we possess without Christ. In Christ, we are righteous, but we are only aware of it through fellowship with God.
The question to ask yourself is this: How much do I want God’s goodness, provision, and righteousness? Do you want it as much as a starving man wants food? How intense is your desire for God?
A takeaway from this Beatitude is this: It is not enough to be satisfied with partial goodness and righteousness, because here is no such thing as partial with with God. He wants us FILLED with whatever He offers. So, don’t settle for less.
Reflection Question:
What does God's goodness, provision, and righteousness look like to you?
Saturday Feb 04, 2023
Saturday Feb 04, 2023
Matthew 5:5, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.Many years ago, I watched a television commercial in which a young Charles Barclay said, “The meek may inherit the earth, but they won’t get the ball from me."In first two Beatitudes Jesus used words like poor, mourning, and in the third, meek. In the fourth Beatitude Jesus used the words hunger and thirst. It seems that Jesus turned conventional wisdom and normal thinking upside down. He elevated “weak” words.
In popular culture, especially in a hyper-masculine culture, there’s nothing about being meek that is admired. Meekness is often seen as weakness.There is nothing weak about Jesus or the Kingdom of God. A “meek” Jesus did the following as recorded by Matthew:Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.“It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” (Matthew 21:12-13)I like to also point out that these were not folding chairs and card tables that He turned over. These had to be benches and tables of wood and stone––heavy items! This indicates Jesus’ physical strength and likely strong physique. Something else we don’t attribute to “meek” men.So true meekness must be something other and timidity and inaction. We see Jesus’ righteous indignation (angry with good reason) and bold actions to address injustice within a holy space.The definition of the words meek and meekness are deeper than we usually think. Being meek involves gentleness, but not without conviction and willingness to take action.Barclay’s Commentary offers this interpretation based on the Greek word for “meek” πραΰς (praus) as it was understood in the First Century: “Blessed is the man who is always angry at the right time, and never angry at the wrong time.”(Note that Jesus understood and spoke primarily in Hebrew, as well as Aramaic, Greek, and some Latin. What became New Testament Gospels and Epistles were written in Greek with some phrases from other languages)True meekness has the components of self-control and having a proper disposition for the occasion. Meek people have humility which banishes all pride.A person who is meek, as Jesus defined and demonstrated it, is someone God can entrust with inheriting the Earth. A meek person is someone who can become responsible for things far greater than himself. For example, we would never want someone too rash or too timid to handle important business. Meekness is essential to caring for people, serving people, and even correcting people.There is truly no weakness within genuine meekness!REFLECTION QUESTION:Why is there no weakness within meekness? Provide an example of true meekness from your life.ACTION ITEMS BASED ON TODAY'S LESSON:
___________________________
RESOURCES:• Message by Dr. Tony Evans, "Blessed Are the Spiritual Beggars" (Matthew 5:3)https://go.tonyevans.org/tony-evans-sermons/blessed-are-the-spiritual-beggars• Follow this link to a resource from Zondervan Academic on the Beatitutes:https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/beatitudes
• Follow this link to a resource on the Beatitudes from BibleGateway:https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2022/08/what-are-the-beatitudes-why-are-the-beatitudes-important/
• Follow THIS LINK (or copy/paste) to a resource from Zondervan Academic: https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/beatitudes
• Follow THIS LINK (or copy/paste) to the web version of Barclay's Commentary on the New Testament: https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dsb.html
• THIS LINK is a downloadable PDF of Barclay's Commentary
_______________
Listen to the Teaching
“The Beatitudes: Blessing on Purpose”
Friday Feb 03, 2023
Friday Feb 03, 2023
Matt. 5:4, Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Typically, we only associate mourning with the death of a loved one. This is the correct meaning of the word, along with “to lament” and “to weep.” Mourning is not limited to death. We also mourn, or show compassion, for any situation that leaves people sad, hurt, or lacking. When we mourn, remember that Jesus wants someone comforted. Comfort is help on every level.
As with all the Beatitudes, Jesus highlighted something in the present, neither looking back nor looking ahead. He also highlighted the importance of a worship relationship with God as well as a service oriented relationship with others. Mourning is founded in caring intensely for the sufferings, the sorrows, and for the needs of others. (Barclay)
The blessing is in bringing comfort to others in finding comfort within yourself––as a by-product of caring. Looking back at the first Beatitude, we saw that it is always right to be detached from things, but it is never right to be detached from people. Being callous and unconcerned is easy. Caring for people is hard, but nothing else carries a greater reward. Caring is love in action. God is love. When we carry God’s type of love, people are helped and circumstances change..
All Sunshine Makes a Desert
Blessed is the man who has endured the bitterest sorrow that life can bring. The Arabs have a proverb: "All sunshine makes a desert." The land on which the sun always shines will soon become an arid place in which no fruit will grow. There are certain things which only the rains will produce; and certain experiences which only sorrow can beget.” (Barclay)
The essence of being a Christ Follower is caring to the level where we have empathy for people, not just sympathy. It has been said that sympathy is to feel for someone, while empathy is the feel with people. This is not something we naturally can do as humans. It's one of the unique aspects of being made in gods image and likeness, and then even more, to have the heart and mind of Christ.
Mourning produces in us a special kind of kindness toward people. It fosters a compassion that we would not gain without entering into sorrow and mourning. When things go well it is possible to live for years on the surface of things. However, when sorrow comes, we are driven to the deeper things of life. As we mourn, walking with Christ and assisting others, we find a new strength and a unique measure of comfort.
We don’t have to wait for difficult events come upon us causing mourning, through love we can choose to mourn over (be concerned about) others. Again, this leads to comfort for others and for yourself.
Reflection question:
For what or whom can you mourn that will cause compassion to rise in you leading to action and comfort? Be specific,
Thursday Feb 02, 2023
Thursday Feb 02, 2023
Matthew 5:3, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Our western, American, prosperity-driven, materialistic mindset wants nothing to do with anything “poor.” So we should not be surprised if a person’s first, uninformed, reaction to words like, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” would be “No way! Not me!” Sometimes people only read “blessed are the poor…”If material poverty was the will of God, Jesus would have never provided for people in need or told us to do the same for others. One commentary compared being poor in spirit to “bankruptcy.” This is a poor example because declaring bankruptcy comes from either unforeseen circumstances or irresponsible behavior.There is great wealth for those who are willing to be poor in spirit.In biblical Greek there are two words for “poor.” There is the word penes which describes someone who works for a living and who rises or falls based on his own efforts. Penes is not the word used in this Beatitude.The other word is ptochos, which describes a person who has absolutely nothing. This is the word used in Matthew 5:3. The idea is that a Christ and Kingdom follower has made the decision to place all of his/her trust in God rather than in material things and earthly resources.We make the decision to fill our hearts (our spirit) with God’s presence and spiritual resources. We place priority on this objective more than material gain. As Jesus also said later in this same sermon:“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 5:33)It was as if Jesus said, “When you make the choice to place my Kingdom and purposes above your own ambitions, abandon your craving for things, live to give, and forsake striving for status, I will open doors for you to find greater blessings in my Kingdom.” (my words)One of the things you will quickly notice about people who truly serve God, in the Bible and in life is this: They never lack material things and needed resources unless they decide to go without it!
There is great wealth in being poor in spirit! That wealth is oriented in this order of priority: 1) spirit, 2) soul, 3) body. God’s way is never oriented as, 1) body, 2) soul, 3) spirit.Materially rich and poor people can commit the same sin of the heart: Lusting for money and things. The rich person (or wasteful person) lusts for stuff and gets it. The poor person lusts for stuff and does not get it (or gets it, but is unable to sustain it).So, declare yourself to be ptochos, so that Jesus can open to you the doors of His Kingdom and release blessings through the “windows of heaven.” (Malachi 3:10)REFLECTION QUESTION:
Based on this lesson, what does being “poor in spirit look like to you?”
ACTION ITEMS BASED ON TODAY'S LESSON:
___________________________
RESOURCES:• Message by Dr. Tony Evans, "Blessed Are the Spiritual Beggars" (Matthew 5:3)https://go.tonyevans.org/tony-evans-sermons/blessed-are-the-spiritual-beggars• Follow this link to a resource from Zondervan Academic on the Beatitutes:https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/beatitudes
• Follow this link to a resource on the Beatitudes from BibleGateway:https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2022/08/what-are-the-beatitudes-why-are-the-beatitudes-important/
• Follow THIS LINK (or copy/paste) to a resource from Zondervan Academic: https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/beatitudes
• Follow THIS LINK (or copy/paste) to the web version of Barclay's Commentary on the New Testament: https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dsb.html
• THIS LINK is a downloadable PDF of Barclay's Commentary
_______________
Listen to the Teaching
“The Beatitudes: Blessing on Purpose”