Friday, October 28, 2011

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday October 30, 2011

LIVING AS GOD’S PEOPLE
(GOD blesses those who realize their need for HIM)
(Matthew 5:1-12)

JESUS’, now famous, “Sermon on the mount” demonstrates the standard of righteousness that GOD demands from each of us who profess to be interested in following HIM. Some of these standards are laid out to us in general terms, while others are very specific. There are also others that are apocalyptic in nature, as they refer to, or pertain to, future times.
In Matthew chapters 5-7, the Apostle Matthew highlights JESUS’ most well-known sermon, “The Sermon on the Mount”. It is a discourse which took place on an unknown mountaintop, somewhere in Galilee, and probably near Capernaum, nearly 2000 years ago. There JESUS begins HIS sermon with a series of statements that serve to gradually shape the attitude of those who choose to follow HIM.
In the New Testament Greek, the word used for “blessed” is “makarios” (mak-ar-ree-os) and it describes that “joy” which finds its secret within itself. It is a joy that is serene and untouchable. It is self-contained and is totally independent and immune to the oppressions of this world. It is an attitude that is not affected by the chances and changes of everyday life. It is, in fact, “a Heavenly state of being” that JESUS is speaking of here, when HE first introduces the world to HIS list of “Beatitudes” in Matthew chapter 5, verses 2-11.
Here in this passage, if one looks closely, he can clearly see the difference between “happiness” and “joy”. We already know, through our many life experiences, that happiness is temporal, and tends to leave us every time something goes wrong in our lives. Every time we experience problems and adversity, happiness is the first thing out the door. That is why GOD does not promise us happiness, but rather, HE assures us that, with HIM, we will always have a “joy” that will transcend the sorrows and trials of this world. HE wishes to “bless” us, and to bless us, is to give us a joy that cannot be found in the people and things of this world, but can only be found in CHRIST JESUS. With JESUS, we will be able to experience the bliss of a “permanent joy” that nothing in this world can change or take away.
Reading through this list of beatitudes one can envision a mountain that we need to climb in order to reach the state of mind, or obtain the “attitude” of a person who is pleasing to GOD. Picture yourself at the foot of a mountain ready to begin your ascent to the top, and beyond to the bottom of the opposite side.
The first beatitude JESUS gives us is “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven”. A person who is “poor in spirit” is a person who realizes and admits their need for GOD. That is the first step that a person has to make in order to come to GOD, we must first, come to the end of ourselves.
JESUS then says, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted”. To mourn is to “earnestly repent” for having lived a life that was not pleasing to GOD. That is when your heart tells GOD that you are now ready to change your mind about the way you live.
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth”. To be humble is the step that one must now take. GOD always blesses those who are gentle and lowly.
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled”. At this step we can now begin to see over the top of the mountain, as we seek to walk in the light of the righteousness of CHRIST. We begin to hunger and thirst after fairness for others, being fair to others, and living a just life with others.
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy”. Now we begin our descent down the other side, as we begin to show mercy to others as GOD shows mercy to us. We now begin to reflect HIS image to others through our own behavior.
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see GOD”. We now have a heart for GOD and can now see what GOD is like by looking at the life of CHRIST with a greater understanding.
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of GOD. The person who has a heart for GOD has a mind for peace, and they seek peace through their positive actions. He or she works for peace because they now have become a child of GOD through their faith in HIM. He or she can now handle the three battles that every human being faces, The Battle within ourselves between reason and passion, Our battle with each other, and, Our war with GOD HIMSELF, by way of our sins against HIM.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven”. Now that we are over the mountain, it is time to go to work for “the GOD WHO sees us”, and WHO saved us from ourselves. We are now fully equipped to triumph over the persecution that we will surely endure because we now live for GOD. Be joyous about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits us in Heaven. Amen.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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Friday, October 21, 2011

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday October 23, 2011

TRUE LOVE
(True love is a gift from GOD, and can only be achieved with GOD)
(Song of Solomon 4)

The Song of Solomon, or, “Song of Songs”, is, quite simply, a love song, written by King Solomon, to his bride. It does not mention GOD, nor claim to be a message from GOD. Instead, it is a drama in poetry, of a love story that captures the yearning of a bride and a bridegroom for each other, and celebrates the mystery and joy of human love. Here in chapter 4, the lover, Solomon, responds with praise for his beloved bride.
True love is the gift that GOD gave to mankind when HE shaped Adam for Eve, and then, formed Eve from Adam. It is, in all honesty, a refreshing affirmation of the biblical view that, in the union of a husband and wife, there exists, a rewarding and total intimacy that can be cherished for all time.
Jewish scholars treat this book of scripture as an allegory of GOD’s love for Israel, or CHRIST’s love for the church, rather than accept it for what it is. They apparently feel uncomfortable with the explicit sexual references that are found here in this poetic rendering. However, it is probably best that we accept this beautiful poem for what it is, and that is, a wonderful celebration of GOD’s gift of “married love”.
The Song of Solomon is scripture’s most explicit exploration of human sexual relationships. In fact, with the exception of this book, the Old, and the New Testament tend to speak of sex indirectly. Scripture, for the most part, deals with, and honors sex as a private and rather personal matter, which, I agree that it really is. And this observation does not even begin to suggest that scripture has a negative view of sex. In fact, the creation story itself, affirms the sexual nature of human beings, and at one and the same time, carefully guards the mystery of sex, so that its special nature and power to bond husband and wife as one, would not be lost to sin.
GOD, through HIS Word, condemns all sexual expressions outside of marriage between a man and a woman (Leviticus 18 & 20:10-21). Adultery, pre-marital sex, and prostitution, as well as sexual perversions such as homosexuality, incest, and lying with animals are forbidden. However, within heterosexual marriages, GOD affirms our freedom to enjoy the gift of pleasurable sexual activity.

The Holy Bible identifies three specific functions of sex in human life:

(1). Procreation (Genesis 1:28),
(2). To satisfy urges that are implicit in human nature (1 Corinthians 7:3-5, 9).
(3). Sex is “sacramental” in the bonding of man and woman as one spirit (Genesis 2:24).

By preserving sexual expression for marriage, GOD is giving it a unique power to unify man and wife, and, as this act is repeated, commitment is constantly re-affirmed, trust grows, and two actually do become one on the most profound levels of their personalities.
This literary masterpiece by Solomon, invites us to lift the veil off sexual intimacy and partake in the joy and unity that sex can help create in a marriage. Marriage is the institution that brings GOD to human sexual relationships. It seems quite obvious that when we look at the state of human relationships, marital statistics, and the general state of the world, and the Church, that, we are still not grasping what GOD is trying to teach us, through HIS word.
With all of the sexual immorality and sexual perversion by professed Christians and non-Christians alike, accelerating at an alarming rate, and, with the divorce rate of both being almost identical, it becomes quite apparent that we still have not conceded to that great fundamental truth, that, without GOD, even in love, mankind can’t do anything right, for too long.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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Friday, October 14, 2011

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday October 16, 2011

LIFE WORTH LIVING
(You’re never too old to remember your CREATOR)
(Ecclesiastes 11 & 12)

In Ecclesiastes chapters 11 & 12, King Solomon concludes his exploration into human ethics as he teaches on generosity and diligence, and also, gives a final bit of advice to the young, on how they should pursue a life that incorporates the will of GOD. He says that generosity and diligence in our youth will pay off handsomely when we are old. Also, Solomon says that it is a bad idea to put off the things in our youth for a later date that can and should, be done today. If we wait for prefect conditions, then nothing will ever get done (Ecclesiastes 11:1-4).
The ways of GOD are oftentimes hard to discern. HIS ways can be as elusive and invisible as the wind, and as mysterious as a child being formed in a mother’s womb. We shouldn’t waste time trying to figure GOD out, but rather, we should only concentrate on that which HE reveals to us in HIS word. We should stay busy, experimenting and utilizing the wide variety of methods which GOD has provided for us to live and survive by. Otherwise, a person will never know what their niche in life is, and just how GOD wants us to use those provisions to serve HIM through our, pre-ordained, personal gifts and talents (Ecclesiastes 11:5-6).
In Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:8, Solomon, for the most part, urges us to rejoice in our youth, through “responsible living”. In fact, this passage can actually be divided into three sections. The first section, 11:7-8, is a call for us to enjoy life, even in the view of impending death. In this section, Solomon writes metaphorically of “light” and “darkness” as elements of “life” and “death”. Here he encourages his readers to enjoy life as it comes, because “life” is like “the pleasant light of the sun”, and it should be enjoyed before “the coming darkness of night”, or “death”. Here Solomon is writing from the Old Testament perspective that “the grave”, for the most part, was considered one’s eternal home.
In the second section, 11:9-10, Solomon urges that our “enjoyment of life” start during our youth, because our formative years can get away from us very quickly. However, he also warns that our enjoyment must be resigned to “responsible living”, because ultimately, everyone is answerable to GOD. All of mankind will have to make an account to GOD for the deeds done in his or her lifetime.
In the third section, 12:1-7, Solomon stresses the importance of the “responsible enjoyment” of youth, because “old age”, is a time of increasing erosion and corrosion of one’s personal skills and physical body, which will ultimately culminate in death. We should honor GOD while we are still in our youth, and are still able to enjoy life and serve GOD to the fullest. We should worship and serve GOD with our “best self”, instead of waiting until we are all used up, and can offer HIM only “what is left of us”. Solomon brilliantly uses this description of death to motivate “responsible living in our youth”. It is, in effect, a reversal of Creation, as our spirit returns to GOD WHO gave it, and we are, in the end, judged by HIM.
Because the “Teacher”, Solomon, was wise, he taught the people everything that he knew about life. He collected and classified many proverbs. He taught the plain truth, and, he did it in a rather interesting way. A wise teacher’s words can spur a student to action, especially when those words emphasize important truths. These collected adages of Solomon can guide us like a shepherd, and lead us to success in the biblical sense.
We have to be careful not to be overly concerned about our success in the worldly sense. Remember, success in GOD’s eyes is far different from what is deemed success in the world’s eyes. We have to be successful in GOD’s eyes before we can enjoy eternal life with HIM in Heaven. Success in GOD’s eyes comes when we realize the purpose for which we came into the world, and that is to serve GOD with all that HE has given us.
There is no end to the worldly advice and opinions that are expressed to us daily, throughout our lifetime. And if we study them too much, we can very easily exhaust all of our remaining days sorting through them, and still end up needing GOD in our life to achieve the right kind of success. To be successful in the only way that counts, we have to fear GOD enough to want to obey HIM, starting in our youth, and in the end, GOD will judge us for everything that we do, including every secret thing, be it good, or bad (Ecclesiastes 12:9-14).

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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Thursday, October 6, 2011

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday October 9, 2011

THE SUPERIORITY OF WISDOM
(Quiet wisdom can prevail)
(Ecclesiastes 9:13-18)

In the biblical Greek, the word used for “Preacher” is “Ecclesiastes”, and in the biblical Hebrew, it is “Qoheleth” (Ko-heh-leth). Qoheleth is the name by which King Solomon identifies himself in the book of Ecclesiastes in his original writings. In this book, Solomon attempts to display the dark philosophy of a person who looked for peace, apart from GOD, and of course, in the end, realizes how futile that is.
This books pessimistic tone may seem somewhat out of place in the bible, which is, for the most part, a book of vibrant hope and inspiration for all who choose to seek GOD’s directions in life. However, here Solomon is trying to teach us a valuable lesson by showing us how unproductive it is to search for life’s answers through the senses, or, through the material world, rather than through seeking wisdom from GOD.
Solomon loved wisdom and he seemed to embrace it closer than anything else in his life, most of the time. He wholeheartedly believed in the precious value of incorporating GOD’s wisdom in all of life’s situations, and he lent very little credence to relying on “human wisdom” to solve the problems he faced during his reign as king.
Ecclesiastes 9:1-11:6 is characterized by the repeating of the phrases “no man knows” and “you do not know”, as this section deals with man’s inability to predict what will happen in life, be it good or bad. However, probably the key phrase to consider in the book of Ecclesiastes is the one “under the sun”, which is used 29 times in this book. Whenever we see this phrase, it describes how Solomon was looking at life from a human, rather than a heavenly, perspective, and we all know, life from a human perspective can often look bleak, hopeless, and meaningless.
When we choose to go our own way, we automatically move farther and farther away from GOD, and, in the end, the separation has become so wide, that GOD has been reduced to this obscure figure in our lives whom we once knew, and, of which then, we will seek only to avoid. The farther Solomon got away from GOD, the emptier, and more meaningless his life became. He began to see no advantage to following GOD, because the same experiences and fates befell people, regardless of their spiritual perspective. He lost sight of the truth that when good things happen to righteous people, they bless GOD and the people around them, but when good things happen to unbelievers, it only serves as a test to those observing believers whose faith in GOD is not where it should be. Whenever Christians envy worldly people, it is a sign that their hearts are not fixed on GOD as it should be, and they are not sold on the truth that GOD is in control.
In Ecclesiastes 9:13-18, Solomon relates the story of a small town whose citizens faced the threat of being overtaken by a powerful king, and it is in his darkened human perspective that he recalls this incident. There was a poor, but wise man who dwelt among the citizenry of that town that knew of a way to save it from certain doom. Solomon doesn’t say exactly how the man managed to rescue the town, however, one can only surmise that it was through some sort of cleaver negotiations since, apparently, no shots were fired. We are told, also, that the poor man was soon forgotten, because of his insignificant social status in the town, and, that he lived out the remainder of his life in obscurity despite his valuable contribution to their survival.
Solomon was highly impressed by this incident and he seemed to draw very strong conclusions from it. He says he learned from it, that, even though wisdom is better than physical strength, those who are wise may be despised if they are poor, and what they say, won’t be appreciated for long. Even so, the quiet words of a wise person are better than the shouts of a foolish king. A wise person can overcome strong weapons of war, but one foolish sinner can destroy a multitude of good things (Vs. 16-18).
And so, Solomon concedes in the end that GODly wisdom is greater than physical strength, but he still seems irritated by the fact that no one else seems to notice. However, even when doing the right thing seems to go unnoticed by man, or does not result in personal victory or recognition, what’s important is that GOD is taking note, and we need to always try to do the right thing every single time anyway. Doing the right thing will never go unnoticed by GOD, no matter how stupid the world may make you feel for doing it. After all, we have to keep in mind that “it is the world” and all of scripture tells us, that, the world belongs to satan, and is thereby, anti-CHRIST. At some point, we have to stop expecting good things from a world that insists on being apart from GOD. “Only GOD is good”- JESUS CHRIST (Mark 10:18).

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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