First Things First: Navigating Our Challenging Times Through the Words of Jesus

By Jay Slife

The Beatitudes are Jesus cutting to the quick, laying it all out there in its fullness with no pretext or pretense for us to hear, embrace, experience, and follow. They are not just godly parameters by which to pattern your life. They are his heart, his character, and his personality. It is through these relational characteristics, and the principles they develop, that he is inviting us to live our lives.
First Things First is a compelling and transformational writing that clearly and comprehensively reveals the Beatitudes as a roadmap for navigating the challenging times in which we live. They are essential and critical biblical teachings and applications for all of life. Brought into today with contemporary examples, they will change your life. What these Beatitudes bring to the table are revolutionary to the twenty-first century. They offer a means of living life that is totally contrary to the collective understanding and the common knowledge of the day. And, if embraced and followed, the Beatitudes bring not only a new perspective but a new manner of living.
This is not some new self-help concept, some seven-step model to a new and improved you. To the contrary, this is life as designed and intended by the Creator. First Things First will unlock the strategies hidden within the Beatitudes, strategies needed to build a life with right standing and healthy relationships. A life with true value, purpose, and meaning—directly from the heart of Jesus to you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9781973665250

Jay Slife

Jay Slife is the founder and senior pastor of reBuild, a harp-and-bowl style house of prayer, and the cofounder and a primary educator with The Build, a live and online training, empowering, and releasing center, aimed primarily at the millennial generation. His thirty-eight years of ministry, including roles as planting and senior pastor, small group pastor, and various other leadership positions, have equipped him well to raise up others in all facets of life, including the life of ministry. His passion is to help people find their place of depth, service, and ministry, thus bringing fulfillment to their walk with Jesus and glory to his name. He holds a master of divinity from Fuller Theological Seminar and is currently a doctoral candidate. Jay and his wife, Julia, have been married for forty-three years, live in Colorado Springs, and have four wonderful, adult children, all of whom are serving Jesus. They enjoy spending time together while hiking, enjoying good coffee, and listening to good jazz. Jay is also the proud owner of a vintage Honda Gold Wing, which they love riding in the mountains.

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Copyright © 2019 Jay Slife.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture marked KJV taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

Scripture quotations marked (AMP) are taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (RSV) are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-6523-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-6524-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-6525-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019943860

WestBow Press rev. date 07/15/2019

Dedication

T his book is dedicated to my wife, Julia, who is my lifelong soul mate, my best friend, my confidant, mine to the end. She is the one who stood by my side through it all, never giving up, always encouraging me. She is the one with whom I have learned life. She is the one my heavenly Father used to demonstrate to me, over and over until I got it, the tangible reality of unconditional love. Thank you, my dear and precious wife, for all that you are.

Contents

Introduction   

Chapter 1   First Things

Chapter 2   Bless-ed

Chapter 3   The poor in spirit

Chapter 4   Those Who Mourn

Chapter 5   Prautes, Part One

Chapter 6   Prautes, Part Two

Chapter 7   Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

Chapter 8   Coalescence

Chapter 9   The Merciful, the Pure, the Peacemakers

Chapter 10   Points of Application

Chapter 11   The Day in Which We Live

Chapter 12   Salt and Light

Endnotes

Introduction

A Word for You

I t has been my experience, in sixty-plus years of living and thirty-eight-plus years in the realm of Christian ministry, that many who believe in and call on the name of Jesus are so beat up, so beat down, or so guilt or shame driven for any number of reasons, some self-inflicted and some not, that they see God and his Word negatively. They see it from a vantage point wherein his communiqués are just another thing I can’t live up to. Or, His Word just does not add up for me and my life experience.

For many, this place is where they live, it is how they feel, it is their experience, and it is understood in all its difficulty. Perhaps this is the case for you. The sense and personal reality of this seems true; it feels true. Jesus has a different understanding; he sees a bigger picture.

I am choosing to start this adventure with something that offers what is true, perhaps to be seen from a different perspective, perhaps to be seen for the first time:

Ephesians chapter 1 is an absolute diamond mine regarding what is true about who and what you are, whether or not you see it, agree with it, understand it, or accept it. Let’s look at a few of the diamonds:

In verse 1 it says, "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus" (emphasis mine).

You are the want of God

Paul states, and is operating in, the will of God. If you are born again and actively working at walking with Jesus, you also are operating in the will of God probably more than you realize, and perhaps more than you are giving yourself credit for. The Greek word used here translates into English as will, the will of God. It can also be translated as want, as it is in some other places in the New Testament. It is the will of God; it is also the want of God.¹ Thus, it is fair and accurate to say and understand that you are the want of God. He wants you. In whatever state or condition you currently reside. In your state of uncertainty, confusion, unconfessed or ongoing sin, fear, bondage, struggle, or misery, he wants you. In your state of bliss, joy, fulfillment, confidence, and victory, he wants you. And anywhere in between you may find yourself, he wants you.

You are part of the faithful in God

We are all in the process of development. Theologically it is called sanctification. Practically it is called character development. None of us has arrived; none of us will on this side of glory. It is not about arriving; it is all about the process, the journey. If you are actively seeking and pursuing personal relationship with Jesus, you are part of the faithful in God. This is true regardless of how it might seem, feel, or look. You and your perspectives are not the unit of measure here; his are. (More on this later.) A case in point would be Abraham, who is called the father of the faith, who was called righteous.² And yet he stumbled. He lied, he failed, he covered up and manipulated. He made and accumulated many mistakes, some quite course-changing and historical. So why is he then called and counted as righteous? Because he was faithful. Because he recognized, and lived, in the faithfulness of his God. Because despite all the circumstances and situations that stood in front of him, many of which were simply beyond his control, he trusted that Yahweh was who he said he was and would do what he said he would do. He could be trusted. If you know Jesus, then in your heart of hearts you know that to be true. That makes you part of the faithful in God.

You are an awful thing!

The word saint is accurately and most often defined as set apart or sacred. It means to be physically pure, morally blameless, and even ceremonially consecrated. If you are born again, then in, by, and through the blood of Jesus this is who you are.

But check it out: the base meaning of saint is awful thing.³ That is Old English spelling. In today’s world, it would be spelled awe-full thing. It means one inspiring awe. It means highly impressive. The Lord, the Creator of the Universe, is here saying that you cause him to be full of awe. He is in awe of and over you! Awe means a sense of reverence and wonder inspired by the greatness or superiority of a person; so inspiring as to bring on an immobilizing effect.⁴ That is what the Lord Most High thinks of you! According to him:

You are awful!

You inspire awe in God!

You bring a sense of wonder to him by your very being!

You bring an immobilizing effect upon him!

You are so grand as to stop him in his tracks!

You take his breath away!

You are awe-full!

Now, that’s the truth about you!

In verses 17–19 it says,

…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better, … that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints [the awful things], and his incomparably great power for us who believe. (emphasis mine)

You are to be the receptor of his hope, richness, and power

Jesus wants to give you his wisdom, his revelation. He wants to open your heart to that place where you can see and know his heart. He wants to do this for you so that you can fully embrace the hope he has for you, the richness of his inheritance, which is you. You are his inheritance, and his glory, power, and presence. He wants all of this not only for you but with you! Again, that’s the truth about you, and that’s good news!

To Be Noted

• I am operating under the assumption that the following is true. Hebrews 4:12 says, For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. The word judge in this place is not as it may seem. It is not to judge things or people. It is to weigh and measure for the purpose of help, growth, and fulfillment. Thus, the word is not for the purpose of judgment as much as for encouragement, edification, direction, and help for us. Within the same context, four verses later it says, Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need. The Word is the standard for all of life. It truly is the operator’s manual for all of life! It has been said that when all else fails, read the owner’s manual. I choose to study in and live by the Manual before all else fails!

• I bring English, Greek, and Hebrew grammar, word study, and literary tools to the table for several reasons. One is that language morphs over time, which means that definitions, meanings, nuances, and understandings often morph as well. The Word itself does not morph, but the words therein, when bringing them forward into the current day, can bring some confusion. It is always best and most accurate to return to the manuscripts, the writings that are as close to the original as possible. This leaves less room for error. Some interpretations are wonderful, very close, and accurate; some not so much. To get to the original languages and writings is to get to the original meanings, nuances, implications, and the like.

• These elements of language are like numbers. Numbers do not lie; they are just numbers. Although they can be manipulated to say whatever one wishes, as they stand, they don’t lie. These elements are the same. When allowed to stand on their own without manipulation, misreading, or misapplication, the fullest meaning and thus application will come forth. Any language is a complex beast! It must be respected as it stands and understood from that place. The true position regarding the Word of God is then seen. I have the choice: stand in my own understanding, which truly is based on the human issues of fear, pride, and rebellion, and adjust the Word to me—or walk in brokenness and humility and allow the Word to adjust me to him (John 1).

• There is an assumption within the previous paragraph. When we get to the fullest meaning of the words, the text, we then get to the fullest possible application. This presumes that behind our pursuit of the Word is Holy Spirit working the fullness of him, of his Word into us. This then assumes two things. One, we are not driving the text for our own purposes. This is called proof-texting, which is man leading the Word to his conclusions for his gain. It is unfortunately all too common. Two, we are allowing the Author to lead, to have his way, to work his truth from his Word into our hearts and minds, into our lives. This is Lordship, his and distinctly not ours.

• There are times when I refer to the Septuagint. It is a Greek rendering of the Old Testament, which is almost entirely Hebrew. The Septuagint was the Bible of preference for good reason for over six hundred years. It was translated by Hebrew men who were also scholars but lived in a world where Greek was the common language of the day, and so it is highly respected as perhaps the most accurate and exact Hebrew-to-Greek translation of the Old Testament.

• On several occasions throughout this book, I interject the word [Selah]. This word comes from the Psalms. It is probably a musical term because many of the Psalms are actually songs. It most often means to pause, to rest, to stop, and even to meditate or consider. Here, it is intended to encourage the reader to take a pause and let the thought or idea you’ve just read catch up to you. Then think and meditate about it and allow the Lord to speak to you. He has much more to say, at much higher value, than I do.

• I use the word man in two different manners. There are times when I use it as man, the male species, and there are also times when I use it as man, humankind, which includes men, women, and children. I am not differentiating in the text, but the context should make it clear.

• A hint for easier reading: There are quite a few quotes and points of reference throughout this book. This is for those who want to follow up with their own research. They are there for you if you want. If not, ignore them and simply read right through them. Your reading experience will be much smoother that way.

Chapter 1

First Things

I am studying and writing on the Beatitudes for several reasons. First and foremost, I am responding to a prompt from my Lord and King, who has stirred and challenged me repeatedly to do this. This stirring has been building in my heart for some time and has become quite strong. Now it is time, his and mine, to accomplish this assignment. The timing clearly has somewhat to do with the time in which we live, the increasing anger and hatred in our land, and all of its subsequent actions: The sometimes overwhelming fear in the hearts of so many, and the certainly overwhelming need for the One who can save us from all this, from ourselves.

Another reason for writing this is that in my opinion, in current times very little has been offered on this portion of Scripture that actually hits the mark. There has been much by way of intelligentsia, with its assumed and inbred societal and humanistic application, much by means of interpolation (which is basically to interject into the original languages with another, laying it over the original and thus altering it, and then bringing that into English) but very little through spiritual truth, heart, and depth, followed with practical application.

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The word beatitude comes from French, with its origins in Latin. In Latin it means perfect or supreme blessedness. It has been incorrectly translated into English with a variety of words, the most common as exalted happiness. There will be more on this later.

The Beatitudes are the beginnings of what is referred