Insights
😇 “I do not want God to treat me with Justice, I don’t want God giving me what I deserve. I want Grace. That’s what Mercy is.”
😇 Jesus offers genuine joy and unending happiness through living according to his message, as seen in the Beatitudes.
😇 Jesus teaches that true happiness comes from an inward assurance that comes from following God, rather than external circumstances.
🙏 The concept of being “poor in spirit” refers to a humble and dependent attitude, rather than a lack of wealth, highlighting the importance of inner disposition for finding true happiness.
😢 Mourning over our sins and asking for God’s forgiveness can bring comfort and salvation.
😇 “How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity.” – Finding true happiness comes from knowing your sins have been forgiven by God.
💪 The word “meek” in classical Greek means “power under control,” challenging the common perception of meekness as weakness.
🌍 “Wouldn’t you like to live in a world where good always not sometimes always triumphs over evil…We all have a hunger to live in that kind of World.”
Summary
TLDR: True happiness comes from seeking approval from God, modeling our lives after Jesus, and embodying qualities such as humility, meekness, righteousness, and mercy.
- 📚 People desire justice for others but not for themselves, instead seeking mercy and grace from God; true happiness, as taught in The Wizard of Oz and Matthew Chapter 5, must be understood the way Jesus did.
1.1 People often desire justice for others but do not want it for themselves, preferring instead to receive mercy and grace from God.
1.2 The Wizard of Oz teaches us that true happiness is the best thing in the world, but we must understand it the way Jesus did, as explained in Matthew Chapter 5.
- 📚 True happiness, according to Jesus, is not based on external circumstances but on an inner state of being.
2.1 Jesus begins his sermon by explaining the benefits of living according to his message, emphasizing that those who are poor in spirit, mourn, and are persecuted for their faith are blessed.
2.2 True happiness, as defined by Jesus, is not dependent on external circumstances or happenings, but rather on an inner state of being.
- 🙏 True happiness comes from being approved by God and modeling our lives after Jesus, leading to joy in this life and eternal happiness in the next.
3.1 Jesus teaches that true happiness comes from an inward assurance of being approved by God, and he describes the characteristics of those who are truly blessed.
3.2 Those who model their attitudes, actions, and affections after Jesus Christ will experience genuine joy in this life and unending happiness in the next life, as the kingdom of God is within us and we have the ability to submit to the rule of Jesus Christ.
- 🙏 True happiness comes from having a humble and dependent spirit, recognizing our spiritual bankruptcy and understanding that our righteousness is insufficient for God’s blessings.
4.1 Jesus teaches that true happiness comes from having a humble and dependent spirit, not from material wealth or possessions.
4.2 To find true happiness, one must recognize their spiritual bankruptcy and understand that their righteousness is insufficient for God’s blessings.
- 🙏 Mourning over spiritual bankruptcy leads to comfort, finding salvation through repentance and forgiveness brings true happiness and comfort.
5.1 Mourning over one’s spiritual bankruptcy leads to comfort and the distress of losing a loved one is comparable to the emotional death and separation caused by someone willingly separating themselves from you.
5.2 When we sin and feel remorseful, we can find comfort and salvation by asking for God’s forgiveness and repenting according to His will.
5.3 Knowing that your sins have been forgiven and that God no longer holds them against you brings true happiness and comfort, as mentioned in Psalm 32 and Matthew 5.
- 🐵 Meekness is not weakness, but rather power under control, as exemplified by King Kong gently stroking Naomi Watts’ hair despite his immense strength.
- 🙏 Happy and blessed are those who control their anger and desire righteousness, as they will inherit the earth and find true happiness.
7.1 Happy and blessed are those who restrain their anger and gentleness, as they will inherit the earth as their ultimate destination.
7.2 Those who have a hunger and thirst for righteousness, both in terms of their relationship with God and in desiring to live in a world characterized by righteousness, will find true happiness.
- 🙏 Blessed are the merciful, as mercy is not giving people what they deserve, and forgiving others brings joy and blessings in this life and eternity.
8.1 The speaker discusses the term social justice and how it has become controversial, but ultimately emphasizes the desire for a just world where good triumphs over evil, which is rooted in our innate hunger for justice as beings made in the image of God.
8.2 Blessed are the merciful, as mercy is not giving people what they deserve, unlike justice, which is based on the Old Testament principle of “an eye for an eye.”
8.3 Forgiving others brings joy and blessings in this life and eternity, while refusing to forgive can lead to losing forgiveness and destroying the bridge to pass over.
