PRESENTER: Dr. JoAnne P. King
Good Morning Saints, and welcome to Exousia Ministries. Today, we will cover Part 2 of our sermon “The Seven Mountains in Jesus Christ's Life and Ministry Provide A Framework For Christian Living" will be based on Matthew 5:1-12 Amp. which says:
"When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and when he was seated His disciples came to Him.
"Then He began to teach them saying,
"Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy to be admired] are the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever]. [Luke 6:20-23]
"Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God's grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted]. [Is. 61:2]
"Blessed [inwardly peaceful, spiritually secure, worthy of respect] are the gentle [the kind hearted, the sweet spirited, the self-controlled, for they will inherit the earth. [Ps.37:11]
"Blessed [joyful, nourished by God's goodness] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [those who actively seek right standing with God], for they will be [completely] satisfied. [Isa. 55:1-2]
"Blessed [content, sheltered by God's promises] are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
"Blessed [anticipating God's presence, spiritually mature] are the pure in heart [those with integrity, moral courage, and godly character], for they will see God. [Ps. 24:3-4]
"Blessed [spiritually calm with life-joy in God's favor] are the makers and maintainers of peace for they will [express His character and] be called the sons of God. [Heb. 12:14]
"Blessed [comforted by inner peace and God's love] are those who are persecuted for doing that which is morally right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].
"Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God's goodness] are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil things against you because of [your association with] Me.
"Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."
- Background:
At this time, Jesus has left the Mountain of Temptation, selected His 12 disciples and was daily involved in teaching, preaching and healing. As a result, Jesus’ fame spread throughout all Syria. People everywhere needed Jesus and God in His providence saw to it that the news of His Son spread everywhere.
If you noticed, I mentioned Syria. Syria was a great Roman province of which Palestine was a part. People from all over Syria were coming to see Jesus. Its chief cities were Damascus, Antioch, Byblos, Aleppo, Palmyra, and Carchemish. Beginning with the people flocking to hear Christ, Syria became prominent in the early history of the church. Paul was converted on the road to Damascus, and the first great Gentile church was founded at Antioch. It was the church at Antioch which sent out the first missionaries in Christian history and gave the name Christian to believers for the first time.
After holding marvelous teaching and healing services, Jesus withdrew from the multitude and as was His habit, went up into a mountain to spend time in prayer and fellowship with His Father. When He came down from the mountain, it was at this time that He saw the multitude of his disciples waiting on Him. And the Bible says: “that when He saw the multitudes, He had compassion on them.”
- Importance:
This message is important because Jesus is teaching the principles of His kingdom in “the Great Sermon on the Mount.” During our text scripture, Jesus is emphasizing some of the attributes of The True Disciple: Who He is and His Reward (the Beatitudes).
Jesus and His disciples carried the message of the kingdom everywhere. The world (so to speak) flocked to Christ, but believers are told to scatter all over the world and to carry the gospel of the kingdom with them.
Jesus’ final words were a mandate for believers to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Seldom in history have so few words been spoken with so much meaning, as the Great Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes of our Lord are powerful, holding before the world a descriptive picture of the true disciple of God. The Beatitudes cover the glorious hope and reward the believer can expect, now as well as, in eternity.
Each believer should take a self-examination of the traits of the True Disciple to see how many they have and afterwards work conscientiously toward developing whatever trait(s) are missing.
III. During this sermon, I will answer 2 questions.
- What are two basic ingredients for reaching the multitudes?
- What are several important thoughts about the other 8 traits of the True Disciple?
- What are two basic ingredients for reaching the multitudes?
There are two main ingredients needed to reach the multitudes and they are compassion and disciples.
Throughout the Gospels, we read that Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw the multitudes because He could see their need and their plight. To be a true disciple, we too need to be able to identify with the needs and the plight of the people. As Pastor Darryl often says, EVERYBODY NEEDS JESUS. So, as a true disciple, we need to keep our eyes and hearts open so people and their needs can be seen. Once we see their need, then the compassion that is in our hearts, should move us to do something about it. If they are hungry, give them something to eat. If they are naked, clothe them, etc. We are to show the love of God and love everybody as we have been commanded.
- What are several important thoughts about the other 8 traits of the True Disciple?
Throughout the Gospels again, we read where the disciples went out to call sinners to repentance. This is why Jesus called the 12 disciples and then 70 disciples to go out because one person cannot accomplish the task alone. Others must be taught to help in the great commission.
1) Preaching and teaching are not to be done only in the church but wherever people are found—on mountains, by the seashore, in homes, on the streets, stores—any place and every place.
2) Crowds are important, but at least a small band of disciples is critical to accomplish the great commission. The mission of the Lord is reaching people, but the method of the Lord is to make disciples. It is giving intensive training to the members of the church so they can help in the ministry to the multitudes. Making disciples was also the method of Paul.
3) Christian leaders are to call together the members of their church for special training and preparation for discipleship. Matthew says without an explanation that “His disciples came to Him,” but Mark and Luke say that Christ called the disciples together for training and preparation. We have a good example of this in this Ministry. We have “Speaker Series” where we have each member prepare and present a sermon. You were probably fearful and nervous at first, and may have stumbled but little by little, you have gained and or gaining confidence in what you are doing. Well, the same principles apply in being a disciple and ministering to the lost.
4) There are three things that are needed for training and preparation: a place, a time, and a message. In our message today, it says that: “He went up …and when He was set” seem to be saying that Jesus had deliberately chosen this place and time for this training. All had been planned; Jesus was personally prepared. (What a lesson too often neglected.) For Speaker Series, you had the place: ZOOM, you had the time: 10:30 am prayer & 11 am Preaching. Now, all you have to do is to apply these same principles to witnessing and making disciples. Witnessing: place: anywhere, anyplace; time: anytime, training: working on a message—it shouldn’t take long, because it is your testimony of what the Lord has done for you.
- There are many attributes of a true Disciple but we will give a couple examples of the 8 listed in our text scripture. Notice these traits are preceded by the word blessed.
The Greek word for blessed is (makarios) which means spiritual joy and satisfaction that lasts regardless of conditions; that carries one through pain, sorrow, loss and grief.
To be “blessed” is what men seek.
The problem is that they seek it in the things of this earth: position, money, fame, power, and sensual pleasure. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world …lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life.” (1 Jn 2:15-16)
Man seeks to be blessed only in this world.
Man is interested in immediate gratification. He wants his blessings now!! This says several things about his nature:
Man is carnal and corruptible and he is sinful and dying. “…For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace...” (Rom. 8:6)
Man is deceived and blinded to his real need, that of a renewed spirit. “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:23-24).
- Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Being poor in spirit doesn’t mean that a man must be poverty-stricken and financially poor. Christ is not talking about material poverty. Being poor in spirit means:
1). To acknowledge our utter helplessness before God. We are solely dependent upon God to meet our need.
2.) To acknowledge our utter lack in facing life and eternity apart from God. To acknowledge that the real blessings of life and eternity come only from a right relationship with God.
3.) Our attitude toward others is not proud and haughty not superior and overbearing no matter what we may have achieved in life. The poor in spirit person approaches life in humility and appreciation, not as though life owes him but as though he owes life. He has been given the privilege of living; therefore, he journeys through life with a humble attitude and he contributes all he can to a needy world out of a spirit of appreciation.
The opposite of being “poor in spirit” is having a spirit that is full of self. There is a world of difference between these two. There is the difference between thinking we are righteous versus acknowledging that we need the righteousness of Christ. Self-righteousness goes no further than self. When self dies, self- righteousness dies with it.
(Ph. 3:9) “…not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith”
- Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted.
Mourn means to have a broken heart. It is the strongest word possible for mourning. It is a sorrow for sin, a broken heart over evil and suffering. It is a brokenness of self that comes from seeing Christ on the cross and realizing that our sins put Him there.
- Who is it that mourns?
Men are to mourn over their sins. This means to be Godly sorry for the pain you have caused Him. This leads to confession and humility before God and results in being lifted up. (Jas. 4:8-10)
- The person who mourns is comforted by Christ Himself. Christ was called the “man of sorrows” and was acquainted with grief (Is. 53:3). When a person is Godly sorry, He is able to succor and to draw a person ever so close and to comfort and strengthen him beyond imagination. (Heb. 2:18) “…he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.”
- There is a Godly sorrow, but there is also a worldly sorrow. “For Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” (2 Cor. 7:10)
REWARDS FOR GODLY SORROW:
- Comforted
- An assurance of forgiveness and acceptance by God. (1 Jn 1:9) “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
- A fullness of joy: a sense of God’s presence, care and guidance; a sense of his sovereignty; a sense of His working all things out for good to those who love Him.
- 4. There is an eternal comfort.
- a. A passing from death to life. (Jn. 5:24) “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
- A wiping away all tears. (Rev. 21:4) “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; …
- Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Who are the meek?
- 1. The meek is a person who is controlled, not undisciplined. The mind and body are disciplined, never let loose. Passion and urges, speech and behavior, sight and touch are always controlled.
- 2. The person who is humble is not prideful.
He is humble before God. He knows his need for God and for God’s hand upon his life. His need to be saved and controlled by God. (Rom. 12:3) “…not to think more highly than he ought to think…”
- 3. The person who is gentle is not easily provoked. He is always in control when dealing with people; cool, even tempered, able to show displeasure without reacting impulsively, able to answer softly.
- 4. The person who is forgiving is not revengeful. (Matt. 6:14) “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
REWARDS:
- The meek inherit the earth now; that is, they presently enjoy and experience the good things of the earth. They know who they are; therefore, they are strong and confident, yet tender and humble.
- The meek know where they are going. They are teachable. They have purpose, meaning, and significance in life.
- 3. The meek are assured of victory, conquest, triumph over whatever confronts them. They are controlled therefore they control circumstances instead of letting circumstances control them. They are free from stress and tension.
- 4. The meek have peaceful souls. They carry whatever pressure and tension comes their way to Christ, and He relieves it all. (Matt. 11:28-30)
“Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls…”
- Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteous-ness, for they shall be filled.
The true believer is starved for all righteousness. This is shown in the Greek because the verbs hungers and thirst are usually in what is called the Greek genitive case. This means that a person sometimes feels a little hunger and a little thirst; therefore, he hungers and thirsts for a bit of something, for example, an apple or a glass of juice. But in the beatitude, hunger and thirst are in the accusative case. This is most unusual. It means to hunger and thirst for the whole thing—for all righteousness, not for little tid-bits. This is significant: it means that the promise of a filled life is conditional. A person must starve and thirst for all righteousness if he wishes to be filled with the fullness of life.
Man has already come short and missed the mark. He is already imperfect. Man has only one hope that God will love him so much that He will somehow count him righteous. And that is just what God does. God takes a man’s “hunger and thirst after righteousness” and counts that hunger and thirst as righteousness. God does this because He loves man. A man hungers and thirsts after righteousness; therefore, God fills him. Righteousness is explained throughout scripture in the word faith. Faith is believing God and trusting the goodness of God to take our faith and count it as righteousness.
It is the person who diligently seeks God who really believes God. The man who so hungers and thirsts after God and His righteousness shall be counted righteous and shall be filled.
God doesn’t expect us to do anything that He has not first shown us or given us an example of: The righteousness of God has been shown to man. Just what God wants man to be and to do has been demonstrated perfectly in Jesus Christ. God has not given man just the written Word describing His righteousness; He has given man a life—the life of His own Son--to show what He means by righteousness. Jesus Christ is perfect righteousness. He did nothing but good. Christ is the picture, the expression, the pattern, the very image of righteousness—of being right and of doing right.
The man who seeks after God has “put off the old man with his deeds; and has put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” (Col. 3:9-10)
REWARDS:
The believer who hungers and thirsts after righteousness is wonderfully filled with both abundant life and eternal life.
- He is “full of goodness, filled with all knowledge.” (Rom. 15:14)
- He is “filled with all the fullness of God.” (Eph. 3:19)
- He is “filled with the Spirit.” (Eph. 5:18)
- 4. He is “filled with the fruits of righteousness.”
(Ph. 1:11)
- He is “filled with the knowledge of His [God’s] will.” (Col 1:9)
- He is “filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 13:52)
- Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.
The believer who is merciful has a tender heart—a heart that cares for all who have need, seen or unseen. If he sees the needful, he feels for them and reaches out to do all he can. If he does not see them, he feels and reaches out through prayer and giving as opportunity arises. The merciful just do not hoard or hold back any kind of help, no matter the cost.
- They have the love of God dwelling in them.
- They know that it is “more blessed to give than to receive.
Every believer can be merciful. Some may not have money or other means to help, but they can be tender and compassionate and demonstrate mercy through expression and prayer. God charges believer to do some very practical things:
- “Deal ---bread to the hungry.” (Jas. 2:15)
- “Bring the poor that are cast out to thy house.” (Isa. 58:7)
- “Cover him, if he is naked.” (Jas. 2:15)
- Strengthen and comfort the broken and grieving soul. (Job 16:5)
- Pity the afflicted. (Job 6:14)
- Bear the burdens of others—even to the point of restoring them when they sin. But we reach out to them in a spirit of meekness. (Gal. 6:1-2)
[Sympathize, show mercy and love, and do not brow-beat a fallen brother, and so fulfill the law of Christ. It means to restore this brother back to his place in Christ and in grace.]
REWARDS:
The rewards of the merciful are numerous, I will select a few:
- A person is given the mercy of God—forgiveness of sins. (Psa. 18:25)
- A person is paid back what he gives—by God Himself. (Pr. 19:17)
- A person behaves like God himself. (Luke 6:36).
- A person is insured of finding “mercy in that day.” (2 Tim. 1:18)
- A person shall inherit the Kingdom of God—forever. (Matt. 25:34-35)
The opposite attitude of showing mercy is the attitude of shutting up one’s compassion from those in need. (1 Jn 3:17)
- Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Pure (katharoi): to have a clean heart; to be unsoiled, unmixed, unpolluted; to be cleansed, purged, forgiven; to be holy; to have a single purpose, that of God’s glory.
- The person who is “pure in heart” lives a clean life.
- He “keeps himself unspotted from the world.” (Jas. 1:27)
- He washes his heart from wickedness, that he may be saved. (Jer.4:14)
- He obeys the truth through the working of the Holy Spirit. (1 Pt. 1:22)
- He keeps his hands clean. (Ps. 24:4-5)
- e. He seeks to be without spot and blameless. (2 Pt. 3:14)
- 2. The believer is to constantly search his heart and cleanse it of impure motives. Motives involving self are insidious and deceptive.
Therefore, believers should ask themselves the following questions to determine if they are functioning under the right motives?
- a. Am I employed primarily for myself, or to serve Christ and to earn enough to help others who have a need? (Col. 3:23-24)
- Am I ministering to help the needy, or to have a sense of self- satisfaction? (Mt. 5:7)
- Am I worshipping to honor God, or to satisfy a feeling of obligation?
- Am I praying daily to fellowship with God, or to gain comfortable feelings that I please God through praying?
Impure motives enter the believer’s heart so quietly that too often he is unaware of their presence. Believers need to pray often: “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Ps. 51:10)!
- The “pure in heart” minister in two very practical areas:
- They visit the fatherless.
- b. They visit widows in their affliction.
(Jas. 1:27)
Reward:
The pure in heart shall see God. They shall see Him as He is and behold “His face in righteousness.”
“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but them shall I know even as also I am known.” (I Cor. 13:12)
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is:” (1 Jn 3:2).
- Blessed are the peacemakers for: they shall be called the children of God.
Peacemakers bring men together; to make peace between men and God; to solve disputes and erase divisions; to reconcile differences and eliminate strife; to silence tongues and build right relationships.
- Who is the peacemaker?
- The person who strives to make peace with God. (Rom. 5:1) He takes the struggle within his heart between good and evil, and strives for the good and conquers the bad.
- The person who strives at every opportunity to make peace within others. He seeks and leads others to make their peace with God—to conquer their inner struggle, to settle their inner tension, to handle their inner pressure. (Rom 14:19)
- The person who strives at every opportunity to make peace between others. He works to solve disputes and erase divisions, to reconcile differences and eliminate strife, to silence tongues and build relationships. (2 Tim. 2:24)
- The peacemaker is the person who has made peace with God and knows the peace of God. (Jn. 14:27)
- Peacemakers love peace, but they do not passively accept trouble. The peacemaker of whom Christ speaks faces the trouble no matter how dangerous, and works to bring a true peace no matter the struggle.
- The gospel of Christ is to be spread by peaceful means, not by forceful means. There are many kinds of force.
- There is verbal force through loudness, a dominating conversation, improper sales tactics, threats, bigotry, and abuse.
- There is physical force through facial expressions, body motions, an overpowering presence, and attacks.
Throughout the scriptures, we are given examples of children. A child can have an argument with another child one moment and the next minute they are playing with that child, just like nothing ever happened. Children don’t hold grudges and aren’t unforgiving. This is the way God’s peacemakers are, they bring harmony into unharmonious situations and share and spread the love of God just like He would, because they are the children of God. Once you have known the peace of God, you want everybody else to have that same peace. The peace of God is their reward.
- Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.
Persecuted: to endure suffering for Christ; to be mocked, ridiculed, criticized, ostracized; to be treated with hostility; to be martyred. Note several significant points:
- There are three major kinds of persecution mentioned by Christ in this passage:
- Being reviled: verbally abused, insulted, scolded, mocked. (Heb. 11:36)
- Persecuted: hurt, ostracized, attacked, tortured, martyred and treated with hostility.
- Having all manner of evil spoken against: slandered, cursed, and lied about. (Acts 17:6-7); “hard speeches,” harsh, defiant words. (Jude 15)
- Who are the persecuted?
- The person who lives and speaks for righteousness and is reacted against.
- The person who lives and speaks for Christ and is reviled, persecuted, and spoken against.
- Persecution is a riddle. It reveals that the true nature of the world is evil. The person who cares and works for the true love, justice and salvation of the world is actually fought against. The person who lives and speaks for righteousness is opposed and persecuted. How deceived is the world and its humanity, to rush onward in madness for nothing but to return to dust, to seek life only for some seventy years (if nothing happens before then)! The world and humanity are fighting and persecuting the persecuted one who is offering them what they really need, but don’t realize.
- Believers are forewarned, they shall suffer persecution because:
- They are not of this world. They are separated from the behavior of the world. Therefore, the world reacts against them. (Jn 15:19)
- b. Believers strip away the world’s cloak of sin. They live and demonstrate a life of righteousness by not compromising with the world and its sinful behavior. Such living exposes the sins of people. (2 Tim. 3:12)
- The world does not know God nor Christ. The ungodly of the world want no God other than themselves and their own imaginations. The godly believer dedicates his life to God, to His worship and service. The ungodly want no part of God; therefore, they oppose those who talk about God and man’s duty to honor and worship God. (Jn 16:3)
- d. The world is deceived in its concept and belief of God. The world conceives God to be the One who fulfills their earthly desires and lusts. Man’s idea of God is that He is a Supreme Grandfather who protects, provides and gives no matter what a person’s behavior is, that God will accept and work all things out. The true believer teaches against this. God is love but He is also just and demands righteousness. The world rebels against this concept of God. (Jn. 15:20)
- What is to be the believer’s attitude toward Persecution?
- It is not to be retaliation, pride, or spiritual superiority.
- It is to be joy and gladness. (Matt. 5:12).
Rewards:
The persecuted are promised great rewards:
- The Kingdom of Heaven—now.
== They experience a special honor. (Acts 5:41).
==They experience a special consolation. (2 Cor. 1:5).
==They are given a very special closeness, a glow of the Lord’s presence. (1 Pet. 4:14).
==They become a greater witness for Christ. (2 Cor. 1:4-6).
- The Kingdom of Heaven—eternally. (1 Pt. 4:14).
- CONCLUSION:
This message is important because Jesus has presented the principles of His ministry along with the characteristics of a true disciple. After reading the characteristics of a true disciple, sinner and Christian alike should be able to identify a true disciple of Jesus Christ. What I love about the Beatitudes, not only does Jesus give a description of a true disciple, but He cites their rewards. He lets His disciples know out front that you are not working and toiling in the vineyard without a reward.
I am not talking about receiving your rewards by and by when you get to heaven, but now while you are on earth and on into eternity. Many commentators say that because Jesus used shall which is the future tense, that you will receive your reward(s) in heaven. I want to remind you that while we are in today, tomorrow is the future. So, the reward says that you shall be comforted, shall be filled, shall inherit the earth, etc. This is a definite promise that when the need arises, whether it is tomorrow or 3 weeks from now, it will be taken care of for now and through all of eternity.
Some Pharisees thought because He was setting forth His principles for His ministry and the characteristics of a true disciple that He came to destroy the Law and the Prophets. Jesus said in Matt. 5:17, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.”
Before Christ, the law was only words and rules. It could only inject the idea of behavior into the mind of a person. It had no spirit, no life, no power to enable a person to do the law. But Christ fulfilled and completed the law. He was Spirit and Life, so He was able to put spirit and life to the words and rules of the law. He was able to live the life described by the words and rules. As such, He was able to inject both the idea and the power to behave into a person’s mind and life. It is now His life that sets the standard and the rule for the believer. It is His Spirit and life that gives the believer power to obey.
When Jesus Christ and the New Testament writers condemned the law-- it always referred to the oral or Scribal Law, not to God’s law. ** God’s law, given in the Old Testament, was not enough for the Jews. They reasoned that if the law was really God’s Word, then it must include, within it, every rule and regulation for conduct. Therefore, they took the great principles of the law and reduced them to thousands upon thousands of rules and regulations. These rules and regulations became the oral or Scribal Law. All of the man-made rules and regulations of God’s Word is what Jesus was objecting to. I am sure that He feels the same way about the modern-day rules and regulations that some denominations have added. See what is revealed in Revelation 22:18-19 that says: "For I testify unto every man that heareth the Words of the prophecy of this book: If any man shall add unto these things. God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: "And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."
The final take-away from the Sermon on the Mount is that obedience is the ultimate test of faith. Jesus concludes by warning that hearing His teachings isn't enough; true wisdom requires actively putting His words into practice to build a firm foundation for life!
Give the Lord a praise offering for His teaching on "THE BEATITUDES THAT PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING!"