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Discussion Forum : Articles and Sermons : Blessed are those who Mourn by Alan Martin

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 Blessed are those who Mourn by Alan Martin


Mourning is a reflex indicating that our heart is in good spiritual health. “There is a time to mourn” All of God's faithful servants mourn over the things grievous to their Lord. Ezekiel was given a vision of 6 men with hewing axes accompanied by a man with a writing tablet. The man with the writing tablet was instructed to go throughout Jerusalem and mark the forehead of all who were mourning over the deplorable spiritual state of the people. The six men with hewing axes were then instructed to go throughout the city, beginning at the Temple and slaughter everyone without the mark of mourning upon their forehead. The people whose hearts were grieved were spared; those who were glad lost their life.

We love the thought that our Lord is willing to give “beauty for ashes and the oil of joy for mourning”, yet we fail to make the connection that “ashes” and “mourning” are responses of people that are grieving because the name of God is being blasphemed by the lawless condition of His people. Jesus pronounced woe upon the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida with these words: “…for if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.” When Daniel understood from Jeremiah’s prophecy that the destruction of Jerusalem would last seventy years, his response was to humble himself and pray in sackcloth and ashes. The” oil of joy for mourning” and “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” represent the comfort given to those whose hearts are broken over the state of God’s people and the reproach that their unfaithfulness has brought upon His name. Wisdom laughs over the calamity of those who refuse to be corrected – she does not comfort all.

Taking pleasure in unrighteousness is a response opposite to that of mourning. Those who take pleasure in conditions that are grievous to God are in grave spiritual peril. Paul warned of the consequence of “taking pleasure in unrighteousness” in his second letter to Thessalonica. “…with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them a strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

Those who believe the truth mourn over unrighteousness and they will be blessed with comfort. Those who do not believe or love the truth will be receive a strong delusion that will lead them unto condemnation. They are condemned because instead of mourning over unrighteousness, they derive their pleasure from it. “Blessed are those who mourn – for they shall be comforted.”


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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2011/10/3 11:04Profile
ThyKingCome
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Joined: 2011/4/19
Posts: 169
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 Re: Blessed are those who Mourn by Alan Martin

Thank you brother for posting this article. It comforts me to hear this. So much of the time I don't understand why I am constantly in a state of mourning. It seems as though the more I seek the Lord and draw near to Him, the more I grieve and mourn and have a spirit of heaviness.

At work the other day I found out that my former boss who is a professing Christian, is pregnant with a man who is not her husband. It's well known that she professes Christ, but has been wanting to be pregnant for some time now and found a man who could do the job.

There are several other professing Christian women here in my office who have a friendship with her outside of the office, and upon receiving the news they all squealed with joy. They all are happy, excited and thrilled for her. Comments such as "she deserves it" or "this is such a blessing" were thrown around. I felt sick to my stomach and couldn't join in the congratulations. I wanted to cry and weep because of it. This is where our Christian culture is at. We approve of the sins of the world rather then sigh and wail over them, as the men did in Ezekiel who received the ink on their foreheads.

This truly does grieve me. I shared with one of the women who asked how I felt about it that I cannot rejoice over something that grieves the heart of God. She asked me how I knew it wasn't His plan, and I told her that God's Word is His will. He isn't going to condemn something in Scripture and then wink about it in practice. The danger of approving of something like this is seen in Romans chapter 1. If we approve of what the world does then we are no different.

It is better to mourn over sin than to join in sin by approval and concession...even if you are all alone.

Thanks again brother. :)


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Brother Kevin

 2011/10/3 13:48Profile
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 Re:

Ezekiel 9:4  And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

it will happen again :

Revelation 7:2  And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

and again:

Revelation 9:4  And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.




 2011/10/3 20:05Profile





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