Heaven on Earth

FRANCIS J. CONNELLY

Copyright © 2011 Francis J. Connelly

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-2844-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-2845-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-2843-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011918063

Printed in the United States of America

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/5/2011

Contents

General Introduction

Acknowledgments

Foreword

PART 1

Chapter 1

Codes 1 through 14

Chapter 2

Codes 15 through 28

Chapter 3

Codes 29 through 42

Chapter 4

Codes 43 through 56

Chapter 5

Codes 57 through 70

Chapter 6

Codes 71 through 84

Chapter 7

Codes 85 through 100

Chapter 8

Codes 101 through 116

Chapter 9

Codes 117 through 130

Chapter 10

Codes 131 through 144

Chapter 11

Codes 145 through 159

Chapter 12

Codes 160 through 173

Chapter 13

Codes 174 through 187

Chapter 14

Codes 188 through 201

Chapter 15

Codes 202 through 215

Chapter 16

Codes 216 through 219

PART 2

Chapter 17

Codes 220 through 229

PART 3

Chapter 18

Codes 230 through 243

Chapter 19

Codes 244 though 257

Chapter 20

Codes 258 through 271

Chapter 21

Codes 272 through 286

Chapter 22

Codes 287 through 301

PART 4

Chapter 23

Codes 302 through 313

Chapter 24

Codes 314 through 329

Chapter 25

Codes 330 through 343

Chapter 26

Codes 344 through 357

Chapter 27

Codes 358 through 375

Chapter 28

Codes 376 through 389

Chapter 29

Codes 390 through 413

Chapter 30

Codes 414 through 427

Chapter 31

Codes 428 through 441

Chapter 32

Codes 442 through 456

Chapter 33

Codes 457 through 470

Chapter 34

Codes 471 through 488

PART 5

Chapter 35

Codes 489 through 501.

PART 6

Chapter 36

Codes 502

PART 7

Chapter 37

Codes 503 through 560

After Word

General Introduction

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can aspire to heaven on earth by following the rules leading to a right relationship with God, made possible by the shed blood, and broken body of Jesus offered up in payment for our sins.

The road to heaven on earth, and in the world to come is paved with the codes revealed by our Creator in sacred Scripture, as recorded in the Holy Bible.

The foundational underpinnings for these codes are the Ten Commandments, * written by God the Father and given to Moses as recorded in the Old Testament *, and the Beatitudes, revealed by Jesus as recorded in the New Testament. **

*—Recorded in the book of Exodus, chapter 20: 2-17, and in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 5: 6-2.

**—Recorded in the Gospel according to Matthew 5: 3-14.

With the coming of Jesus the Christ, the covenant of the New Testament is created. Therein can be found new spiritual guidelines that those who love God will gravitate to as a consequence of being saved. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus specifically identifies eight states of blessedness that are pleasing to God. In other verses of scripture contained in the New Testament, additional spiritual attitudes and responses are described that help believers to live in accordance with the will of God.

The degree to which we live in accordance with God’s will (herein presented as Codes) is the degree to which we attain heaven on earth, leading to perfect happiness with Jesus in the world to come.

The Codes consist of: Commandments, and other rules of behavior; Kernels of wisdom and truths revealed by Jesus; and Spiritual guidelines intended to assist us on the road to salvation. They will be numbered and discussed as we encounter them sequentially in the New Testament, starting with the gospel according to Matthew, and ending with the Book Of Revelation.

The appropriate verse(s) of scripture from which a code is derived will accompany the code, and be highlighted. Explanatory remarks are included whenever greater clarity, or additional emphasis is needed.

Certain codes are repeated, but they are not redundancies. The verse(s) from which each codes is derived, and the context within which the verse is found will indicate the intended connotation.

All codes and commentary are derived from the words of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament of the Holy Bible.

Acknowledgments

This author wishes to thank the authors, and publishers of the many scholarly works, and reference materials on which he relied for information and viewpoints regarding biblical verses, some of which are open to various interpretations. Although the opinions of these scholars and experts are exceedingly appreciated, Heaven On Earth expresses the opinions and interpretations of yours truly.

Most importantly, thanks to my wife Anne. She never wavered in her support as I strove to finish a job that proved to be difficult to complete

As in my previous three books, Anne served as editor-in-chief. We work well together. If she does not understand what I am talking about, I rewrite it, period. One of my great failings is that whether speaking or writing, I assume people understand what I mean, but unfortunately, that is not always the case. Mostly though, it is her love and caring that carries me through the good times, and the bad. She has been doing it for more than 55 years. Thank you dear.

My thanks go to our family, in particular our five children, for their continued encouragement. I draw strength from their positive attitude toward my work. Thank you Frank, Danny, Patrick, Jerry, and Catherine.

Once again, a special thanks goes to our son-in-law, Tom Del Grosso for coming to the rescue whenever I am confronted with a computer problem.

WHISPERED WORDS

There are,

I counted them,

(not really!)—

A thousand and one, so far;

Commentaries

on the bible.

Then next,

comes my humble offering,

and

it takes no genius of theology

to know,

that mine is not the best,

not nearly,

but

praise God

into it went

all I had to give, and

all praise God again,

some help came my way

from a preacher I know,

who—

With gentle nudges, and whispered words,

Kept me on the narrow road.

Foreword

In late 1929, Al Jolson sang the song, Sonny Boy. Four lines of the lyrics are presented below, followed by comments regarding the sentiment of the song as it relates to the title and content of this book:

You’re sent from heaven

And I know your worth.

You’ve made a heaven

For me here on earth

The focus of the song is a touching tribute by a Father to his son. The man expresses supreme love for his son, even going so far as to claim that, because of his son he experienced heaven on earth. Hence sprouted the seed for the writing of this book, but with an important turn at the flowering.

Is it possible to enjoy heaven on earth? The key is implied in the lyrics of the song: Love is the answer. But to more fully approach true heaven on earth, it is our love of Jesus that creates the conditions necessary for the attainment of a near-perfect heaven on earth.

The way to demonstrate that love is to follow His codes, whether great or small. This is what Jesus wants us to do. This is how we can attain the peace of mind that comes with knowing we are doing God’s will, walking the straight path to salvation.

For more information on the subjects of codes and love, please direct your attention to the ‘Speaker’. He has entered the field, and is ascending the podium stairs.

The Speaker

The speaker steps onto the podium, facing the eighty thousand (take a few, give a few) people assembled there. He carries two books, one in either hand, wearing a munificent smile obviously meant for the audience.

You are either going to be very sorry or very glad you came here tonight.

He tosses the two books to the stage floor in front of him, exclaiming,

Those are the rules of the game. What game? The game of life, the game of life or death. You can either pick them up, or let them rot on the the floor.

The two books land facing front, resting not flat, but on their bottoms, with the titles aglow, identifying them as, "Jesus Says, and Heaven On Earth."

There is a stirring in the audience as some start to make their way forward to pick up the books, but the speaker chides them into immobility:

"The way to pick up the books is to live the way of ‘The Book’, the holy bible, not to physically move the books on the floor from one place to another. The books on the floor are intended to teach you how to live in accordance with the will of God. I have news for you – good news and bad news. The good news is that if you read these books, and adjust your way of thinking and your way of living so as to conform to God’s words (the Codes) that are contained in the books on the floor, you will gain salvation. However if you read the books, ignore their message, and continue in your stubborn behavior, then you will pay the price – the price of damnation.

If you really believe (and live your life in accordance with that belief) that this physical world we live in is the real thing,—the real deal, perhaps more important and germane to your overall well being than the spiritual world championed by Jesus, or you do believe in the preeminence of the after world, but for one reason or another have not yet found the time or the inclination to commit to God, my advice to you is simple: Get with the program, wise up; the boat is leaving the dock, the church age (this age of grace we are living in) is not forever.

What happens after this world is the forever. How many times have you been urged by numerous media, by multiple preachers, teachers, evangelists, and fools like me to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior? How many times have you either not listened to their importuning, or decided to wait for another time to make such a big decision, or for whatever reason suppressed the urge to respond? One such time is once too many. There is no great mystery here. The right thing to do is the smart thing to do. It is not an elusive, wispy cloud of smoke, impossible to grab hold of, dissipating into nothingness when you try to embrace it. Rather, the best course of action is the rock-solid option of accepting Jesus. Give yourself a break, repent of your sins, and allow the Holy Spirit to enter your life.

When you are assailed by doubt, sick with worry, and in dire need of comfort, say the name of JESUS – it is magical—call out to Him, put your trust in the greatest man that ever lived, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of man, the Son of God."

The speaker is no longer smiling, in fact, if anything, he looks angry. This is not at all the countenance these people came to see—an unsmiling speaker, an angry speaker. They came in order to feel all warm and fuzzy, but on this day, and in no uncertain terms, they are being warned.

The speaker is working up to a full head of steam as he continues his plea:

Dig down. Dig real deep. Do you see what I see; time is running out. Now, this instant, you have the opportunity to acknowledge the real meaning of life, which is the same as asking, Why was I born?" You were born for the purpose of becoming a suitable companion for God, so that when this physical world comes to an end, you (either dead, or alive at that time) will rise to meet Jesus in the clouds, and with Him join the Father in heaven. This process of meeting Jesus when next He comes again is called the Rapture of his church. His church consists of all believers who have ever lived; they accept Jesus as the Word, the Messiah, the Son of God, Lord of Lords, and our Father in heaven. We gratefully accept His sacrifice on the cross. We confess our sins, and express our commitment to hurting Him no more.

If the truth of the immediacy of the time for action and conversion has not yet hit home, then I must say, dig deeper still. The ability to recognize the truth is there somewhere. The Codes outlined in Heaven On Earth number in the hundreds. They are Codes of commandments, Codes of behavior, Codes of revealed truths, and Codes of proper responses and attitudes comprehensive enough to assist in any and all situations we are likely to encounter during our journey to the kingdom of God. All of the codes are derived from the words of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament. The time to decide is now. The next breath you take might be the last one you ever take. When that happens, it is your end of this world."

PART 1

Chapters 1 through 16, consisting of 219 CODES (numbers 1 through 219) derived from the first book of the New Testament – The Gospel According to Matthew.

Chapter 1

Codes 1 through 14

(In obedience to God’s will, in fulfillment of the Scriptures, John the Baptist baptizes with water, preparing the way, and announcing the coming of Jesus who will baptize with the Spirit. Jesus’ arrival signifies that the kingdom of God is here, bringing with it the beginning of the new covenant of the New Testament.

Despite the reluctance of John to do so, Jesus insists that John baptize Him. Jesus, the divine Son of God has no need to be baptized, but Jesus, the Son of Man complies with the new requirement that all believers be baptized, telling John:)

Matthew 3: 15 – Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.

Code 1 – Live in accordance with God’s will actually, and apparently. *

*—Doing so serves as an inspiration to others of unafraid, unashamed expressions of faith.

(The Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness where Satan tests Him. After suffering hunger and thirst for forty days, Satan taunts Jesus: If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. –Matthew 4: 3.

Jesus responds:)

Matthew 4: 4 – It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

(Jesus is fully God and fully man. It is important that He withstands the devil’s cruel attempts to tempt Him into committing sin, and that He to do so without resorting to divine intervention. During the great wilderness temptation He proves that man is able to overcome the evil one. Jesus’ example encourages us to resist the great deceiver with all our might. Fortified by prayer, and sustained by our faith. As He did repeatedly throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus proclaims the primacy of spiritual health vis-a’-vis physical well-being.)

Code 2 – Seek out the word of God, and live accordingly.

(The devil transports Jesus to a pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem, and challenges Him:  . . . If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time, thou dash thy foot against a stone. – Matthew 4: 6

Jesus responds:)

Matthew 4: 7 – It is written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Code 3 – Accept without question the Deity of the Lord. *

(Do not challenge God to do this or that under the threat of a consequence not to His liking, nor endeavor to tempt God to do your will under the promise of reciprocal favorable behavior. God’s will, will be done. It is appropriate to pray for His intercession, etc., but it is His will that is right and just, and we must accept it.)

(Satan takes Jesus to a high mountain, and there displays the wealth, power, and glory of the kingdoms of the world, telling Him,  . . . All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. – Matthew 4: 9

Jesus responds:)

Matthew – 4: 10 – Thou shalt worship the Lord Thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.

Code 4 – Worship and serve only the One True God. *

*—There is only one God. All other gods such as money, power, and fame are false.

Because these things, and other worldly values are worshiped by mankind, they are gods, albeit false gods of this world.

(Jesus resists the temptations of Satan, but it is not a walk in the park. While reading the Gospels, it is well to keep in mind that although Jesus is fully God, He is also fully man, and therefore subject to the same pains, fears, humiliations, and physical limitations as are all men.

Although Jesus represents the transition from the Old Testament to the New, (He is the fulfillment of the Old, and the introducer of the New) He rebuffs and defeats Satan on Satan’s chosen field of battle, the old covenant. Each taunting challenge from Satan is based on skewered use of the Scriptures, but is countered and dismissed by Jesus’ righteous recitation of applicable Old Testament verses.

These first four codes are transitional in that, they directly impact on those who attempt to live in obedience to Mosaic law in accordance with the old covenant of the Old Testament, and on those who strive to live in obedience to Christian laws in accordance with the new covenant of the New Testament.)

(After Jesus’ victory over Satan in the wilderness, He learns of the imprisonment of John the Baptist and begins to preach, saying,)

Matthew 4: 17 – Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

(Thus Jesus begins His earthly ministry with the same admonition as preached by John the Baptist – Repent!)

Code 5 – Repent! *

*—The very first requisite for the forgiveness of sins is to sincerely regret them. We are expected, not only to regret our sins, but also to promise and determine to change our sinful ways, replacing them with a love of God, and obedience to His commandments.

(The commandment, Repent is the first of Jesus’ new covenant codes that is not prompted by Satan’s taunts based on the Old Testament. Rather, its emphasis, and the emphasis on the codes to follow, is on the New Testament and our path to eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.)

Matthew 4: 19 – Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Code 6 – Follow Jesus. *

*—Jesus commands us to follow Him. By following Jesus, we will draw others into the net of those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the One who leads us to salvation.

The Beatitudes

(The next eight codes (seven through fourteen) originate with Jesus as He begins what we now refer to as The Sermon on the Mount. They are called The Beatitudes, from the Latin word for blessed, beatus.

Jesus promises a reward to those who spiritually personify each of the conditions identified by Him as blessed. The Beatitudes exemplify how God wants us to behave, and are therefore, commandments of God.)

Matthew 5: 3 – Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

(In his epistle to other Jewish believers, James makes mention of the poor, helping to clarify the spiritual status of those mentioned ^ as being poor in spirit.

James 2: 5 – Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

To be poor in spirit is to recognize our complete dependence on God.

To be poor in spirit is the antithesis of being proud, arrogant, and self-righteous.

In the gospel according to Luke, chapter 18, verses 10-14, Jesus tells the following parable to certain persons who were self-righteous, and arrogant:

"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. *

I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

*—The Publicans were, more often than not, wealthy Romans who contracted with the government to collect taxes. However, this verse refers to those Jews employed by the Publicans to do the actual collecting of the various taxes imposed by Rome. Most Jews considered the collectors to be abettors of their oppressors, and despised them.)

Code 7 – Be not proud, nor arrogant. Trust in God’s will, not your own. *

*—With deep humility and love of God, we must recognize that absent God’s divine grace, we are hopelessly lost. Those who acknowledge this fact and live accordingly are promised to participate in the Kingdom of Heaven.

(The Beatitudes, and the other codes share a common foundation with all of Jesus’ teachings in that they are based on spiritual reality. * Therefore they are in opposition to worldly ideals. They conflict with what would be our natural response patterns to adversity and challenges, but they are required of true Christians intent on obeying the commandments of God.

It takes extraordinary moral strength, and trust in God’s will to be poor in spirit, and to attain all the states of blessedness expressed in the Beatitudes, but the reward is great. God, the Holy Spirit abiding in us makes it possible for us to obey the Beatitudes, and all the codes required to attain heaven on earth now, and in the world to come.

*—Evidence of the claim that spiritual reality is the basis for Jesus’ teachings can be found in the gospel according to John:

The Chief rabbi, and the other temple leaders had complained to Pontius Pilate that Jesus claimed to be a king. If this proved to be true, Jesus would be guilty of treason against the Roman Empire, a crime punishable by death. During His three years ministry, Jesus had preached the gospel of repentance leading to salvation and citizenship in God’s coming kingdom. As a result of the accusations of the Jews, Jesus is led to the hall of judgment where Pontius Pilate questions him:

John – 18: 33-38

" . . . Art thou the King of the Jews?

Jesus answers him,

"Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?

"Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?

Jesus answered,

My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered,

Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. )

Matthew 5: 4 – Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

(There are those who mourn because of terrible personal losses. There are those who mourn the state of the world, i.e. the wars, the sins, the injustices, the lack of civility, the selfishness etc.

To mourn over a personal loss is to demonstrate our love for the gifts God has given us, and have now passed on or changed.

To mourn over the condition of the world demonstrates our love for the way things should be, specifically, people behaving in accordance with the will of God.

The Book of Revelation contains a wonderful follow-up verse to Matthew 5: 4:

Revelation 7: 17—For the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.)

Code 8 – Mourn the loss of God’s gifts, and mourn the sinful condition of the world. *

*—We are to demonstrate our love of God by mourning the sinful condition of the world, and by lamenting the loss of those persons and situations He has given us to love.

To mourn is to experience deep sadness, and regret over the loss of a beloved person, place or thing. It is God’s will that we do so, and it is His will that we bemoan the loss of the way this world would be if His will predominated.

Matthew 5: 5 – Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

(Those who are meek are not weak. They are strong in faith, and trust in God’s will. They are humble before God, and gentle before people. Their reward is great. They are heirs to God’s estate, the new world to come, free of sin and strife.)

Code 9 – Be meek. *

* It takes extraordinary moral strength, and trust in God’s will to be meek, and to attain all the states of blessedness expressed in the Beatitudes, but the reward is great. God, The Holy Spirit abiding in us makes it possible for us to obey the Beatitudes and all the codes required to attain heaven on earth now, and in the world to come.

Matthew 5: 6 – Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

(God wants us to spiritually yearn for good to prevail over evil, for ourselves and for the entire world. In order to demonstrate the intensity of this yearning, Jesus compares it to the physical conditions of being hungry and thirsty. Hunger for food, and thirst for water can be mild or strong, and so too can the desire for righteousness.

Jesus demonstrates just how strong the desire for righteousness can be is found in the gospel according to Matthew, chapter 4, verses 1-4:

"Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. *

And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said,

It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

*—One of the great understatements of all time, used to draw attention to Jesus’ response, wherein He emphasizes the overriding importance of nourishing our spiritual lives with the word of God.

The phrase an hungered is an example of old English spelling and usage as featured in the King James Version of the bible.)

Code 10 – Hunger and thirst after righteousness.

(It takes extraordinary moral strength, and trust in God’s will to hunger and thirst after righteousness, and to attain all the states of blessedness expressed in the Beatitudes, but the reward is great. God, The Holy Spirit abiding in us makes it possible to obey the Beatitudes, and all the codes required to attain heaven on earth now, and in the world to come.)

Matthew 5: 7—Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

(If we show compassion to those who have offended us, (whether or not the offense was intentional) Jesus will have mercy on us. To be merciful is to admit that we are not perfect. Because of our sins and mistakes, we have hurt others. We, and they crave merciful forgiveness from God and man.)

Code 11 – Be merciful.

(Along with a healthy dose of enlightened self-interest, it takes extraordinary moral strength, and trust in God’s will to be merciful. The Holy Spirit abiding in us makes it possible for us to be merciful.

Matthew 5: 8 – Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

(Non-believers, and others who are worldly, scoff at the pure in heart, considering them to be foolish, naïve, out of touch with reality, etc., but to Jesus they are the true realists. They view the world thru a prism of spiritual reality, striving to reject the false gods of this world in favor of the one true God.

Over and over again we read in the Scriptures how Jesus strives to make it clear that our physical lives are temporary in nature. And over and over again, (with every breath we take) Jesus provides us with the opportunity of finding Him, and traveling His way to eternal salvation.)

Code 12 – Be pure in heart.

(To be pure in heart is to be possessed of the insight, that the values of this world created by Satan, are as cold water splashed on a hot rock; appearing substantive, but soon to disappear into a steam of nothingness. Those who are pure in heart believe in, and love Jesus unquestioningly. They live their lives in the sure knowledge that they will see Jesus in the world to come. The Holy Spirit has entered their lives, and blessed them with spiritual knowledge resulting in certainty of behavior that will ultimately result in righteousness of character sufficient to qualify as God’s companions in paradise.)

Matthew 5: 9 – Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

(Oftentimes those who seek to settle differences, or break up a fight, or offer themselves as intermediaries are criticized, ostracized, scorned, abused, and sometimes murdered for their efforts. The reward for a peacemaker is not in this world, but in the next where he will enjoy a child/parent relationship with God.)

Code 13 – By thought, word, and deed aspire to bring about peace, *

*—It takes extraordinary moral strength, and trust in God’s will to be a peacemaker, and to attain all the states of blessedness expressed in the Beatitudes, but the reward is great.

(Perhaps no other commandment separates those who love Jesus from those who only profess to love Him. From personal levels of disagreements, escalating all the way up to worldwide disputes, the overwhelming modus operandi for dealing with disagreements has been belligerent self-interest, ultimately leading to confrontation, threats of war, and actual wars.

These problems are amenable to solution on an individual basis, one person at a time opting to follow Jesus. This means expressing sincere sorrow for sinful behavior, renouncing Satan, and rejecting the tired, disproved formulas for solving disputes in favor of obeying the codes generated by the Beatitudes, and all the other codes proclaimed by Jesus.

The Holy Spirit abiding in us makes it possible to obey the Beatitudes, and all the codes required to attain heaven on earth now, and in the world to come.)

Matthew 5: 10-12—Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

(Believers in Christ do not be deceived! You will be persecuted for living your faith. Numerous verses of Scripture attest to this fact. Persecution can take the form of subtle discrimination such as exclusion from a group, looks of derision cast your way, etc., or you may suffer less subtle, more direct and/or severe forms of persecution. Regardless of the type or severity of the victimization you suffer, have no doubt that it will happen. The following verses affirm the reality of persecution, and the certainty of its’ infliction on those who love Jesus, and attempt to live accordingly:

2 Timothy 3: 12 – Yea, and all that live Godly in Christ shall suffer persecution.

Acts 5: 41 – And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. *

*The apostles had defied the ruling of the high priest that they should not teach in the name of Jesus. As a result, they were beaten and then let go.

Acts 7: 52 – Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: *

*—Stephen spoke these words and other words of rebuke directed against the leaders of the Jewish High Council. As a result, he was stoned to death and became the first martyr of the early Christian church.

In his first general Epistle, Peter directed the following remarks to those Jewish believers who were suffering persecution:

1 Peter 4: 12 – Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.)

Code 14 – For the love of Jesus, live according to the word of God. *

*—Those who do so will suffer persecution (whether mild or severe) in this life, but are promised to participate in the Kingdom of Heaven in the next.

(It takes extraordinary moral strength, and trust in God’s will to suffer persecution for Christ’s’ sake, and to attain all the states of blessedness expressed in the Beatitudes, but the rewards are great.

The Holy Spirit abiding in us makes it possible to obey the Beatitudes, and all the codes required to attain heaven on earth now, and in the world to come.)

The daily recitation of the Beatitudes (conditions of blessedness proclaimed by Jesus) is an excellent way to remind us of Jesus and His teachings. They are repeated below for quick reference:

Matthew 5: 3-12:

1. – Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

2. – Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

3. – Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

4. – Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

5 – Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

6. – Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

7. – Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

8. – Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

The first fourteen codes encountered in the New Testament are listed below for quick reference:

1. – Live in accordance with God’s will actually, and apparently.

2. – Seek out the word of God, and live accordingly.

3. – Accept without question the Deity of the Lord.

4. – Worship and serve only the one true God.

5. – Repent !

6. – Follow Jesus.

7. – Be not proud, nor arrogant. Trust in God’s will, not your own.

8,—Mourn the loss of God’s gifts, and mourn the sinful condition of the world.

9. – Be meek.

10. – Hunger and thirst after righteousness.

11. – Be merciful.

12. – Be pure in heart.

13. – By thought, word, and deed aspire to bring about peace.

14. – For the love of Jesus, live according to the word of God.

(These first 14 Codes are best understood and appreciated when considered in conjunction with the verses of scripture which inspired them and the accompanying commentary offered in their support.)

And so ends Chapter 1 of Heaven On Earth.

Chapter 2

Codes 15 through 28

Matthew 5: 13 – Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Code 15 – Persevere in your service to Jesus. *

*—Jesus lavishes praise on the disciples. A good part of that praise is brought about by the good work that they do in His name: preaching the gospel; living in accordance with the will of God; setting high examples for others to follow; and by their exhortations, bringing new sheep into the flock.

(If salt should lose its flavor, nothing, or next to nothing remains. What was once good and useful becomes bad and useless. A disciple who ceases to preach the word of God betrays himself and God, relegating himself equal only to those who sorely need his help, and perhaps lower than that.) *

*—Cessation of service might cause feelings of guilt and emptiness, possibly leading to a fall from grace. A disciple who ceases to serve Jesus is no longer a disciple, but rather he joins the ranks of those in need of spiritual help.)

Matthew 5: 16 – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. *

*—This is not intended to encourage "showing-off’, but rather it urges us to embrace high standards of conduct in order to serve as shining examples, that others may come to Jesus.

Code 16 – Live your life as a true Christian, loving Jesus, and obeying His codes.

Matthew 5: 17-19 – Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

(Jesus fulfills perfectly every jot and tittle of the old Law. With His suffering and death on the cross, He paid the price for our salvation, thereby freeing us from the old laws of the old covenant, and obliging us to the new laws of the new covenant. It is not until the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost that the full knowledge and understanding of Jesus’ teachings are revealed to the Apostles, enabling them to realize full fidelity to the requirements of the new covenant.

The new codes of the new covenant do not nullify the moral and spiritual intention of the old codes of the Old Testament, rather, Jesus enhances their moral and spiritual value by casting them in divine perspective whereby the full power and beauty of God’s commandments are made known. All the wisdom, guidance, and inspiration necessary for our salvation are revealed in the New Testament. The Old Testament chronicles the journey of mankind, from creation to Jesus. The New Testament fulfills the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah to come in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. He is the Christ, the Son of God, and the Savior of the world. To those who believe in Jesus, the new codes of the new covenant are the way to salvation.

The following verses help to clarify and support our belief in the New Testament as the proper guide for Christian living, leading to salvation by the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ:

John 16: 13-15—"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you."

Romans 10: 4-7 – "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them."

But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)

Or, who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead." *

*—Right living and salvation thru Jesus does not require the believer to attempt miraculous happenings such as raising Jesus again from the dead, or bringing Jesus down from heaven.)

Romans 10: 8-13 – "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

For the scripture saith,

Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Galatians 3: 11,14 – But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

That the blessings of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Galatians 3: 19, 24-25—Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; . . .)

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we may be justified by faith."

But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster."

Romans 6: 14 – For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Romans 7: 4, 6 – Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; . . .

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

(Speaking of the new covenant of the New Testament, Paul has this to say in his letter to the Hebrews:)

Hebrews 8: 6-7, 13 – "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second."

In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

Speaking of the Old Testament practice of sacrificing animals to God, Paul has this to say in his letter to the Hebrews:

Hebrews 13: 15-16 – "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to is name.

But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." *

*—The codes of the new covenant of the New Testament do not require blood sacrifice of animals. Instead, Jesus gave His life, and bled His blood in atonement for our sins. The old law does not bind us. Giving thanks and praise to Jesus replaces the old covenant requirement of animal sacrifices.

Galatians 3: 10-13 – "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them.

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. *

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." * *

*—He who clings to the old Law does not accept the new covenant of the New Testament offered by Jesus, thereby rejecting salvation via faith in Him. Salvation is not attainable except by way of Jesus. Those who live by the Law, shall die by the Law.

* *—By hanging from the cross (a tree) Jesus substitutes for us who are guilty of sin.

Old Testament Law (Deuteronomy 21: 22) proscribes that those guilty of a sin worthy of death should hang from a tree.

Galatians 10: 14 – That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. *

*—Those who believe in Jesus Christ will receive the Holy Spirit, whether they are Jew or Gentile. Those who reject Jesus are doomed to spiritual death.

The General Epistle of James has this to say regarding those who keep the Mosaic law of the Old Testament:

James 2: 10 – For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.)

Code 17 – Keep and teach all the commandments of God.

(Those under the Old Testament law (those who reject Jesus) must keep the old laws. Those under the New Testament must keep the new laws.

The old codes are not abrogated by the new, rather, they are fulfilled. Jesus, and later, the Apostles, inspired by the in-dwelling Holy Spirit, draw out from the old codes their truer, more spiritual ramifications, incorporating them into the New Testament lexicon.

For the most part, we teach others to obey or disobey the commandments of God by personally setting good examples of obedience, or bad examples by disobedience.

The codes and commandments of the new covenant of the New Testament fulfill and clarify the spiritual intent of the old codes of the Old Testament.)

Matthew 5: 20 – For I say unto you, That except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. *

*—The scribes and Pharisees were scrupulous in obeying the laws, (insofar as they chose to understand them) but there was more to the commandments than met their eyes.

(In the several verses to follow, Jesus reveals to His audience (the multitudes, and His disciples) the spiritual attitudes and responses (the new codes) detailing God’s will regarding the Old Testament codes pertaining to: Murder, Adultery, Divorce, Oaths, Revenge, Charity, Fasting, Wealth, Physical well-being, and Judging others.)

Matthew 5: 21-22 – Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; * and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

*—The sixth commandment – Thou shalt not kill. – exodus 20: 13

(The Lord’s motivation for the establishment of this commandment is found in the book of Genesis wherein, included in the Lord’s instructions to Jonah, is the following expression of God’s will:

Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. – Genesis 9: 6.

In Matthew 5: 21-22 ^, Jesus makes reference to the Ten Commandments as recorded in the Old Testament. He then reveals the fuller, more spiritual connotation intended by the sixth:

He who is angry with another without just cause is liable to be found at fault. Expressing anger at another by calling him Raca (meaning ignorant, or empty-headed)) might result in a command appearance before the Council—(The Jewish high court). * Worst of all, calling a person a fool places the name-caller in danger of divine judgment.

*—The Council via a quid pro quo with the Roman authorities, more or less had a free reign to deal with those who violated their religious codes. There were plenty of codes, and the punishments could be quite severe. Later on in Jesus’ ministry the Council found Him guilty of blasphemy, and was able to manipulate the Romans into executing Jesus on a trumped-up charge of treason.

The basic premise underlying the new proscriptions is that the same emotions which precipitate acts of name calling and the like, are the same emotions (hatred, anger etc.) which, if left unchecked can lead to murder. The increasing intensity of the emotions of hate and anger increases the risk of more serious offenses, and concurrently the more serious consequences to the offender.)

Code 18 – Be slow to anger, and quick to forgive. Resolve to curb your tongue, and forego hatred.

Matthew 5: 27-28 – Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery. *

But I say unto you, That whosover looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

*—The Seventh commandment – Thou shalt not commit adultery. – Exodus 20: 14

(Again, the emotional driving force of the lesser offense (lusting after a woman) is the same emotional force that leads to the actual adultery. Instead of dwelling on the lust, Jesus asks us to dismiss it out of hand so that the emotion itself does not gain control.

To dwell on a thought, whether it is good or bad, strengthens that thought. Conversely, willfully dismissing a thought from contemplation greatly weakens it.

The act of adultery, and lusting towards that goal draws attention away from those we are entrusted to love and protect.

Adultery, and the contemplation of adultery tend to dissipate legitimate focus on God and family. It might be well to heed God’s words, spoken to Moses, and through him to Israel:

Deuteronomy 6: 13-15 "Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;

(For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth."

*—The other gods can refer not only to the false idols often worshipped by Israel, but also to the false gods of this world such as power, wealth, lust, etc.)

Code 19 – Do not cheat on your spouse. Don’t even think about it.

Matthew 5: 29-30 – And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

(Here Jesus reveals just how important it is to disengage from the practice of sin. Regardless of how high is the degree of sacrifice needed to get on track with the Savior, He tells us that it must be done. *

*—Additional words of Jesus are recorded in the Gospel according to Matthew, wherein the spiritual world is contrasted with, and preferred over the physical:

"Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

For whomsoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?—Matthew—16: 23-26)

Code 20 – No matter how high the cost, discontinue and otherwise eliminate those sinful circumstances and situations contributing to your separation from the spiritual reality of Jesus,

Matthew 5: 31-32—It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a Writing Of Divorcement: *

But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. **

*—Jesus is referring to the Law, given to Israel by Moses, as recorded in the Old Testament:—Deuteronomy 24: 1:

When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favor in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness * in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

*—Uncleanness meant defiled, foul, unfit, and was applicable in cases of moral or religious wrongdoing such as fornication, idolatry, and other sinful behavior. Physical sickness, and unclean food were also possible objects of uncleanness justifying divorce, or more serious consequences, such as death by stoning.

(In Matthew 5: 31-32 ^, Jesus indicates that the only legitimate ground for divorce is when adultery has taken place. He restricts His comments to the proper interpretation of the codes regarding divorce. There is no mention of a women’s right to divorce because at that time, in that society, no such right existed.

The target audience of Jesus’ remarks was of course Israel. His main focus was to curtail the improper, freewheeling divorce practices of the Jews.

Additional comments by Jesus recorded in the gospel according to Matthew shed a bright and sharp focus on the Divine attitude towards marriage and divorce:

Matthew—19: 4-6

"Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." *

*—The wording, let not man put asunder, indicates that the prohibition applies not only to the married couple, but also forbids any person outside the marriage from contributing to its dissolution.

Matthew—19: 8-9

"Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery."

The idea of man and wife being as one flesh is sometimes referred to as the sacred oneness. If the man or the woman commits adultery, the sacred oneness has been broken, ripped asunder by the offending party. Hence, divorce has already taken place by the act of adultery. Divorce then becomes the formalization of that which has already taken place.

God’s will is that a man and a woman are one, and should remain that way. The only exception Jesus allows is when adultery has taken place. Even that allowable justification for divorce is seemingly a reluctant concession to the hard-heartedness of the Jews.)

Code 21 – Divorce is sanctioned only when adultery has taken place. *

*—This code applies to married Jews who live by the Old Testament, and when two believers in Christ (a man and a woman) are married to each other.

Concerning those situations wherein a non-believer is married to a believer, the Apostle Paul provides guidance, which will be presented following the paragraph immediately below dealing with alternate, or more liberal interpretations of code 21.

(An argument could be made, that adultery is not the only condition capable of ripping apart the sacred oneness of marriage, and that the adultery exception to the codes prohibiting divorce might provide an umbrella under which these other conditions might find shelter. But Jesus does not comment on this possibility.

Instead, Jesus presents us with a code governing the practice of divorce that is even stricter than the Old Testament law. However a more liberal interpretation code 21 ^ might include reasoning influenced by Matthew 5: 28, wherein Jesus says:

"But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to