Only In God’s ‘Economy’ Can We Do This
“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:12, ESV) Who in this world would suggest you should be joyful and consider yourself blessed when you are under persecution – even less so when you are ‘for heaven’s sake’ being persecuted […]
Grant Us Grace To Walk With You Through Persecution
““Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” (Matthew 5:11, ESV) To be blessed is to be happy and typically we don’t associate ‘happiness’ with being cursed and put upon by others – especially because we have faith in Jesus Christ. […]
Grant Us Grace To Walk With You Through Persecution
““Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10, ESV) If we are to live our lives following what Jesus is teaching us, Being poor in spirit, being meek, and pure in heart. . . Then we must know that we will be so different from […]
Create in us a clean heart, O Lord
““Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9, ESV) The peacemaker has two distinct characteristics, spiritual marks from Jesus Christ: a person that lives in peace within himself; and, one who is used as an instrument of the peace of God in the world around them. When we are […]
Create in us a clean heart, O Lord
““Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8, ESV) Happy in the peace of God are those who are pure in heart. What pure in heart is not: Pure in heart is not self-created nor self-maintained purity. Purity that comes from me would be the opposite of pure. What pure […]
Please don’t give us what we deserve – grant us mercy O Lord
““Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7, ESV) Mercy is not giving what the person deserves. Mercy is what God greets us with every morning: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22–23, […]
As The Deer Panther For The Water…
““Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6, ESV) Never before in life have, we been surrounded by a greater ‘buffet’ of choices of things to hunger and thirst for in life. The sheer volume and high ‘velocity’ of the tempting options that lay before a person […]
Meek is the new ‘super hero’
““Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5, ESV) What could be a greater help and blessing to this world than to live out this promise. No more profound picture of unworldly can be painted than the picture of meekness. A gentle strength that is evidenced in trusting and obeying God. […]
The ‘Upside Down’ Kingdom of God – His Economy
““Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4, ESV) The ‘happiness’ of mourning? Yes, exactly. When we see ourselves as we truly are (sinners who have been saved by the grace of God in Christ Jesus) and recognize that even though we have been born again – we still have a […]
Ask Yourself: Are The Beatitudes My Attitude?
“And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:2–3, ESV) Jesus has taught us that the ‘poor in spirit’ are ‘blessed.’ This is not a thing you can touch and feel, it is a blessing that is ours when we […]