"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:11-12 These words don't feel like comfort words. They point out the ugliness in the world. They point out situations where relationships are strained because of differing opinions. If you've experienced it, you know that to stand a

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:10 I don't really know persecution. Living in a country where most of my life I've been allowed to speak my opinions, worship freely, and walk in freedom, I have no idea what it is like to be persecuted for righteousness. An article in Global Christian Relief tells the story of Lawan Andimi. Before his death in January of 2020, Andimi led thousands to faith in Jesus Ch

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9 What is a peace maker? According to Reverand Billy Graham, in his article, Billy Graham on Peace, he tells us that peace is not only the absence of conflict, but it is the deep, abiding peace that only Jesus can offer us. Billy Graham is quoted as saying; "Peacemaking is a noble vocation . . . To be a peacemaker, you must know the Peace-Giver." In an article by John Piper, on desiringGod, he poi

"Blessed are the pure in heart. For they shall see God." Matthew 5:8 I admit, the morning I sat down to study these words, I was angry at God. My mom, 96 years young, had taken a fall leaving her body badly beaten. In my eyes, mom was pure in heart, servant to many, kind, generous, fun-loving but at this moment in time, she didn't appear to be "blessed." My journal that morning testifies to my inner struggle spilling out to God. Somewhere in the "why God" I relented to Him, p

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Matthew 5:7 What does it mean to be merciful? According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, mercy means 1. compassion, leniency, or restraint shown especially to an offender or to one subject to the power of another. 2. a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion 3. compassionate treatment of those in distress. Interesting that each of those definitions use the word 'compassion' which according to Merriam-Webst

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6 According to Merriam Websters' dictionary, hunger means a strong desire. Thirst means an ardent desire: craving, longing. The folks in Jesus' time would have known what it was like to experience deep hunger for food and deep thirst in the desert terrain. Remember the folks in Judea did not have our modern conveniences of refrigeration, running water, electricity. I can't relate

"Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth." Matthew 5:5 I used to think that the word meek meant weak. In English meek translates as mild or soft. But the Greek word used here is Praus. According to the Blue Letter Bible App, this word would describe a powerful war horse willing to go into the thick of battle as directed by its rider. Don't miss this-the war horse is in service to the rider, it's Master. This would lead to the question, whom do you serve? Being

The Beatitude Series-part 2 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4 I am in a season of mourning. Mike and I have all too recently lost both of our moms. They are walking now, pain-free, on the golden streets of heaven. Maybe dancing. Certainly celebrating with their loved ones. But today I mourn. I miss these two lovely ladies. One, my dear sweet mom and the other, our beloved Betty. Living in the blessing, though, the Makarios, helps me to real

I've been meditating on the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter five for quite some time now. Drinking in the Scriptures one by one. Reading commentaries. Studying the words. Asking the Lord to help me to understand them. May I share in a short series, how the Lord has blessed me in the reading of these words? The Bible tells us that upon seeing the multitudes of folks gathering on the mountain, Jesus taught these words. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of

The I Peter 1:4 speaks of our inheritance as Christians. An inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. One that is kept in heaven for us. So I would like to share about our mom’s beautiful last day here in this world. A Full Day Danny, Lenore, Diana, Randy, Janet, Margie and myself had been with mom along with many others-family and friends. Cousin Lori and her husband Steve brought roses and memories. Pastor Terri had come by to give communion to all of us and to pray

“Man plans his ways but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 I’m in THAT season. It hasn’t been fun. It’s been hard, humbling, sad, and confusing. In the past few months Mike and I watched our plans get interrupted as God determined the new steps. I'd like to say that we handled the changes well but . . . We didn't understand God's steps, the interruptions and the changes we were about to face. Our beloved Betty, Mike’s mom, passed away quickly-within a week. Suddenl

I don’t know about you but for me it seems like it’s getting harder to focus on Jesus these days. Maybe it’s the season I’m in. Maybe it’s in the air we breathe. Or the “in your face” news feeds, television, social media outlets spewing opinions, vying for our attention. There is so much deception everywhere. And hate. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed the hatred I’m seeing now. Hatred for each other. Hatred for a man. A party. A movement. Intolerance. There’s an underlying a

Sometimes everything stops. Recently this has been our experience. Mike's mom, Betty Lou, took a fall that would change her life. While she fought hard, as she always does, her body became weak and within a few days it was apparent that THIS time, she was preparing her sights on heaven. Today I found myself reflecting on Betty and some of the ways she has changed me. Please allow me to share this reflection. ********************************************************************

Today let's decree that America IS one nation under God. Let's be a people that will stand and declare that this country, America, founded on the principles of God, is indeed a country where the rule of God will reign. We declare that we will serve and honor the One who created all things, first and foremost. Let's declare that we will no longer be a people that follow after evil, killing our babies, confusing our children, leading by corrupt and selfish means. Instead let's

I admit. Christmas has come and gone and I've been in a slump. Forgive me, Lord. It IS the most wondrous time of the year! How could I let sickness and the blues consume me this year? For the first time in a long one, I couldn't shake the feeling that something major had changed in this world. We seem to be all caught up in consumerism, and selfishness. Including me! What happened to the wonder? Where is the majesty? What happened to the excitement, the joyfulness, and the aw

Believe it or not, Christmas is upon us. I don't know about you, but this year I notice that time is flying by! Heck! It was November 15th before I finally turned my calendar from October to November. The hours slip into days into weeks and into months and before we can say Jingle Bells, Christmas is here! My husband, Mike and I were invited to attend a Christmas Program last night. Two of our grandchildren were in it. Jack who was a "truth teller" in the play. And Alice w

I came upon this definition of unforgiveness in an *AI Overview. "Unforgiveness is the refusal to release someone from an offense or wrongdoing, characterized by holding onto resentment, bitterness, and a desire for retribution." When we hold onto the offense, refusing to allow the other person freedom from their actions, we are, in a sense, trying to enact justice upon them. We are making them pay for their wrong doing. We are NOT allowing them to move past the mistakes they

We've determined that forgiveness is not only good for our physical bodies but it is required of us as children of God. We forgive because we ARE forgiven. Let's continue to search God's Word on this matter. The Bible has a lot to say on forgiveness. It is said to be one of Jesus' core teachings. In fact Jesus leaves his disciples with these words in the Great Commission. Before Jesus ascended to heaven, he summons his followers to forgive. "If you forgive the sins of any, th

As we continue our walk in the sanctification process, let's take a look at forgiveness. Nelson Mandela is quoted as saying that "Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies." In an article entitled, *Forgiveness: Letting go of grudges and bitterness, by Mayo Clinic Staff, unforgiveness may cause us to: bring anger and bitterness into new relationships and experiences become so wrapped up in the wrong that you can’t enjoy the present become de

I have to admit sanctification wasn’t on my mind until I listened to Apostle Joshua Giles on *Prophetic Forecast”. The Apostle challenged his listeners to “sanctify themselves” before the new year of 2026. He would wrap up with a list of things we can do to prepare ourselves for the upcoming year. I finished listening to his message and decided to do my own study on sanctification. May I share what I’ve learned? The word sanctify means to make holy, to set apart. This call th