"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

Luke 18:35-43 This story starts with the blind man, sitting by the roadside. He is begging. Likely he has done this much of his life....

Acts 3: 1-10 This story takes place at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. It’s important to know that this word beautiful, comes from the...

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Psalms 103:2 I don’t know about you but sometimes I need to be reminded of...

Every single moment you are thinking of me! How precious and wonderful to consider that you cherish me constantly in your every thought!...

You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside and my intricate outside, and wove them all together in my mother's womb. I...

Where could I go from your Spirit? Where could I run and hide from your face? If I go up to heaven, you're there! If I go down to the...

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalms 139! It is a treasure! From verse 1 to 24, God has written my name all over it! The next few posts...

Jesus heals. The gospels are filled with His wonder working power! A woman, bleeding for years, touches the hem of his garment-healed...

This week I sense the Lord calling me to meditate on Ephesians 3:14-21 some more. His heart for us is in these verses, seems to say,...

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and...