And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. Acts 14:1 You will sometimes hear that it does not matter so much how you share the gospel; what matters is that you …
Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate. Neh. 3:1 I love the third chapter of Nehemiah. It is a record of the folks who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. You not only have high priests, but people from every walk of life it seems, such as …
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: …
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Mt. 5:9 There are divisions that are unavoidable. Did not our Lord himself say, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword," and "I am come to set a man at variance against his …
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Mt. 5:8 You would think that God would have absolutely nothing to do with us mortals. After all, who is like God? The prophet Isaiah asked this question: “To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? . . . Do you not …
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Mt. 5:7 Here we see the principle of reaping what you sow, although in a more positive sense than often used: those who sow mercy will reap mercy. However, it is important to note that the mercy expected here is not mercy from men, but mercy …
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Mt. 5:6 What do you desire? There are so many things out there beckoning the attention of the appetites of our souls. There are so many things out there that promise to satisfy us if we will just give …
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Mt. 5:5 What is meekness? It’s a notoriously difficult word to define. But part of the difficulty is that we often attach meanings to it that don’t belong. For example, meekness is often equated with weakness, resulting either from physical or …
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Mt. 5:4 What is the type of mourning that our Lord blesses? Certainly, it includes mourning over sin. It is the product of poverty of spirit – that, as we see our spiritual impoverishment before God, our sinfulness and dirtiness before God …
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Mt. 5:3 In this way, the Sermon on the Mount opens. Far from being a sermon devoid of grace, it begins with a blessing upon all who see their utter and complete spiritual poverty and therefore their total and universal need for …