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 …
Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. Acts 4:19-20 Where does courageous obedience come from? In Acts 4, we have the story of the apostles John and Peter and their confrontation with …
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Mt. 3:1-2 John the Baptist was the one who was to announce the coming of Christ and to prepare people for his coming. How did he do this? He did it by calling …
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2:21 This is a quotation from the prophet Joel, which the apostle Peter applies to the Day of Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But this is a truth which is applicable in every time and …
Behold, I make all things new. Rev. 21:5 I love the New Year because it represents new beginnings and fresh starts. We can "start over" as it were. Make new resolutions, form new plans, and nurture new hopes. We do so with the expectation that this will be the beginning to a better end, no matter …