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 …
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Mal. 3:6 Think about the changing fortunes of Israel through the ages. Time and time again, the tiny family of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob was on the brink of extinction. Famine almost did them in, but God sent Joseph …
When Jesus saw it, he was much displeased (Mk. 10:14). What was our Lord displeased about? He was displeased - indeed, much displeased - that the disciples had rebuked those who brought their children to Jesus to be blessed. The disciples and the Lord had too very different ideas of what was …
And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Rev. 20:12 Revelation 20 begins with the famous passage on the millenium which has caused so many disputes and killed not a few trees from the paper generated over the volumes written upon it. I …