Tag: the Beatitudes

Blessed are the Meek

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Sometimes I really like to focus on the beatitudes because I enjoy reading what the scriptures tell me about those who believe in Christ and in God will end up. For instance, when I spoke of those who are poor in Spirit, the Scriptures state that theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Which for me means their home is the Kingdom of Heaven. Knowing this brings me to the next beatitude which reads;

Blessed are the meek, for
they shall inherit the earth.
Matthew 5:5

How is this important to Christians, the Church or Religion?

As part of the Church it’s important for Christians to evaluate where they stand. One of the ways I can do this is by using the Beatitudes as a type of measurement tool. But to fully understand this scripture better lets take a look at other words that could easily replace the word Meek. A few of these are, timid, shy, reserved, bashful, introverted, quite, modest, humble, obedient, peaceful, gentle, kind, softhearted, merciful, forgiving, patient, gracious, pleasant, lowly, mild, easygoing and warmhearted.

But what is the actual meaning?

The word meek is defined as someone who is patient and mild; not inclined to anger or resentment according to the American Collins Online Encyclopedia. And when you read this same scripture from the Amplified Bible, it reads;

Blessed[inwardly peaceful, spiritually secure, worthy of respect] are the gentle[the kind-hearted, the sweet-spirited, the self-controlled] for they will inherit the earth.

This particular scripture really makes me think about the Lord Jesus’s character and how it could easily be a reflection of Him and those who follow Him. So I could easily see the word gentle replaced with humble, obedient, peaceful, merciful and forgiving or even lowly. But notice what else this scriptures states, they will inherit the earth.

Can you imagine, living on earth at a time where there is no war, no disease, no hate, no famines, but, GOD’S TRUTH, LOVE, RESPECT and our KING!

May God’s Grace bless you daily,
bring you closer to the Lord Jesus Christ
and Sanctify you in God’s Truth!

Blessed are Those who Mourn

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I often hear preachers say, at the end of their sermon, if you repent of your sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you will be saved. While this is absolutely true, personally, the step of repenting of our sins should be one of that is much more detailed. We should lament over what we have done against God. In other words, we don’t recite a simple little prayer and state, I repent of my sins and then expect to be changed.

Because when you look at the Scriptures, when one repented of their sins there was lamentation over them. Meaning, there was grief there was sorrow over what they had done. It wasn’t a moment reciting a few words and expecting God to forgive us. NO! When the people from the Scriptures repented they had a very passionate cry to God over what they had done. It was sorrow cut straight from the heart and feeling guilt, regret and remorse over their sins and how they were lead astray.

Maybe this is why some Christians still struggle with sin. After all many preachers lead us to believe by reciting this generic prayer and lumping all our sins together, we’ll be forgiven of them and we’re no longer obligated to repent. Sure, we’ve all probably said a prayer but was it really heart felt? Did we “really” feel bad over our sins, cry and weep for a few moments, till the service ended and then went back to our normal day in life?

So this brings up many questions for me and leads me to believe that while this prayer maybe a first step, we shouldn’t stop repenting over our sins until we’re given a sign, a word by God or even a dream. And it also brings up the question, if one doesn’t display the same type of lamenting over their sin as in the Scriptures, have they truly been forgiven? Maybe God is calling His people to REPENT the same way they did in Biblical times. Which leads me to the Scripture;

Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s Grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted]. Matthew 5:4 AMP

As a Christian, if you’re still struggling with sin, maybe you need to humble yourself before God Almighty and start naming each of your sins before Him and display the same type of lamenting that the people of God did throughout the Scriptures.

May God’s Grace bless you daily,
bring you closer to the Lord Jesus Christ
and Sanctify you in God’s Truth!

Living the Beatitudes

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Many Christians and non-believers alike realize this world is lacking a sense of direction. While many put their belief in Science, Spirituality, Meditation, Technology, or Politics, there are those of us who are called to follow Jesus.

Non-believers have a worldly mindset, but, Christians are called to be in unity, like minded. Unfortunately, false teaching is everywhere so Christians who don’t exhibit a strong foundation in Christ tend to get stuck, become confused, often pulled in by false teachers, or, completely fall away from the Faith. This should not be!

But what if I told you, the Good News of the Kingdom Jesus taught could be summed up just by reading the Beatitudes?! Yes, those beautiful poetic words of wisdom Jesus taught at the Sermon of the Mount go much deeper than most realize. In Matthew 5:3, Jesus says;

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

This scripture indicates those who realize they are spiritually deficient, who lack spiritual arrogance, who see themselves as unimportant, insignificant, worthless, or undeserving, for those who realize they couldn’t save themselves, but needed a Savior, they needed Him. These are the ones Jesus is saying they will be Blessed. In Matthew 5:4, Jesus says;

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

In this particular scripture it indicates those who mourn and repent over their sin, who grieve, are sorrowful, sad and hurt over their wrongdoings, over following the ways of this world instead of the ways of God, they will be comforted. Jesus also teaches in Matthew 5:5;

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

The word meek has many meanings but the most widely used biblically is humble, obedient, submissive, and seek to follow Jesus. So this scripture indicates those who humble themselves, those who put the needs of others before themselves, those who are kind hearted, those who will be obedient and follow Jesus and His teachings, because these are those who prefer to serve rather than being served.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

This scripture indicates someone who wants nothing more than to do what is right in the eyes of God, to seek right standing with Him. These are those who walk in God’s ways, denying self, to do what is morally good and right which can be seen through their behavior, their actions, the way they speak, and how they treat others. It also when God often overflows them with His Spirit so they can take the next step, being merciful.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

When one is merciful they are forgiving. So this scripture is implying those who choose to forgive others for the wrongs done to them have a kind, compassionate, and gracious spirit. Instead of holding on to the pain and grief in their lives they choose to extend mercy and forgive. They let it go and move forward and this only because of God’s richness of compassion on us.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

These are those that are sanctified, purified because of their godly character. Their attitude, their thoughts, their actions, their intentions and their hearts are all inline with the ways of God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called Sons of God.

Once we are sanctified and are pure in heart we become peacemakers. And this can be a daunting task. But as believers we are called to seek peace whether it’s someone you have an issue with, reconciling others to God or helping others restore and make amends in their own relationships. But before one attempts this process you should ensure you have peace within your own heart, along with patience, and in right standing with God. You must also keep in mind, no matter how hard you try, it doesn’t always work out.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

This scripture refers to those who are harassed, treated unfairly, are treated cruelly, insulted, are thrown in jail for doing what the Word of God commands it’s believers to do, live their life according to God’s standards and not the worlds.

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil
against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in
Heaven, for they persecuted the Prophets who were before you.

This is a big one, because, it’s these who are persecuted because of their association with the name of our Lord Jesus. When people insult you, lie about you, say evil things about you, attack you with false accusations, or they’re verbally abusive to you because of the sake of Jesus. Know, your reward is great!

But if you look at each one of the scriptures, you’ll notice an outline of the Gospel becomes very evident.

  1. Feels worthless, undeserving and needs a Savior
  2. Grieves, Humbles themselves and Repents over their sin
  3. Becomes submissive and Follows Christ
  4. Seeks Righteousness and Denies Self
  5. Forgives those who have caused pain and hurt
  6. Sanctified and Purified for godly character
  7. Reconciles others to God and restores damaged relationships
  8. Persecuted for doing what’s right in the eyes of God
  9. Persecuted for the name of Jesus

Can you see the Good News of the Kingdom of Heaven in the Beatitudes now? And does it make sense why Jesus started His Sermon on the Mount with it?

Knowing all this one must understand, just like in the Good News of the Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus taught, if we’re not relying on the Holy Spirit, we may find ourselves stuck in one area and not moving forward.

The Beatitudes —

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In continuing my study of Luke 6 and reading verses 20-23KJV  And He lifted up His eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled (satisfied). Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh […]

The Beatitudes —

Blessed Are You When They Revile

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When I read this particular Beatitude it seems to be a continuation of the Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness sake, found in Matthew 5:10. But as I studied it, I realized this particular scripture stands on it’s own. Let’s take a look at the scripture which says;

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedintly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:11,12

To understand the difference between the two scriptures one must look at the word revile. Revile means to angerily critize or insult. I’ve created a list that could easily replace the word revile, they are; vilify, condemn, berate, attack, reprimand, denounce, admonish, bash, lecture, smear, scorn, curse, cuss, abuse, taunt, scoff, ridicule, and mock. So one could easily replace the word revile with one of those from my list for a different, yet, similar meaning.

But the most important difference in this scripture is Where Christ says falsely for MY SAKE. Because these words sum up everything Christians have endured from the beginning. It’s because true Christians will not back down from what the Bible teaches. Because the Apostle Paul tells us that, all scripture is God breathed, meaning, given by divine inspiration for teaching, for rebuking, for correction and for training in righteousness which is found in 2 Timothy 3:16. This is why laws are being passed against Christianity. Christians will be reviled and persecuted because they WILL NOT deny their faith and belief in Christ. Christians believe in Jesus as Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Chosen, the Son of Man, the Only Begotten Son of God who came in the flesh and paid our wages of sin, which was death.

So for me, I see a difference between the two scriptures. Matthew 5:10 is about being persecuted for doing what is right where Matthew 5:11 is someone who is reviled and persecuted because of one’s faith, their belief in Christ along with their refusal to deny Christ and what He taught.

Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted

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As I’ve stated in the past, the Beatitudes are some of my favorite scriptures. They “speak” to me, give me a sense of “calmness” and display a beautiful poetic message. So, let’s take a look at this particular scripture which says;

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10

When I first started reading the Bible “this scripture” really bothered me. I would read it, but, it was as if I was trying to avoid “that word” persecuted. To me, I thought if I avoided the word, I could avoid “that” whole situation. I was actually “afraid” of this scripture. Well, that’s just plain wrong and unbiblical. Now that my faith increased, I’m older and “understand” God’s word better, this scripture makes total sense, and, it no longer bothers me. So let’s talk about it.

Similar words for persecuted are tormented, abused, harassed, attacked, mistreated, exploited, afflicted, harmed and tortured. The word righteousness are those who do right in God’s eyes, lives a morally upright life, devotes themselves to God, and has a character reflective of God’s goodness, mercy and love. But it also means standing up for what is right, according to God’s word.

When we put these two together we get something like, Blessed are those who are tormented for doing what is morally right, for their is the kingdom of heaven. Of course, this is just an example from the words which I listed, but, hopefully this scripture is a little easier to understand.

So, just know, when people harass you or attack you online for quoting a scripture, explaining a biblical story, for following God’s ways, or for just reading and following the Bible, be happy because yours is the kingdom of heaven.

And with the way our world is headed these days, I believe many Christians will receive this one! At least, I hope and pray we do!

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

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Some of my favorite scriptures are the Beatitudes and one can gain an immense amount of insight just by studying these beautiful scriptures. If you notice, Jesus always started these scriptures with Blessed are. But, what exactly did Jesus mean by Blessed are?

In a Biblical context blessed refers to someone who is fortunate, happy or content. At this point you’re probably thinking, you’re telling me Jesus believes I should feel Fortunate or Happy that I’m grieving? Well, yes. Let me explain.

To really understand this scripture we must look at the very first one, blessed are the poor in spirit. In this scripture “poor in spirit” means a lack of arrogance, lack of pride, lack of confidence, because we’ve had a “true” encounter with Christ. We now see “ourselves” the way that “God sees us”. He has opened our eyes to the “truth” about ourselves, and, when we see the “truth” about ourselves it leads to mourning. The scripture reads;

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Matthew 5:4

It’s that “mourning” that brings us to a place where we “grieve” over our wrongdoings, we “grieve” over our failures, we “grieve” over our shortcomings, we “grieve” over our sin, we “grieve” over the condition of our world, and we “grieve” for those lost “to” the world. When we “grieve” our heart is convicted, it begins to soften and this leads us to praying to God, confessing our sins and repenting of them.

So yes, you’re fortunate that you mourn, or grieve, because it shows you “will” be comforted.

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

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The very first Beatitude found in Matthew is one I took completely out of context the first time I read it. You see, I read this scripture from a very “humanistic” view point instead of a “biblical” view. Let’s take a look at this scripture;

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3

When I read this scripture I automatically thought the “poor in spirit” were those who may be considered as depressed, lacking confidence, determination, courage, or motivation. Afterall, poor means to lack something, so, it was very easy for me to read it in that light.

But today, I see this scripture differently. For instance, “spirit” often refers to someone who is bold, courageous, someone ready for a fight, gutsy, brave, confident, arrogant, stands up to anyone, a big personality, boastful, selfish, opinionated, someone proud of themselves and their accomplishments, just to name a few.

Now, if I look at this scripture from a “biblical” view, and replace the word “poor” with lack I see this scripture in a different light. It would describe someone who “lacks” arrogance, “lacks” pride, “lacks” the need to boast, “lacks” the need to stand up to people, which, could indicate these individuals easily turn the other cheek.

So now, when I read this scripture I see it as a continuation of the teachings which “Christ” and His “Apostles” taught. Obviously, it’s not the “whole” Gospel, but, it does appear to fit within the “moral character” which Jesus wants for His people.

Blessed Are The Meek

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The Beatitudes found in Matthew are poetic, inspiring, calming and I’m so drawn to them. It wasn’t long before I realized these simple scriptures, pretty much, created an outline on what Jesus preached. For instance look at the one which speaks of being meek;

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5

When I think of someone being meek, it reminds me of someone who is quiet, timid or maybe even reserved. While these are all characteristics of being meek, I do believe there’s more to this simple scripture. So, let’s explore a little deeper to understand what Jesus was teaching us about being meek.

From a human stand point, yes, quiet, timid, and reserved are words which can be used to describe someone being meek, but, maybe God was trying to convey a different message here. From a “Biblical” view, meek refers to someone who is humble, gentle, kind, modest, compassionate, considerate, sweet, peaceful, warmhearted, respectful, moral and even forgiving. So if we replace the word “meek” with one of the “Biblical” words this scripture can take on a new meaning. For instance;

Blessed are the “humble”, for they shall inherit the earth.

Jesus and His apostles “preached” many times on the need to be humble, but, I believe many of the “Biblical” words could easily replace the word humble and have a similar meaning. A couple of others that Jesus and His apostles often preached on was forgiving, morality, peaceful and being modest. So, the next time you read this scripture you may have a “deeper” understanding of it’s true meaning.

But remember, whichever word you decide to use in the place of being meek, it’s probably a “reflection” of what’s already “within” your heart, or, it’s an area which you need to “focus” more on.

Blessed are Those Who Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness

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The beatitudes, some of my favorite scriptures. They’re poetic, beautiful and pretty straight forward. One of the reasons I have such a connection to these scriptures is they sum up the very essence of Christianity. But for some, they have difficulty understanding the meaning or what Jesus was saying. Hopefully, I help you see things a little differently. With that said, let’s take a look at the scripture;

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Matthew 5:6

To understand the scripture we must first understand the meaning of righteousness. And the simplest way to explain righteousness is someone who has integrity. They’re honest, have morals, good, decent, fair, respectable, blameless, faithful, devoted and believes in doing what is right.

When we “hunger” after righteousness it means we crave it. Every fiber of our very being seeks to do what is right in God’s eyes and we can’t get enough of it. And when we “thirst” after righteousness just means we have a desire to “quench” that yearning within us through Christ’s teachings. So if you replace the words hunger, thirst and righteousness in your scripture it would look something like this;

Blessed are they which crave and yearn after integrity: for they shall be filled.

Hopefully, this is a little easier to digest and helps explain the meaning in a way we can all understand.

Blessed are the Pure in Heart

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The heart is the very center of who we are. It’s where our emotions, personality and even character is molded and begins to take shape. If a person is mistreated in their early years, chances are they will harbor anger, hate, rage, depression, anxiety and jealousy within the heart. Those who are raised in a loving and supportive environment, usually, tend to be happy, well adjusted and have a more positive outlook on life, on people. Look what Jesus said in Matthew;

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Matthew 5:8

Jesus said, blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. How amazing is that?! Can you imagine?! But how do we get there?

As humans we know we’re naturally flawed, but, everyone has the opportunity to seek this. It’s just a matter of changing one’s heart. To change your heart means to remove all traces of malice, anger, hate, unforgiveness, judgements, pre-conceived notions, racism, deceit, or anything that is negative which leads to sin. Look what Jesus says about the heart in Matthew;

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.

Matthew 15:19,20

There’s only one way this can be achieved. You “MUST” realize you’re broken then humble yourself and cry out to Jesus to save you. Jesus is the Son of God, and he is the Way, the Truth and the Life: No man can approach the Father unless they go through Jesus first. Just talk with Jesus, have a heart to heart with Him. Let Him know you’re sorry for all of your sin and you repent of it, ask for forgiveness, ask Him to give you a new heart. If you truly humble yourself before God and ask for forgiveness, you will be forgiven.

But how do I achieve pure of heart?

Pure means to be free of foreign elements, clear from blemishes, to be SPOTLESS. To be pure of heart means our focus must be on God and on following Christ and his teachings. When we follow Christ all those negative emotions and traits are replaced with Godly traits.

This doesn’t mean we want still sin, because we are flawed, but when sin does occur it means we immediately go to the Father in prayer and repent of that sin. A humble, heartfelt prayer is what’s needed to be forgiven.

Just remember, we may stumble, we may fall, but, God says He’ll never leave us. So pick yourself up, pray to God for strength, stay in His Word and let that light shine within you!

Blessed are the Peacemakers

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This is a very interesting scripture found in the Beatitudes, the Peacemakers. But what exactly is a Peacemaker? The simple version is, when someone steps in between two parties that aren’t getting along and helps them to resolve their differences. Are if you’re having difficulty with someone you’ll look for a peaceful solution without compromising God’s truth. Look at what Jesus says during his ministry regarding the Peacemaker.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Matthew 5:9

Can you imagine being called the children of God? This is one that I strive for! I want that treasure in Heaven. But it’s not an easy task. Because to be a Peacemaker there are certain qualities one must have if they wish to obtain this honor.

First, you must have a peaceful heart yourself. You can’t help others if your heart is raging with anger, hate, unforgiveness or bitterness.

Second, you must have alot of PATIENCE, because, without it you’ll find yourself throwing up your hands and walking away. Patience is a key and virtue here!

Third, You must be a good listener while maintaining a neutral position. Be willing to listen to both sides so you can help them find a middle ground. Slow to respond weighing out all possible scenarios. But keep in mind, sometimes agreeing to disagree is the only way to keep the peace. But, if you can get each of the party’s involved to understand the other person or groups position, you may be able to make some headway.

While this may sound simple, believe me when I say, it is not! Peacemaking is difficult, time consuming and can be heartbreaking.

But, if you pray to God first asking him to show you the way, help you to stick to his truth and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, God is faithful and will always provide a way.

Blessed are the Merciful

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Blessed are the Merciful

The Beatitudes are some of my favorite scriptures found in the Bible. They intrigue me an speak to me all in the same breath. When I read them I experience a sense of calmness and inner peace. So yeah, definitely a favorite of mine. The scripture I wanted to share reads;

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Matthew 5:7 (NIV)

But what exactly is mercy? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, mercy is treating someone with compassion and forbearance. And forbearance is refraining from enforcing something. Having patience and giving leniency.

So, if we look at this scripture, through the meaning of the Merriam-Webster dictionary, we can easily see that those who are patient, compassionate and give others chances or opportunities, God will extend the same mercy to them. And with so much going on in our world today, I believe this world is in dire need of mercy!