This last Beatitude is so contrary to human nature that it is difficult to understand what it is all about unless you see it from God’s viewpoint. As you read this, your attitude will change toward involvement for God, toward persecution and reproach, toward being an oddball—the kind of person who is so different that… Continue reading The persecuted
Category: Sermon on the mount
The peacemakers
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the sons of God. Matthew 5:9. To be a peacemaker is to be almost like the old gun called the Peacemaker. It was called the Peacemaker because in the hands of a few men, the wild West was subdued. It was a rough one, a forty-five… Continue reading The peacemakers
The pure in heart
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8. This is a simple little statement in many people’s thinking: “If I’m pure when I die, I’ll go to heaven and see Jesus.” But none of these beautiful Beatitudes are simple statements; they are involved with very complex principles and doctrines of… Continue reading The pure in heart
The merciful
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7. What a simple little statement! Mercy does not cost anything, but neither can you buy it. Mercy doesn’t seem to be very valuable until you need it. Then it is one of the most precious things in all the world. It is something you… Continue reading The merciful
Sermon on the Mount
Matthew chapters 5 to 7 record what has become known as the Sermon on the Mount, which includes the Beatitudes. These writings are the foundation on which everything else in the New Testament is built upon. The teachings of Jesus are the foundation stones that Paul and the other writers of the New Testament used… Continue reading Sermon on the Mount
They that hunger and thirst
Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Now this is not a hunger for experiences, nor is it a hunger for blessings. It is not a hunger to have a ministry, and it is not a hunger for a position or a place.… Continue reading They that hunger and thirst
The meek
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5. It is good to know that God is going to turn the earth over to the meek, and it is important that we understand who the meek are. The meek are gentle and mild, they are humble. They are kind and forgiving, they… Continue reading The meek
They that mourn
In Matthew 5 is a Beatitude speaking about mourning, a quality of spirit the Lord has laid before us which is a key of the Kingdom. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4. In the preceding chapter we are told, And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their… Continue reading They that mourn
The poor in spirit
Picture yourself in the crowd that day when the Lord sat down on a little hill with the people gathered around, and He taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3. The Word is so concentrated. How long do you suppose it took Him to… Continue reading The poor in spirit
The sermon on the Mount
The Lord wants to purify our spirits. We realize it is necessary for we still have things in our spirits which we know should not be there. Because we want a right spirit we pray, “Lord, renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). How will we have that right spirit? The Holy Spirit brings… Continue reading The sermon on the Mount