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The Beautiful Attitudes – Part VIII: Blessed are those who are Persecuted
"Blessed are those who are persecuted FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely ON ACCOUNT OF ME. Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way. (Matthew 5:10-12)
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The Beautiful Attitudes – Part VI: Blessed are the Pure in Heart
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8 NET)
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The Beautiful Attitudes – Part V: Blessed are the Merciful
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Matthew 5:7)
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The Beautiful Attitudes – Part IV: Blessed are those that Hunger and Thirst
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. (Matthew 5:6 NET) The Greek word for blessed (i.e., makarios) used here has the meaning of being fortunate, prosperous, or successful. That is, successful are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness! Why? Because they shall be satisfied! Satisfied with what? Righteousness, of course! What is righteousness? Glad you asked! Righteousness (1) is the spiritual condition of being found right with, acceptable to, or fully pleasing to God! Those who hunger and thirst to be found right with, acceptable to, or fully pleasing to God will find that hunger completely satisfied. The relevant question is, just how…
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The Beautiful Attitudes – Part III: Blessed are the Meek
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5 NET) The Greek word for blessed (i.e., makarios) means being fortunate, prosperous, or successful. That is, successful are those who are meek! Why? What is it to be meek? First of all, to be MEEK does NOT mean to be WEAK! Instead, meekness is strength under control. Picture a feral horse (i.e., a Mustang) that expends its great strength by running the fields yet accomplishes little to nothing in the way of work. However, if that same horse is “tamed,” “broken,” or “meeked,” then that same great strength – that is now under control – can be utilized…
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The Beautiful Attitudes – Part I: Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
How should we daily live in a world that seems to be teetering on the brink of destruction?
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Meekness—It Is More Than You Think
Ever since our church small group discussed meekness last week, I’ve been thinking about it—trying to make sense of it. It seems simple enough until you really pause and consider Jesus’ words. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Meekness isn’t something we talk much about. It’s often seen as being weak, timid, or passive—hardly qualities we want to possess. But take a second look, and you quickly discover meekness is much more. The biblical view of meekness is strength under control. It’s the middle ground; the place where we struggle to live. Most of us choose to either keep the peace at all costs.…
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Remaining faithful to the Lord
November 1st is the twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost. It’s also traditionally observed as All Saint’s Day in many faith traditions. In this case, Matthew 5:1–12 is part of the lectionary readings. Jesus announced that God’s kingdom was drawing near (Matt 4:17). This raises the question: What attitudes and actions are appropriate for a citizen of God’s kingdom? The Messiah answered this question in what is known as the Sermon on the Mount (chaps. 5–7). Although Jesus’ primary audience would have been His disciples, there was a larger crowd of people who listened to Him teach (7:28). The ethics Jesus taught in His sermon contrasted sharply with the legalism of His…
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Yearnings of the Heart
It disguises itself as that stabbing feeling you get when something goes terribly wrong. It shows up when the new shiny thing you just bought doesn’t really bring the happiness you thought it would. It stomps across your heart when you feel adrift and wonder why you’re even here and if your life matters. It’s that abiding sense of, “this isn’t the way it is supposed to be” and the despairing whisper of, “is this all there is?” Let’s admit it. At our core we feel unsatisfied. We know life should be better, justice should prevail, things should go right. Our hearts are built to hold much more than they…
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Blessed Are the Pure In Heart
When Blessings Abound Series The Beatitudes Attitude: Passionately Pursuing Christlikeness Through Desperate Dependence on Him { Hidden in The Folds } Who can be pure in heart? Who I ask? Certainly not I! Can I think I am pure in heart? Of course. Can I be pure in heart “as far as I know?” I can—as far as I know. The problem is I don’t know very far. Only God knows if I’m pure in heat, and He’s not telling me. The heart is an active deceiver (Jer. 17:9), and this is why God searches us (Jer. 17:10) so He can reward us according to the secrets hidden away in…