Persecuted: For Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven
Jesus declares in the final beatitude – “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10, NASB95) The…
Year: 2015
They Shall Be Called Sons of God
Peacemaking is a costly business. While peacekeeping is the art of appeasement; giving in to simply calm the waters, or the art of the bully; forcing peace through strength. Peacemaking…
They Shall Experience God
Have you noticed that there is a new food recall every couple of months? One item is recalled because of minute metal shavings that may have landed in the box.…
They Shall Receive Mercy
There is a delicious paradox in Jesus’ fifth beatitude – “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7, NASB95) Unlike the other beatitudes, this one as…
They Shall Be Satisfied
In the grand scheme of life, there are certain must-haves; air and breath, water, food, sleep, proper warmth, and the expulsion of waste. Life ends when any of these are…
They Shall Inherit the Earth
“Gently,” my dad encouraged as I picked up one of the chirping balls of yellow fluff out of the box. The baby chicks had arrived earlier that day from the…
They Shall Be Comforted – Part 2
To unfold the rest of Jesus’ second beatitude – “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4, NASB95) – I’d like to paint you a picture.…
They Shall Be Comforted – Part 1
When we began this series I had no idea that when it came time to write the article on the second beatitude – blessed are those who mourn for they…
For Theirs Is the Kingdom of Heaven
One day Jesus walked up on a hillside and sat down. After His disciples gathered around Him He began to teach. That teaching, in Matthew 5:1- 7:29, is called the…
For Mercy’s Sake
Our world is built around the concept of investment. We measure risk and return to judge where we should place our money, time, energy, and love. What’s in it for…
Easter Realities
The writer in me marvels at the richness of the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. By this I mean the number of people involved and the realities they bring…
The Testing of Jesus
Between Jesus’ Palm Sunday entrance into Jerusalem and His late-night arrest, He publicly taught in the Temple courtyard. During this time various leaders came to test Jesus. These tests were…