Stephanie Pavlantos: Do You Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness?
The hunger mentioned in Matthew 5:6 is not this kind of hunger but means a poor person who works to fend off starvation. The Hebrew word for this kind of hunger is reab and it means famine, dearth (the scarcity of something), and hunger….
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Stephanie Pavlantos: Lord, Help my Unbelief
When we struggle with unbelief or putting our love for God in the right order, He understands! …
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Stephanie Pavlantos: O Holy Night
“O Holy Night” is one of my favorite Christmas songs. . . . Although it probably didn’t seem that holy giving birth in a cave with sheep around, God knew exactly where and when His Son would be born. Levitical shepherds who raised the sacrificial sheep for the temple priests surrounded baby Jesus—they were the ones angels told first. The shepherds washed the newborn lambs with saltwater and swaddled them in pieces of old priestly garments (because the worn-out garments … Continue reading →
Stephanie Pavlantos: Are You Thriving?
Is sugar good for us?
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Stephanie Pavlantos: The Offering
If you had lived in the Garden of Eden, what do you think your offering or gift to God would’ve looked like? Would the offering have been the most beautiful flowers from your flower garden, or vegetables from your vegetable garden, or maybe the most perfect animal you raised? Have you ever thought about why God had a problem with Cain’s offering in Genesis 4? Why did He react one way towards Abel’s gift and the opposite towards Cain’s? What … Continue reading →
Stephanie Pavlantos: Happiness is…
We have been looking into the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. Recently, I read Psalm 32 and noticed it begins with the same wording as Matthew 5. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. ~Psalm 32:1-2 ESV While looking for a commentary about these verses, I came across an article from “Working Preacher” called The Pursuit … Continue reading →
Stephanie Pavlantos: Happy are the Pursued…
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ~Matthew 5:10-11 ESV Years ago, a recruiter contacted me because he saw my resume online, asking me to interview for a state-of-the-art histology lab–even offering the salary I desired. This company pursued me for my skills. We use the word pursue in many ways. Pursue is one … Continue reading →
Stephanie Pavlantos: Shalom
How blessed are those who make peace! For they will be called sons of God. ~Matthew 5:9 CJB I am a middle child. I have three older sisters and two younger ones. My eldest sister, Cindy, is nine years older than me, while my youngest sister, Melanie, is nine years younger. The term most often applied to middle children is peacemakers. That was my role as a child in our loud and sometimes chaotic family. I hated conflict and strove … Continue reading →
Stephanie Pavlantos: The Pure in Heart Sees God Everywhere
How blessed are the pure in heart! For they will see God. ~Matthew 5:8 CJB I read a great quote on the Beatitudes by Skip Moen, Ph.D. He says, “[A Beatitude] is not a “blessing” that implies one party granting a favor to another party. A Beatitude is really a macarism, an announcement of an existing state, a status of happiness. https://skipmoen.com/2018/02/character-1/ Today, we will explore the sixth Beatitude of Matthew 5. As said above, these are not blessings over you … Continue reading →
Stephanie Pavlantos: Mercy!
How blessed are those who show mercy! For they will be shown mercy. ~Matthew 5:7 CEV One of my mom’s favorite expressions of surprise is “Mercy!” Imagine that with a Southern accent. My youngest son, Michael loved to imitate her by repeating it when she visited. My mom always got a kick out of it. Even though my mom is no longer able to drive up to see us–and for now is living in South Texas–Michael will occasionally go around … Continue reading →
Stephanie Pavlantos: The Passover Lamb
Growing up, I loved Easter Sunday. We dressed up in our new dresses, ate candy from our baskets, went to church, and spent the day with family. I grew up hearing the same story every year of Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection. I’m not sure how much it really meant to me until I was out of college. I remember hearing a song called Watch the Lamb by Ray Boltz in the late 1990s. It was an amazing song, which really helped … Continue reading →