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 →
We’ve all experienced wounds–whether from sports, accidents, or abnormal growths– and had to have a doctor or surgeon intervene in order for us to heal properly. It’s especially hard when it’s your child or pet going through something like this. …
Continue reading →For some time now, we have been looking into the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. The other day, 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 … Continue reading →
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. He called asking me to come in for an interview for a state-of-the-art histology lab in Cleveland–even offering me the salary I desired. This company pursued me for my skills. … Continue reading →
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 →
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 →
How blessed are those who show mercy! For they will be shown mercy. MATTHEW 5:7 CJB One of my mom’s favorite expressions of surprise is “Mercy!” (Imagine a Southern accent with that) 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 →
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Matthew 5:6 We are continuing our series in the Beatitudes. Today, we will examine the fourth Beatitude found in Matthew 5:6. You can go back and read the last three posts if you haven’t already. We didn’t have much growing up. My father had a stroke that paralyzed him on his right side. With a fairly young family, he could now, no longer work. My mom … Continue reading →
O the blessedness of the meek! For they will inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 CJB Let me start off by saying, Wow! I found some cool meanings of these words in my research of ancient Hebrew, and I am really excited to show and tell you what God led me to. I just bought a really cool book called Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible by Jeff A. Benner (Yes, I am a total geek). It doesn’t just explain the Hebrew of the Bible … Continue reading →
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4 ESV When was the last time you mourned over someone or something? There are days my heart is heavy over the things I see in this world–in politics, in the church, or in our country. I have mourned over the death of family members and pets, and the loss of relationships. Sometimes as I mourned, I felt Jesus mourning with me, and other times … Continue reading →
