May 19 | Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is God’s kingdom. Blessed are you when they may insult you and persecute and might say all kinds of evil against you, lying on your account. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your…
May 18 | Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are those who are peacemakers, for they will be called God’s sons.” (Matthew 5:9) We live in a world at war. From the political to the social scene everyone is screaming at everyone else. There is no unity or tolerance as we used to…
May 17 | Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8) I love M&Ms. But my favorite our peanut M&Ms. There are days when I’m not in the mood for peanut M&Ms. I want to try another kind. I don’t have to be…
May 16 | Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) The world doesn’t see merciful people as strong. In sports, we see unhappy coaches when athletes show mercy to their opponents. Yet, we all want the judge to show us mercy if we…
May 15 | Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who are hungering and thirsting for righteousness,for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6) Some people don’t care if the right thing is done. We have literature and movies that extol the villain instead of the hero. Some don’t want to do the…
May 14 | Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5) Our world can’t understand meek. They think any form of power without control is weak. But they’re not the same. They think strength must be overwhelming. A man’s man shows off his strength…
May 13 | Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4) Funerals are awkward for me. I don’t know how to comfort the mourners even as a pastor. When they asked, “Why did God take Him now?” I don’t know how to respond. I…
May 12 | Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for God’s kingdom is theirs.” (Matthew 5:3) Bankruptcy seems to be becoming a regular practice in our country. While it’s meant to reset the person’s finances and give them an opportunity to start over, some people are unafraid to…
Day 19: Prayer Focus: The Persecuted Church | Matthew 5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10) We live in a privileged country with rights that protect Christians. But much of the rest of the world persecutes Christians. They…
Summary: How do we deal with the hatred and anger in our world? We become peacemakers and allow the Holy Spirit to give us God’s strength to face persecution for Jesus’s name. Introduction In my last post, I taught on the middle three Beatitudes of hungering and thirsting for righteousness,…