The True Vine

Tuesday

 John 15:1- 13

There are so many important last words and things that Jesus wanted to share with His disciples on the night of the Last Supper. So I am posting some of the things He said a head of the time. Jesus shared His Last Supper with them to celebrate the Feast of Passover with His apostles. Little did the disciples know that night, that incredible night; that it would be the last night Jesus would spend with them before His death on the cross. For them and for us today all of His words in the New Testament are truth and powerful for us as believers. However, I do believe there is a special significance in what he said to them that night. Imagine their depth of sorrow when Jesus said to them: 

"Jesus knew that His hour had come to leave this world...  Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer.'" John 13:1, 33 NLT

 

The John records the Last Supper that Jesus spent with His disciples in John chapters 13-17. The following is a portion from 2 Corinthians that particularly speaks to my heart. Jesus explains the relationship He wants with His disciples after He is crucified and even with us today. It is being IN Him, IN Christ. Paul speaks much of being IN CHRIST. Here is one example:

“... if anyone is IN Christ, he is a new creation; 

old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 

2 Cor 5:17 NKJ 

Various versions of the Bible use the words, Abide in Me, Remain in Me. I look at it like abide means to live, to dwell in Him. Other versions say remain. I like both... we abide IN Him, living IN Him daily, throughout the whole day and to remain steady IN Him, as much as possible staying connected with Him. Jesus explains what being IN Him is like through this metaphor:

"I am the true vine and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that does not bear fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch can not produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me, you can do nothing... But if you remain in Me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!!! When you produce much fruit, you are My true disciples. This brings great glory to My Father... Remain in My Love... I have told you these things so that you will be filled with My joy. Yes, your joy will over flow." John 15: 1 - 11 NLT  

As believers, this is to be our life... abiding, living and remaining IN CHRIST. When we are connected to Him, as a branch is to a vine; His life flows within us. It is there that we find our true life source and our true purpose for living. For "IN HIM we live, move and have our being." (Acts 17:28) When we are abiding IN HIM, living IN His words, His message finds expression in our lives with His Love flowing in us, through us and touching others with His love for them. Here are these verses from an amplified Bible:

“Remain in Me, and I [will remain] in you. 

Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, 

neither can you [bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith] unless you remain in Me. 

I am the Vine; you are the branches. 

The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit,

 for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] 

you can do nothing. 

If any one does not remain in Me, 

He is thrown out like a [broken off] branch, and withers and dies; 

and they gather such branches and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 

If you remain in Me and My words remain in you 

[that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart], 

ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.” 

‭‭John‬ ‭15:4‬-7‭AMP‬‬

Remaining, abiding, living IN CHRIST is not easy in the day and age we live in. There is so much distraction and worldliness everywhere we look. Our world is fast paced, so many things to do and see; it is far easier to just enter and remain in the flow of worldliness. James speaks of being double minded, that is having divided loyalty, between God and the world.

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you... 

But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. 

Do not waver,  for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled 

as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 

Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 

Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, 

and they are unstable in everything they do.” 

James 1: 5-8 NLT version

What’s a person to do?

Go into your secret place in the early hours of the day. Enter God's presence in humility and brokenness. Read small portions of His word and behold His beauty... abide in Him. As Jesus says

"When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." Matthew 6:6 NKJ

Your secret place is not only a quiet place to go to where you can hear His voice above the noise of life; but it is also in your heart, where you meet with and connect with God. Abide in Him and remain in Him as you live your day. He will delight in being with you, even in the simplest things He calls you to. When you remain in Him, you can trust Him to remain in you.

Abide in Him today.

Friends of Jesus

Tuesday

Reading: John 15:12-14, Matthew 22:34-40, Mark 12:28 -3 Mary, Martha and Lazarus were friends of Jesus. He stayed with them, shared meals with them on occasion and just relaxed with them. Imagine that… a friend of Jesus… a friend of God! In the Gospels, He talks about His friends, what He will do for them and how to be His friend.

Often people assume that they are His friends, because Jesus is loving and of course He would want everyone to be His friend, right? People make a lot of assumptions about Jesus without really reading His words. He is very loving, so loving that He doesn’t want any of us to miss out on the gifts of salvation and sanctification that He has offered.

 

On the last night He spent with His disciples He said, “Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down His life for His friends.  You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.“ John 15: 12- 14  Little did His friends realize what those words would mean in the coming hours! He laid down His life for His friends then and even His friends today. How does one become Jesus' friend? Is it by going to church? Saying a prayer? Look closely, He tells us how; by doing whatever He commands. Didn’t we get rid of commandments in the new covenant? What commandments does Jesus give to us?

Actually, on Monday of Passion Week He was asked by one of the leaders ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to Him, ‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and the greatest commandment. And the second is like it; you shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’” Matthew 22: 34- 40 NKJ

The wisdom of Jesus… He took all the writings in the Old Testament, all the laws of Moses, and all the 600+ other rules they made along the way and condensed it into the two most important commandments of all.  Jesus was actually quoting from Deuteronomy 6. In the Gospel of Mark it includes more of the quote, beginning with “The first of all commandments is: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength….” I like how the scribe replied to Jesus. “'Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart , with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love ones neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices'. Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to Him, 'You are not far from the Kingdom of God'. But after that no one dared question Him.” Mark 12: 28 – 34 NKJ

The Wisdom of Jesus! That's it, two commandments that sum up all of the law and commandments; to Love God with your whole heart and love others as oneself. Are these two of the commandments we are to obey to be His friend? I believe so. Here is what He said in John: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." John 15:12 NKJ  Wow, that takes it to another level. To love one another as He loved us; is far greater than we love ourselves, it is sacrificial love. Jesus also loved Judas, His betrayer. He washed His feet with the other disciples at the last supper, showing him the full extent of His love as well.

How are we to love like this? To love God with our whole heart and others as He loved us? How can we do this, if by nature we are sinners? I don’t know about you, but there are many times that I am caught up in the busyness of life, too distracted to love God and people with a whole heart. Over the years I have learned that life with Christ is both a conversion and a transformation; to convert my old ways to His ways and to be transformed into His likeness... to have more of His goodness living through me.  Hopefully there is progress year to year, after conversion; though we may not see it. But at times, we can just get distracted and need a fresh start.

Friendship with Jesus starts with true conversion; when we recognize our need for God and are broken with the pain our sins have caused Him and other people in our life. It is called godly sorrow. “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” 2Corinthians 7:10 NKJ  James says it this way, “Come close to God and He will come close to you. Wash your hands you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief… humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor.” James 4: 8-10

Often we don’t realize the extent of the pain that our own sin causes others, especially those closest to us. We also don’t realize that our sin is first against God. David said in Psalm 51 “Against You and You alone have I sinned.” He asked God to create in him a clean heart. In this place of sorrow God meets us, forgives, cleanses and transforms a willing heart.

Jesus tells us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength. When you have a hard time with that, come to Him, give all of your heart and life to Him. Let Him shine His light in your heart to reveal any sin that is keeping you from victory in Him.  John says it like this: “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1: 5-9 NLT, NKJ

Ahhh! A clean heart… so much better!!! This is real grace; the grace to move past the hindering sins, that keep us from victory in Him.  He loves us and through the sacrifice of Jesus; we are not only saved for eternal life, but for transformation now. We are dead to sin and alive to God. See Romans 6 Who wants to live miserable like that anyway?

It will change your life, as you find Him and His new life for you.

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. 
The old life is gone; a new life has begun.” 
2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

In belonging to Christ… my whole heart belongs to Him… I am His Friend

By What Authority?

Monday

Matt. 21:14-16, 23-46

The next day, after Jesus cleansed the temple He returned:

"Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said,

"By what authority are You doing these things? 

And who gave you this authority?" 

Matthew 21:23 NKJ

He insulted them the day before by turning over far more than just their tables. What gave Him the right to interfere with their temple business like that? Who is this man, that He should insult them and their religion? Going deeper, we'll look back to immediately after He cleansed the temple. "Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them." Right there in front of them He healed many people. When was the last time one of them had miraculously healed someone? Jesus demonstrated an authority and an authenticity they did not have. When they asked, "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave you this authority?" The answer is 'Who else but God? The Pharisee Nicodemus recognized where His authority came from. He came to Jesus at night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher that comes from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." John 3:2 Sadly, the other Pharisee's missed their long awaited Messiah, the Son of God.

Jesus Heals a Blind Man - Eustache Le Sueur

 

 

 

 

"But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, 

and the children crying out in the temple and saying 

'Hosanna to the Son of David!' 

they were indignant..." 

21:15 

 

These leaders were looking toward the coming of Messiah, the Son of David, who would sit on His throne forever. They must have been thinking, "If Jesus was Him why did He not arise out of their ranks? Why did this movement not start among them? Why does He insult them?" They studied the scriptures and should have known who Jesus was by what He did. The miraculous SIGNS that Jesus performed were proof that that He was Messiah.

Matthew chronicles the evidence of Jesus' authority beginning when He finished the Sermon on the Mount.

Authority to teach the people:
"And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them with authority, and not as the scribes." 7: 28, 29

A Roman Centurion recognized Jesus’ authority to heal:
He said,"...say the word, and my servant will be healed." When Jesus saw his faith He told him, "Assuredly... I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel." Matthew 8: 5-13

Authority over the wind and the waves:
"Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" Matthew 8:27 Hmm, maybe the creator?

Authority to forgive sin:
"For which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you' or to say, 'Arise and walk?" Matthew 9: 1-8

Authority to raise the dead:
"My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hands on her and she will live... He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose." Matthew 9: 18-26, also see Him raise Lazarus in John 11.

Authority to cast out demons:
"...If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you." 12:22-30

By what authority? Some people brought a paralytic with them for Jesus to heal. When He saw their faith he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son, your sins are forgiven." Some of the Scribes and Pharisee's began to reason, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Jesus replied, "Why do you question these things in your hearts? For which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven' or to say, 'Rise and walk? But, that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" he then said to the paralytic "Rise, pick up your bed and go home." And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never say anything like this!" Matthew 9: 1-8, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26

Jesus truly not only demonstrated His authority, He demonstrated who He is! Only God can do the things that He did. 

 The book of John gives us an insightful look at the Pharisees. They received news that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead after he had been dead for four days. "Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, 'What shall we do? For this man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation... Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death... the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus." John 11:45-57, 12: 9-11 NKJ

The Jewish people have waited thousands of years for the Messiah to come. It was the great hope for the Jewish people, especially including the Pharisee's who knew all the Messianic prophesies. Yet, they admit "For this man works many signs." Did they not recognize their Messiah, or were they too compromised and afraid of the Romans to embrace their long awaited Messiah? Sadly this was a huge mistake.

What they did to prevent the Romans from taking away their nation and their place of leadership, was the very thing that brought the judgment of God upon them. The Romans destroyed lovely Jerusalem and the temple, then scattered the Israelites all over the known world. Luke captures Jesus' prophetic vision for the Jews, just before His Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem:

"...He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem... ' Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, 'If only you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.' " Luke 19:28-44 NKJ

They were blind to their own fate. God came, He visited them and walked among them, yet they did not recognize Him. Who else has authority over demons, death, to heal sickness, to forgive sin, and even authority over the elements...the wind and the sea, but God Himself? 

The other aspect that they missed was in the prophecies describing Messiah. His humility and His final mission to die on a cross to atone for our sins. See Psalms 22, Isaiah 53 and Zechariah 9:9. Wow they really missed the whole trajectory of God's plan over thousands of years. Yet they were supposed to be the learned ones.

*God also moved through Moses, Elijah and Elisha with miraculous authority.

Jesus Clears the Temple

Sunday:

Matthew 21:12-17,

This event occurred after His Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem:

Merchants Chased from the Temple- James Tissot

 "Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, 

"My Temple will be called a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of thieves!" 

Matthew 21:12, 13 NLT

 

 

What a ruckus Jesus made! Can you picture this... tables being turned over, money scattering across the stone pavement, birds flying and animals running in fear. Imagine the noise of this... the money, the birds and all the animal sounds. Why did He do this? As just a person here, I can not completely know the mind of Christ; except by reading His Word guided by His Spirit. (I Corinthians 2) From my reading of Matthew I see Jesus acting in righteous indignation, angry at the false religion and the Pharisees deceiving people and preventing them from coming to their long awaited Messiah. They missed the true knowledge of God. He says something very shocking to the people early in His Sermon on the Mount. 

Triumphal Entry

James Tissot

Sunday

Readings: John 12: 12- 15,  Matthew 21:5, Zechariah 9:9, Luke 19:28-44, Revelation 19:11-16

Today is Palm Sunday, the day that Jesus made His Triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The whole city was buzzing with excitement. They were in a festive mood with the approach of Passover. But also in the excitement there was talk of a man named Jesus, who had recently performed an unprecedented miracle. He raised a man from the dead!!! It was His friend Lazarus, who was from Bethany, a village not far from Jerusalem. It is likely that many knew Lazarus and  his family. News of this miracle spread among the people of Jerusalem and those who came from afar to attend the Feast. The crowds must have wondered... "will Jesus come into Jerusalem, that we may see Him who raised a man from the dead? Will we see Lazarus, who was once dead and now is alive? Then we can see for ourselves if this is really true. Perhaps He is Messiah, The One Israel has eagerly waited for centuries. Believing that perhaps He is to be revealed in our time." Lets join Matthew as he tells us about this day:

"Tell the daughter of Zion,
'Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey...'"
Matt. 21:5 NKJ

Blessed are the Merciful

 "Blessed are the Merciful, for they shall receive mercy." 

Matthew 5:7 ESV

These beatitudes describe the nature and Spirit of Christ Himself. He calls us to live in these blessings of a Christlike attitude; so that in our daily lives we will express the nature of Jesus.

Merciful - Strongs #1655 eleemon. The word eleemon describes a person who is kind, compassionate, sympathetic, and merciful. This sensitive word combines tendencies with action. A person with this quality finds outlets to express His merciful nature. 

When Jesus Christ came; He lived among us and witnessed and experienced the struggles of humanity. One particular time, there was a feast for the Jews and He went up to Jerusalem for the feast.  He was led to go to the pool of Bethesda. In this place there were many sick people laying around the pool. They were blind, lame, paralyzed, with no hope of recovery, just waiting for the movement of the water, believing it would heal them. He came for the one who had been there the longest. He was ill for 38 years. 'When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He bent down and said to Him, "Do you want to be made well?" The man said, "Sir I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise up and walk." I imagine him looking at Jesus, like really, how do I do that? And then he starts moving his legs and feeling life in them. Immediately he was well. He picked up his bed and walked.' John 5:6,7 (This healing is illustrated in the "Chosen" movie series in Season Two, Episode 4, "The Perfect Opportunity").

Jesus was moved with compassion for suffering people. He demonstrated mercy as He approached the man. He showed us what God is like. He made a path of forgiveness that we may follow Him. As a man, He experienced all that we experience; pain, heartache and temptation. Let's look at some scriptures in Hebrews and I John:

"Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest... to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (That's us.) For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted."  

"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, 

that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." 

Hebrews 2:17,18,  4:16

Because of His incredible, sacrificial mercy, He was willing to go to the cross to make propitiation for our sins. What powerful mercy He has obtained for us! 

"My Little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not ours only but also for the whole world." I John 2:1, 2

 What does the word "Propitiation" mean?

Propitiation Strongs #2434 Related to hileos, "merciful" Used in the NT only in I John 2:2 and 4:10. The word describes Christ, through His sacrificial death, as appeasing the wrath of God on account of sin. It also pictures His death as expiatory providing a covering for sin. By means of the atoning death of Christ, God can be merciful to the sinner who believes in His Son, and reconciliation is effected. 

 Propitiation is Merciful!!!    God's Mercy... Jesus' Mercy... Our mercy to others.

Jesus was moved with compassion

"When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them; because they were weary, confused and helpless. Matthew 9:35,36 NLT and NKJ

Blessed are Those Who Hunger

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."

Matthew 5:6,  

Lord, I come before You in humility. Open the eyes of my heart... eyes to see and ears to hear that I may grasp this beautiful Beatitude that You spoke on the Sermon on the Mount nearly 2,000 years ago. Over the millennia, millions of Your followers have read and meditated on these Beatitudes, seeking the meaning and how each one of them could bring godly changes in their lives. Lord give me insight that You want me to share in this blog. 

Righteousness

How can any of us attain to true righteousness? "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Only Jesus Christ was completely righteous, having no sin at all.

"As it is written:

'There is none righteous, no, not one;... none who understands;... none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside;... there is none who does good, no, not one.' 'or all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...' Romans 3:10-12, 23, Psalm 14:1-3

Seems to be a pretty bleak and discouraging, right? Where is our hope of ever achieving righteousness? He tells us to hunger and thirst for righteousness. How do we do that?

Hunger -  To long for, to famish, to satisfy our craving to nurture our hungry and starving bodies.

Thirst - to thirst, seeking the water we need to keep our bodies hydrated.

These are both powerful action words. Jesus wants us to seek after and crave righteousness... to desire righteousness with our whole heart, just as we do to nurture our bodies. In the world that we live in it seems like righteousness is impossible to achieve. As the verse above say's "There is none righteous, no not one..." 

Those listening to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount were likely very convicted in their hearts from the messages Jesus gave that day. As He spoke they could envision in their own hearts where their sin was. They longed to make things right. They hungered and thirsted for righteousness. That hunger deeply inspired them to repent of`their sins.

It is the same for us today. If we have been in conflict in a relationship, it is important to repent to the one who we hurt. We need to come before God and ask Him to reveal our responsibility in that struggle; so that we may reconcile with the person we have hurt.

There is a favorite verse of mine in Psalms penned by King David:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me to the way everlasting!" Psalm 139:23, 24

So how do we remedy unrighteousness and sin?... basically to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to repent before God. We need to seek His righteousness. So what is righteousness? Here are some definitions.

Righteousness: dikaiosune Strongs #1343, equity of (character or act) specifically justification and righteousness.

Righteous: dikaios Strongs #1342, equitable, innocent, holy, just, righteous

Equity, Equitable: Thorndike Barnhardt Dictionary Fair, Just

Faith in Christ

'For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,.. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: "The just shall live by faith."' Romans 1:16,17

Here is the good news. The verse above says that "There is none righteous, no, not one;..." 

Continuing in Romans 3, here is the hope! 

"But, now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For their is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God sent forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." Romans 3:21-26

What I love about the word of God is that truth is found through so many authors, Moses, kings, prophets, disciples, and apostles. And yet, through so many voices speaking through the inspiration of God we find consistency of truth, each a verification of the truths through thousands of years. 

In this blog post we are "hearing" from Matthew, Paul and next is John. Herein lies more truth.

"This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." I John 5-10

"My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for our only but also for the whole world." I John 2:1, 2

Propitiation: Strongs #2434 Atonement

Wow!!! God is our light. If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and through the precious blood of Jesus, God's Only Son we are cleansed from all our sin. When we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins. And He cleanses us from all unrighteousness!

We hunger and thirst for Him, our Jesus, our righteousness!!!

*Note: When John wrote his gospel, Revelations, and his epistles he was an elderly man... persecuted, and then banished to the island of Patmos. He lived and wrote in a cave. So as he was writing to his readers, he called them his little children. John was the only apostle living. The other apostles were martyred for their faith in Jesus.

(My husband and I had the incredible opportunity to go to this island and peek into the cave... seeing the place where he did his writing.)

Blessed are the Meek

Reading: Matthew 5:5, Matthew 21:1-5,

"Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth." 

Matthew 5:5

Blessed are the Meek:

What is meek? Does it mean weakness? Does it characterize a weak person? Or is it a character trait that is expressed in our dear Jesus? Is it also a character trait that is abiding in us as His followers? Let's seek out that blessing as we search the meaning and depth of this beautiful word. We will also journey through a some verses where it is used.

Before I understood the true meaning of meek, I thought it was weakness. However, meek does not suggest weakness. Rather it is controlled strength. That strength brings a confidence with humility and self control. Meekness is an important part of our character. When Jesus included this word in His Sermon on the Mount it was a trait He wanted us to have. The very foundation of all of these Beatitudes are actually Jesus' own nature, His innate character. These character traits are the life qualities He desires for us to rise to.  So let's dig in a little deeper. 

The Triumphal Entry 

In Jesus' last week of life, He drew near to Jerusalem. The Jewish people longed for Messiah to come in power and majesty. They had heard about the miracles He had done... He must be The One... their Messiah. They envisioned Him coming down from the Mount of Olives and ride into Jerusalem on a majestic horse to rescue them from Roman occupation and tyranny. But that is not what Jesus' decent from the Mount of Olives was meant to be. Rather a humble entry... Him riding on the foal young donkey, as seen in Zechariah's prophesy from long ago. In their hopes and longing for Messiah, they did not recognize Him, their Savior!!! Even though Zechariah's prophesied this very thing. (We will see more on this during Passion Week)

"Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you,  

Lowly, and sitting on a donkey." 

Zechariah 9:9, Matthew 21: 5

Meek is also translated as lowly. Here is the definition from the Strong's Concordance. It is a great word describing Jesus' character.

Lowly, praus (prah-ooce) Strongs #4235 & #4239 A humility that is considerate, unassuming, gentle, mild, meek. The Zealots were looking for a warlike Messiah who would use force. Jesus showed a greater power than armed might, rather the power of humble wisdom and penetrating love. Meekness is not weakness, but power under perfect control. 

Wow, what an incredible word... better yet what an incredible Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ!!! 

Here is another verse where Jesus used the word, Lowly:

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, 

and you will find rest for your souls..." Matthew 11:28, 29

I love this verse. It speaks right into our hearts... hearts longing for rest in the busy culture we live in. When we are overwhelmed, He calls us to come to Him... to seek His rest. 

 "Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth."

 For they shall inherit the earth:

What does this mean, to inherit the earth? And why would the meek inherit the earth? How could this happen in today's world that we live in? Many powerful, arrogant people are controlling the earth. How could this be that the meek shall inherit the earth? I believe that this lies in the mystery of God's plans into the future. There is a verse in 2 Peter that comes to mind:

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away... Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness...?  

"Nevertheless  we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."  2 Peter 3:10-13

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught His disciples, (us too) how to pray:

This is our hope and prayer even now:

"Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your Name. 

Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven... 

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen"  

Matthew 6:9-13

Yes, the meek will inherit the earth in the future. Though, this is now as we look forward to the day that the Lord will come. We look forward to Him coming soon as we live in difficult times. While we watch for the new heavens and new earth where true righteousness dwells, in the meantime, it is our time now on earth to live in the strength of meekness... to be filled with the Holy Spirit, demonstrating the power of humble wisdom, and penetrating love. Let's follow Jesus and to reach out to others to come into His Kingdom.

Meekness is not weakness, but power under perfect control.

Mourning for A People

Reading: Luke 19:28-44, 2 Chron 7:14 Daniel 9:1-19

"...He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem... ' Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, 'If only you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.' " Luke 19:28-44 NKJ

Catch the deep grief Jesus expresses for these people, who would soon send Him to the cross. They did not fully realize that their Messiah walked among them! Look at His heart. He wept and grieved for what would come upon them. It brings me to tears.

Do we as believers have a sense of loss and grief for those who are lost? Do we have a heart like Jesus, a heart like God... or a heart like Jonah?

Jesus Wept

Jesus Wept by James Tissot

Reading: John 11, Hebrews 2:6, 14-18 and 4:14-16,

"Jesus wept."
John 11: 35 NKJ

So what can this verse mean to us today?
Why did Jesus cry when He came to Lazarus' funeral? Was He crying because He loved Lazarus, (vs 36) and would miss His friend? Lets get into the story.

When He arrived in Bethany, Martha came to Him and said, "'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that what ever You ask of God, God will give You.' (21,22) Jesus said to her, 'Your brother will rise again.'" John 11: 24-27 NKJ  Martha knew Lazarus would raise in the last day, but she was hurting now.

Then... when Mary came "she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, 'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died'. Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping,... He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, 'Where have you laid Him?' ... 'Lord, come and see.' Jesus wept." John 11:32-35 NKJ

Forgiven Much, Loves Much

Reading: Matthew 5:4, Luke 7:36-

"Blessed are those who mourn

for they shall be comforted." 

Matthew 5:4

In the last post we spoke of godly sorrow and true repentance. Is there an example in the gospels of this godly sorrow and how Jesus views forgiveness? One is found in Luke 7.

A Pharisee named Simon, invited Jesus to his home for dinner. While He was there a woman came who was known for her sins. She brought an alabaster jar of precious oil. She stood at His feet behind him weeping; and then began to wash his feet with her tears and her hair. She kissed His feet and anointed them with the costly oil. What were the thoughts of the men observing this? Simon was thinking that if Jesus were really a prophet He would know that this woman was a sinner.

Jesus not only knew she was a sinner, but He knew what Simon was thinking.

Brokenness, Promise and Comfort

"Blessed (happy) are those who mourn; for they shall be comforted." Matt. 5:4 NKJ If the word 'blessed' means happy or fortunate; how can mourning be happy? And where is the comfort anyway? In the post Blessed are those who Mourn we saw how the mourning spoken of is not necessarily those in bereavement, but those who experience the sorrow of repentance. Godly sorrow is not to be regretted because it leads us to salvation. This salvation is eternal life; but it is also life now. A whole new life opens up before us. Old things pass away and everything becomes new. (2 Cor 5:17) When we are open before God, see His perspective in life situations, we recognize our sin and experience the sorrow of repentance. Then in asking the Spirit to change us; genuine transformation takes place. With a Spirit led life, much of the misery caused by sin is avoided. Besides we are truly happy and blessed when Christ lives in us. He is perfect love, perfect joy and perfect peace. (Shalom, Shalom = Perfect Peace) We experience His nature through the Spirit with true conversion and salvation. Then no matter what comes our way, we are one with God, one with His nature.

Peter preached an anointed sermon at Pentecost to a crowd and they were cut to the heart and asked the apostles "... what shall we do?" Peters reply was:

"Repent... be baptized...and 
you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the Promise is to you and your children."
Acts 2:37-39 NKJ

The promise and the gift is the Spirit Himself! 

Jesus sends us the gift of the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father. John 15:26 He refers to the Holy Spirit in John 14-16 as the Comforter. He is our Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor and Strengthener. When we experience the sorrow of repentance, we receive the promise of the Holy Spirit who is our comfort.

Sometimes we haven't sinned or done anything to cause the brokenness and sorrow we experience. Sometimes we just go through seasons of grief from living in a world still under the curse of Adam's sin. And sometimes we will experience death and loss of a loved one. Jesus said, "in this world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.' John 16:33

Be blessed by some precious verses on comfort, mourning and brokenness:

Gethsemane Detail  by Carl Bloch

"Blessed be the God and 
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies 
and God of all comfort,
who comforts us in our tribulation,
that we may be able to 
comfort those who are in any trouble,
with the comfort with which 
we ourselves are comforted by God."
2 Cor. 1:3, 4 NKJ
 

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,.. to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." 

Isa 61:1-3 NKJ

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (sorrows)."
Psalm 147:3 NKJ
 

"For thus says the High and Lofty One,
Who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy:
I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, 
To revive the spirit of the humble,
and to revive the heart of the contrite ones... "
Isa 57:15 NKJ

I love all these verses, but look at the last one. Do you want to be there with the High and Lofty One? Look who He dwells with... him who has a contrite and humble spirit. This is who He revives, look to Him.

There are seasons we go through in life. Sometimes it is the newness of spring, the abundance of summer, the harvest of autumn. Then the cold winds begin to blow and the trees lose their colorful robes. * Soon everything looks gray and bleak; and the trees are naked. Yes naked and their once beautiful robes have fallen to the ground and blown away. The tree is now exposed, every flaw to be seen by all. But all is not bleak. You see, in winter the sap in the vines and tree's goes deep within the core of the tree. Winter is here. When you are in a winter place, go deep in the vine, abide in Him, our True Vine, and then listen for the voice of your beloved:

"Arise, my darling, my beautiful one and come with me.
See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come...
Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me."
Song of Songs 2:10-13 NIV

 

* This particular winter of 2025, we had quite a lot of snow and then very strong winds. It was too heavy of weight for many of the trees in our area.  There were many broken branches. One large one broke at our home and it blocked our driveway. All around town very large trees tipped over with the whole root ball. Thankfully now that is over and the spring flowers are coming up. 

The season of singing has come. 

Also, I had the privilege to see this incredible painting in a Carl Bloch exhibit. The image above is just a small clip. The original Carl Bloch painting was huge... life size of Jesus in a large landscape setting. In front of this painting were many chairs where us visiting could sit in silence and take in that moment.

Blessed are Those Who Mourn

Blessed are Those Who Mourn "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. In my blog posts in days gone by, I didn't feel like I could write about the experience of mourning with an authenticity because there had been few that had passed away. More recently, our family lost 5 dear relatives, aunts, my brother and a friend, in about 6  months. Dear people that we loved, that were a part of our life were suddenly gone after years of being a part of our lives. What remains is an emptiness of connection without them. It is so important for family and friends to comfort one another in their loss. And if you are in grief right now not only lean on family and friends; but also you can seek the LORD in your grieving heart for comfort. Here are some verses you can look upon. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 2 Corinthians 1:3,4 NKJ

Blessed Are those Who Mourn

Reading: Matt. 5:4, 2 Cor. 7:8-11,

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." 

Matt. 5:4 NKJ

Often when we think of mourning we relate the word to the passing of a dear loved one. This last year has been a time of grief; many family members and friends have passed away. And there is great sorrow... the empty place at the table... even more difficult is the empty place in your heart, knowing you can't just pick of the phone and talk... get together and hang out. They are gone and we will not see them until we cross over into eternity, in Christ. Bereavement is certainly a trial that God will comfort us in and we can comfort one another in. 

Here are some verses speaking of God's wonderful comfort:

"Blessed be the God and 

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

the Father of mercies 

and the God of all comfort, 

who comforts us in all our tribulation, 

that we may be able to 

comfort those who are in any trouble 

with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 

2 Corinthians 1: 3, 4 NKJ

However, there is also another mourning spoken of in the Bible that is not necessarily bereavement, rather it refers to those who experience the sorrow of repentance. What is the sorrow of repentance?

What He has Done

Reading: Matt. 5:3, Luke 4:14-30, Rev 3:17, 18, Eph 1 and 2

"Blessed are the poor in spirit." 

Matt. 5:3

After Jesus was tempted by Satan we read: "Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit's power... When He came to the village of Nazareth, His boyhood town, He went as usual to the synagog on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. The scroll of Isaiah was handed to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, 

because He has anointed Me to preach to the poor; 

He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, 
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." 

Luke 4:18, 19  NKJ

He rolled up the scroll, handed it to the attendant and sat down. All eyes in the synagog were fixed on Him. Then He said  

"Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing". 
Luke 4:21

They were moved by His speaking, but they began to wonder, how this could be? The passage spoke of was foretelling the coming of Messiah. Then it began to sink in, Jesus, Joseph's son, whom they knew all of His life had just proclaimed to be the great Messiah, the Anointed One of God!!! This did not end well for Jesus that day. However, we will stay focused on what He said, because through this prophecy in Isaiah, He is telling us who He is and what He came to do. Read those verses above again and be moved by who He is and realize He came not only for the people at that time, but He also came for us today. He spoke to his disciples about “The Spirit of truth.” He told them, “You know Him for He dwells WITH you and will be IN you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”  And He did through the coming of His Holy Spirit, who is among us today.

Are you poor? Poor in the wealth of this age? He is anointed to preach to you. Are you broken hearted? He came to heal broken hearts.  Do you see yourself as poor in spirit... poor in possessing the wealth of the kingdom of God? Or do you see yourself as sufficient, as rich, having everything you want and not needing a single thing from God? Do you see your own wretchedness apart from Christ or are you too blind to even see how poor and miserable you really are compared to the riches of the Kingdom?  We need to see ourselves honestly in light of the Glory of God. In this season of my life, I am lacking.

In the book of Revelation, Jesus says to the church of Laodicea:

"You say, 'I am rich. I have everything I want. 
I don't need a thing!' 

And you don't realize 
that you are wretched and miserable 
and poor and blind and naked. 

So I advise you to buy gold from me, 
gold that has been purified by fire. 

Then you will be rich... " 

Rev. 3: 17, 18 NLT

What are kingdom riches? What was Jesus talking about?

Who are You, O Lord?

Reading: Matt. 8:27, Mark 4:41 NKJ  

Storm on the Sea of Galilee by Rembrandt

In yesterday's reading in Luke 5, we saw the change in Peter after they caught the boat loads of fish. He suddenly realized that Jesus was not an ordinary man sitting in his boat. In the next verses we'll see His men overcome with awe in Him once again.

"Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing! But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith? Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, and they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, 'Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obeys Him?'" Matt. 8:27, Mark 4:41 NKJ 

I Am a Sinful Man, O Lord!

Reading: Matt. 5:3
Luke 5:1-11,

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, 

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 

Matt. 5:3

Jesus preached all through Galilee. On one occasion the multitudes pressed against Him so close and there were so many of them, they could not hear Him speak. He was standing by the Sea of Galilee and saw two fishing boats. So He got into Simon's boat, and asked him to put out a little from the land. He sat down and taught the people. 

When He stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." Simon said, "we have worked hard all night and caught nothing, but at Your word I will lower the nets. Yes, Simon saw himself as the expert. What did Jesus know about fishing? Simon did not realize who was sitting in his boat. We do, because we know the rest of the story, Jesus' whole story. But this was all new to Simon at this point. Well, since Jesus said to do it he reluctantly put out the boat into the deeper water. Dear reader. are you reluctant to do what the Lord says? I have been. It shows little faith. Well, to Peters surprise... his amazement... actually his astonishment...they caught so many fish their net was breaking. They filled two boats so full they began to sink.

"When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, 'Depart from me,  for I am a sinful man, O Lord!' For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken. Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.'" Luke 5:8-11 NKJ

This moment right here... this moment in Simon's life is the moment of his conversion. Though Jesus was remarkable, winsome, and even a little mysterious in some of the things He said; He looked like an ordinary man. It was at this moment that Simon realized that Jesus was no ordinary man. Like Isaiah, this was Simon's moment that "he saw the Lord".  He saw the glory of Jesus Christ. He caught a glimpse of who Jesus really is. In light of the authority and power of Jesus Christ he recognized his own sin and spiritual poverty. He was not only surprised, amazed, astonished; He was in the state of fearing God, who was actually sitting in his boat. This is where being poor in spirit begins... where true conversion begins and where transformation continues if one gets sidetracked from complete abiding moment by moment.

Where are you right now? Are you a follower with a true conversion? Or are you like Peter before the huge catch of fish...  a follower that has not had that revelation of the glory of Christ and realizing your own poverty in light of Him? Is He sitting in your boat? Do you see His glory in the ordinary that becomes  extraordinary... even little things, little signs of the hand of God moving in your life to draw you near to Him that could easily pass by unnoticed. Or like David, we can look into night sky, a sunrise or sunset, a rainbow, majestic mountains or a beautiful lake or sea, even a glimpse into a child’s eyes and see the glory of God’s beautiful creation.

At some point, I may write about what I call “Pennies from Heaven - when the ordinary becomes extraordinary.” It was and is a season in my life of a lot of physical pain and quietly, little ordinary things began to happen, opportunities that were brought to me... not initiated by me... and I took a deep breath and said “yes”, even though I did not feel like it. Little did I know where those “yes’s” would lead.

Who do you say that I am?

Reading: Matt. 5:3, Matt. 16:13-16, Matt. 17:1,2

So far in reading about the Beatitude, "Blessed are the poor in spirit..." we have looked at the lives of Isaiah, David, Peter, and the other disciples as they had an encounter with God, or with Jesus. In the light of His amazing glory, they suddenly realize their own pitiful state of being a sinner. Today we'll look at a couple experiences Peter, John and James had with Jesus and then their comments later in life after He ascended to heaven. Here we will see who Jesus was and is.

Jesus asked His disciples: "'Who do people say that the Son of Man is? 'Well,' they replied, some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.' NLT  Jesus knew that people perceived Him as a prophet, one of many men, who spoke for God. But still just a mere man. Jesus was more than any one of those men, He was the one and only unique man to ever walk on this earth . Next Jesus asked them,

'But who do you say I am?' 

Peter answered, 

"You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God" 

Matt 16:13-16 NKJ

Peter got it! After all he had experience with Jesus, He knew who Jesus really was and he dared to say it. 'You are the Christ,' the one and only Messiah in all of human history that God sent to save humanity. Even more penetrating, 'the Son of the Living God', the one and only Son of God Almighty! After Peter said this, Jesus said to him, 'You are Blessed... because My Father in Heaven revealed this to you.'

"Six days later Jesus took Peter, James and John, 

and led them up to a high mountain to be alone. 

As the men watched,  Jesus' appearance was transformed 
so that His face shone like the sun, 
 and His clothes became as white as light." 

Matt. 17:1,2 NLT

They witnessed even more of His glory being revealed. Imagine the sense of awe they must have experienced that day as they gained an even greater picture of His glory! Much later, after Jesus ascended to the Father; Peter reflects on his experience with Jesus:

"For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw His majestic splendor with our own eyes when He received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to Him, 'This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.' We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place- until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts." 2 Peter 1:1:16-19 NLT

Who am I, O Lord?

Reading: Matt. 5:3, Psalm 8:3, 4, 2 Sam. 6 & 7, Psalm 128:1-4,

"Blessed are the Poor in Spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven". 

Matt. 5:3 NKJ

This week we are looking at a few examples of God's people who were poor in spirit before Him. Today, we will look at David, who penned the following Psalm (song). I can imagine him sitting on a hillside, with his sheep bedded down for the night, looking up into the heavens, in awe of it's vastness and glory. By comparison he must have felt so small and insignificant.

"When I look at the night sky 

and see the work of Your fingers, 

the moon and the stars, you set in place-
what are people that you should think about them, 

mere mortals that you should care for them?"

Psalm 8:3-4 NLT

Here we are thousands of years later. The same moon and stars are there, moving in their preordained course through the heavens. In comparison to the vast universe we are small and can feel insignificant. Who am I, O God, that You should think about me and care for me? God answers David's question about 1,000 years later with the coming of Jesus. His answer is our hope. Perhaps David asked this question when he was a young man, maybe as a shepherd. If so did he maintain his spiritual poverty before God, even when he was king of Israel?

Woe is Me

Reading: Matt. 5:3, Isaiah 6:1-5

"Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, 

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven". 

Matt. 5:3 NKJ

Yesterday we looked at how Jesus used a small child to explain the humble attitude needed to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This attitude of humility begins with the realization of our need for God. The NLT Bible puts it this way:

"God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for Him..."  

Matt. 5:3 NLT

How do you do this as an adult? How do you become poor in spirit? I think of what Jesus said to Nicodemis:

"I tell you the truth, unless your are born again, you can not see the Kingdom of God." This really confused Nicodemus. He said, "What do you mean? How can an old man go back to His mothers womb and be born again?" That's not happening, neither will we ever become a child again.

Note: 2/18/24:

We have been watching the Chosen Series. I am really inspired by Episode 7 of the First Season.  The "Nicodemis" character met with "Jesus" at night. It is very Biblical, mostly quotes from John 3 and Psalm 2:12

So how can we have a child like heart and mind set, as an adult? We need to be transformed by renewing our minds as Paul says in Romans 12 "do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." 12:2 NKJ  In this we become children of God.

What could happen that would change your life forever?

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

Reading: Matt. 5:3, 18:1-4

"Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, 

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven". 

Matt. 5:3 NKJ

Since I originally wrote and posted this blog post I came across an updated version of the Amplified Bible. It fills in and defines text bringing even more understanding to the verses.

“Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired]

 are the poor in spirit 

[those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], 

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:3‬ ‭AMP‬‬

https://www.bible.com/1588/mat.5.3.amp

The first beatitude is "Blessed are the Poor in Spirit,. What is the meaning of "poor in spirit?" The Amplified Bible defines “poor in spirit” as not being spiritually arrogant, and regard themselves as insignificant. I also like how the New Living Translation states this beatitude. "God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for Him." Both of these versions bring enlightenment and understanding.

In contrast those who are "poor in spirit" are the opposite of the Laodicean people that Jesus addressed in Revelation 3:17. He said "You say, 'I am rich. I have everything I want. I don't need a thing! And you don't realize that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked."
The Laodiceans were so comfortable in their wealthy way of life that they did not realize their need for God. They were the picture of the end times church. In our day and age, how many of us actually realize our need for God? Do we look toward Him to satisfy our souls or do we look toward our world, the culture found on the internet to satisfy our deepest longings? Do we understand how wretched we are without God? Are we so blind as to not recognize how sinful, miserable and poor we are apart from the atonement of Christ? Do we even know that our hearts are completely open and naked before God and that someday we will have to give an account? Hebrews 4:13 In the woke politically correct culture that we live in today, everything is upside down and sadly I think most people do not recognize their need for God, yet live needlessly in great pain and confusion.

In light of that, we will look at what Jesus taught about greatness and entering the Kingdom of Heaven:

Carl Bloch

"... the disciples came to Jesus and asked: 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' Jesus called a little child to Him and put the child among them. Then He said, 'I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes humble as this little child is the greatest in the 

Kingdom of Heaven.'" 

Matthew 18:1-4 NLT

Little children do not have very much in the way of possessions,  pride and accomplishments in this age. They know they are little, not able to care for themselves and they understand their need to be loved and cared for by their parents. Similarly the poor in spirit realize their own spiritual poverty in comparison to the greatness of God. They understand their need for Him and His grace. This childlike faith, the perspective of needing God is the entry point into the kingdom of heaven. A person who is poor in spirit recognizes that 'I can do nothing of lasting value without Him'. Jesus tells us in John:

Blessed Are

Carl Bloch

Reading: Matthew 5:1-3

As Jesus traveled, teaching, and healing; crowds of people came to Him. He went up on a mountain, sat down, and began to teach them His famous Sermon on the Mount. He started this sermon with what is called the Beatitudes by saying:

"Blessed are...."

What does it mean to be blessed?

It means to be happy. It is the special joy of being saved by Jesus and having God's favor. Blessing describes a life of joy the true children of God experience. More on Blessed in the previous post, Beatitudes

The Beatitudes

Reading: Matthew 5:1-3

As Jesus traveled all through out Galilee, crowds of people were drawn to Him. They were seeking hope, much like us, like me today. He taught the crowds and He healed them of all kinds of sickness. Do you ever wish you could have been there to see Him... this young winsome, compassionate man; who was teaching and healing. He brought hope to sick and discouraged people. When He saw the crowds, He went up on a mountain, sat down to teach them beginning with:

"Blessed are...."

Today we begin a new series in the Beatitudes that Jesus taught to the crowds in His famous Sermon on the Mount. 

What are the Beatitudes? 
The Beatitudes are blessings that Jesus proclaimed on the Sermon on the Mount. My dictionary describes them as supreme happiness, bliss and blessing.
 

Why are they important to us? 
In them we see a path to blessing, salvation and transformation both now and forever, through the redemption of Jesus Christ.

Behold Your King!

James Tissot Brooklyn Museum

Today is Christ is King day, according to many church calendars. It is the last Sunday before Advent (Coming of Christ) starts to bring in the Christmas season. All of this week it is my hope to honor Jesus as Christ the King by posting verses speaking of who He is as our King... yours and mine.

Today's readings of Christ the King are: Matthew 21:5, Zechariah 9:9,

"Tell the daughter of Zion,
'Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey...'"
Matt. 21:5 NKJ

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday He rode on a little foal of a donkey. The crowds were cheering and waving palm branches. Many of them were wondering if this was the coming of God's chosen one. On that day, He fulfilled this prophecy of the coming Messiah: