“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."Matthew 5:11-12 I find it interesting that in the Beatitudes that Jesus speaks three times to the issue of persecution, especially … [Read more...] about Dying for the Kingdom
Jesus
The Persecution of the Kingdom
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:10 I firmly believe that there is a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be "persecuted" in the world today. While I agree that there is a concentrated effort by some to reshape the moral landscape into a more secularized image in the name of humanism … [Read more...] about The Persecution of the Kingdom
The Peace of the Kingdom
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." Matthew 5:9 Are you a peacekeeper or a peacemaker? There is a massive difference between the two. A peacekeeper typically avoids conflict and works to maintain the status quo during a time of relative peace. A peacemaker is one who dives into the confrontation and seeks to bring about peace in an already … [Read more...] about The Peace of the Kingdom
The Purity of the Kingdom
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8 Purity sounds like such a insult in today's vernacular. It conjures up images of weakness, insecurity, or naivete. The Greek word katheros used in this sense means to be "clean or free of stains or corruption." That seems innocent enough on the surface, but what does it take to make something pure that … [Read more...] about The Purity of the Kingdom
The Mercy of the Kingdom
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."Matthew 5:7 Mercy and grace are two sides of the same coin. We have often defined mercy as "not receiving the judgement that we deserve" and grace as "receiving a blessing that we do not deserve." In both cases, the definition of mercy and grace imply that they are not something that is deserved or can be earned. In … [Read more...] about The Mercy of the Kingdom