What hit me this morning is that none of the conditions listed by Jesus are tied to the current situation of the one to be blessed. The conditions for blessing are internal and not external. They are based on choices we can make, not circumstances forced upon us.
Archives for 2024
Darkness and Light
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5, ESV I read the opening verses of John this morning and the phrase quoted above grabbed my attention. Later in the same Gospel, John records Jesus acknowledging that the world brings us plenty of tribulation and trouble (John 16:33) but […]
How dare we?
It is hard to condemn others when we understand that flaws and rebellion are deeply seated in our own hearts and we all have need to God’s grace which has been extended to us through Jesus Christ.
On the nature of the church
Human institutions must put their continuance as a very high if not the highest, priority. They must promote the organization’s welfare over the benefit of one of the members. Members who don’t contribute to the institution’s success are forced out for the good of the entire group.
On Endurance
Regular readers of this blog will probably see a pattern here because again it comes down to trust. Do I trust God enough to be able to have joy when my circumstances militate against joy? Do I trust that nothing takes place outside of God’s superintendence? Do I trust that God will somehow get me through the difficulty?
On the need for intercession
In Deuteronomy 9, Moses recounts some of the history of the Israelites during the time when he lead them. He recounts how angry he was when they rebelled against God and disregarded the message that Moses shared with them. While Moses was on the mountain receiving the Law from God, the Israelites were having an […]
