Beatitudes - Matthew 5:3

Good morning everyone!! Another great day to be alive in Jesus! Plus TGIF!! Yea! God is good all the time, all the time God is good!

Matthew 5:3 "God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs."

Evaluate where you are today. This is the beginning of the beatitudes. What are beatitudes? We can understand them in 4 ways: 1) they are a code of conduct for the believers; 2) they contrast Kingdom values (eternity) with worldly values (this that is temporary); 3)they contrast the superficial "faith" of the Pharisees with the real faith that Christ demands; and 4) they show how the Old Testament expectations will be fulfilled in the new Kingdom.

The beatitudes are not multiple choice where we pick what we like and leave the rest. They must be taken as a whole and they describe what we should be like as Christ's followers.

Jesus began His sermon with words that seem to contradict each other. But God's way of living usually contradicts the world's. If you want to live for God, you must be ready to say and do what seems strange to the world. You must be willing to give when others take, to love when others hate, to help when others abuse.

By giving up your own rights in order to serve others, yu will one day receive everything God has in store for you. God WILL BLESS YOU! Living for eternity is not an option, where you live is!! Thank you for reading with me today. Love you all. Just remember our Father in heaven wants full custody, not just weekend visits!

In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny