A Little Salt Is Good!

 

Matthew 5:13-20 KJV; 5th Sunday after Epiphany; It may take a bit of saltiness to proclaim the truth who is Jesus the Christ.

Blessed Are Those Who Trust The Lord

4th Sunday after Epiphany; Matthew 5:1-12 KJV; Blessed are they who are persecuted. Blessed are they who trust the Lord through all trials.

Jesus Is The Way

John 14:1-6 KJV; Do not let your hearts be troubled. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He has a good plan for you. He has a place prepared for you in the Kingdom of heaven.

Is Your Lamp Lit?

Matthew 25:1-13 KJV; 24th Sunday after Pentecost; Do you have enough oil for your lamp? Is your light lit for the coming of the Lord?

The Greatest Treasure

Matthew 13:44-52 KJV; 9th Sunday after Pentecost; the greatest treasure is the kingdom of heaven received through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.

For Such Is The Kingdom Of Heaven

Matthew 19: 13-15 KJV; Do not forbid the little children to go to Jesus for such is the kingdom of heaven.

The Way To Our Father's House

John 14:1-6; Jesus is the way to our Father's house. Get to know him and not just about him.

Freely Give

Matt 10:1-8 KJV; Go out and proclaim the kingdom of heaven and help those in need.

The Blessings Of God

Matthew 5:1-12 KJV; 4th Sunday after Epiphany; When we are down and out our hope lies in the blessings that God has promised through Jesus.

Quit Whining And Rejoice In Christ Our Savior!

Matthew 5:1-12 KJV

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

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Quit whining! Rejoice! Thank God that you live! Hopefully, prayerfully, you live for him! I know that life can be very tough at times. Many are persecuted for what they believe. Some are persecuted for what they don't believe. But, Jesus reminds us that those who are persecuted for his sake will inherit the kingdom of heaven.

When I look back at the history of the world, I am reminded how fortunate we are today. Yes, there are still injustices. But, no one gets their hand chopped off for stealing a piece of fruit from a vender to feed their child. There are most often consequences for theft; but, not so drastic as they were in years gone by. No one is getting egregiously accused of being a witch and being burned at the stake. We actually have running water and can stave off illnesses caused by poor or no appropriate hygiene. We have a lot to be thankful for!

Consider how Christ died for us even while we were yet sinners. Consider the love he has for us. Is not the fact that we are saved and heirs of the kingdom of heaven through the sacrifice that he made for us a blessing!? Rejoice in that blessing! 

Things can be hurtful today. There is no doubt about that. Regardless, sometimes we need to stand up and speak the truth no matter what might happen afterwards. At other times, maybe we just need to quit whining about what we don't have and thank God for what we do have. Sometimes we just need to do what that old cliche "Count your blessings" tells us to do. Sometimes, we just need to recognize that those things we count as times of suffering maybe actually be blessings. 

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5:3)

God's Peace - Pr. J.