9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” When God created man, there was peace between God and Adam, and Eve.  It was the decision of Adam and Eve to disobey God that broke the peace.  There are two reasons for lack of peace in the world:  the opposition of Satan […]

A clean heart The word for pure here Katharos (kahthar-Ros) means clean, clear pure.  And it was a word that the Jewish people of the first century were used to hearing, especially from the Pharisees, who emphasized ceremonial cleanness. Focusing on their manmade rules had caused them to live their lives working against God, keeping […]

Blessed are the merciful, Mercy, eleos, in the New Testament, is compassion for people in need.  It is an understanding of the wretched state that someone is in, combined with the desire to give them relief from their suffering.  Mercy Starts with a Merciful God Ephesians 2:4-5 says  4 But God, being rich in mercy, […]

Righteousness (Proverbs 4:18) The phrase “the path of the righteous” is the chosen steps that God has determined that we are to walk in, the way to God through Jesus laid out for each Citizen of Heaven individually, and yet we also get to walk our paths in parallel, beside other believers during parts of […]

Now first it’s important to understand that meek does not mean weak. the gentle The Greek word praeis is translated meek in KJV was often used to describe a gentle breeze as opposed to a fierce biting wind, or a horse that was well-trained and under control.  When it is applied to human temperament, it […]

We tend to consider those who mourn as unfortunate.  No-one is happy about mourning—if they’re happy, then they aren’t really mourning, but the joy of salvation is something that is independent of the circumstances of the moment.  People have this idea that if they could do whatever they want, they would be happy, when experience […]

Now that they are chosen, Jesus must teach them what it means to be His followers, what it means to live their lives as Christians and what message that they are to teach others later.  This is the first among the five discourses of Jesus, or sermons listed in Mathew.  The Sermon on the Mount […]

 It helps our appreciation of what the Sermon on the Mount is all about to put it in the larger context of Jesus’ earthly ministry.  The Sermon on the Mount took place around the area of the Sea of Galilee, in the Northeast of Israel, and in fact in some areas that today are part […]

2 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. 2This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. Caesar Augustus had brought the Roman Republic so much under his control, that finally he had transformed it into the Roman Empire.  […]

When we last left Mary, her words in reply to the Angel Gabriel who had told her that she was going to be the mother of the Messiah were recorded in Luke 1 verse 38, when she said 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your […]