Tag: Our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ

What Does it Mean to Be Blessed? – Part 2

On By CarmenLeave a comment

In my last post, What Does it Mean to be Blessed?, we examined the word “blessing” by looking at what God says about it in His word, the Bible.

Today, I would like to share even more of what Jesus says about being blessed in the book of Matthew.

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

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great;”

Matthew 5:3-12

As we read this scripture based on Jesus’s teachings to His disciples, we find that there are blessings that can be uncomfortable—much unlike what we today view as blessings.

A blessing uncomfortable?

Yes, even grievous for our earthly lives in the here and now.

Please allow me to explain.

Jesus is telling His followers that in this life there will be difficulties if they stand with and for Him.

He was simply preparing them and us to expect opposition from the world—AND to equally expect wonderful blessings from our Father in Heaven when we finally make it to our eternal home with Him.

He gives us hope that the difficulties we overcome here on earth by staying true to Him and His teachings will be greatly rewarded in eternity.

Let’s examine these verses more closely.

Blessed are the poor in Spirit…

Being poor in spirit means recognizing one’s own sinful nature and realizing we cannot forgive ourselves nor make ourselves sinless.

It also means that we understand that only God can forgive us and make us sinless.

A person poor in spirit is humble and seeks God’s mercy much like the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14.

Blessed are those who mourn…

Those who mourn over their sinfulness with godly sorrow are granted salvation through their repentance. (2 Corinthians 7:10)

Their comfort is a result of their repentance that leads to salvation and assurance that they will reach the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are the meek…

Merriam-Webster defines meekness as humble or gentle, and the Bible refers to gentleness as one of the fruits of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-24)

This means that someone who is meek exercises supreme control over his actions guided by the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 37 expounds upon blessings for the righteous in Christ Jesus and consequences for the ungodly.

One such blessing is the inheritance of the land along with abundant peace and prosperity.

Cease from anger and abandon wrath;
Do not get upset; it leads only to evildoing.
For evildoers will be eliminated,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.
Yet a little while and the wicked person will be no more;
And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.
But the humble will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

Psalm 37:8-11

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…

When we submit to God’s righteousness rather than reveling in our own self-righteousness, we will experience an inseparable knowledge of Christ through our faith.

What could be better than having a right relationship with God that fills our hunger and thirst with deep satisfaction as opposed to the emptiness of the world’s promises?

We will truly know our LORD Jesus and understand not only His suffering, but the supernatural power of His resurrection as well. (Philippians 3:8-11)

This is nothing we should fear or shun but peacefully anticipate sharing in His perfection.  

Blessed are the merciful…

Mercy is defined as compassion that forbears punishing even when justice demands it.

Forgiving others is what we are taught by Jesus to do. (Matthew 18:21-35)

If we have been forgiven for all our sins by our LORD and Savior, we should gladly forgive others for their wrongdoing toward us.

This is not always easy, but I do remind myself of this scripture and forgive as Jesus told us to, because I want the blessing of God’s mercy when I see Him face to face.

Blessed are the pure in heart…

Do you know anyone who is pure in heart?

Perhaps it’s someone you’ve observed for some time who does what they say no matter the cost to them.

Or someone with whom you shared intimate details in your life who kept it private.

Maybe it’s someone who walks away from gossip or changes the subject when others start to gossip.

A person who is pure in heart and follows God’s ways while living in peace with others will see God in Heaven. (Hebrews 12:14)

Blessed are the peacemakers…

My husband is a peacemaker. He always looks for a solution that can make the situation better for all involved in a disagreement. He forgives those who wrong him and does not hold grudges.

Jesus tells us to love our enemies and to pray for them because God is good even to those who do evil. (Matthew 5:44-45)

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake and when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me…

If there is one thing that makes me angry, it’s seeing people who do what is right being abused. I can only pray for them to have the strength and courage to keep moving forward, trusting that God will one day right the wrong done to them.

There have been and still are many people across the globe who are suffering for their faith and steadfastness in Jesus.

Many have lost their jobs and homes, suffered imprisonment, and have even been martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ.

God tells us in His word that those who are persecuted for His sake will be blessed. (1 Peter 4:12-14)

We are told to be the salt of the earth, i.e., to be of good use and to preserve the word of God.

We defend God’s word and make the world a better place by doing what He tells us.

When we do, we are seen as different in that we “leave a good taste” in others’ mouths as true representatives of Jesus Christ.

In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus tells His followers that we are the light of the world and that we are to let our light shine as a beacon of His word.

We are to be guides and lead others by our actions to our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.

To all the Christ followers out there, don’t lose heart when you encounter sorrows and trials because the LORD sees all the workings of mankind and He takes pleasure in your steadfastness to abide in Him.

He will right all the wrongs done to you and He has many blessings stored up for you in eternity.

May you be blessed by this song that tells us that whatever we go through, God is with us.

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

A Life Well Lived

On By CarmenLeave a comment

In this post I would like to honor my uncle Gerald who recently passed away in November, just one month short of his 85th birthday.

He was born on Christmas Day in 1939 and was the younger brother and only sibling of my father.

My husband and I were in Louisiana visiting family for Thanksgiving and for a quick getaway.  

While in New Orleans, I received a call from one of my cousin’s wives who told me he was in the hospital and the doctors said he was not going to last long. He passed a couple of hours later, but…

I am happy to say that I know he is with our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.

The day he died, he made a call to my father and spoke with him and my mother. My dad said he was in good spirits and told him that he had a good report from the doctor—he was cancer free and had received his last round of treatment. He was making plans to drive down to my parents’ home to go out for lunch and then start traveling again.

Growing up we lived two hours apart, so we did not spend a lot of time together, but we did make an effort to get together during the holidays.

The last time I saw him alive was the previous year (2023) during the Christmas holidays. We took my parents to see him and visit with him and my cousins. It was a good reunion where we talked about growing up and remembering many funny things we did at our grandparents when we were kids. We had some laughs and did some catching up.

As we were about to return to my parents’ home, my uncle looked at me and said, “Carmen, please pray for me.” I told him I would and I prayed for him then and throughout the year of 2024.

I knew he was concerned about his health, because he had cancer and some other health issues, but he still looked good and strong to me.

After he went to be with the LORD, we took my parents to his viewing and I spoke to my cousin who found him unconscious at home and had him rushed to the hospital the day he died.

It was so touching to find out that uncle Gerald was in his chair at his desk going over his Bible study lesson for the upcoming Sunday.

May I be doing the same when the LORD calls me home!

In fact, may I do many of the things that my uncle Gerald did while he was alive!

These are the memories that I have of him:

He loved the LORD and he loved his family.

We may not have seen each other often, but I do know how he acted when he was around us.

He was a humble man.

He was not self-centered. He never talked about his accomplishments, his wants, his rights.

I never heard him complain, although I am sure he had reason to at times.

He often played with us as children out in my grandparents’ yard, just like my dear grandfather.

He was not focused on being a millionaire, instead he was focused on being a provider for his family and having a loving relationship with his wife, children (five sons), and other family members.

He worked at the same place of business for 42 years until he retired.

I never saw him argue with anyone, never saw him swear.

He was not judgmental and he never talked down to anyone.

One of my cousin’s wives who lived near him said, “I’ve never heard him say a bad word about anyone. He always found the good in them.”

He exemplified Jesus!

He was able to laugh at himself and laugh at funny memories that he and my dad had of their childhood.

He was respectful to us (nieces, nephews) as grownups and was genuinely interested in our lives as we moved out on our own, got married, had children, and shared our experiences with him.

He loved to travel. I had to ask my cousins for help on this one as I wasn’t sure of all the places he visited. I was informed that he had been to most all the 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. He also traveled to Egypt, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, and missed out on Israel due to Covid shutting things down.

He served in the church he attended for 60+ years. He was a Bible Study teacher for most of those years until he became ill, and he also served as a deacon.

When he retired, he looked for even more opportunities to serve others. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, he went down with his church a few times to serve food to the people who were devastated. He also volunteered in Alabama when they were hit with multiple tornadoes in 2011.  

When his wife, my aunt Billie, passed a few years earlier, he did not become angry, bitter, or reclusive. He continued to live his life for the LORD and continued his relationship with his children, their wives, his grandchildren, and other family members.

For me, my uncle Gerald was a good example of how to live life for God and for others. He simply gave of himself until his last breath on this earth.

I am sure that he heard those words that all of God’s servants long to hear when they graduate to heaven to be with the LORD for eternity—“Well done, my good and faithful servant.”  

I want to share one scripture verse with you of how God wants us to live our lives.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:2

Thank you, Uncle Gerald, for showing me and many others that it is possible to live a life according to God’s will.

May we all do the same.

I hope you enjoy this beautiful song I have included for your listening pleasure.

“Well Done” – The Afters