God provides a formula to bless us and to build us up and to allow us to become all that He desires, and that formula is described in “The Beatitudes.” In Matthew 5: 3-10 Jesus describes eight blessings that He will give to those that embrace His Holy Will.  Take your time reflecting and God will certainly bless you.

1. The Spiritual Foundation – The Spiritual Journey Starts Here –Let us humble ourselves before God and Trust in Jesus!

Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3

To be “poor in spirit” is to acknowledge our total unworthiness and infinite need for the saving graces of God. It is to declare our nothingness and our total dependence on God, and it is to trust in the infinite mercy and love of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus. If we humble ourselves and empty ourselves of our pride and a false sense of self-sufficiency, then we prepare room for God to bless us and transform us into people that will depend on Him and pray for His grace and guidance as we strive to give Him glory.

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
James 4:6

2. The Broken and Contrite Heart – The Start of a New Relationship with God

Jesus says, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

Have you ever mourned your sins?  Have you ever asked yourself the question: “Will God forgive me?”

Years ago as God was teaching me His Word, I found a piece of Scripture in a pamphlet God placed in my hands and it said this: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Psalm 51:17

I realized as I was mourning my sins that I had the sacrifice that God would not despise and it was my heart so desperately sorry for my sins. If we have this offering to give to God, we must give thanks for it, for even contrition is the result of His grace.

God knows that we are all fallible. The scriptures are clear: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3: 23-24

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

So blessed are they that mourn their sins for they shall be comforted by the God that forgives and purifies and gives us the opportunity to be reconciled with God.  God’s name is Jesus Christ – True God, True Man.

For those that are mourning many other losses in this time, such as the loss of a loved one, may your faith in our eternal reunion in heaven comfort you and fill you with hope.

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-14

3. The Transformation Continues. The soil is nourished and prepared for the seed of God’s love—Blessed are the gentle believers who receive God’s Word with faith, striving to be obedient!

Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. “ Matthew 5:5

You see in this formula called the Beatitudes there is a logical progression to the blessings of God. First we must humble ourselves and acknowledge our need for God’s love and grace. Once we acknowledge our spiritual poverty and God’s infinite power to bless and transform us, we mourn our sins grieving the pain that they have caused God. We see our sins nailed to the Cross of redemption and we mourn the suffering that we have caused Our Saviour Jesus Christ and we give Him praise for a love so tender, so kind, so beyond description and we become meek. We become the gentle, pliable clay that the sculptor carves into His masterpiece.  To be meek is to submit to God’s Holy Will.   Nourished by the grace of His forgiveness and purification, we strive to learn God’s Word and obey God’s commandments. Once we humble ourselves before God and confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness, we become meek servants of God, following Him, trusting Him, submitting to Him, loving God and one another.  It is as though we become the clay pliable and yielding to the Holy Will of God.

4. The Transformation Continues: The soul in search of God discovers God’s Will that we be righteous and holy and is filled with a hunger to please and honour God.

Jesus says, “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6

Will God refuse the soul that is thirsting for His living water?

NEVER!

The soul is now His and is searching for ways to make his/her life right with God. In each and every experience and choice we need to make, God’s righteousness must be considered.   We must ask ourselves what would Jesus do in this situation? What is right in His holy eyes? How do we witness to our love of God in the world and be a source of blessing to others?

5. The Transformation Continues: The soul strives to imitate God by forgiving just as Jesus forgave.

Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” Matthew 5:7

Perhaps the ultimate hypocrisy is that we want God to forgive us, BUT we are not sure we can forgive others.   God allowed His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die a violent death of crucifixion so that His sacrifice would atone for all sin (i.e., pay the price for our sins).

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Our sins are evil and so ugly to God, yet God willed to forgive us and purify us from this evil. No one can forgive unless they are given the grace to forgive. So if you feel you cannot forgive someone, then you must ask God to give you His grace.

“You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.'”  Mark 10:19

Sin is the bondage that holds us captive!  Mercy is God’s forgiveness that sets us free!

Today I continue to pray that our global prayer for mercy will rise up to God to prevent the crime that has yet to be committed. I pray that the family of God, all souls, will one day receive mercy and forgiveness and peace, a peace that only Jesus can give.

6. The Blessed see God in our world today!

I was once someone who looked up into the clouds wondering: “Where are you God?”

But now I strive to see God everywhere. Sometimes I find God struggling in the apostasy that surrounds us.

To be pure of heart is to strive to understand and embrace God’s will everywhere and always. Only God can make this possible.  As disciples of Jesus we are called to see God in our world in need of our assistance.

Years ago I met a man struggling with schizophrenia.  In him, I saw my Jesus suffering. This man told me about his love for God and the peace that prayer gives him and in him I saw a dignity and courage that I can’t describe in words.  He had the gift of courage that comes from the Holy Spirit and he had Jesus living in his heart.

Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8

7. The Blessed are fighting for peace for only in this way can we be children of God.

Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9

What role do you perceive you have today to create peace in the world?

Friends of Jesus, we must pray for we are all one family. The neighbours that you don’t know on the other side of the ocean are our brothers and sisters. This is why I am fighting for a cause that is so simple yet so powerful.

To honour Our Saviour Jesus Christ, I am reaching out to disciples of Jesus Christ to join the prayer movement that will change the world by calling upon the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, one soul at a time.  I am urging all followers of Jesus to unite in prayer daily, at the time Jesus died for us, 3pm, in our local time zones (or a time zone that is convenient for prayer) as we remember the Passion of Christ.  To end violence, to create peace, to stop crimes, to save souls, we need to unite and pray for God’s assistance.  Learn more about the Christian peace movement called A Peaceful Revolution in the Name of Jesus Christ here and join in!  God will answer our prayers for mercy!

8.   Fighting the Good Fight is never easy but blessed are they that keep on fighting, irrespective of the price.

Jesus says, “Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”  Luke 9:23

All over the world Christians are persecuted because they believe in Jesus.  Persecution is the work of the children of the evil one, Satan.  To disable the demonic force we must stand with our brothers and sisters and do exactly what Jesus instructed us to do.

We must call upon God’s power to end persecution and injustice.

Let’s reflect how prayer can change Satan’s grip on souls.

In the Scriptures we read how “Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”   Matthew 17: 18-21

In this passage we learn about the importance of faith and self-sacrifice. To drive out a demon the apostles needed not only to pray but to deny themselves through fasting.

Are you willing to pray and fast to help free people from the demonic power of Satan?

Fasting is not just denying oneself some food, it includes all forms of denial and sacrifice done exclusively for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

God teaches us to be humble, to trust in Him, to confess our sins and to give ourselves to Him with faith and love. Jesus fills us with a thirst for that which is right and good as we strive to honour Him by being righteous.  We see God in our world suffering in the oppressed and persecuted.  We see Him in those standing for equality, peace and justice.  It is God’s will that we unite to pray and help the weak and the needy. We must be charitable and share with those who need our financial aid.  We must fight the ‘good fight’ for peace and never give up. Keep praying, keep loving, keep forgiving, keep being charitable and keep believing that God is near to help you and all who will believe in Him. Jesus never gives up on His people and nor should we for we are HIS disciples.

“Love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you.”  Matthew 5:44

“Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.” 1 Peter 3:11