elevate
April 10th
Matthew 5:7 NIV
7 Blessed are the merciful, for THEY WILL BE SHOWN MERCY.
(The bold words highlight actions we can do this week to be doers of God’s Word.)
Mercy (éleos) means loyalty to God's covenant.
Merciful (eleḗmōn) means acting consistently with the revelation of God's COVENANT.
This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more (Hebrews 8:10-12 NIV) .”
God’s covenant with mankind is to be with us, forgive us and see us restored and reconciled to Himself.
Matthew 5:9 NIV
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for THEY WILL BE CALLED CHILDREN OF GOD.
Peacemaker (eirēnopoiós) means cultivating peace and harmony by bringing reconciliation to people by declaring God's word; making people who were fractured whole.
WAYS TO BE MERCIFUL AND A PEACEMAKER
Be mindful that no one is perfect
Extend grace and forgiveness to those who make mistakes
Don’t write people off
Use the Word of God to bring calm from chaos
Jesus told this story about being merciful and bringing peace…
The Unmerciful Servant
Matthew 18:23-35 NIV 23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pi ty on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
elevate
April 3rd
Matthew 5:6 NIV
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
(The bold words highlight actions we can do this week to be doers of God’s Word.)
Hunger (peinaó) means to crave and passionately seek with eager desire and sincere intense conviction.
Thirst (dipsaó) means to painfully feel your want, and earnestly desire those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, and strengthened.
Filled – Fully satisfied with what they desired.
We are blessed when we passionately seek after and eagerly desire what is right in God’s eyes for our lives and the lives of others.
WAYS TO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
Go to the source of righteousness
Daily pray to see the wrong things around you made right.
Read the Bible daily
Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the Father’s mouth. We are also told to ask the Lord to “give us this day our daily bread.”
Ask the Lord to fill you with His Holy Spirit (often, because we tend to leak).
After Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, He told this story that illustrates someone hungering and thirsting for righteousness…
Luke 11:5-13 NIV 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the HOLY SPIRIT to those who ask Him!”
Jesus said this to those who choose to follow Him and walk in righteousness.
John 15:18-20a NIV 18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.
Matthew 5:10 NIV
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Persecuted (diókó) means aggressively chased and set to flight, like a hunter pursuing a catch, earnestly desiring to apprehend and overtake.
The Apostle Paul wrote this to Timothy… You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:10-13 NIV).
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March 27th
Matthew 5:5 NIV
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
(The bold words highlight actions we can do this week to be doers of God’s Word.)
Meek – Praus - Praus means to move in God's strength under His control – demonstrating power without harshness, yet without compromising or being too slow to use necessary force. For the believer, "meekness" is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is never something humanly accomplished.
WAYS TO BE MEEK:
Be a doer of the Word, not just one who hears
When facing challenges, seek Jesus’ guidance and help
Be confident in God, not in your own efforts
Refrain from acting impulsively; rely on God for self-control
Jesus shared this story to illustrate what it looked like to be meek, living life according to God’s direction and help.
Luke 6:46-49 NIV
The Wise and Foolish Builders
46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock.
When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
James 1:22 NIV
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March 20th
Matthew 5:4 NIV
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for THEY WILL BE COMFORTED.
(The bold words highlight actions we can do this week to be doers of God’s Word.)
Mourn - Penthéō – to grieve and lament over the loss of a personal hope, position, or status due to sin and its impact. It is a deep Godly sorrow, that acknowledges sinning against God; a manifestation of great distress that can’t be hidden.
2 Corinthians 7:10 NIV Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
Comforted – Parakaléō - is a combination of two words
Pará – means "from close beside" or "alongside". It stresses a nearness which is often not conveyed in translation.
Kaleó – means to call, summon or invite someone into deliverance from harm, ruin or loss (salvation).
When combined this word refers to believers offering up evidence of an encounter that stands up in court and silences the accuser – the encounter is with Jesus coming alongside, inviting those who sin into relationship by restoring their position and status.
HOW TO GO THROUGH “MOURNING” THAT LEADS TO COMFORT:
Lament – express Godly sorrow over your sin, acknowledging you sinned against Him
Repent – ask Jesus for forgiveness and help to turn away from sin and to follow Him
Receive – accept the Jesus’ nearness, forgiveness and salvation, as He reinstates your position of relationship
Jesus shared these stories that illustrated what it looked like to be lost and then received back into relationship.
Luke 15:1-32 NIV
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
elevate
March 13th
Matthew 5:3 NIV
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
(The bold words highlight actions we can do this week to be doers of God’s Word.)
Poor in spirit – Poor - Ptōxós – means "to cower like a beggar" – bent over; deeply destitute, those completely lacking the resources for life with no way to improve their situation; completely helpless. Ptōxós relates to "the pauper” who is fully bankrupt, rather than a “mere peasant” that can work their way out of poverty.
The blessing to being poor in spirit is that when we humble ourselves and rely on Jesus instead of being self reliant, we are given access to the Kingdom of Heaven (the power and authority of God).
How to Maintain a “Poor in Spirit” Mindset:
-Remember you can’t do anything without Jesus
-Confess every mistake to God, asking Him to forgive and HELP you
-Abide – stay connected to the Vine
-Seek God in the decision and choices you make
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Jesus shared a story that illustrated what it looked like to be poor in spirit instead of self-reliant and self-righteous.
Luke 18:9-14 NIV 9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”