Jesus carrying a wooden cross surrounded by onlookers and Roman soldiers Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and …
The Heart of the Kingdom: Pure Motives
A preacher passionately delivers a sermon to a diverse congregation inside a church. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8 Watching so many of those who claim to be spiritual leaders fall from grace leaves my heart searching for answers. This week, the topic of legalism or …
The Unprecedented Rules of the Kingdom
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7 Since the beginning of time, humans have imagined their deities as wrath-filled gods in need of appeasement. Ultimately, every man's god was like the man himself: flawed, doling out justice in his own best interest, given to fleshly desires and appetites. Kings, …
The Heart of Desire in God’s Kingdom
A large rustic table filled with a variety of dishes and drinks for a festive communal dinner. 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6 The beatitudes began with the spiritually poor who longed for a place in God's Kingdom. Next, those who mourn were …
A Different Kind of King
A man rides a donkey through an ancient city gate while crowds cheer with palm branches. When you think of a king, what comes to mind? Ruthless power? Domination over lesser kingdoms? A man intent on gaining riches? A lawmaker who imposes his will on those too weak to oppose him? A President who makes …
Repentance: Exchanging Kingdoms
Ruling My Own Kingdom The message of repentance often gets lost in the 1-2-3, a-b-c, easy as can be, altar call to salvation. The message both John and Jesus were preaching started with repentance. The last post mentioned this, but today's will build on it. In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the …
Realigning Ourselves Under King Jesus
An ancient mikveh in Israel. When my daughter and I visited Israel in 2019, we learned about the ritual cleansing baths called mikvehs. Mikvehs were closely associated with the temple so that priests could be cleansed before entering to offer sacrifices. Often, one set of steps led into the water, and another set of steps …
Twisting Scripture
If there is anything that irritates me more, it is Instagram Christianity. When Christians are struggling, they rarely open their Bibles to find comfort from God. No, they look for a meme, or a reel, or a "Word from the Lord" from their favorite Bible influencer. Men literally burned at the stake so we can …
Carrying Extra Weight
One thing that has surprised me about getting older is the near impossibility of losing weight. About ten years ago, I made a lifestyle change that helped me lose 35 pounds. Ten years later, I thought that if I reimplemented that same plan, the weight would fall off again. Not so. In fact, what …
Heaven Sent Humility
First-century Rome championed an honor-shame society. What this means is that above happiness, pleasure, or prosperity, honor and reputation ruled men's highest goals. Aristotle, from the 4th century B.C., wrote that "Honour and reputation are among the pleasantest things, through each person's imagining that he has the qualities of an important person; and all …
His Song in the Night 