The Sermon on the Mount - The First Beatitute

Lately, I’ve been doing a study on the sermon on the mount. I find it a bit disheartening that I never really understood it. Just about everyone has, at least, known that it exists. Unfortunately, I’ve never really studied it.

So, I’ve decided to take one beatitude at a time, and study each one. My understanding is that these Beatitues are the key to living a life that’s happy, full of God, experiencing Kingdom realities, feeling God’s presence, and being a vehicle of God’s presence to others. I’d sign up for that.

I have to live these Beatitudes out in my life though, being a doer of the Word. I’m determined to do this though. As I explore this journey, i’ll Share what I find out through the Word and Holy Spirit.

Father, I pray in Jesus name, for an open heart to receive what you wish to reveal to me through this study. Show me, by Holy Spirit, all that I cannot see. Help me to understand and hide in my heart all that is revealed to me. Thank you for your Word, wisdom, and understanding. I receive it! Amen!

I have came across a teaching by Mike Bickle on this very subject. I will share that link with you in a moment.

I’m going to start with Matthew 5:3 I am using the Amplified version.

Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous with joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

How many times have I read that, and I totally missed it. I see so much more in that verse than I did before. I wish I knew everything about this verse, but this is what I’ve learned so far.

To be poor in spirit means to be aware that we are in great need of experiencing spiritual growth in our hearts, ministries, churches, and even society. It means seeing our deep need to be helped by God. It means being aware of the need for our love to be developed. It acknowledges our lack before God and our inability to produce spiritual life on our own.

How do we become poor in spirit?

1. Gaining understanding of God’s highest purpose
2. Being hungry for the Word
3. Being hungry for the spirit of prayer
4. Hungry for Holy Spirit’s power
5. Look in the Word for what God says about how much He will do in us and through us.
6. Read about what he did for others. This makes you hungry for more of Him in your life.

Theirs is the kingdom of Heaven

If we live poor in spirit we experience Kingdom realities. We will have a vibrant heart/spirit. You will feel God’s presence more. He will be able to use us as a vehicle of his presence to others.

I’m going to make a commitment to live my life poor in spirit with help from Holy Spirit. I can’t do it without Him. I think the more we grow, the more we see how much we need Him. That is being poor in spirit.

This is just the first beatitude, there are seven more to take a closer look at. I’ll continue to write about the sermon on the mount in the near future.

Anyway, you really will want to hear from Mike on this subject. Here is a video of his teaching.

You are loved.

Scriptures Describing Who We Are In Christ

I am blameless and free from accusation. (Colossians 1:22)

Christ Himself is in me. (Colossians 1:27)
I am firmly rooted in Christ and am now being built up in Him. (Col. 2:7)
I have been made complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:10)
I have been spiritually circumcised. My old unregenerate nature has been
removed. (Colossians 2:11)
I have been buried, raised, and made alive with Christ. (Colossians 2:12,13)
I died with Christ and I have been raised up with Christ. My life is now hidden
with Christ in God. Christ is now my life. (Colossians 1:1-4)
I am an expression of the life of Christ because He is my life. (Colossians 3:4) 
I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved. (Col. 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4) 
I am a son of light and not of darkness. (1 Thessalonians 5:5)
I have been given a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7) 
I have been saved and set apart according to God’s doing.(2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5)
Because I am sanctified and am one with the Sanctifier, He is not ashamed
to call me brother. (Hebrews 2:11)
I am a holy partaker of a heavenly calling. (Hebrews 3:1)
I have the right to come boldly before the throne of God to find mercy and grace in a time of need. (Hebrews4:16)
I have been born again. (1 Peter 1:23)
I am one of God’s living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house. (1 Peter 2:5)
I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a People for God’s own possession. (1 Peter 2:9,10)
I am an alien and stranger to this world in which I temporarily live. (1 Peter 2:11)
I am an enemy of the devil. (1 Peter 2:11)
I have been given exceedingly great and precious promises by God by which I am a partaker of God’s divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4)
I am forgiven on the account of Jesus’ name. (1 John 2:12)
I am anointed by God. (1 John 2:27)
I am a child of God and I will resemble Christ when He returns. (1 John 3:1,2) 
I am loved. (1 John 4:10)
I am like Christ. (1 John 4:10)
I have life. (1 John 5:12)
I am born of God, and the evil one...the devil...cannot touch me. (1 John 5:8)
I have been redeemed. (Revelation 5:9) 
I have been healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

I am the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13)
I am the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14)
I am commissioned to make disciples. (Matthew 28:19,20)
I am a child of God. (John 1:12)
I have eternal life. (John 10:27)
I have been given peace. (John 14:27)
I am part of the true vine, a channel of Christ’s life. (John 15:1,5)
I am clean. (John 15:3)
I am Christ’s friend. (John 15:15)
I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit. (John 15:16) I have been given glory. (John 17:22)
I have been justified...completely forgiven and made righteous. (Romans 5:1)
I died with Christ and died to the power of sin’s rule over my life. (Romans 6:1-6)
I am a slave of righteousness. (Romans 6:18)
I am free from sin and enslaved to God. (Romans 6:22)
I am free forever from condemnation. (Romans 8:1)
I am a son of God; God is spiritually my Father. (Romans 8:14, 15 Galatians 3:26; 4:6)
I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him (Romans 8:17)
I am more than a conqueror through Christ, who loves me. (Romans 8:37)
I have faith. (Romans 12:3)
I have been sanctified and called to holiness. (1 Corinthians 1:2)
I have been given grace in Christ Jesus. (1Corinthians 1:4)
I have been placed into Christ, by God’s doing. (1 Corinthians 1:30) 
I have received the Spirit of God into my life that I might know the things feely given to me by God. (1 Corinthians 2:12)
I have been given the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)
I am a temple...a dwelling place...of God. His Spirit and His life dwell in me. 
(1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19)
I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him. (1 Corinthians 6:17) 
I am bought with a price; I am not my own; I belong to God.
(1 Corinthians 6:19,20; 7:23) I am called. (1 Corinthians 7:17)
I am a member of Christ’s Body. (1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 5:30) I am victorious through Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57) 
I have been established, anointed and sealed by God in Christ, and I have been given to the Holy Spirit as a pledge guaranteeing my inheritance to come. (2 Corinthians 1:21; Ephesians 1:13,14)

I am led by God in triumphal procession. (2 Corinthians 2:14)
I am to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. (2 Corinthians 2:15)
I am being changed into the likeness of Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:18 Since I have died, I no longer live for myself, but for Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:14,15)
I am a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18,19)
I have been made righteous. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
I am given strength in exchange for weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:10)
I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ
lives in me. The life I am now living is Christ’s life. (Galatians 2:20)
I am a son of God and one in Christ. (Galatians 3:26, 28)
I am Abraham’s seed...an heir of the promise. (Galatians 3:29)
I am an heir of God since I am a son of God. (Galatians 4:6,7)
I am a saint. (Ephesians 1:1; ! Corinthians 1:2; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:2) 
I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing. (Ephesians 1:3)
I was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and I am without blame before Him. (Ephesians 1:4)
I was predestined...determined by God...to be adopted as God’s son. (Ephesians 1:5)
I have been sealed with the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13)
I have been redeemed and forgiven, and I am a recipient of His lavish grace.
I have been made alive together with Christ. (Ephesians 2:5)
I have been raised up and seated with Christ in heaven. (Ephesians 2:6) 
I am God’s workmanship...His handiwork...born anew in Christ to do His work. (Ephesians 2:10)
I have direct access to God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:18)
I am a fellow citizen with the rest of God’s family. (Ephesians 2:19)
I may approach God with boldness, freedom, and confidence. (Eph. 3:12) 
I am righteous and holy. (Ephesians 2:24)
I am a citizen of heaven, seated in heaven right now. (Philippians 3:20 Ephesians 2:6)
I am capable. (Philippians 4:13)
I have been rescued from the domain of Satan’s rule and transferred to the kingdom of Christ. (Colossians 1:13)
I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. The debt against me has been cancelled. (Colossians 1:14) 

We are created in His image. As a son or daughter in Christ, 
we are blameless, made complete, a holy partaker, you are loved, 
and so much more. Speak these verses over yourself and others. 
The Word is powerful. The more we speak these verses into our lives, 
they begin to change how we see ourselves. Remember this is how 
God sees His children.

Praying for your Kids using the Word of God

As a parent, I spend a lot of time in prayer. When my daughter was younger, we did devotions together, read the Word, memorized scripture, and homeschooled using Christian curriculum. I thought I did an adiquite job at raising her in a Christian environment. My hope was that she would hold on to the things I have taught her. As she grew into the teenage years, it seems that she has drifted off course, or did she? I mean, she doesn’t seem to have an interest in the things of God. It’s like the “world” has pulled her away from the things I worked so hard to teach her. I wonder, what did I do wrong?

I really feel like a failure. She is only interested in boys right now. She stopped listening to Christian music, no longer is interested in memorizing scriptures with me, and I haven’t seen her pick up her Bible in months.

Does any of this hit home for you?

I have come to realize something. I hope this helps you too. The Word is true, powerful, and a tool for us parents. A verse that I really rely on is Job 22:28.

You shall also decide and decree a thing and it shall be established for you… I receive that! In verse 30 it says, He will even deliver the one (for whom you intercede)… so, I have been “praying the Word” over my teen believing God’s Word.

I will keep you posted on praise reports, as I am exspection a lot of then. I am choosing to believe the Word is true.

Be blessed, and I’ll talk to you soon.

Bye for now.

How to Fight the Temptation to Sin

The truth is, we all struggle with sin in our lives. Some more than others I suppose, but we all get tempted to sin. Jesus said that the devil is a thief, and comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy.  John 10:10  What, though, does the devil steal? What does he want to kill? What does he want to destroy? The answer, simply, is “us”. He wants to steal your joy, your family, your friends, your job, and your life. He wants to kill you. Don’t get freaked  out though. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. I John 4:4 God is mightier, He is stronger, and way smarter than the devil. He’s got you covered.

Matthew 4: 3-11 tells us exactly how to overcome temptation. First of all, know that temptation will come. That’s a promise. Be prepared. We all know that Jesus was tempted by the devil, but He knew what to do about it. He is pretty smart, and if it worked for Him it will certainly work for us. Simply speak the Word which is the truth. God’s way is perfect. The WORD of the Lord is tested and tried; He is a shield to all those who take refuge and put their trust in Him. Psalm 18: 30 Think of the Word as a weapon to fight against the enemy.

Here is a ‘life’ example. I’m sure we all have experienced people who have hurt us. I had a friend who really hurt me with her words. She talked badly about me with others. I have carried that with me for years. I’m happy to say that, now, I am able to let that go and forgive her. It was the enemy at work trying to steal my joy, and my friendship. He was successful for about two years after this happened. Unfortunately, she was not willing to continue the friendship, but I was able to stop the enemy from constantly reminding me that this friend said all these terrible things. He tried telling me they were true, and that there is no way I’d be able to have healthy relationships because of it. So, I fought back using the Word of God. What was the temptation for me to sin? I wanted to say mean things back, and to others about this person which, by the way, is not the thing to do. Secondly, I was listening to lies about myself that stole my joy.

I used Luke 6:28. Invoke blessings upon and pray for the happiness of those who curse you, implore God’s blessing (favor) upon those who abuse you. I also reminded the enemy who I am in Christ.  For example, I am loved. I John 5.12, and I Thessalonians 5:5 I am a son (daughter) of light and not darkness.

So, in a nut shell, Matthew 4:11 tells us this:

1. Temptations come
2. Speak the Word.
3. Devil leaves
4. You are comforted

Just as Jesus did when He was tempted by the devil.

If I were to pray Luke 6:28 for someone who has hurt me, I’d pray something like this.

Father, in Jesus name, I declare a Heavenly blessing upon (name)’s life. I ask for favor upon her life. I declare that she finds happiness that can only be found in you. Bless her and her family. Thank you, Father, for helping me grow by going through this. Thank you for your Word and comforting me. Amen! Then I'd want to praise Him. There is healing in praise. (that's a whole other post though)

You are loved.

Bye for now.

Praying Psalm 119 Over Your Kids

All I really knew about Psalm 119, is that it’s very long. I know how that sounds. What part of the Bible have I been reading? I’ve skimmed it a few times, but I found out there is some really good help in that Psalm.

I hope to write more about that later, but for now I want to share how I pray Psalm 119 over my teenage daughter.  A lot can be added to this. I just picked a few of the verses to get us started.

For some time I have been feeling like the world is pulling my teen away from the things of God. I know it’s not easy being a teen these days. There is a lot of peer pressure. It doesn’t help if your teen feels like she doesn’t fit in.

One of my all time favorite verses concerning prayer is Job 22:28 what you declare shall be established. I believe that. There are many things to talk about when it comes to prayer, but for this post I want to get right into it.

When I pray for my kids, especially in the area of spiritual growth, I like to declare things as though “they are” rather than “will be”. For example, let’s look at Psalm 119:9. It says, How shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed and keeping watch on himself according to Your Word conforming his life to it. (AMP)

This is what I pray. I personalize it. I put my child’s name in the scripture verse. Like this…

verse 9 (the Word “heed:, means to pay careful attention to)

I declare that name of your child pays careful attention and keeps watch on himself/herself according to Your Word conforming his/her life to it.

verse 10

I declare that name of child seeks you with his/her whole heart. He/sheyearns for you. I declare that name of child does not wonder or step aside either in ignorance or willfully from Your commandments.

verse 18

i declare that name of child ‘s eyes are open to behold wondrous things out of Your law.

verse 29

Thank you for graciously imparting Your law to name of child.

verse 30

I declare that name of child chooses the way of Your truth and faithfulness.

verse 32

I declare that name of child does not merely walk, but runs towards Your commandments. Thank you for giving name of child a heart that is willing. In Jesus name, Amen!

I’m only sharing a few verses as you know, it’s a really long Psalm.

If you feel your teen is struggling spiritually, here are some good verses to pray.

I look forward to sharing more with you soon.

What are your favorite verses to pray over your kids. There are lots and lots of them, I know. Share your favorite.

Be Blessed!

Photo by: Aaron Burden