Who Is Blessed?

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: “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 meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:1-16 NIV

There are some people who say, consistently, "I'm blessed." But are they really blessed or is that simply a buzz phrase, generated by the pseudo-religious?

Here we see what the qualifiers are to be blessed as taught by Jesus. Read carefully and reflect on what He says. Now, who is blessed?

We often relate being blessed with material wealth or success, but that's not how God sees us as being blessed. We are blessed to see a new day with new mercies and we are blessed when we leave the earth realm when we know--heaven is our destination. We are blessed to have the use of our limbs and blessed we see beyond not having every limb functioning the way it should. I've seen what people can do who were born without arms and legs and they are more blessed than some who have all their limbs--functioning--but they never do anything worthwhile.

We are blessed to be in our right minds and for those who are dealing with diminished capacity, they are blessed--not knowing what our current political environment has produced--all the hate and chaos.

I guess what I'm getting to is that we have to see ourselves blessed by God, no matter what our circumstances are. If we look hard enough we can see a blessing in everything, even when a madman in the WH. How so? Though many of us know 45 is only in the White House because of the Russian hacking, the lies and false propaganda promoted by his team, we can see a blessing that resulted it from it. People all over the world are coming together, rebuking and refuting hate-mongering and fear-mongering. People are joining other like-minded folks in protesting and resisting the "opposition" in Washington, DC. People are discovering that no matter who they voted for in the 2016 election, we all now have a common goal--to expose the idiocy that exists in the minds of those who think they are superior and to encourage one another to get through this dark time in our lives.

If the haters want to call us names--"snowflakes"--they should remember that millions of compacted snowflakes create a hazardous blizzard. No matter what they call us--or what they say about our endeavors--we have the right motives and therefore are blessed by God for we are peacemakers, not peace-breakers. We promote love, not hate. We endeavor to help others, not destroy others. By all accounts--according to The Word and the success we see in our persistence and determination to have our voices heard--we are blessed and we are the light that refuses to be dimmed by hatred and hypocrisy.

Are you blessed? How do you know? Is God pleased with how you treat people? Are you leading others into truth or deluding them with lies?

As for me and my house and others with whom I am associated--we are Blessed!

The Wisdom of The Wise!

The lips of the wise broadcast knowledge,

but not so the heart of fools. Proverbs 15: 7

A mocker doesn’t love one who corrects him;

he will not consult the wise. Proverbs 15:12

He who is wise listens,

He who is foolish, scorns and mocks.

He who receives correction earns respect,

He who mocks correction earns disdain.

He who seeks The Lord first is encouraged,

He who ignores The Lord is dismayed.

Those who praise God in the beauty of Holiness,

Are filled with hope and never despair.

Those who know--God--not just about Him,

Are blessed to be His children.

Is it wisdom or fate to speak what God says,

To obey when God speaks, and receive what God has?

The wisdom of the wise keeps flowing freely

While the ignorance of fools keeps them enslaved.

Are you wise or foolish, blessed or cursed?

On The Journey!

Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the LORD! Psalm 119:1 NKJV
Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. Psalm 119:1 NIV
Joyful are people of integrity,
who follow the instructions of the LORD. Psalm 119:1 NLT

In an attempt to get a better understanding of this passage, I consulted the Strong's concordance about the word (from the Hebrew), "way" which revealed the intent--a path or journey.

Using the path or journey as a foundation for continued study of this Psalm, the very first verse would be interpreted, "Happy, highly favored by God, are those who keep themselves pure (honorable) on the journey/path who walk (live) according to God's Word."

This then is what I perceived from my meditation of this verse. I've used comparative verses from other translations for the sake of conversation. Not every translation of the Bible is an accurate translation. In fact, I can say without fear of refutation that every translation of the Bible was composed from the perspective of either individual or collective beliefs that people hold that do not necessarily represent a right relationship with God. 

To further corroborate this point, I could cite other translations, The New World Translation, The Queen James Bible, The Living Bible, and there are so many more. And like the King James Version which was composed by a number of scholars--approved by the king--the words on a page do not adequately reflect God's intent for all of mankind since the words are "biased" because of man's perception of things and how things appear to be.

This is not to discount the original text given to man in the Aramaic or Hebrew languages, but even that is biased because of gender roles that existed at that time and limited understanding of how the world works. I am not saying what was written was wrong; I'm saying it was biased because of beliefs--about a number of things.

Here's what important to note about this verse--those who choose to live according to God's Word as they journey through life are blessed and will experience His favor while they live. 

What is God's favor? His grace (acceptance from the Hebrew, goodwill, loving kindness, reward, favor, from the Greek)--unmerited favor--favor we could not earn, demonstrated by His love for us in coming down from heaven, taking upon Himself our sins, and choosing to hang on a cross for us, that we might be saved!

Notice that the original intent is not about a man's ways that are blameless, but about a person's willingness to live according to God's Word, while journeying on their way through life. Man's ways and on the way (journey through life) have two contextually different meanings and they should not be confused. And while I generally use the New International Version, because of the contemporary language, I must admit that contextualization is often skewed in an attempt to be more appealing than the King James Version.

In doing research over the last twenty-five years and comparing various versions of the Bible, I tend to use the one that most closely states what God reveals to me. For that reason, I use a number of translations in my studies after praying for revelation. Therefore, in all my blog posts, I have used different versions to support what God has shown to me. For I know, that what He reveals to one, He has revealed to others.

Are you blessed as you journey through life, living according to God's Word? No matter what happens--how many fiery darts to enemy launches my way, I can still say--I am highly favored by God--and will live according to His Word.

Taking Time To Meditate!

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who mediates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither--whatever they do prospers. Psalm 1:1-3 NIV

One of the most common responses from a Christian when asked how they're doing is, "I'm blessed!" But are they really blessed as implied by The Word? From the Hebrew and the Greek, the word, blessed--means to be happy or happiness. So if we exchange the word blessed in this Psalm, the beginning would say, "Happy is the one..." If people are so blessed--happy--why is the church--the Body of Christ--in such a sad state?

Are we truly happy? Are we meditating on God's Word, day and night or we just playing at memorizing The Word and think we have accomplished something?

From the dictionary, blessed also means to be divinely favored or selected or fortunate--from a purely biblical perspective--it is an adjective (words that describe).

To meditate on something (from the Hebrew and Greek) means to study, or declare. Do we truly meditate on The Word? Do we study it in order to declare it?

From the dictionary, to meditate (action word--verb) means to contemplate, engage, reflect and introspect--all which require deliberate actions.

One of the reasons the Psalmist can say that a person is happy when they are obedient to God's Word is because the Psalmist has a relationship with God and hears Him, when He speaks--providing instruction and insight as to how He wants us to live.

Can we truly say we spend time with God, studying His Word, hearing Him provide us with insight as to the meaning or context of what He's saying? Or are we more content to rely upon others to tell us what they think about God's Word?

These questions keep cropping up in my spirit because of what I observe in others--those supposedly teaching The Word. Based upon my understanding of what I have studied, I see many who are merely teaching God's Word out of traditional leanings, with no true understanding. The focus is more on a moan or a groan-coming from them--which is unintelligible for others to understand. So, if what we say is unintelligible (not understood), how do we claim that it is teaching? For in order to teach anyone, anything, what we say and do must be understood.

If I'm stepping on toes today, good! We all need someone to remind us that we have not arrived at perfection and when it comes to teaching God's Word, we should always meditate--study it so we can give clear understanding, before we attempt to teach it to anyone.

I am setting aside time for deliberate meditation upon Psalm 119 in the coming weeks. This is not just to memorize it--since I tend to be extremely forgetful--but to understand it--in its entirety and to be able to line it up with the rest of God's Word. For all of God's Word should line up--it's context should never change even one scripture.

The World is changing and from what I can see--we are in dire need of understanding--all of God's Word as Paul tells Timothy, " Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all." (I Timothy 4:15 NKJV)

And that is precisely what I plan to do--give myself entirely to concentrating on The Word, one verse at a time. So, if you are inclined to read my understanding every day, great! If not, oh well. If you know Psalm 119 well enough to teach me, don't hesitate to comment on what I say. I am very teachable and sometimes--I may not hear God completely, but it's not because I'm not listening--traditional perceptions sometimes get in the way.

Here's to getting the traditional perceptions out of the way so I can clearly understand what the Psalmist is saying to us--from then to now--in the 21st century and how it applies to our lives in this changing world.

Blessed Are We!

"Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one shoe sin the Lord will never count against them." (Romans 4:7,8 NIV)

Blessed are we
Who understand the Work on The Cross,
Not the wearing of a symbol, but the end result.

Blessed are we
Who escaped receiving the wages of sin,
Death--spiritually and physically,
When we received Christ Jesus
As our Personal Savior.

Blessed are we
Who have a testimony to share
With others to help them overcome
Desire to cave to temptation.

Blessed are we
To know God's love and to share
It with others, everywhere we go.

Blessed are we,
To have a model of perfection
Constantly in our midst when
We stay in His Word.

Blessed are we,
To have parents who love us enough
To tell us the truth and help us to do the same.

Blessed are we,
And our children when see them living The Word,
In spite of ridicule and the naysayers of doubt and unbelief.

Blessed are we,
To know Holy Spirit resides within,
Leading, guiding, counseling, and comforting,
All the days of our lives.

Blessed are we,
Who can rise with joy in our hearts
And a praise on our lips,
For the One who loved us enough
To die for us that we might have,
Eternal Life.

We are blessed!

Blessed When Others Insult Us Becaue of Our Faith in God!

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12 NIV)

If there was ever a time many believers needed affirmation to stand on their faith in God while saying what He says, this is it. This is a reminder from Jesus that when we choose to live a Godly life--in obedience to God's Word--that some will insult, belittle, persecute, and demean our faith with their insults, but rejoice! If the insults are a result of stance in our faith, we are blessed!

What we have to realize in our daily walk with Christ is that the enemy rises up at every turn--influencing the thoughts of those who refuse to submit to God and they are in attack mode--especially when we say what God says about sin. Satan doesn't want us to influence anyone in his army to stop living in sin so he uses those in his army to attack those of us are bold and courageous--saying what God says--and refusing to budge in our position--not caving to the misnomer of being "politically correct" in our conversations about sin.

Who came up with the notion or concept of being "politically correct?" A soldier in the army of evil will do anything to manipulate and deceive people under the guise of inclusion and half-truths. Well--a half-truth is a whole lie and we all know how politicians lie and deceive to get what they want. So, the term--politically correct--is actually an oxymoron since politicians are seldom correct about much of anything in their quest to accomplish their personal agendas.

How does a personal agenda benefit the masses? It doesn't. It is personal--designed for an individual's achievement and seldom has any benefit for anyone other than the one who uses, abuses, and lies their way to a political appointment.

But for those of us who know the truth and that nothing is ever correct about saying sin is right in any form, know that when we are insulted by others, we are blessed by God. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have God's blessings than the approval of the masses who have neither heaven or hell for me.

Be bold and very courageous in your faith stance and preach The Word, in season and out of season, whether people want to hear it or not--say what God says about everything. If there are those who will not receive what you have to say--shake the dust from your feet, smile, thank them and keep it moving.

We are not responsible for people receiving what we have to say, but we are held accountable for whether or not we say what God says. Say what He says in spite of the insults and know you are blessed by God.

When you get weary of the insults and need a reminder of who you are in Christ--check out this book myBook.to/IAMALLTHAT  and stand firm in the love of God, knowing we are all that God says we are.

Our Great and Awesome God!

"Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God." (Deuteronomy 7:21 NIV).

How great is our God?
How awesome is He?
He who delivers His own
From the hands of those who hate.
He who is a strong tower of love,
He who never belittles or berates,
Those who hear, obey, and love Him.

How great is our God?
Great enough to defeat those who oppose,
How awesome is our God?
 Awesome enough to bless those who uphold,
His commandments--Love Him, Love All.

He sees through generations and knows what we'll do,
He hears every word and knows every thought
Before we think it or utter a word, He has already designed
The master plan and knows which paths we'll take,
And when we'll hearken to His voice, turning around,
Back to Him, seeking His face from dawn to dusk,
Knowing His wisdom is all we'll need for our nation
To be blessed, not cursed, powerful, not powerless,
Grateful for His love, not mocking or bitter
Waiting for His Return, living according to His Word,
Not reliant upon man's fickleness or godlessness.

How Great is our God?
How Awesome is He?
Great enough to move mountains into the sea,
Awesome enough to want to world to see,
Just how much He loves you and me!

Our God is Awesome, Awesome, Awesome!
There's no need to fear what others do,
We just live and love, for Our Awesome God is here!

Blessed, not Cursed!

"He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Luke 11:28 NIV)

hile Jesus was teaching, a woman in the crowd (vs. 27) cried out and said to Jesus, "Blessed is the woman who gave you birth and nursed you." She recognized that Jesus had been not just nursed, but nurtured in the way of righteousness from the time He was born. And His response to her was--in essence--the person who hears The Word and obeys it is more blessed than He was.

Something to think about. He knew who He was. The woman thought she knew who He was, and yet, He deferred--to all who hear The Word and obey as being the greater one blessed. If all who hear and obey are blessed, then all who don't hear and won't obey are not blessed. Simple logic for those who understand syllogisms.

Right before He said this, He was discussing the state of a person who had been harboring a demonic spirit and what they did. We have to be careful about what we claim because demonic spirits are looking a place to reside. If we think we have changed for the better and yet do those things that are not of God, our fate is worse than it was before we made any proclamations.

The bottom line for me is this--when we did not claim to know God or understand His purpose in coming to earth, we were better off than if we claim to know Him and understand His purpose and yet live in opposition to His Word. If we live in opposition to His Word after claiming to know Him, we very simply, lie to ourselves.

And like everything else--we can go to The Word for understanding and Truth--if we hear The Word and obey--we're blessed and if we don't, we aren't.

Today, we need more than ever for people to hear The Word and obey it because if they don't, what we think has been calamity will seem like a walk in the park on a warm, sunny day, when God removes His hand from the nation. I don't know about you, but I'm going to obey His Word and promote His truth, no matter what a Supreme Court says about anything that opposes God's Word. I'd rather be found on the side of right than the side of might--when it opposes God.

I Will Tell It!

"But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds." (Psalm 73:28 NIV)

Now, where else have we heard, "As for me and my house, we will serve The Lord?" Joshua reminds those around him that they have a choice and if they chose evil and not to obey God, they could, but he chose to serve The Lord.

Good choice for all who love the Lord and want to stay in position to receive all of His many benefits. What are they? His love and mercy begin the story. He loved us enough to come down from heaven to save us from ourselves, even when we didn't deserve it--having mercy upon us.

We healed by His stripes--received on the cross.

We are delivered from being tempted to do evil when we function with the mind of Christ.

All of our needs are met through Him who loves us.

We are more than conquerors because of His great love for us.

We can do all things well through Him who gives us the strength and courage to do so.

We know that no one weapon formed against shall ever prosper--Satan's plans are null and void--because of God's hand of protection around us.

He hears us when we call upon Him and never leaves us alone.

When friends and family forsake us--we can look to Him who is our help.

All of our help, comes from the Lord.

We have been provided the means--through receiving His wisdom--to amass wealth and prosper as our soul prospers so we may help others.

There is no body like The Lord in all the earth who sees our need and responds.

There is no body like Jesus to will uphold us, protect us, strengthen us, love us, forgive us, and give us favor with men and women in every station of life.

There is no body who loves us enough to speak to us in the midnight hour to encourage our hearts, bring back to our remembrance all we have been taught and show us things to come--like Holy Spirit.

We are blessed beyond measure and our imagination because His spirit dwells in us and we hear Him when He speaks!

As for me--I choose to serve our living God and I will tell of His goodness at all times and at all times, He will demonstrate His goodness through me! I WILL TELL IT UNTIL I CAN SPEAK NO MORE!

Glory Hallelujah to our God--our Father, our Savior and Comforter!

Blessed to Bless!

"Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked." (Proverbs 10:6 NIV)

The righteous--those living in right standing with God--will always have what they need--food for themselves and plenty to share with others.

The wicked--those who ignore God and His Word--are overcome with violent thinking which leads to violent behavior and will result in the death of them and others.

The righteous are not perfect, but are always trying to please God and are quick to repent when they mess up.

The wicked never acknowledge they are wrong and hate to be corrected.

The righteous are more apt to see the world differently--they see the possibilities for all to succeed in righteousness.

The wicked only see through the eyes of evil--always thinking about how they can obtain what does not belong to them.

The righteous hear God when He speaks and say what He says to all who will listen.

The wicked are carnal and only listen to the dictates of their flesh to determine what they do.

The righteous care for the poor and the needy and will defend their rights before God and man.

The wicked are only concerned about their rights and will violate the rights of others to get what they want and do what they want to do.

God sees the righteous and the wicked and when it rains--it rains on both. When tragedy overcomes the land, both feel the disastrous results. When there seems to be no way out of danger--the righteous seek God, while the wicked seek more wicked. Both have reservations for the end of the matter--at the end of life's journey--heaven is reserved for the righteous and the lake of fire reserved for the wicked.

The righteous are blessed to be a blessing to others and the wicked--are cursed and cause others who follow them to be cursed as well. Which would you rather be--blessed to bless or caused to cursed?

Richly Blessed!

"The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it" (Proverbs 10:22 NLT).

Contemplate, if you will, the difference between His blessing and the blessings that we often discuss.

In this proverb, the blessing of the Lord is singular, not plural, which can lead one to think there is only one blessing. The blessing--is God's love towards us--it--the love makes a person rich and He adds nothing to that which will make us sad. The blessings--plural--are those promises we receive from obedience to His Word. They are richly described in Deuteronomy 28:2-14.

What can anyone do when they know they are loved? Just about anything. Love (not lust) moves a person forward, seeking to please others and more specifically God. Love teaches instead of criticizes; love encourages instead of discourages. Love lets go of past hurts and makes room for present joy. Love energizes, not drains. Love motivates, not denigrates. How rich is a person who is loved? Being loved and knowing it is better than having all the riches of the land because many of those with the material wealth--do not understand or have love. This love--is the love that we receive from God and pour onto others--just because Love blesses!

If we are having problems in our lives and cannot seem to have peace in our spirits--maybe we should check our love levels and if the love is depleted, we can always go back to the never-ending fountain of Love for more.

Instead of chasing material riches, we should diligently pursue obtaining and sharing love.

Instead of being concerned with  what others think about us, we should earnestly consider what God thinks about us.

Instead of trying to become something that God never intended for us to be, we should seek His wisdom and guidance in all things and become what He wants us to be.

There is no poverty--or poverty-mindedness in those who have received the BLESSING of the Lord for they are rich beyond measure and seek to do always those things that please God.

Are You The One?

"Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers" (Psalm 1: 1-3 NIV).

Are you the one who is blessed?

Are you out-of-step with the wicked (not going along with everything the wicked--those who never knew God-- do)?

Are you standing on the other side of the street (figuratively speaking)--away from the sinners (those who once knew God, but turned away)?

Are you sitting far away from those who mock (not joining in) those who believe God?

Are you taking pleasure in God's commandment of loving, unconditionally?

Are you reading and meditating on the Word throughout the day?

If you are doing all these things--then The Word says--you shall be like a tree planted by streams of water--always being watered by the Word--establishing deep, strong roots (foundation for living God's way) and you will have good success at whatever you do (everything you do, prospers).

Are you the one?

When we do what God tells us to do we can expect to receive what He says we will get. When we don't--there is still an expectation--though not a pleasant one--we will receive the consequence of our actions.

God help us to be the one who lives according to Your Word so we may blessed with all spiritual and natural blessings in all we do. Remind us on a daily basis to share the love You have poured into our hearts and convince others to seek You for themselves by our conduct and in being a living testimony of Your goodness. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen!

Don't Be Afraid!

"But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened” (1 Peter 3:14 NIV).

We should never be concerned about what others think when we do what is right "in the eyes of God," seeking to please Him only.

One of the reasons kids join gangs is because they are "afraid" not to join because of threats from gang members if they don't join.

Many adults capitulate to threats by co-workers or bosses to do things that are "unethical" and sometimes illegal, in order to keep a position.

I have been challenged on more than one occasion to change report card grades and when I refused, was harassed by the principal and the school superintendent.  I never changed the grades, but I did eventually leave the school. Who is right in this situation?  I was right and I never back down when I know I'm right. If a student is not willing to work for the grade they want; they get the grade they earned.

In our society, those who are wrong--about many things--think they have a right to harass those who are right, even to the point of threats.

Christians are harassed when they stand up and proclaim sin is sin and won't back down.
 Some have even been arrested on bogus "intimidation" charges. The enemy's camp is afraid that true Believers will influence others so they scream loud and long--about so-called violation of their rights.  But what about the rights of Christians to speak truth about the Word of God? No one is interested in protecting their rights. 

In fact, politicians are swayed by those who threaten all manner of stupidity--lost financial contributions, lost votes--they don't even concern doing the right thing for all people because they are afraid of losing their status.

We are reminded by Peter that we do not have to be afraid.  Rather, we should know we are blessed when we stand for righteousness, doing the right thing at all times, even in the face of threats from the enemy. Being persecuted by those under the influence of the enemy should not be news to anyone.  Jesus said, through John, that we would be persecuted, but we should not concern ourselves with the enemy and his minions; we only need to concern ourselves with doing what is right. Will we do it?

Don't be afraid to confront the enemy and to make him ashamed.  Do the right thing!