Prayer is an essential, spiritual discipline of the Christian faith, yet many of us struggle with how to pray. In truth, the problem lies more in "why" we pray than "how" we pray, or even "what" we pray about. We fail to maintain the prayer life we should have and aspire to because we lack understanding, for what good is it to have knowledge without application?
Read MoreGiving is a critical component within the foundation of faith we commit to as born-again Christians. Giving allows us the opportunity to share in the bounty of what God has graced us with, and the satisfaction of knowing we are doing something good for others.
Read MoreSimilar to His teaching on retaliation, Jesus expounds upon man's fleshly inclination to self-protect by charging him to step outside his comfort zone and do the unthinkable: Love thy enemy. In truth, we live predominately within a defined set of boundaries, strategically placed and positioned in our lives to guard and protect us.
Read MoreGod inspired Matthew to pen these verses as a stern reminder and humble warning to all that from the beginning, the birth of Jesus Christ came in opposition to the selfish desires of man, both then and now, and we would be remiss to forget what happened in Bethlehem.
Read MoreMen passionately desire sex with great intensity most often. Therefore, greater warnings are required for men to intentionally guard themselves when it comes to physical lust and desire for sexual satisfaction.
Read MoreIt is imperative that again we recognize that what Jesus addresses in each of these antitheses is NOT a contradiction of what the Old Testament says regarding the issues of anger, lust, divorce, oaths and retaliation. Rather, He is questioning the depth of our understanding, i.e. whether we are content to keep our distance from obvious sins like murder (in this particular study), yet neglect the murderous thoughts we harbor in our hearts and minds toward other people who were created in the image of God himself.
Read MoreRarely does one come across a passage of Scripture from which all other verses in the Bible's entirety hinge upon. In retrospect, the whole of Scripture rests upon the words of Jesus found in this incredible passage. Here we come across the crossroads of Christ's ministry where His purpose and prophesy fulfillment intersect upon the pages of the Old and New Testaments, for our Lord and Savior came not to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them.
Read MoreThere is a vital application to the Christian faith that accomplishes one of two outcomes for the one who publicly professes him/herself as saved by grace through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8). It either provides circumstantial evidence of an inward change of the heart manifested in good works from an obedient will that gives glory to God, or it polarizes those who the Christian comes in contact with by creating division and confusion as to how someone who claims to be a Christian can live a hypocritical life.
Read MoreIf baptism is a public proclamation of a private, internal decision to follow Christ, then persecution is the measuring stick by which a Christian knows the spirit of the living God dwells within him. Make no mistake; Jesus’ final installment of the Beatitudes carries with it the most bone-chilling of promises, that to live for righteousness’ sake, there is an assurance of persecution that validates a man’s life unto Him.
Read MoreWe live in a hostile world. It seems everywhere we turn today there are people, groups and nations at war with one another on a range of political, social, cultural and religious grounds. Yet this trend is nothing new to mankind, for opposition has stood the test of time and continues to thrive in a post-modernistic world that clings to self-truth.
Read MoreOne would be hard-pressed to find a passage of Scripture that is more difficult to apply than Matthew 5:8. Our fallen self, wretched of sin on a consistent basis simply wages war in opposition to it. Yet Jesus Christ did not hesitate in declaring that the ultimate prize of seeing God face to face will be reserved for those whose hearts are unconditionally pure.
Read MoreUp until this week we have studied Beatitudes that focus on the inner self of man—character attributes that reveal how the transforming power of Christ changes a man from the inside out. It is vital, though, that we know where we have come from in order to understand Christ’s proclamation that the merciful are indeed blessed. We need context for clarity’s sake to better grasp the depth and breadth that our Lord and Savior sets before us as we grow in our understanding of this prophetic sermon.
Read MoreThe pursuit of happiness is a concept that virtually every man can relate to. The choices we make and actions we take all seem to revolve around a purpose that life is meant to drive a man to seek happiness as his ultimate goal. Yet we find in our culture for example that personal debt is rampant, roughly half of all marriages (Christian and non-Christian) end in divorce, and post-modernistic thinking is monopolizing our culture and the church. Where have we lost our compass? Perhaps Matthew 5:6 gives us a glimpse into our dilemma.
Read MoreInstallment three of Jesus’ famous Beatitudes shifts the attention from an inner focus on man’s complete depravity and a proper attitude of how a true follower of Christ mourns over sin in response, to a quality that frankly is one of the most misunderstood of all the Beatitudes—meekness.
Read MoreMake no mistake, there is nothing wrong with leaning upon Christ in times of mourning for strength and comfort, but what Jesus is addressing in Matthew 5:4 is a passionate mourning over the issue of sin and how that impacts a man’s heart.
Read MoreGod always pursues a man’s heart, and in this case, his poverty of spirit which ultimately reflects a man’s attitude towards himself. The world today places incredible emphasis upon self-confidence and self reliance, and man is prey to falling into that trap if he is not humbling himself before an Almighty and just God in reverence.
Read MoreThe fifth chapter of the book of Matthew is rich with wisdom and casts an all-inclusive light on those who might feel exempt from various sin issues. Jesus leaves no stone unturned in this chapter, addressing not only actions but thoughts as well, and adding a layer of literal application that cuts as deeply to the heart of man as any within the entirety of Scripture.
Read MoreLike a mirage in the distance, Jesus demonstrated to His disciples a simplistic lesson that fruit is evidence of a blossom, both practically and spiritually. The fig tree bore the appearance of abundance but in actuality did not even have the most simple and miniscule evidence of fruit on it. How prophetic when compared to our own spiritual health!
Read MoreThe seventh and final woe Jesus proclaims to the scribes and Pharisees is perhaps the most interesting of them all. It summarizes the behavior of the previous six woes He declares and paints the big picture of their sinfulness against God and the consequential result of those sins in His imminent crucifixion.
Read MoreIn my opinion, this passage is the epitome of the human dilemma in relation to the sin of man and his consequential separation from God. It is one of the most recognizable quotes of Scripture known within the Christian church, yet it undoubtedly haunts the spiritual walk of each and every follower of Jesus.
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