Promises for the Battle
Beatitudes
Beatitudes #8—Able to Praise
Fortunate are those who live in your temple and praise you continually! Fortunate are those who are strongly inclined to go worship you! Psalm 84:4–5 O Lord, our God, King of the Universe, today we celebrate the privilege of praise. While we cannot all be tasked with the duty of constantly acknowledging your consistently superior … Continue reading
Beatitudes #7—Disciplined for Good
Fortunate are those whom you discipline, O Yahweh, those you teach to follow your instructions in order to protect them from times of trouble, until the wicked are destroyed. Psalm 94:12–13 “This is for your own good” goes the old saying. God said it first. Obeying the gospel’s command to pledge allegiance to Jesus is … Continue reading
Beatitudes #6—Living Justly
Fortunate are those whose lives are characterized by acting justly and by doing what is right! Psalm 106:3 There are two ways we can act justly with respect to the people around us. Both of them conform to the instructions the Lord has given us. Both of them are right in his eyes and beneficial … Continue reading
Beatitudes #5—The Way to Walk
Fortunate are those whose way is blameless, who walk according to Yahweh’s instructions. Fortunate are those who observe his rules, who seek him with their whole heart, and who, instead of doing wrong, walk in his ways! Psalm 119:1–3 Mel Brooks’ generated a cultural phenomenon when his character Igor said, “Walk this way,” and young … Continue reading
Beatitudes #4—Happily Forgiven
Fortunate are those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Fortunate are those against whom Yahweh counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no duplicity. Psalm 32:1–2 cf. Romans 4:6, 8–9 God’s instructions for how to live in fellowship with him and with our neighbors are not burdensome. They provide the way … Continue reading
Beatitudes #3—Fearfully Fortunate
I sought Yahweh’s help, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. … How fortunate are those who seek protection in him! None of his loved ones who fear Yahweh will lack anything good! Psalm 34:4–9 From a watery mass characterized by emptiness and formlessness God created a full-featured world filled with … Continue reading
Beatitudes #2—Finding Wisdom
Fortunate are they who find wisdom, who obtain understanding, for these are more profitable than silver and yield better returns than gold. … Fortunate are all who hold on to them. Proverbs 3:13–18 Wisdom is the ability to see and secure a future for ourselves that we will enjoy forever, with no regrets. Applying it … Continue reading
Beatitudes #1—Chaotic Happiness
When God created us, he desired, above all, that we would experience his holiness—his infinite, unexcelled, and irreplaceable worth—as he did good things for us, and through us for others. The biblical word for enjoying such fellowship with God is ‘blessed’ or ‘happy’ or ‘fortunate,’ depending on the translation we read. Sometimes this word indicates … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About the Saints’ Great Reward
… Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth …… Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God …Matthew 5:3-12 The traditions for celebrating All Saints Day vary, depending on a congregation’s theological and liturgical background. One of the ideas that ties all of the traditions together is acknowledging that … Continue reading
Promises for the Battle 