Blessed are the merciful,for they shall receive mercy. Matthew 5:7 ESV As we have noted in the previous weeks, the Beatitudes are a mindlessly thrown together list of virtues; rather, they are carefully structured descriptions of the Christian character. These are not gifts that the Spirit gives to some Christians and not others. These are …
Why do we call this Good Friday? We can ask the same question of why when we consider the opening sentence of Bruce Shelley’s book on church history: “Christianity is the only major religion to have as its central event the humiliation of its God.” Surely, the crucifixion of God's only begotten Son was darkest …
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,for they shall be satisfied. Matthew 5:6 ESV Martin Lloyd-Jones' opening paragraph to his sermon on this Beatitude is worth citing here: The Christian's concern is to view life in this world in the light of the gospel; and, according to the gospel, the trouble with mankind …
Blessed are the meek,for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 ESV Few figures in history are as interesting to read about as Julius Caesar. Consider one story that is given to us by Plutarch. At twenty-five, Caesar was traveling to Bithynia, but during that voyage, he was captured by pirates. Seeing by his clothing …
Blessed are those who mourn,for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4 ESV As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place, where was a Den, and I laid me down in that place to sleep: And as I slept, I dreamed a Dream. I dreamed, and behold I saw …
Blessed are the poor in spiritfor theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 ESV Paradoxically, King David's most notorious sins give us a glimpse at just what makes him a great man of God. You probably know the story. After years on the run from Saul, David's kingdom is finally established. But in his …
Seeing the crowds,he went up on the mountain,and when he sat down,his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouthand taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:1-3 ESV The French mathematician Blaise Pascal once wrote: All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever …
Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” …
Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and …
Now Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, …
B. C. Newton 