How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #9}

"Blessed are you when people insult you,persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil 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 5:11,12

Blessing #9: a great reward in heaven.

To Release This Blessing:  The prophets took action; they spoke, they demonstrated, dreamed all with the power of God moving through them.  I believe this is the type of "because of me" acts that Jesus is referring to that brings persecution.  If we want to release this blessing, then we must do as they did.  Allow Jesus to live through you.

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These 9 Blessings are not easy to release or live out, but they are rewarding. Which of the 9 Blessings are you going to go after first?

 This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here.   

How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #8}

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"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 5:10

Blessing #8: the kingdom of heaven belongs to us.

To Release This Blessing:  I personally didn't really like this blessing at first, it doesn't sound like much of a blessing....I mean, persecution, who wants that?  But it is NOT a blessing to be persecuted because of our right and moral living, but the blessing is the kingdom of heaven. When we stand up for righteousness (right and moral living), persecution is a byproduct of that lifestyle.  Release this blessing in your life by living a life of righteousness.

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In deciding to follow Jesus, we are made righteous by his sacrifice for our sin on the cross.  When we display righteousness, persecution will follow.  -It just comes with the territory as heirs to the kingdom of heaven as a child of the King. 

This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here. 

How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #7}

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"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."

Matthew 5:9

Blessing #7: we will be called a son (or daughter) of God.

To Release This Blessing:  If you are a follower of Jesus, then you are already a son or a daughter of God.  If you are a son or a daughter of God then you are a peacemaker.  Peace is in you, it is part of the DNA of the family and body of Christ placed in you through relationship with Jesus.  Choose to tap into the ability to release peace.

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You have the ablility to release peace in every situation because the God of peace is living in you.  

This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here. 

How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #6}

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"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God"

Matthew 5:8

Blessing #6: we will see God.

To Release This Blessing:  If you have made a decision to follow Jesus, surrendering your life to him, then all of the impure things in your life was reckoned at the cross. So when God looks at us, he sees a pure heart.  Everything that we repent for has been forgotten by God -and when I say forgotten, it is an on purpose kind of forgotten.  Release this blessing by repentance and embracing the truth that you are forgiven.

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Jesus has taken ALL of our impurities and washed away our blemishes and has made them white as snow.

This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here. 

How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #5}

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"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy"

Matthew 5:7

Blessing #5: we will be shown mercy.

To Release This Blessing:  Show mercy towards others and in return you will receive mercy.  The definition of mercy is to show compassion or forgiveness towards someone when it is within your power to punish or harm.

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Since Jesus Christ lives in you, as a follower of Jesus, you have the capability of showing mercy (compassion and forgiveness) as needed.

This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here.  

How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #4}

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"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6

Blessing #4: we will be filled with righteousness.

To Release This Blessing:   First we need to acknowledge our need for righteousness in our life.  Righteousness means right and moral living.  Now go beyond acknowledging and move into seeking. 

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When you are hungry then you will discover what it is to be filled.

This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here.  

How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #3}

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"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."
Matthew 5:5

Blessing #3: we will inherit the earth.

To Release This Blessing:   First we need to understand what it means to be meek.  Meek means a gentleness of spirit.  This translates as a dependency on Jesus verses asserting our own ways above God’s ways.

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This one of the blessings given to Abraham in Genesis and now belongs as a blessing for every follower of Jesus.  To inherit the earth is to embrace meekness resulting in authority and dominion over it.

This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here.  

How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #2}

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"Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted."
Matthew 5:4

Blessing #2: we will be comforted in mourning

To Release This Blessing:   It begins with salvation.  Then invite the Holy Spirit to fill you with his presence. Holy Spirit is also known as The Comforter and he will comfort you in every situation.  If you are in a time of mourning, ask him to release comfort over you now.

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When we are in relationship with Jesus, the presence of the Holy Spirit is one of the indicators that you are in relationship with him.

This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here.  

How to Release 9 Blessings in Your Life {Blessing #1}

Have you ever been casually reading the bible and come across the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5?  What in the world is a beatitude? - I don't think I've ever used that word my whole life!  

Beatitude:  Supreme Blessedness; Sainthood; Saintliness

Ok...I don't use any of those words daily either, but after reading in Matthew chapter 5: 1-11 the word that I can most easily connect with is Supreme Blessedness. The scripture starts off by saying that Jesus sat down and began to teach the disciples the following beatitudes or rather the supreme blessedness. (Can we just shorten this word of supreme blessedness to blessings?) So, from now on I will refer to each beatitude as a "blessing".

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"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Matthew 5:3

Blessing #1: the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven.  

To Release This Blessing:  Poor in spirit means to acknowledge your need for spiritual transformation; it begins with salvation.  Decide to follow Jesus with your whole heart.  It's not easy for us to surrender our own way of thinking, and our own way of living to follow the path that Jesus has for us.  

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When you surrender your life to Jesus, you become a part of the kingdom of Heaven subsequently opening the door for the blessings of Heaven to pour out onto your life.

This post is originally from 2011 and I've re-vamped it from it's original post.  To view the 2011 version click here.  

How to Live a Life Set Apart by God

In my last blog, I talked about the beatitudes, and Jesus described how we ARE set apart from the world.  You might ask yourself, "Well, if Jesus sees me that way, how in the world am I to live that out in today's society?"  You can find the answer to that question in Matthew chapter 5 verses 13 through the end of chapter 7.  So let's break it down....and I encourage you to read Matthew for yourself and see what the Lord is saying to you.


How to Live a Life Set Apart:

1. By letting our light (our good deeds) shine before all men
2. By practicing and teaching the Ten Commandments
3. By not being angry with another person
4. By not lusting after another person
5. By not divorcing unless there has been unfaithfulness within the contract of marriage
6. By doing what we say we are going to do; follow through
7. By not responding to the insults of another and if that same person asks anything of you, bless them
8. By loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute you
9. By giving to the needy in SECRET, not bragging about it or announcing it to others
10. By praying sincerely and humbly, not to impress others with your words; pray the Lord's Prayer forgiving everyone
11. By fasting in a humble manner, not bragging about it or announcing it; dressing like you would normally do taking care of yourself
12. By using your wealth for things that have eternal value
13. By living free of worry about your financial future
14. By being wise in what you say before others and not judging them in a hipocritical way
15. By treating others the way you want to be treated
16. By expecting good gifts from our Heavenly Father when we ask (an example to others of our faith)
17. By thinking of others before yourself
18. By being in relationship with God; knowing him, and doing his will not ours, even if our desire is for something spiritual, if it's not God's will for us to be involved in that activity we are not demonstrating a life set apart

We not only need to HEAR the words of Jesus in this Sermon on the Mt., but also PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE.  Our lives will remain indestructable in times of storm and will be an example for all to see. (Matt. 7:24-27)


So tell me, have you had experience in any of these areas and been blessed because of it?  I want to hear from you......

How Followers of Jesus are Set Apart by God

Have you ever been casually reading the bible and come across the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5?  What in the world is a beatitude? - I don't think I've ever used that word my whole life!  Well the Beatitudes are a part of a very important sermon that Jesus himself gave, so this word is worth looking into.


The word Beatitude is defined as: Supreme Blessedness; Sainthood; Saintliness.  -Ok...I don't use any of those words on a daily basis either, but after reading in Matthew chapter 5 verses 1-11 the word that I can most easily connect with is Supreme Blessedness.


You might be asking yourself, how does this relate to me as a follower of Jesus?  Well the scripture starts off by saying that Jesus sat down and began to teach the disciples the following beatitudes or rather the supreme blessedness/blessings.  -Can we just shorten this to blessings, so from now on I will refer to each beatitude as a "blessing." Lets take a look at each blessing that Jesus is teaching about and soon we will begin to see how we are set apart by God just through relationship with him.

• Verse 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (NIV) 

- The blessing here is not to be "poor in spirit" or humble, but the blessing is the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven.  When we come into a new relationship to follow Christ, it involves humility on our part.  It's not easy for us to surrender our own way of thinking, and our own way of living to follow the path that Jesus has for us.  It begins with salvation.

• Verse 4 "Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted." (NIV)

- The blessing here is again, not in the "mourning" but in the comfort that will be provided by God through the Holy Spirit.  We will all go through times of mourning, but in that process, ask yourself if you are finding comfort in the Lord or in other things.  When we are in relationship with Jesus as a follower that is one of indicators that you are in relationship with him.

• Verse 5 "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."

- "Inherit the earth" is one of the blessings given to Abraham in Genesis and now is a blessing spoken over the followers of Jesus.  This is not only a actual inheriting of land or prosperity, but also a much broader term for God's promises.

• Verse 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."

- When we seek righteousness or right and moral living, we will have it; righteousness is a blessing.

• Verse 7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."

- We all need mercy, and as followers of Jesus we all have the capability of showing mercy towards others and in return receive mercy.

• Verse 8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."

- Well you might think to yourself that this one will count us out for the whole thing!  "Pure in heart" sounds impossible right?  Well hold it right there, if you have made a decision to follow Jesus, surrendering your life to him, then all of the impure things in your life was settled at the cross.  Jesus has taken ALL of our impurities and washed us as white as snow.  So when God looks at us, he sees a pure heart.  Everything that we repent for has been forgotten by God -and when I say forgotten, it an on purpose kind of forgotten.  The blessing is in the promise that we "will see God."  

• Verse 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."

- If you are a follower of Jesus, then you are already a son or a daughter of God.  So if you are a son or a daughter of God then you are a peacemaker.  It is in you, placed there through relationship with Jesus.

• Verse 10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

- I personally didn't really like this blessing at first, it doesn't sound like much of a blessing....I mean, persecution, who wants that?  But it is NOT a blessing to be persecuted because of our right and moral living, but the blessing is the kingdom of heaven.  So why the persecution?  Well if you look closely the words are "persecuted because of righteousness."  Righteousness isn't something only done by actions, but it is also something we just are because Christ has made us righteous by his GRACE.  (Remember the  pure heart from earlier?) So in deciding to follow Jesus, we are made righteous and therefore will be persecuted. -It just comes with the territory so to speak and as heirs to the kingdom of heaven as a child of the King of Kings.

• Verse 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me."

- Again, not sounding so good, huh?  This persecution comes not just from who we are in Christ, but by what we do for Him, this is found in the words, "because of me." "Because of me" refers to the acts that Jesus Christ does through us. This type of persecution will result in blessings as we will see in the following verse.

• Verse 12 "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

- The prophets took action; they spoke, they demonstrated, dreamed all with the power of God moving through them.  I believe this is the type of "because of me" acts that Jesus is referring to that brings persecution.

Now did you notice one little change in the wording through the Beatitudes?  It went from a generic message of "blessed are the (fill in the blank)" to "blessed are YOU" (emphasis mine).  We have received and we ARE in Christ all of these things: (v.3) Humility, (v.4) The Holy Spirit, (v.5) God's Promises, (v.6) Holiness, (v.7) Mercy, (v.8) Intimacy with God, (v.9) Authority, (v.10) Royalty, (v.11) Power of God in Us.

We ARE these things through relationship with Christ through his amazing grace, there is absolutely no way for us to receive any of these blessings if we had to do anything to receive them.  The only thing we had to do was to get into relationship with Jesus, that's it.  So how are we set apart by God?  The answer is we already are just by knowing him.  

Get that deep down in your soul, know that you have everything that God desires you to be already planted within you the moment you made a decision to follow Him, now it's your turn to release those blessings in your life.