Scripture says that when Jesus saw the crowds, he climbed the side of the mountain and began to teach. He taught not necessarily on what men do, but what men are. These scriptures in Matthew 5 are called the Beatitudes. Here are some points of that teaching that we can consider.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: Jesus said, for theirs is the is the kingdom of heaven. Every man’s spirit is poor, or destitute before God, because God alone is the true riches. Kind David said, I was born in sin and shaped in iniquity. This being our lot shows the riches of Righteousness, and salvation are lacking in our initial existence. The true essence of riches is for a person to know that without the LORD their spirit is destitute of what would bring them real spiritual riches. These have a sense of their spiritual condition. As one who is spiritually destitute, they realize they do not know what they need, and they are in spiritual poverty. Until Jesus comes, we are poor in spirit needing Him. We find Him in reading the word, praying, fasting and seeking His face and wisdom in prayer. Through Him we learn to understand and serve Him. Those on the “mourner’s bench” are those who will find the true riches that will purchase their entrance into Heaven’s gates, A ticket only God’s truth sales. Praying fasting, and seeking God with tears is wisdom and tears are a language that the Lord understands.

Jesus continues with verse 5, saying; Blessed are the meek. For they shall inherit the earth. These have kept their human spirit under control. We will all have opportunity to show the strengths in our flesh. People will always try us, and tempt our patience to do things that will exalt the full power of our fleshly man over the display of another’s. We do not always react in a way representative of the LORD whom we serve when we act first and ask questions later. The one who displays self control will often be exalted in this world before the one who lacks it. A peacemaker will also have self control.

Blessed are the pure in heart. We are always being purified in His presence. This is how the Lord works with us is to show us ourselves. He will continue to do so far a time, when we do not repent, asking the Lord’s help in humility, then our sin will be revealed to all. People today often do not fear the Lord, but the Jews example was to make a sacrifice once a year for their sins. They only rolled them over for another year. We, who would do the will of God, must realize that the Day of Atonement for us comes every day. The Lord is angry at the sinner every day. Kiss the son lest he be angry…People are doing their own thing, they do not fear the Lord.

Blessed is he who hungers and thirst after righteousness. What makes a baby really cry, when they are hungry and thirsty? Hunger and thirst are the strongest drives that sustain the lives of all living things. But more than food for the body, we need to hunger and thirst after the righteousness of God. No matter what our hopes and dreams are, we cannot live without the righteousness of God and be saved. I have yet seen the scripture in the Word of God that says to serve the LORD in our own way, gut have seen the writings of the Holy writing to say work out your salvation with fear and trembling. We do not tremble at doing things our own way, but at trying t5o accomplish thing that do not necessarily come naturally to us, are not a product of our own wayward desire. But those thing in which we strive to prove ourselves in front of or by the standards of another, do we tremble at. For food and drink even a baby cries for, and the body cannot survive without food.  The people that truly want the Lord will be in the Kingdom of God.

Blessed are the merciful: Those that show compassion shall obtain mercy, not from the people or in this life but from God. For with what judgment that we meet out to others, we shall also be judged by. Judge not that you be not judged. In other words, don’t be hard on others, have compassion, for with it, we will seek to restore, instead of persecute or bring a harsh sentence of punishment for others..
Blessed when you are persecuted: Here is one of the hardest sayings I do believe a Christian can try to live up to. When the Apostles were persecuted in the book of Acts, they did not complain, just as their Master did not. They were beaten with whips, and their bodies no doubt married by each stroke, yet they came out rejoicing and being thankful that they WERE COUNTED WORTHY to suffer for the LORD. In prison they sang though unjustly incarcerated. At the end of an axe, Paul died, just as John the Baptist did. They did not, as Jesus said, love their lives unto death. They were willing died, with the Apostle Paul saying, I have fought the fight, I have finished the race, therefore there is now a crown of life left unto me. WOW! Peter did not complain at his death, but as history has it insisted upon being crucified upside down because he was not worthy to die in the same way as our LORD did.

When you suffer to live a righteous life, for people will not treat you well, you are entering into the same steps as the LORD’s servants and prophets in the Holy Bible. All the prophets had their reward in heaven. Moses died before he entered the Promised Land, but on the mount of Transfiguration, he did see the Promised Land in person (Rev. Lee Stoneking). The Lord will not short change you, hold on to your faith. With Job, the Lord allowed satan to take, not one child, but all of his children and all that he owned except his wife.

Abraham, he lived 100 years before he had a son. He loved his first born Ishmael, but the promised Isaac was the one the LORD had promised. Then once the promised child was born, the LORD had Abraham to send the bond child, who was Ishmael and his mother away citing the jealously developing between this son and mother, and the promised son, Isaac. Once this was done, the Lord told him to take this child to the mountain and sacrifice him. The LORD would later say that now He knew that Abraham loved him and replace Isaac as a sacrifice with a ram in the bush.

The LORD requires a testing of our love, just as we want to be sure that those we love also love us. We need to show the Lord we love him in all that we do. Evangelist Sister Willie Johnson preached and prophesied for the Lord even though it meant that she would be beaten by her husband for doing so or made to stay outside on the porch. Eventually, her husband was taken and she still preached under an anointing so strong that when she walked down the aisle, people felt the power of God. She had given up her comfort because she loved the Lord.

Living for God is not a social club, you must live a sacrificial life. Jesus said he did not come to bring peace, but a sword and division. He is not going to be your one and only love if you do not really love him and put him first. When you do, HE will give you more than you would ever ask or think.
In the first New Testament church, the believers were persecuted by Saul until they prayed to the LORD who caused his conversion. Afterwards, the churches had peace in Jerusalem.
Scripture says that the LORD dwells in the dark cloud. (King James Then said Solomon, The LORD has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.) The Jews did not see Him when He was in the cloud, yet they followed Him as He lead them out of the captivity of Egypt. We as they, must trust Him first, and not put him second place. We can seek him for the material as well as for those things that are not able to be touched in the physical. Even if something is wrong with our thinking, we can ask the Lord to help us. More than possessions, God is interested in our spiritual man. The scripture says “Let this mind be in you that is in Christ Jesus”. These are the Beatitudes, they speak of what we should BE, as Christians.