DAY 1 | Things That Are – Not Just Things That Will Be | 21-Day Devotional on Jesus’ Beatitudes and Sermon on the Mount | An Introduction

AN INTRODUCTION | by Bryan Hudson, D.Min.   <p>NOTE: This devotional will not be emailed or sent out by text everyday. Be sure to subscribe to this blog to receive your lesson by email daily. OR bookmark this webpage and visit.</p> _______________________________ Welcome to the February 1-21 devotional exploring the Beatitudes of Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew chapters 5-7! The word “Beatitude” comes from the first words of Jesus' teaching beginning at Matthew 5:3, beati sunt, (in Latin) meaning“blessed are.” These words from Christ are much more than promises that “will be.” The beatitudes are exclamations or proclamations of the believer’s reality. Matthew 5:1, Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said: 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 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. As a Christ follower, when you read and study these brief statements, know that each summarizes a whole world of truth beyond the simple words. Embrace everything God is doing in your heart and life NOW! Elevate your thinking to match His blessing on your life. Don’t allow negativity to reduce the impact of God’s word. Embrace these marvelous words of William Barclay, from his C