Matthew 5:3-12

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Encouraging Words

How is it that those who support the gospel of prosperity skip over this sermon by Jesus on the mount of Olives? There is nothing in here about being rewarded with great wealth or position by living a Christian life. To the contrary, we are told that those who are poor in spirit, mourn, are meek, who hunger and thirst after righteousness, are merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, persecuted for righteousness sake, and reviled and persecuted for Christ’s sake, are the ones who receive the blessings from God. And to top that off, the blessings have nothing to do with worldly riches. The blessings are heavenly focused blessings. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’

and,

‘In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

Personal Challenge

When Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River there occurred a very significant event. The Trinity of God was magnificently revealed to all present. Even God spoke letting every one know that Jesus was His beloved Son. This event was immediately followed by Jesus going out into the wilderness for forty days and nights preparing for His upcoming life of ministry. After fasting for these days He was confronted by Satan with three very tempting if’s. Satisfy your hunger. Glorify your health. Claim the leadership of the world. Three Temptations that every person is faced with at one time or another in their life. Jesus, as a human being, was able to say “No” to these Temptations by knowing the word of God. We too can do this. Glory be to God!

Matthew 3:13-17

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Daniel 6:5-6

The administrators and governors sought to find some charge against Daniel, but they could find no charge or wrongdoing or fault against him because he was faithful. Then the administrators said, “We will find nothing against Daniel unless we find it in the laws of his God.”

Personal Challenge

Persecution is guaranteed if we remain faithful to God. Daniel was elevated to a position of great power in his land because he remained faithful to his God and hired his life according to godly principles. By doing this he was blessed and those blessings overflowed to those around him. This generated jealousy by those in his circle of influence which led them to try to overthrown him for their own gain. In the midst of this he remained faithful to God, which ultimately led to that which was used against him in his persecution. Rather than turn away from God, he clung to him even tighter and trusted Him to prevail. And the rest is His story! Glory be to God!

Daniel 3:95 (3:28)

So King Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed is the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent His Angel and saved His servants who trusted in Him; for they altered the word of the king and handed over their bodies to be burned, so as not to serve and worship any god other than their God.”

Personal Challenge

We may never know the impact that our lives will have on other people. When we choose to live all out for our God and put our full trust in Him, not only does our life get changed, but so do the lives of those around us. King Nebuchad­nezzar not only abandoned his own unalterable decree that everyone should bow down and worship his statue, but he also praised the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as the God of gods because of their unfaltering trust in their God. Glory be to God!

Daniel 3:40

So let this be our sacrifice before You today,
And may it be accomplished for those who follow You;
For there is no shame for those who trust in You.

Personal Challenge

The world around us wants us to conform to the way that it is. Living a Christian life is always contrary to this worldly expectation. This is our sacrifice to our Lord, choosing to reject the ways of the world in order to claim the ways of God. It is a sacrifice because it sets us at odds with those around us, even our loved ones at times, who are comfortable with living in the world the world’s way. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Daniel 3:16-18

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “We have no need to answer you in regard to this thing. For there is a God in the heavens, whom we serve, and He is able to save us from the burning fiery furnace; and He will deliver us from your hands, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image you set up.” 

Daniel 2:45

Whereas you saw the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, it ground to powder the clay, the iron, the copper, the silver, and the gold. Thus the great God has made known to the king what must come to pass after this. The dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.

Encouraging Words

Jesus is referred to as the stone that was rejected that became the cornerstone of the Church. Here in Daniel, the king’s dream is interpreted and he is told that there will be a stone that will destroy all of the kingdoms of the world. This is a prophecy of the coming Messiah, the Son of God, who will overturn all of the kings of man as He sets up His eternal Kingdom. Glory be to God!