Teach Me!

"He began to teach them saying:

'Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called the sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'"

-Jesus (Matthew 5)

Oh how I desire to be poorer in spirit, to mourn, to be meeker, to be hungrier and thirstier for righteousness, to be more merciful, to be purer in heart, to be more of a peacemaker, and to be persecuted more because of righteousness.

Jehovah Jireh indeed.

But what does that mean to be "poor in spirit" and to be "meek"? I do not know, but the Holy Spirit does.  When I am ready, it will be revealed to me; of this I have no doubt.

Jehovah Jireh

Hope and Beauty

    "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, the old order of things has passed away.'
    He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'
    He said to me: 'It is done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.  To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.  He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.  But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars - their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.  This is the second death.'

    One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, 'Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.'  And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God.  It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal."

Revelation 21:1-11