Tag Archives: Blessed

November 26, 2020 · 7:15 am

MATTHEW 5:7

The Beatitudes – Mercy

A Five Minute Devotional

The video shown below is the devotional from November 26th, 2020. The full text of the devotional follows the video.

Calvary Chapel Rosarito – English Devotional by Gary Wiram

WELCOME

Hello! My name is Ruth and I would like to welcome you to today’s Good News, Ladies Edition.

INTRODUCTION

Our Scripture verse today is Matthew 5:7

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”

The definition of Biblical mercy is God’s pity, compassion and kindness toward people who do not deserve it.

We’ve all heard the story of the prophet Jonah. 

And this reminds me of a story.

A young girl and her teacher were arguing about whether humans can be swallowed by whales. Her teacher said that it’s impossible. The little girl said, “How can this be? Jonah got swallowed by a whale; and when I get to heaven, I’ll ask him.” The teacher said, “What if Jonah didn’t go to heaven?” The girl said, “Then you ask him.”

GOD’S MERCY

Jonah was the earliest of the prophets in the Old Testament. God sent Jonah to preach repentance to the Ninevites.   

We can learn a great deal about God’s mercy from this story.  One thing that really stands out about the story of Jonah is the fact that he heard what God wanted him to do and he did the opposite. Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord.

We may ask ourselves why would Jonah do such a thing? Then we realize that we’ve probably done the same thing at some time in our own lives, maybe even now.  Reflecting on the choices we’ve made when we have wanted to do things our own way can create anxiety and sleepless nights. There also may be times where we’ve tried to numb our pain with people or things that are not of God. Afterwards we felt even more empty than we did before.  What Jonah should have done and what we should do is repent, humble ourselves and surrender to God’s will.

It’s not always easy to show people mercy.  But what we should remember is that whenever we don’t show other people mercy, we are forgetting that we have already been shown such great mercy by God. Jonah should have shown the people of Nineveh mercy because he had already been shown the exact same kind of mercy from God when the whale spewed him out.  We all deserve to stay dead in our sins and separated from God forever, but in His mercy, God gives us new life in Christ.  God has forgiven us such a great debt and shown us such mercy. How can we not show mercy to others?

How did God react to the Ninevites’ repentance?  “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He relented and did not bring on the destruction He had threatened.  God’s righteous anger against Nineveh simply subsided. He observed the change in the people and saw that the punishment He had intended to bring on them would no longer be fitting.  Some people may see God as cold, rigid and harsh. But His true character shows that He is indeed reasonable, adaptable and merciful.

When we show mercy, we receive mercy. Jesus also says that “if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will Your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”  Mercy triumphs over judgment.  If Jonah had the opportunity to reflect on these verses, he may  have been able with God’s help to show mercy on the Ninevites.  Only the merciful will receive mercy in the Kingdom of God. And the ones who show mercy will reap mercy.

One of the most important lessons from Jonah on God’s mercy has to do with God’s character. When we practice mercy, we display God’s character for everyone around us to see.   Jonah calls God “a gracious and merciful God.”  Paul says that God’s nature is “rich in mercy.” As Christians, we know that God is making us into the image of His Son and that we are the light of the world.  Mercy isn’t something we do simply because we are commanded to do it. Mercy is something we do to reflect God’s character in a worshipful way. God shows us mercy and grace. We should also reflect the same in our lives.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians, “Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the merciful Father, the God from whom all help comes!  He helps us in all our troubles, so that we are able to help others who have all kinds of troubles, using the same help that we ourselves have received from God.”

And that ladies, is today’s good news!

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November 12, 2020 · 7:15 am

MATTHEW 5:3

The Beatitudes – Poor In Spirit

A Five Minute Devotional

The video shown below is the devotional from November 12th, 2020. The full text of the devotional follows the video.

Calvary Chapel Rosarito – English Devotional by Ruth Wiram

WELCOME

Hello!  My name is Ruth and I would like to share with you today The Good News… Ladies Edition!

INTRODUCTION

Let’s read Matthew, chapter 5 verse 3 together.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

This reminds me of a funny story about heaven.

A woman dies and goes to heaven.  Of course, St. Peter meets her at the pearly gates.  St. Peter says, “Here’s how this works.  You need 100 points to make it into heaven.  You tell me all the good things you’ve done, and I give you a certain number of points for each one, depending on how good it was.  When you reach 100 points, you get in.”

“Okay,” the woman says, “I was married to the same man for 50 years and never cheated on him.”

“That wonderful,” says St. Peter, “that’s worth 3 points!”

“Three points?” she says.  “Well I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service.”

“Terrific!” says St. Peter, “ that’s certainly worth a point.”

“One point?  Golly.  How about this.  I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for battered women.”

Fantastic, that’s good for two more points,” he says.

“Two points!” the woman cries, “At this rate the only way I get into heaven is by the grace of God!”

“Come on in!”

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT

What truth there is in that humorous story?

The main focus of this verse in Matthew is, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”

Let’s get into a little background of this verse.  This is a fantastic portion of Scripture called the Sermon on the Mount.

The first thing we notice about the Sermon on the Mount is that it is not for everyone.   

In Matthew 5, Jesus gets aways from the crowds and teaches His disciples.  And even though this message was preached 2000 years ago, it is for our ears and hearts today, Ladies.

Matthew 5:1-12 is known as the Beatitudes or pronounced blessings.  The word literally means, “O, how happy!”

Our verse today says that the poor in spirit are blessed.  How can that be? 

We don’t usually think of the poor in spirit as being happy people.

Jesus is not talking about financially poor.  He is talking about being spiritually bankrupt.

It is the opposite of being proud.  And it is the glorious consequence of our coming into a real personal recognition of who God is.  And immediately when we compare ourselves to the Holy Perfect Savior of our souls, we must admit our true position.  We say with the Apostle Paul, “O wretched man that I am!  Who shall deliver me from this body of death?”

TREASURE IN HEAVEN

And because we have had a true encounter with God, and have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the kingdom of heaven belongs to us.

We no longer live in just this physical material world.  We are transported into the kingdom as a child of God and a citizen of the eternal kingdom. 

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells the following story about someone who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else.  Two women went to the temple to pray.  One was a famous Bible teacher, a world wide celebrity, and the other one was a mere mother and housewife.  The famous teacher stood by herself and prayed this prayer, “I thank You, God, that I am not like other people – cheaters, sinners, adulterers.  I’m certainly not like this meager housewife.  I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my sizable income.”

But the housewife stood at a distance and dared not even lift her eyes to heaven as she prayed.  Instead, she lowered her head in sorrow, saying, “O God, be merciful to me for I am such a sinner.”

Jesus tells us that this sinner, not the famous teacher would return home justified before God.  

Because those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Those who humble themselves and realize that only God can fill them and bring lasting fulfillment are truly blessed. 

Ladies, which one of these 2 women are you?

We see our ultimate reward in trusting and obeying God in humbleness of mind and actions in 1 Corinthians 2:9.

 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor has entered into the heart of woman the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

And that, Ladies, is today’s Good News.

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August 14, 2020 · 7:15 am

PROVERBS 1:10

A Five Minute Devotional

The video shown below is the devotional from August 11th, 2020. The full text of the devotional follows the video.

Calvary Chapel Rosarito – English Devotional by Gary Wiram

WELCOME

Good morning! My name is Gary Wiram. It’s my pleasure to welcome you to TODAY’S GOOD NEWS!

TEMPTATION

Presently, we’re teaching through the book of Proverbs. When you consider that Proverbs was written by the wisest man ever, Solomon, that can make our teaching from it seem a bit daunting. My assignment today is Proverbs 1:10. Its main focus is on not giving in to temptation. To help put this topic into perspective, let me remind you of a story you may have heard about a girl and a snake. 

A young girl was walking along a mountain path when she heard a rustle at her feet. It was a snake. Before she could react, the snake said, “It’s too cold for me up here. I am about to die. Please put me under your coat and take me with you.” The girl said, “I know your kind. If I pick you up, you will bite me and your bite is poisonous.” “No, no,” the snake said. “If you help me, you will be my best friend. I will treat you differently.” The young girl thought, “All living things deserve to be treated with kindness” and he was the most beautiful snake she had ever seen. So, she said, “I believe you. I will save you.” Then she put the snake gently under her coat. Within a moment, she felt a sharp pain in her side. The snake had bitten her! “How could you do this to me?” she cried. “You promised that you would not bite me, and I trusted you!” “You knew what I was when you picked me up,” he hissed as he slithered away.

NOT GIVING IN

Proverbs 1:10 tells us, “My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.” That’s a pretty good summation of the lesson to be learned from the story of the girl and the snake. But, it may be too obvious for us to take the topic seriously. Another story that we should find easier to relate to is the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife, as detailed in Genesis 39:7-10: 

“And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.

Actually, the short-term result of Joseph’s not giving in to Potiphar’s Wife didn’t seem so worthwhile. She, falsely, accused him of rape and Potiphar had him thrown into prison. But, in the long term, his righteousness fit right into God’s plan for saving Israel.

SHARING WISDOM

In considering how to apply the lesson of Proverbs 1:10 to our lives today, I found it helpful to observe who is teaching the lesson and how well it was applied. Though Solomon is broadly acknowledged as the wisest man ever, he infamously didn’t heed his own wisdom in this regard. In preparing this lesson, I used Google to see how many Scripture verses dealt with temptation. Actually, I didn’t get a definite answer but I was surprised to learn that in a list of the top 100, there were only three from Proverbs. Maybe Solomon’s lack of attention to the topic helps explain why, in Kings 11:3, we’re told, “And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.”

The story of Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife took place long before Solomon was King. One aspect of the story that is reflected in Proverbs 1:10, is where the lesson came from to not consent to the enticement of sinners. The Proverb starts off by saying, “My son”. That makes it clear, this is a lesson from Parent to Son. When Joseph didn’t give in to Potiphar’s Wife, he didn’t justify his resistance based on the effect his giving in would have on Potiphar. He said, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” Apparently Joseph’s learning to not consent to the enticement of sinners also came from a Parent to Son lesson.

GAINING WISDOM

I think that is the key to our being able to comply with this Proverb … remembering that by not complying, we’re not just risking falling into sin with the one enticing us. As children of God, we are risking sinning against our Father in Heaven. Additionally, it’s very helpful to remember that, simply by complying, as children of God, our Father has the greatest of rewards in store for us. As we’re told in James 1:12:

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

And that is TODAY’S GOOD NEWS!

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