Summary: Jesus blessed the people, a radical movement of sustaining faith that permitted the hope of the people to live in the spirit of Christ to forgive man's sins.

Bless Me

by

Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (April 9, 2015)

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ...” (St. Matthew 5:3-11, King James Version (KJV) [The sermon on the mount].

Greetings in the Holy Name Of Jesus,

My brothers and sisters, there was a man who lost love, the shirt on his back, bankrupt and broken raged in his heart---an unspeakable war of words not denying the Word, Christ Jesus. For Jesus said in his sermon on the mount, “Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted” (St. Matthew 5:4, KJV). More importantly, there was a woman whose hunger and thirst for the life Jesus spoke of, left her without the love of man. Jesus said, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (St. Matthew 5:6, KJV).

In a world of false starts, twisted roads, fallen hopes and dreams, those lost, captured, kidnapped in the wilderness of lives cast upon them, lives that trapped and oppressed them---that bind them, imprisoned them, stole them away and killed them---see Christ Jesus not as the savior of yesteryear and yesterday but the Christ they seek to lift them up out of the lives that were not their choice [those lost in the wilderness did not choose the life they ended up living]---prayed for deliverance---right now, only to fall back against the doubt of their faith afraid to face another day---looking up to God. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son for whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (St. John 3:16, KJV). Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (St. Matthew 5:7, KJV). My heart cried out, Hallelujah!

There was a man who desired not the woman he married but fought against his feelings to keep the woman he married---lusting outside his house to find the love he lost inside his house---believing he could conquer his flesh. And, there was a woman who dominated her husband and rejected the spirit of Christ Jesus in her husband---pushing him down beneath her and pulling him apart in every way ripping out his heart. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (St. Matthew 5:5, KJV). Furthermore, there was a man who lost his way incapable of leading his family---his wife, his children and those who counted on him---his father and his mother; brothers and sisters. “Jesus said, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (St. Matthew 5:10, KJV).

Bless me for I have sinned and keep me from all sins and evil temptations of my heart for I need the faith of Christ Jesus that does not turn back. Jesus said, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you, falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (St. Matthew 5:11-12, KJV). For there is someone crying in the dark---crying in their heart, crying in their sleep---in their soul---someone called a Jezebel, a whore, a prostitute, a dead beat dad, an unfit mother, a menace to society, a parasite, a maggot, a liar, a cheater, a thief, a murderer, a hypocrite, a backslider, a false prophet, a Christian. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (St. Matthew 5:8, KJV).

If you did not measure up, then you missed the mark. Does that mean you could not run the race and finish? If you finished without running with the swift or without running with the slowly challenged, will you be led to the slaughter as innocent lambs because you ran your race Christ Jesus' way? There was a man who could not dwell in peace who felt the depth of his darkness each and every day competed to the point of checking back actions done and words spoken, so most people said nothing to him---he had to get the furniture they had, the clothes they wore, spoke the way they spoke, behaved as they behaved, climbed on their back and raised himself and his family up in their image [remade 2

himself in their image to get all the opportunities that came their way; he was a greedy man [if you needed cash then he was the man to borrow money from [he was known to find a way to get all the money you had and hated you when your money ran out]; if you had a plumbing job, an electricity job, a carpentry job, a roofing job, a yard job, an errand job he was the man to hire even though he held no building certifications he was even the backyard under the tree vehicle mechanic; he wanted all the blessings that God poured out---he was a thief, a taker, a man that stole blessings from those who could not see their blessings---he stole the inheritance of those in times of famine but he remade himself in the image of an honest man---deceiving most people all the time] then he hated those who he followed---mocked them; wanted them destroyed and dead, decided [all by himself] that he deserved everything they had [going against the usual cultural affront of demanding half in business negotiations] simply because he followed them [Can you see the truth of his love convictions?]. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God,” (St. Matthew 5:9, KJV).

Jesus said, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (St. Matthew 5:44-45, KJV). For there was a man who desired to lead [a false leader] those who he walked with, played with, worked with, and prayed with but he was not chosen of God so he took to dominating those near and dear to him---on his bully pulpit that beat those with a weak conscious down to his will demanding he was their leader---pushing the true leader aside. Jesus said, “But false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect” (St. Mark 13:22-37, KJV [false Christs and false prophets; Christ's second coming]). Bless the day. “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalms 118:24, KJV [Exhortations to praise God]).

IN THE NAME OF JESUS. LORD have mercy. Christ have mercy. Amen.