jeh

I could without a doubt rejoice and be glad of the reward in heaven; for any persecution I might recieve for a righteous sake. But as far as rejoicing for the persecution of itself, I'm not there yet.

John 1:18 18 No man hath seen G_d at any time; the only begotten S_n, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. KJV To answer your questian regarding the beatitude of the blessed are the pure in heart, one should consider the tense of the verb "will see". which is future tense. it will happen to those who are pure in heart after they are changed in the twinkling of an eye.1 Cor 15:52 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. KJV The Only way to have a heart cleased to purity is to have it covered by the Sacrifical Bood of J_SUS THE CHR_ST.

Isa 26:10 10 Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness : in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD. KJV As Long as we are Hungering and thirsting after HIS righteousness and not our own, it is my belief that the wicked shall never be reconciled to those desires. dikaiosunee The Greek for righteousness . integrity, virtue, purity of life, uprightness, correctness in thinking, feeling, and acting: Matt 3:15 (from Thayer's Greek Lexicon,) The promise of This blessing is clear...They shall be filled.

The world's mundane idea of the "Dog eats Dog" Is certainly intrinsically opposite to gentleness, kindness,and meekness. Humility and being like CHR_ST are inseparable. How Can a follower of The L_MB have traits of the wolf?

"To be poor in spirit is to realize that I have nothing, am nothing, and can do nothing, and have need of all things." (A.W. Pink). Even the Awareness of my own distitution is a Work of the SP_RIT within. Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy Cross I cling.... Proverty of the spirit is the initial awaking of the prodical in the far country. Mourning over the felt poverty of my spritual state and the sins that separated me from G_D, and the repetance therafter lead me to the Salvation that The Grace of G_D through CHR_ST afforded. (Notice the tense of the verb "mourn", it is not just a mourning for the past but rather a continuous action in the present and in the future.) Christians mourn for others and the worlds situations.

The two parts of the Beatitudes are first; the spiritual characteristics of the blest and second; the consequences or fruits of those characteristics. In reference to why CHR_ST our Lord would make use of paradoxes, I heartily agree with the observation of Charles H. Spurgeon, "See the sacred art of Him who spake as never man spake, he can at the same time make His words both simple and paradoxical, and thereby win our attention and instruct our intellects. Such a preacher deserves the most thoughtful of hearers." The characteristics of those blest by CHR_ST our Lord, in the beatitudes, appear to be synonymous or equivalent to The Fruit of The SP_RIT; as described in Galations 5:22~23.