The BE-Attitudes

Why are the BE-Attitudes Important to Me

Relying on the King James Version of the Bible

Preface

I like to say I have lived several lives in my lifetime. I was born in 1953. I have fond memories of homelessness from the middle 90’s. That was when I became rich, nothing to own, but I had Jesus. I remember that experience as if were yesterday. Living that lifestyle left a lasting impression on my life and changed my life. I will never be the same person again. It was a humbling experience for me.

My wife divorced me after my mother died of colon cancer.  I no lived longer in our five year old, four bedroom two story house. I no longer had my Full size Bronco, Trans Am, and Corvette after my mother died of colon cancer. I was downsized. I had become an ex-white collar computer professional walking the streets, looking for shelter from the rain and cold, night after night.

This was one of many BE-Attitude years, the 9^th BE-Attitude. What else could happen? Three months later I met my second wife and her two daughters. I was fully vested after nine years at Big Oil. I gave my two weeks notice effective January 1, 1991 and walked out with a check for $20,000 a stock investment.

Now I am homeless. I felt I was fallen, lost my mercy, grace, and credibility. I had become a mere mortal being. I became subject to every man and woman. They had no idea the lifestyle I had lived, had no understanding of my job, and did not care.

Little did I know I was preparing for Public Ministry when I attended Bay Cities Bible College in Oakland California? I graduated in 1983. I did not attend Bible College for ministry but for entirely selfish reasons. I needed to understand people and I just wanted to know the King James Bible for myself!

Being armed with only my faith, and a degree I headed out with God directing my path. Oh, my pastors a husband and wife gave me $25. She smiled saying, “This is my ministry and said I was an ordained minister after I graduated.” A Presbyterian pastor asked me if I was and Urban Missionary and had I visited his Church. So that’s what I am and yes and I had visited his Church. He said we need them here not overseas. They fed me too at no cost. The Bible College I graduated from did not receive any local Church financial support for over ninety years. I never raised an offering for myself.

At different locations we could get breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There were so many homeless people in Oakland California at that time. Many were educated and had good jobs at one time. It was like a party when we walked the streets, networked, and helped each other. Some became employed again. After our stint of homelessness we all just disappeared.

Most places, we had to attend the worship service before we sat down to eat. The worship services were excellent and like none other!  

You see homeless people do not profess to be part of the prosperity movement that is the predominant teaching in many local congregations. Their credit scores are too low for God to bless them with a new car or home. They don’t have a job to make the monthly payments required.

So you have to preach what the Bible actually says about riches. It is not materialism or hedonism.  It is the BE-Attitudes. What a joy to hear real preaching and to be fed after the service without cost.

Jesus spoke of a day to the righteous. He said you fed me when I was hungry when you fed the least of these, and welcomed them into heavenly places. The 5,000 that hungered for Jesus’ word stayed all day to hear him preach, and. They were filled with the word of God, filled with spiritual joy and gladness. That was what it felt like. Some good preaching and we were fed at no cost.

I found myself speaking before the homeless. There were quite a few of them waiting patiently for the evening meal. Standing in front of the congregation I told them that the beatitudes of Matthew chapter 5 were talking about us!  Here in lays my exhaustive study of the Bible to find out all it says about the beatitudes.

Now, the BE-attitudes

Verses 1 through 12 in the book of Matthew chapter 5 are often referred to as the beatitudes which mean a state of utmost bliss. The beatitudes are declarations made in the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus. The word “beautify” means to make one supremely happy and to declare to have obtained or attained the blessedness of heaven.

This like many definitions is an over generalization so you need to meditate on the beatitudes. You need to read the whole Bible for perspective and context as Scripture agrees with Scripture. There is a lot being said about the beatitudes. When I fully examined the beatitudes I found that they describe an attitude we have that is rewarded with a blessing. The beatitudes describe how we are as the children of God.

One thing I noticed is that the word “are” in the beatitudes is in italics. That means that the translators added this word, for clarity sake? I substituted the word “Be” for “Are” to emphasize the “Be” plus the Attitudes. The passages have the “Be” followed by a certain Attitude: the beatitudes. Both the words are and Be have the same synonym which is the word Exists. So these attitudes exist, should, or will exist in Gods children through the perfecting work of the Holy Spirit.

I searched the entire King James Version of the Bible for every verse with the key words in each BE-Attitude. The Bible defines, speaks for itself, and tells what the beatitudes mean. This method of study proved to me the KJV Bible is true to its translation. Throughout 10,000 years there are no contradictions.

1) The first Be-attitude mentioned is to be poor in spirit.

The reward is the kingdom of God. Blessed is he or she!

We need to recognize that we need to be filled with the Spirit of God daily in order to do His will and His way. If we ask God for it He will not say no. To walk in and be led by the Spirit of God is to be in His kingdom, and others can’t for they don’t understand the Spirit of God. The power of God must be in you. In the book of Acts some said we have not even heard of this Holy Spirit as we were baptized in John’s baptism only. They then desired it and were so filled.

2) The second Be-attitude is to mourn. The reward is that you will be comforted. Blessed is he or she.

This is a mourning that is brought upon you by the Spirit of God. Its cause is often inexplicable and has a different feel about it than oppression. You are moved to do and say things that are inexplicable. You are a comfort to others that are mourning. In turn you will receive the comfort that others have been comforted with.

3) The third Be-Attitude is to be meek. The reward is that you will inherit the earth. Blessed is he or she.

A meek person knows that the LORD God is in charge and in control. A meek person will submit to God at the least of His provocation. If God say’s jump, a meek person will say how high LORD. Or better yet, jump and then ask was that high enough. A meek person is a soldier for the LORD. He operates with power. Meekness means power.

King David was a meek valiant warrior prophet. He talked to God. 

Paul asked this of the Corinthian Church. Should he come to them with a rod, or in love, or in the spirit of meekness which is power?  

4) The fourth Be-Attitude is to hunger and thirst after righteousness. The reward is that you will be filled. Blessed is he or she.

God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. David thirsted after God, like a hart pants after water, like the dry earth thirsts for water, like being in a land with no water. In like manner Jesus met the Samaritan women at the well midday. He told her that the water He has to give she will never thirst again, but out her belly will flow rivers of living waters. She said, “I thirst.”

Israel was filled after they hungered and thirsted for their daily sustenance. And God provided manna for their hunger from heaven six days a week, and enough for the seventh which was the Sabbath on the sixth day. He provided water for their thirst that flowed from a rock when Moses smote it with his rod. Isaiah said as a prophet of God, Ho, every one that thirsteth come to the waters.

5) The fifth Be-Attitude is to be merciful. The reward is you will obtain mercy. Blessed is he or she.

To be merciful is to show kindness or compassion, to not seek justice, to extend help, to be kindhearted, to be generous, and to have a broad understanding of others. Jesus said to be merciful as your Father is merciful. He said we are called the children of the Highest because we are kind to those who are unthankful and evil.

Proverbs says a merciful person does good to their own soul, but one that is cruel troubles their own flesh. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus shows us how to be merciful and instructs us to be so. According to Micah the prophet mercy is one of the things God knows is good and is required of us. We are to love mercy.

To obtain mercy takes time and effort on our part. We are to spend that time and effort being merciful to others. The mercy you give to others is rewarded with the mercies you need. Even the more so it is a way to give to others fulfilling their needs. If we give it will be given unto us pressed down, shaken together, and running over will men/women give unto our bosom. That means it is returned so abundantly that if it were in a container it would be packed as tight as it can be, plus running over the top. This is what we will receive from others when we need it. And the mercies you receive may or may not come from those you have shown mercy.

O, if only our mercy could be as great as God’s. His mercy is everlasting. His mercy is higher than the heavens. His mercy is so low on the ground we can walk in mercy. It is by His mercy that we are not consumed. At one time we were a people without mercy now we have obtained mercy from God.

6) The sixth Be-Attitude is to be pure in heart. The reward is they shall see God. Blessed is he or she.

Pure implies innocence and absence of temptation. This can only come about by the infilling and control of the Holy Spirit. It is not as if we take control of our own impulses and actions. If that were the case we would give in to them as we desired, as one having a choice. But when the Holy Spirit governs our impulses and actions we can only respond as He directs us.

But Scripture speaks to us in a fashion as if we do have control. Perhaps we have to at least make an attempt at it to show where our heart lies. God tested Abraham heart when God ask Abraham to offer up his son Isaac as a sacrifice unto the LORD. Even tough Isaac was the promised seed of Israel to Jesus. Sarah gave Abraham her handmaiden to bear him a son, Ishmael, then conceived Isaac.

Sarah told Abraham Ishmael he was not of the promised seed. Abraham asked of God and she was right. He sent Ishmael and his mom away. Through out all of scripture there is the important role of woman verses the role of man. God sees men and women are not the same. God will tell women what He won’t reveal to man. Isaac was wrong about Esau and Jacob. God told Rebecca that Jacob will receive the birth right and not Esau. Was she a prophet? Prophets can converse with God.

Now, were Sarah and Abraham out of the will of God? Were Rebecca and Isaac out of the will of God? Esau married into Ishmael instead of Israel. Look how rich in oil and land Ishmael seed has become.  But look at how seed of Abraham has suffered persecution before the promised seed Jesus, and after Jesus His Church. Each of the brothers are the sons of Abraham are suffering persecution and death by their own hands and the hands of others. I ask you, should our country or anyone be involved in their sibling rivalry?

Abraham, the father of faith knew he was coming back with his son and told his people. Isaac was not the sacrifice and when God stayed his hand God provided the real sacrifice. Abraham believed God would provide one. Such should our attitude be as we do what God instructs us to do to become pure at heart.

God tells us that everyone should purify themselves as Jesus is pure. We are to stir up our pure minds by way of remembrance, to purify ourselves by obeying the truth through the Spirit, to purify ourselves by hearing and hearing of the word of God spoken in the Scriptures. That way we will have a love that is not contrived but comes from God, and with this love we can love one another with our hearts, that have been made pure. With a pure heart we will love one another with sincerity and steadiness of emotional warmth.

The wisdom that we receive from God is pure and makes us pure. To those who have been made pure all is pure. We are to follow righteousness, faith, peace, charity, with others that call on the LORD out of a pure heart. We are to think on things that are pure and we are to be an example of the believers in purity. David said of it, “Who shall ascend unto the hill of the LORD? “Him that has clean hands and a pure heart.”

7) The seventh Be-Attitude is to be a peacemaker. The reward is they shall be called the children of God. Blessed is he or she.

A peacemaker is one who makes peace by reconciling the differences between parties. Or one who brings peace to another who may be in turmoil. In order to be a peacemaker you need wisdom from above to be peaceable. Pray that the LORD fills you with peace.

The fruit of a righteous man or woman is to be sown into another’s life in peace, by those who are peacemakers. The chastisement of the LORD brings forth the peaceable fruit of righteousness. If a peacemaker says to another peace be upon you, and does not give them what they need, what does it profit them?  Let peace proceed you with everyone. Beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace. We wear the full armor of God thereby we are prepared to share the gospel of peace. We walk in peace because we wear peace upon our feet as shoes. Follow after the things that make for peace.

To be spiritually minded is to have peace. We are to love peace. We should seek peace wherever the LORD sends us. Pray to the LORD for it and we will find peace there. To the counselors of peace there is joy. We are admonished to be at peace among ourselves. We are to endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Live in peace and the LORD of love and peace will be with you.

When your spirit moves, you can speak peace, you can come in peace, you will be received in peace, and room will be made for your spiritual gifts. When the LORD sends you to battle His enemy’s, speak peace first. Peacemakers are sent. If that house be worthy let your peace come upon it. If you are not received nor your words heard, when you depart shake the dust off your feet. Jesus said of them to the seventy disciples He sent one-by-one, if their peace is not returned it will be worse for them than Sodom and Gomorrah on the last day. When you come peaceably people may still tremble.

The bottom line is, if it be at all possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with everyone. Avenge not yourselves but hold your peace. Vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the LORD. Therefore feed, and give drink even to your enemy. For when you do so you will reap coals of fire on his head. And when they bring evil upon you, do not try to overcome them with evil, but overcome evil with good. Be a peacemaker and love your neighbor as you love yourself, for the sake of our Father which art in heaven.

8) The eighth Be-Attitude is to accept persecution for righteousness sake. The reward is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed is he or she.

When Paul was persecuted he just suffered it. He said that the LORD delivered him out of all his persecutions. All that love God and live godly will suffer persecution. Persecution will not separate us from the love of Christ. Sometimes we are persecuted and scattered. And we end up preaching the word of God somewhere we thought not. Those that are persecuted, having received the word of God, become fruitful. Not deceived by the riches of the world which can choke the word.

When persecution comes for the words sake we are not offended. Satan cannot take away the word sown in our hearts. Have patience and faith in your persecutions that we all may glory in them. Our persecutions are a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God that we might be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which we suffer.

When we are persecuted, the power of Christ rests upon us for it is better, if the will of God be so that you suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. Fear none of these things which thou shall suffer. For what glory is it when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? But if ye do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

Moses chose to accept affliction with the people of God rather than the pleasures of sin in Pharaoh’s house. Be not terrified of your adversaries which to them is an evident token of perdition, but to us salvation, and that of God. If we be afflicted, it is for someone else’s consolation and salvation. Suffer all things so not to hinder the gospel of Christ. The Spirit itself bereth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be glorified together.

9) And finally, the ninth Be-Attitude is to rejoice and be exceedingly glad when people revile against you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for Christ sake. Blessed is he or she. Your reward, although not specifically mentioned is great in heaven.

You are being persecuted just as the prophets that came before you. That is truly an honor. Anytime the enemy is against you, then you truly know you must be doing something for the LORD. Boy does the enemy hate that. So he comes against us to try and discourage us from continuing in the things of the LORD. But instead, rejoice, for this is a confirmation that God is for you, using you, and with you always.

The multiple things that come against you in this last beatitude is fitting. This Be-Attitude is like what happens during the grand finale at a Fourth-of-July fireworks display. Certain fireworks that have been set aside for just this moment are set off in rapped succession. For us it is not a beautiful display of brilliance, but an attack by the enemy turned loose upon us. You might have an experience like Job. God let Satan have his way to him to prove his righteousness.

Imagine Satan was allowed to do anything to Job to try and discourage him and turn his back on God. With only one condition, Satan was not to end Jobs suffering by killing him. Needless to say Job passed his test and God sent Nathan the Prophet to tell what sin Job was guilty. God is fully justified for His actions. To be sure, righteousness does not mean you are without sin. That takes the blood of Christ.

But be of good courage and cheer. God has overcome the world and Satan has been defeated. Rejoice and be exceeding glad when people abuse you. When people revile against you they make fierce abusive verbal attacks using insulting and abusive language. We are not to respond in like manner. We have been sanctified, set apart, as seen by our witness.

Paul was reviled against and in return he blessed. We are to bless and curse not. When Jesus was reviled against he did not revile back. The Angels do not revile against but say Satan the Lord rebukes you. When reviled against pray for their salvation or God to remove them from your presence. Revilers will not enter the kingdom of God.

Paul had a better way and knowledge of Scripture after receiving the Holy Spirit. Now, Paul’s understanding of Scripture was a threat to their religion, like Jesus. That is the beginning of ministry and many sorrows. Don’t be afraid of those who revile against you. God has certain judgment against those that revile against the people of the Lord of Hosts.

Paul asked who is weak and I am not weak? Who is offended and I burn not? If he must needs glory he glories of the things which concern his infirmities. If you find the need to boast, boast of your sufferings for Christ sake not your own, for to God be the glory forever Amen. Paul exemplified what the children of God must suffer as Christ did. I like Paul, he is a real Christian.

They did not like Jesus.  They do not like Jesus today. They plotted to kill Jesus. They are still trying to kill Jesus today.
They bore false witness against Jesus. They bare false witness against Jesus today. He was too holy and only holy people only like holiness.

Oh but the evil thoughts and intentions of man that they would come against the Lord of host , the children of God, and that they would come against anyone. A cry is heard like it is a banner of the Angel of death, “Let us just kill, steal, and destroy them and let God sort it out.”

The children of God often suffer the lies, half truths, and twisting of the facts from some people, just to suit their own evil purposes. They suffer this persecution by people who don’t even know them. They don’t look at your years of obedience, of self sacrifice and of servitude. The law is in favor of them with an uneven scale of justice. The law looks at one circumstance in your entire life that someone falsely accuses you of doing.

Firstly, you are incarcerated and secondly you now have to prove you are innocent of any wrong doing. If you are found innocent there is no crime for bearing false witness. There is no legal way that they can be discouraged from being false witness again. Secondly, there is no restitution for the time spent in prison. There is no restitution for the humiliation and embarrassment you faced by the police and the court system. There is no restitution for the slander and attempts at destroying your good reputation. They call that justice.

We are over comers as others see when we live and not die except at the appointed time.  We are over comers by the word of our testimony and the blood of the lamb. That is what it is meant when the old spiritual says, “Deep in my heart, I do believe, that we shall overcome some day.” The enemy hates our testimony because he has failed. He hates our prophecy because he failed. Satan can’t defeat us no matter who is sent as an adversary as a tormentor. 

Having the promise of the life that now is and is to come we labor and suffer reproach. Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ with Gods people, greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, because of the recompense of the reward. Jesus took the reproaches that fell on us and let them fall on him instead.

If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. On their part he is spoken evil of, but on your part he is glorified.

As a cloud of witnesses before them some had trials of cruel mocking. They even mocked them that were filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The chief priests mocked Jesus when he was on the cross as if he couldn’t come down if he wanted too. I wouldn’t be surprised if they really did want him to in order to cause him to fail at his purpose. Satan already tried to cause Jesus to fail at his purpose. Satan tried to tempt Him three times after Jesus fasted for 40 days. That kind of nonsense did not work with Jesus and it won’t work with us. Jesus just sent him away.

Rejoice and be exceeding glad when people persecute you.

Take pleasure when you are persecuted, for when we are weak we are strong. If you leave all and follow Christ you will receive a hundred fold now in this time, with persecution, and eternal life in the world to come.

Be exceedingly joyful in all of your tribulations. God comforts us in our tribulations and we are to comfort others with the same comfort we have received. Other saints glory in you when you are persecuted. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian let them not be ashamed, but glorify God on this behalf. If we suffer we will also reign with Him. The Apostles were beaten and commanded not to speak in the name of Jesus and they departed rejoicing.

Rejoice and be exceeding glad when people say all manner of evil against you falsely for Christ sake. Have a good conscience for they speak evil of you because they are evil doers, that they may be ashamed when they falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better that the will of God be done and you suffer for well doing than for doing evil. For this is thank worthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

So rejoice and be exceedingly glad. Rejoice for we will be in the presence of Christ at His coming. Rejoice in hope. Rejoice with them that do rejoice. Rejoice in the truth. We can rejoice because we hear the bridegroom’s voice and take joy. We can rejoice as we walk in truth. Rejoice in the word of God. Rejoice that our names are written in the Lambs book of life. Rejoice when the Lord shows his mercy upon us and others.

My spirit rejoices in the LORD when he regardeth’s me in my lowly state. But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. Christ who we have not seen yet we love. And having not seen yet believes we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Let the person of low degree rejoice in that they are exhalted.

Rejoice evermore. Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord and have no confidence in the flesh. Jesus said for now you have sorrow because he is not here but he will see us again, and our hearts shall rejoice, and our joy no one will be able to take away. We need to rejoice and praise God for all the mighty works we have seen. He has given us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these we are partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Let your light so shine before all, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.