Friday, March 2, 2012

A Beautiful Attitude (Part 1): Poor in Spirit

"Poor in Spirit"


This morning God directed me to a wonderful place in His Word. It's called the Sermon on the Mount and what I am sharing with you is commonly referred to as the Beatitudes. If you're not familiar with it, then what a blessing! it will be to soak it in (see Matthew 5:1-12). Now the Beatitudes are in the beginning but let me tell you the Sermon on the Mount is something to read, and read and read over and over again. It's filled with so much insight, direction, and is truly a magnificent blessing to you and anyone else you will share them with.

Let me begin by letting you know what Blessed means: It's to be supremely joyful. You can say being blessed is more than being happy but having complete joy in every situation and circumstance. Since it is much to take in for anyone in one shot, I am humbled to take it in one at a time, and share with all of you one at a time. Better is the journey in life when we are able to stop and "smell the roses."

The first Beatitude is:

"Blessed are the poor in Spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3 NKJV)


If you're like me, you want to reflect on this and fully have a grasp of what is being said and ask the question, "How does this apply to me?" Right off the back you see the word Blessed, and as we know it's being supremely joyful in every situation and circumstance which in and of itself takes the grace and mercy of God at work in and through our lives in order to fulfill that, we know that in joy these staples of kingdom living can be achieved. Needless to say with God all things are possible. Amen.

Now looking to the first half of this declaration from Jesus, with some research I started to see what Blessed are the poor in Spirit means. Poor in Spirit is referring to those who have no hope but very much desire change in their lives for the long haul and not for the moment. Those who see that they are in need of the Savior. Those who are not proud, arrogant, or think highly of themselves as the saying goes a "self-made man," but rather Poor in Spirit is someone who hears the message of the kingdom of heaven and now they all come with a broken heart and a contrite (crush by guilt/sincere remorse for wrong doing) spirit seeking the Savior. Amen. This is my very testimony when crying out to God seeking the Savior. Through my repentance for all I have done wrong and ruined (see here ), I became a man Poor in Spirit. A man in need of His Savior; His God. 


Also, through painful struggles and sadly through times I have turned my back on my Savior, I have come to know and humbly look to God to keep me in the joy of His Salvation, by not developing a self-sufficient attitude but to ALWAYS live my life in total dependence on God to supply my needs. Amen. 


In this day and age being Poor in Spirit is so much harder than it was in the time of Jesus being here on earth and God's people Israel experiencing such persecution and alienation from their own land by being exiled to distant lands (read 1 Kings/2 Kings), that we must truly humble ourselves before God, believing in His Word and our need for Him. Being poor isn't about a lack of material possessions but it certainly adds to it, but being without God's grace and mercy through Salvation in Jesus is true poverty. Those who are not saved by the name of Jesus are truly poor and need to hear about the kingdom of heaven, the declaration to God through repentance (changing ones course of life; direction of heart towards God and His Way established through Jesus His Son) for Salvation.


That covers the Poor in Spirit, now let us look to "For theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The kingdom of heaven as of now in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls as I have come to know it is partial. We are still human beings and not in our spiritual form. Therefore, we know the kingdom in partial but this doesn't mean or diminishes the fact we can live kingdom minded in our lives and all that we do, say and think now. We can live a life of honor before God and all others. Remember you were once lost and now found by the grace of God by Salvation through the only name that saves- Jesus. Amen. We can live kingdom minded by remaining poor in Spirit, that being well aware of our need of God, and all our needs being provided by God. As I mentioned earlier, living a life in total dependence on God to supply all our needs is the continuous blessing of being Poor in Spirit. 


You know what?! I have been so unbelievably loved and blessed by God. Where I am sitting right now in the comfort of my own room with a roof over my head, and a laptop set before me, I can reach out to you and share what God has placed into my heart and with a willingness to share in a manner that he has gifted me, I am so honored in this moment to be able to love you right where I am at and right where you are at. I know God meets us wherever we are at, and he meets us with hope, faith and love. God meets us with sincerity, compassion, mercy, direction even discipline to show us how much He loves us. let's face it and own up to it right now! We do some very foolish things in our lives and unless someone is willing to speak up about it, bring it to our attention, and set us right we will continue to do foolish things which ultimately hurt us and many others in the process and no one deserves that craziness and mess. But thanks be to God! Who shows endless mercy through His grace. That is a BIG AMEN! Praise the Lord!


Beloved, It's my sincere desire that as God reaches out to me, and I reach out to you, in turn you will reach out to God. It is He who fulfills all things. Remember this- You will only experience God if you desire to experience God. And it begins with these word, "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me and help me God."


As always...YOU ARE LOVED.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing and helping us to understand the meaning-blessed. As I sit and think of all the blessings I had, have, and will have receive shows consistency both in the high and lows of this journey with Christ. I love reading the beatitudes. This part - poor in spirit, hummm as i think of it i am quickly reminded of those who are rejected. I think in some time in our lives we all know how rejection feels deep inside, so empty, so unworthy. Probably experienced it in a relationship, a work setting, or the way we think, or act and people just don't like it. I would like to now bring that rejection to the spiritual side of it. The version I am reading NLT Matthew 5:3 states "God blesses (defined as supremely joyful) those who are poor and realize their need of him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs." In other words, this world "rejects" us because we are not of it...we don't think like it, act like it, move like it, or see like it, but boy oh boy, that supreme joy rains down on us and powers us up to move forward knowing we are Heaven bound which none of this rejection exist, but acceptance of Jesus righteousness, we are FORGIVEN people of missing the mark! I can totally find supreme joy in that promise.

    Thank you again for your words or encouragement and hope, because Jesus loves, saves, and lives. Your OME :0)

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  2. I have heard many times there's no degree of love or joy. It is good to see it as I read yesterday about faith—stages of maturity. I believe love and joy go hand in hand and as faith goes these two are (Love & Joy) experienced in many moments of maturity. From love of a friend, to a spouse to a committed love for God and to all, we will experience the joys of friendship, the joys of fellowship and the joys of an intimate walk and relationship with our Savior. Yes, certainly joy is experienced and expressed differently throughout our lives but the one constant through it all is our great God. Amen.

    Thank you for your words. Your encouragement and your heart to share with me your love through my love language. May I return that love by an embrace. God be praised for what He is doing in and through you. As we continue on, He will make that way and certainly fill our hearts with the love for one another and for all others. Amen

    You are so loved.

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