“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:1-3
I would've loved to have heard Jesus preach a sermon.
Wouldn't you?
Over the next short while, I would like to turn our attention to one of the most potent passages of scriptures that we know as The Beatitudes.
When the Bible tells us that Jesus is about to speak, our antennae's should go up, and we should tune into the "frequency" that He's sharing the message on.
The Holy Spirit can help us to gain perspectives that are beneficial to our spiritual journey.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
From time to time, people will say nice things to me about something I've preached on, written about, or some manner in which I've described something.
It's so nice of them, and it's always appreciated...but I also recognize (and I'm sure that they do, as well), that if not for God's incredible grace (and the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, and the work of His Holy Spirit), that all my good words would be meaningless.
I'm truly nothing without Him; just a human "blip" on the great radar of eternity.
I have wondered, "How could God ever love someone like me?" Have those kinds of thoughts ever gone through your mind?
Being really "poor in spirit" isn't something that can be "made-up" or "put-on." It is a recognition that without God in our lives, we're not effectively capable of saving ourselves.
He brings us everything for salvation. It is only our recognition and willingness to turn our lives over to Him that allows His work to ensue. You and I are "works-in-progress," and it begins with a heart-felt realization that we simply can't do it without Him.
Have a great day and God bless!
Pastor Mike / The Open Word
