A Good Idea

So this weekend I had the random thought that it would be a good idea for me to start blogging, web journaling, or whatever cool 'techie' term you want to use. It's not like I don't have enough that I am doing...I have lots of time to write. In all seriousness, I do want to attempt to blog. I process things best through writing. I am looking forward to taking a little time throughout my week to share what the Lord is doing in my heart as I sit before Him in the House of Prayer, things I'm learning, things I'm teaching, and things that are transpiring in my life.

I'll start this post by sharing a portion of a sermon that I did last Sunday on being 'Poor in Spirit.'

At the end of the day, there is a little piece in all of us that believes we have some goodness to offer God. We are aware, in touch at a certain level, with our barrenness, our inadequacies, and our shortcomings. However, we also keep a record of how good we are: how much we are reading, praying, fasting, giving, serving, etc. We are aware of our strengths and we so often build them up to cover and hide any of our weaknesses. We lean on our natural and spiritual giftings and because it is impressive to men, we think it is likely impressive to God. Because our giftings are bargaining chips with men, we assume that we can use them to bargain with God. Somehow we think that we can outweigh the wickedness of our hearts by doing good deeds to counteract our wickedness. We think if we somehow manage to do more good than evil, and that we are doing better than others, we are ok and in good standing with God.

When we are shocked by the darkness of our own heart, we are trusting in our own dedication to God. When we say, ‘I can’t believe this is in me, I should be so much further along than this.’ God replies, ‘I knew it was in you all along.’ When we are shocked by the truth of our hearts, it is an expression of our own pride. We must settle it, without God we are wicked to the core. When God is our strength and when we understand He is merciful, we will go to him without any accomplishments or bargaining chips, without anything to contribute. God’s commitment to us is far greater than our commitment to Him.

Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven."

The Kingdom of God is populated only by those who are poor in spirit, those who have no goodness in and of themselves. To be poor in spirit is to be spiritually bankrupt without God.

Jesus says to the man who is 'rich' in spirit and justifying himself, coming to God with his bargaining chips, "You really are poor. Go sell all you have. Trash your résumé. Mark all your gains as losses."

Jesus says to the 'spiritual beggar, the poor man', who has nothing to offer God, "You are in fact poorer than you think you are, and you are loved and desired by God more deeply than you’ll ever know. The Kingdom belongs to you."