“In Matthew 10:7, Jesus instructed His disciples to tell people that ‘the kingdom of heaven is near.’ That means that ordinary folks like you and me could know the very presence of God in their daily lives through His Son, Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus, people could know the power of healing and deliverance from sin and sorrow. He was saying that when we are in His presence, all of God’s riches are available to us and that means the kingdom of heaven is a lot closer than we realize."
"A little earlier, Jesus spoke to some people who had followed Him to a mountainside. Here is the first blessing that He gave to them that day:
"Blessed means that you and I have been approved by God. He is pleased. We are acting in a way that gives Him honor. We have truly found His heart in a matter. I deeply desire God’s blessing."
"Sometimes in the Bible poor means ‘without funds’ or ‘without the ability to acquire goods.’ Sometimes it means ‘poor for a season,’ like ‘I’m poor this week, but I’ll be okay once I get paid.’ In this case when Jesus said poor, He meant utterly destitute, poverty stricken, helpless. And so Jesus is saying,
"When we have tried to figure out life on our own. When we have wrestled in the dark with life’s biggest questions. When we have asked, ‘Is this all there is? Is this all I will ever be?’ When we have looked inside our souls and truly seen that there is nothing good there. When we have owned up to our sin and fessed up to our motives. When we have stumbled for the hundredth time with the habit or pattern we thought we had beaten. When we have yelled and cursed and screamed like a bratty little baby. When we’ve finally let the truth of our inside out, into the light comes the reality of poverty."
"When we have been completely vulnerable with God, we can admit that we have no assets to cling to. We don’t have a stash that will get us through. There are no favors to call in. We don’t have power or prestige or influence. We will surely starve to death if left to our own means. When there is real poverty in your soul, there is desperation."
"Picture in your mind the scene of starving people in a Third World country. Children are dying with swollen bellies from malnutrition. Disease is rampant. Day after day, the only task, the only important thing, is finding something to eat or drink. The people are desperate and without resources of their own."
"One day the trucks from a relief organization arrive with fresh water and bags of grain. How do the people respond? Do they stand politely in line with their cup for water and their bucket for grain? Do they politely ask, ‘May I have some water if it’s not too much trouble or if there’s any left?’ No way. These people are desperate. They are starving. They are hopeless without supplies. And so they charge of grain truck. They climb over one another to get to the food that will save them. No one who is starving is polite and orderly. When you are starving, you are desperate."
"Real poverty is not polite. It is determined to get the object of its need by whatever means necessary. When there is real poverty, there is desperation, and we cry out to be fed or we will surely die."
"God says that’s what it means to be poor in spirit. So desperate that we charge the grain truck. So hungry for him that we’ll do anything to get to Him. God says that He approves of those that have that kind of desperation. He gives to them the kingdom of heaven, the fullness of His riches, the peace of His presence, and a hope for the future."
"And so how do we get to God? Jesus says charge the grain truck. Take an honest look at your starving belly and realize that you cannot feed yourself. Do not stand politely in line and wait for some grain to fall to the ground. Use every means necessary to go after the only thing that will save you. Let the pain of your hunger and the truth of your circumstances force you to climb over every obstacle that stands between you and the grain truck that awaits you in God.”
-Angela Thomas, Do You Think I’m Beautiful?
"A little earlier, Jesus spoke to some people who had followed Him to a mountainside. Here is the first blessing that He gave to them that day:
'Blessed are the poor in spirit,"The kingdom of heaven. That’s where God the Father keeps His wealth and treasure. The kingdom of heaven is where we find grace and mercy. The kingdom of heaven is where hearts get mended and bodies get healed. The kingdom of heaven is where we dance in the arms of our Beloved. My heart longs for the peace and stillness of heaven being near. I want Jesus to take me by the hand and walk me right into the presence of God ... the kingdom of heaven. I want to be as close as I can get to God on this earth. Jesus says that that place - the arms of God, the presence of God, His nearness to us, the kingdom - is a blessing that comes to the poor in spirit."
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)'"
"Blessed means that you and I have been approved by God. He is pleased. We are acting in a way that gives Him honor. We have truly found His heart in a matter. I deeply desire God’s blessing."
"Sometimes in the Bible poor means ‘without funds’ or ‘without the ability to acquire goods.’ Sometimes it means ‘poor for a season,’ like ‘I’m poor this week, but I’ll be okay once I get paid.’ In this case when Jesus said poor, He meant utterly destitute, poverty stricken, helpless. And so Jesus is saying,
'God approves of those who know poverty of spirit, and He"But what is this ‘poverty of spirit’? What does it mean to be utterly destitute? It means we are wholly needy, flat-broke beggars with no resources available. It means that you and I have been honest with God and come to realize that we are without an ounce of hope if left to our own designs. This is desperate poverty."
gives to them the fullness of His presence.'"
"When we have tried to figure out life on our own. When we have wrestled in the dark with life’s biggest questions. When we have asked, ‘Is this all there is? Is this all I will ever be?’ When we have looked inside our souls and truly seen that there is nothing good there. When we have owned up to our sin and fessed up to our motives. When we have stumbled for the hundredth time with the habit or pattern we thought we had beaten. When we have yelled and cursed and screamed like a bratty little baby. When we’ve finally let the truth of our inside out, into the light comes the reality of poverty."
"When we have been completely vulnerable with God, we can admit that we have no assets to cling to. We don’t have a stash that will get us through. There are no favors to call in. We don’t have power or prestige or influence. We will surely starve to death if left to our own means. When there is real poverty in your soul, there is desperation."
"Picture in your mind the scene of starving people in a Third World country. Children are dying with swollen bellies from malnutrition. Disease is rampant. Day after day, the only task, the only important thing, is finding something to eat or drink. The people are desperate and without resources of their own."
"One day the trucks from a relief organization arrive with fresh water and bags of grain. How do the people respond? Do they stand politely in line with their cup for water and their bucket for grain? Do they politely ask, ‘May I have some water if it’s not too much trouble or if there’s any left?’ No way. These people are desperate. They are starving. They are hopeless without supplies. And so they charge of grain truck. They climb over one another to get to the food that will save them. No one who is starving is polite and orderly. When you are starving, you are desperate."
"Real poverty is not polite. It is determined to get the object of its need by whatever means necessary. When there is real poverty, there is desperation, and we cry out to be fed or we will surely die."
"God says that’s what it means to be poor in spirit. So desperate that we charge the grain truck. So hungry for him that we’ll do anything to get to Him. God says that He approves of those that have that kind of desperation. He gives to them the kingdom of heaven, the fullness of His riches, the peace of His presence, and a hope for the future."
"And so how do we get to God? Jesus says charge the grain truck. Take an honest look at your starving belly and realize that you cannot feed yourself. Do not stand politely in line and wait for some grain to fall to the ground. Use every means necessary to go after the only thing that will save you. Let the pain of your hunger and the truth of your circumstances force you to climb over every obstacle that stands between you and the grain truck that awaits you in God.”
-Angela Thomas, Do You Think I’m Beautiful?
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