SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES
(Psalms 113:7-8) (7) "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;" (8) "That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people."
(Matthew 5:3-11) (3) "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (4) "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." (5) "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." (6) "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." (7) "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." (8) "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." (9) "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."10 "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (11) "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake."
(Isaiah 66:1-2) (1) "Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?" (2) "For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word."
PREFACE SUMMARY
Dear reader, did you know that how we handle the trials that come upon us will determine our level of trust in God? If we handle the pressure right, it can lead us to a place of sincere prayer, where we can find the Living Christ who can deliver us from the strain and stress that could otherwise cause us physical harm?
Remember, no single person in the world is worth allowing them the power to control your life. Only God has that right if you have completely turned it over to Him. God does not expect you to become someone else's trash can, and there are some people that you have to love at a distance.
The pressure we endure must be enough to press us beyond our human strength and any outside source of hope we may be hanging on to. It needs to be strong enough until we see no hope. If God does not intervene, we will surely suffer defeat.
This is how we grow in the walk of faith. To be helpful in the hands of the potter, we must come to the end of ourselves until we have no hope but the living God. When we come to the end of ourselves and have no hope in human strength, the victory of the cross comes into shining view.
This message is about people specially chosen by God to embrace the trials of life, which will cause them to become broken before Him. This allows God to use them to help enrich the lives of others. They are sorry not only for offending others but also for hurting God.
"THE POOR IN SPIRIT"
(Psalms 113:7-8) (7) "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;" (8) "That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people."
The passage suggests that the term "poor" in the scriptures refers to those broken in spirit before God. This includes figures like Mary Magdalene and the woman at the well, who have had complex pasts but have been chosen by God to reach others.
Hannah is a perfect example of someone who was broken in spirit. She was a Jewish wife who was unable to have children, and despite her husband's love for her, she felt sorrowful and inadequate because of it. One day, she went to the temple and prayed to God, promising to give her son back if He granted her a male child. God answered her prayer and gave her a son, Samuel. When Samuel was weaned, Hannah gave him to the priest Eli, and everyone knew he was a true prophet of God.
The call to be "poor in spirit" is the first beatitude for a reason: it cannot be achieved through one's strength, but only through God's plan and provision. The kingdom of heaven is not given based on race or earned merits but to those who are poor, despised, and destitute.
In the next move of God, those who are considered "nobodies" will become "somebodies" and play a significant role in ushering millions into the Kingdom of God during the "Revival of God's Glory."
“The poor in spirit are lifted from the dunghill, and set, among princes in the kingdom." "Millionaires sink into insignificance, the treasure of the Indies evaporate in smoke, while to the poor in spirit remains a boundless, endless, faultless kingdom, which renders them blessed in the esteem of him who is God over all, blessed for ever.” (Spurgeon)
"I WILL GIVE YOU BEAUTY FOR ASHES"
Dear readers, the scripture in found in (Psalms 113:7-8), provides a glimpse into God's plan and purpose for his people, particularly in the end times. Just as God used four lepers to save the city in the days of Hezekiah, He is now moving His chosen leaders into position.
Did you know that the leaders the Lord is choosing today are those who have been through the most challenging times in life and have no way of producing life on their own? These chosen people are the remnant, the last of the last, who have had memorable encounters with their God, causing them to become broken and often referred to as the forgotten church of the hedge.
God intends to use these men and women of faith in one of the most extraordinary moves of His Spirit the world has ever seen. Just as the scriptures state that the poor shall rise out of the dust, the nobodies shall stand before the somebody, and they, too, by the grace and province of God, shall become somebody in His kingdom.
We find the inspiring words about the poor in spirit comforting, coming from the mouth of the preacher of all preachers, the Lord Jesus Christ, as He spoke to the multitudes overlooking the Sea of Galilee in what is today known as the beatitudes, which means blessing.
Beloved, the Lord, in this beatitude, is attempting to unveil a picture of the kingdom life that can only be found in Him, the author and finisher of our faith.
Dear readers, when I think of the word poor, I think of the scripture that states that the poor will have the gospel preached to them, which can be found in Matthew's gospel chapter eleven and verse five.
Some view those in poverty as being broke or not having the necessary funds to survive and pay their bills. However, the Lord here in the sermon on the mount is trying to get us to view poverty internally and spiritually, for to be poor in spirit means to have had some of life’s trials and curves bring us to a place of spiritual brokenness.
Beloved, did you know that we, as chosen vessels of God, must go through a process that will cause us to become broken by our self-will, which will cause our minds to become more receptive to the beautiful influences of God’s Holy Spirit?
These trials and tests of life are designed to develop character in our inner being, including humility in our life as we give in to His Spirit, allowing God’s Grace and Spirit to begin a work in us as we become aware of our past and the broken hearts we have left in our trail.
MY CONCLUSION
Dear readers, we may not understand God's entire plan for our lives, but there is nothing better than living holy and enjoying God's love, which is available to all who will call upon His name.
We must search out God's plan for our lives, which we do by spending time in His word. When we finally discover God's purpose for us, that purpose will help establish our vision. Vision is what God desires for us to contribute toward building His kingdom. May we live our lives with a desire to be more like Him and keep our eyes on the right thing?
Notice how the Lord makes a statement in this beatitude that the poor will be rewarded in heaven. Therefore, we need to revere Him and remember that His will and purpose for our lives were placed in us at birth.
Are you broken in spirit and sorry for your sins? Then you are a fit subject for the Holy Spirit to use in this end time and will have many opportunities to be a soul winner for Jesus.
In closing this study, may we focus our eyes on the right thing as we focus on doing well for others and leave the criticism to someone else, keeping our focus on the example that Jesus set. Let us endure hardness as a good soldier and reap the reward, which is out of this world.
Church, we are entering a climax with the kingdom of darkness, and we need to be trained in dealing with trauma and emotional crises. However, how will we fulfill that role if we need counseling and deliverance ourselves? The truth is we need each other. People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Did you know how extending mercy to others could be compared to someone bringing sunshine into a hurting person's life? If we strive to be that person, we cannot keep it from shining in our own life, for "God is love, and it is that character that distinguishes Him from all others."
May we absorb this teaching and use it to make us better people willing to look past the faults of others and consider ourselves lest we be tempted. Understanding that if God were to pull back His Spirit from us, we are just as capable of doing even worse things than people have done to us.
Dear readers, the outline of this entire message would be to realize that we can be "better together," especially when working together in unity and harmony. There, we find the writer speaking in (Psalms 133) where the Lord has declared the blessing.
Beloved, may we humble ourselves before God's loving arms and pray the words from my two favorite verses throughout the entire bible which I believe give meaning to our Christiaan pilgrimage.
(Psalms 19:14) "Let the words of my lips and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in his sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. "
(Matthew 25:21" His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."
International Evangelist
Jerry W. Hulse Ph.D.
Miracle Life Church International
