Blazing Fire's Encouraging Blog

Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever]. Matthew 5:3 (AMP) Recently, we've been investigating the first Beatitude. Brent, Karena & Susan have helped us see how the "poor in spirit" heart attitude includes:       - Recognizing we are spiritually helpless & can do absolutely nothing apart from Jesus       - Acknowledging our need for Him and putting our trust in Him       - Becoming more child-like - less attached to our plans, reputations, possessions and opinions than we are to the heart of God We may reach this place when we find ourselves in great need or stress. God has often used those times when I'm feeling at the "end of myself" to teach me more about His love & wisdom. That's one way becoming "poor in spirit" can lead to MORE...

As we continue our dive into the Beatitudes, I looked to a few of my favorite Christian thinkers for help in understanding what it means to be “poor in spirit”.  Richard Rohr’s definition is “an inner emptiness and humility, a beginner’s mind, and to live without a need for personal righteousness or reputation.”  C.S. Lewis adds that “humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”  When I consider these two definitions, I get a picture of what Jesus means when He encourages us to “repent (that is, change our old way of thinking) and become like children-trusting, humble and forgiving”. (Matt 18:4 AMP).  To become like children, innocent, unburdened by the cares of the world, accepting and feeling accepted.  Not depending on other people’s approval for our self-worth, comfortable acknowledging our utter dependency on God. When I was very young it was so easy to be present, trusting and joyful, seeing life as an adventure and not someth...

As we continued our series on the Beatitudes this last Saturday, I started to think about how it must have felt for those who listened. The poor, sick, those on the margins of society, under Roman oppression sat and heard an upside-down kingdom message that was unlike anything they’d heard before. In the synagogue, students and religious leaders typically had the best seats, while the poor and sick were invited in mostly for charitable giving. Now Jesus was speaking directly to them as he said, “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”    Maybe like me, you’ve been a bit confused by this scripture. Poor in spirit? Didn’t Jesus come to give us a new heart, a new spirit within us? Yes, he did! He is talking about the posture of our heart. Another way to put it might be, blessed are those who acknowledge their need for him, who put their trust in him completely. Blessed are those who lay down their ego, their pride, their reputation, their protection ...

Last Saturday we began a series on the Beatitudes, which means blessed, happy, joyful and even blissful. Yet those Jesus described who would experience such a blessing is pretty much the exact opposite of what the world would tell us. He speaks to battered people who have no hope when he says: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3, NIV)   Here's that same verse in a variety of translations: God makes happy those who know that they need him. The kingdom of heaven is for them. (WE) Blessed are those who recognize they are spiritually helpless. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. (NOG) You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. (MSG) I’ll tell you who’ll laugh last: the people who don’t think too much of themselves, who know they’re a mess—their ticket to heaven’s already in the post—first class. (Word on the Street) Oh, the bliss of those who realize the destitution of their ...

For the past 9 months, we’ve uncovered treasures from 2 Corinthians that the Apostle Paul left for those he so deeply cherished, which includes you and me 2,000 years later. Here are 10 major themes to encourage you:   1. Suffering and Comfort Paul begins the letter by speaking of God as the "Father of mercies and God of all comfort" (2 Cor. 1:3–7). Suffering is not meaningless; it’s a way to share in Christ's life and to comfort others in the same ways we were comforted by God.   2. Included in the Triumph of Jesus With grateful hearts, we celebrate that God chose us and includes us in Christ’s triumphal procession (2 Cor 2:14) through death and into glorious life! And now, we are the sweet fragrance of Jesus everywhere we go!   3. The New Covenant of Grace In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul contrasts the old covenant (law) with the new covenant (grace in the Spirit). The new brings life, freedom, and continual transformation into the very image of Christ.   4. Eternal Perspe...