I have included a link to a book called Operation World. This book lists the prayer needs for the entire world (country by country).

As an initiative in our church, we are urging everyone to pray fervently each week for a country.

 

JOIN US BY PURCHASING YOUR FAMILY A COPY OF THE BOOK, OPERATION WORLD!

 

Proverbs 15:29 - The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

 

 

 

The Greek word used for mourn here is one of 9 different words used for the word mourn. Here, the word is pentheo which means to grieve, mourn or wail. It is the most severe term used for mourning which implies the deepest, most heart-felt grief or agony. It implies an outward weeping or lamenting and in this case it is over individual sin and an act against the Holy One. It is likened to the biblical mourning when clothes were rent and heads were shaved as an expression of mourning and sorrow.

 

Mourning is not a sorrow for legitimate reasons that gets carried to the extremity of despair. This improper state of mourning which usually results in depression is actually sin because the root of the sorrow has led to the point of unfaithfulness in God for comfort and a lack of trust in Him.

Mourning is not a sorrow when things don't go our way or the results that we desire aren't accomplished. That so-called mourning or sorrow is also rooted in sin because the desires are rooted in "our will be done", not "thy will be done." These misguided feelings find little comfort or solace because God's will is not the central point of focus.

Of course, the mourning or sorrow of the wicked because their desires, plans, and lusts aren't fulfilled is also not true proper mourning.

Mourning is not what Saul did in 1 Smauel 15 when he was disobedient to God's will. He had reget, but not true godly mourning. See vs. 30.

 

Some types of true biblical mourning are as follows:

     1. Concerns for the sins of others which lead to anguish.

         (This may be persons, communities, cities, countries, or the world)

     2. Concerns for the spiritual welfare of others may lead to sorrow & mourning.

     3. The discouragement of Chrisitians as they walk in Christ can led to mourning

        due to the desire to accomplish God's will, but this type of mourning must

        led us back to trusting in Him to accomplish His will on earth.

 

Here, the passage seems to be quite clear that this mourning is referring to the godly sorrow or godly mourning that results from people being brought to the knowledge of their poorness in spirit which is the result of their sinfulness. The mourning that follows the poverty of the spirit is due to the acknowledgement of our offenses towards God which causes us to mourn while resulting in repentance of our sins. The happiness or blessedness does not come from the mourning, but it comes from God's comfort in the forgiveness of those sins. This process of poorness in spirit and mourning results in true communion with God.

 

Only mourners over their sin are truly happy because only mourners over their sin have their sins forgiven. Sin and happiness are polar opposites and completely incompatible albeit that it may not appear that way outwardly. Until one's sins are mourned and confessed individually, they cannot be forgiven and removed and therefore, true biblical happiness is void or not found. The faithful child of God is constantly broken over his/her own sinfulness. To grow in the grace of God is to grow increasingly aware of one's own sinfulness.

 

True mourning over sin is not directly focused on ourselves or our sin, but on God. It focuses on the holiness & righteousness of God that we continually stain with our sins and begins in our poorness of spirit and leads to mourning which results in the comforting forgiveness of those sins and the covering of those stains with the righteousness of Christ.

 

See this example of Paul which shows his continual act of mourning over his sin as a believer. Oftentimes, these verses are used to show the mourning over our sin before our conversion, but that is not fully true. These words were written at the height of Paul's ministry yet, he refers to the struggle in the present tense showing that the struggle is truly throughout our earthly life. The assurance of a future & permanent victory in the war is confirmed while the battle continues. The victory is reserved for us when we die as one with saving faith in Christ and it becoms final in the time of the final judgement. Combining Romans 7 with the 2nd Beatitude, we can conclude that those who continually mourn will be continously comforted and that the true Christian's life is one continuous act of repentance and contrition, not a one time act of a past event like many say today.

11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

The implicaion here is that only those who mourn over their sin will be comforted and the blessing of God's comfort seems to be reserved to those that came to this mournfulness through a contrite heart and a poorness in spirit.

Matthew 11:28 - Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Psalms 119:136 - My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.

Ezekiel 9:4-6 - And the Lord said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.” And to the others he said in my hearing, “Pass through the city after him, and strike. Your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity. Kill old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one on whom is the mark.

2 Corinthians 7:10 - For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

How do we Mourn Biblically?

1. Remove the hinderances that make us content with ourselves where we are today.

2. Remove any love of sin that we are clinging onto. This love of sin is what hardens a heart to the plow of grace. Although God is Sovereign and His Grace is Sufficient, the children us God must remove the stones of hardness which hinder the full plowing of grace & mercy in our lives.

3. Despair hinders mourning and as previously stated is improper mourning because it reflects a lowly view of God and all His power to comfort, save, and help.

4. Hiding sin, Covering up sin, or Ignoring sin is a great hinderance to mourning biblically because it reveals an inward belief that there is nothing in which to mourn over. God is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent! He knows the truth!

5. Presumption upon grace is a great hinderance to mourning today. How many times have we heard someone flippantly say that they will pray for forgiveness of some sin & there is no sign of true remorse or repentance. This attitude cheapens the grace of God. It makes light of our sins like they are just little ones. If Christ had to die on the cross for these "little sins", the need must be great indeed to mourn over them. No pardon is given to an unrepentant, presumptuous person who refuses to confess, repent, and forsake his sins.

6. Procrastination hinders godly mourning. It is also presumptuous because it presumes that we will be here tomorrow! Why have children been taught for generations to pray before they sleep because the source of this practice was the knowledge that our life is but a vapor and we better not presume upon God's grace for tomorrow. We prayed for the grace!

7. Lack of knowing God and his preceptive will in the Bible is a huge hinderance to mourning in this day of ignorance of the word of God. A study of the attributes of God (See Westminster Confession of Faith's catechism or a Baptist catechism) will help remove these hinderances.

8. A lack of prayer life is a hinderance to godly mourning. Pray for a contrite heart! Pray to be meek & lowly in spirit! Pray for wisdom & discernment! Pray for grace & mercy!

 

Today, I had the opportunity to preach at Billdora Nursing Home in Tylertown, MS since our normal pastor was out of town travelling with his wife to visit family in Texas. Seeing that I have been camped out in the Sermon on the Mount & the Beatitudes for several weeks now, I felt that the Lord was moving me to preach on the 1st Beatitude, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

 

While I have a previous post on that same subject, I decided to share more insight into God's word.

 

1. "Blessed" is from the Greek word "makarios" which means supremely blest, fortunate, happy, or well being.

2. The Greek word for poor here is "ptochos"  which means to cringe, crouch, or shrink as a beggar. Specifically, Jesus is referring to those who are beggarly poor; that is, those who are absolutely and completely dependent upon God for their spiritual & physical needs. This is the same word used to describe Lazarus in Luke 16:20 as he begged for the crumbs which fell on the floor while the dogs licked his sores. Specifically, Jesus is saying that until man sees himself as nothing and one who is lost, helpless to save himself, and salvation appears hopeless on his own sufficiency, He will never enter into the kingdom. We must recognize our poverty apart from God first and then approach his throne with empty hands "begging" for his grace and mercy. Look at the biblical example in the hymn "Rock of Ages":

 

We did not receive any word on our dossier from the SDA in Ukraine today.

 

The Lord's provision for me today was one of awe as I took in His Glory ("Shekinah") through His creation. Specifically, I took off from work today to watch my son's golf team play and as I rode around the course, I was continually encountering the Creator and his attributes - his infiniteness, wisdom, power (omnipotence), omniscience, omnipresence, incomprehensibility, & goodness.

 

Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Psalms 97:6  The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.

Psalms 113:4  The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
Romans 1:20   For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.
Romans 11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Well, my countdown to dossier day, "D-day" for prospective adoptive parents, was hindered by my work schedule so, I apologize for those of you who are following our blog (if there are any? ha ha). I was out of town in Houston, TX last week so, blog entries were limited, but my wonderful wife stepped up admirably. Generally, her entries are the ones in the fancy handwriting font. Mine are more of the Times New Roman style which is more reflective of the systematic engineer in me.

 

The Lord has really been putting on my heart a focus on His entire kingdom and a desire for worldly missions in varying capacities. I was once told all Christians should have a keen focus on missions. You either SEND! or you GO! I see us doing both as the Lord permits. I yearn for God to prepare me for His purpose. PRAY FOR HIS WILL BE DONE IN OUR LIVES!

 

In the meantime, we are praying and awaiting. Awaiting God's answer or direction in our lives is so exciting! It is actually very relieving to know that I really don't have to "make things happen" because His purpose will be accomplished in spite of my shortcomings. Because of the freedom (works for salvation) that His grace delivers us from, I am so free today to seek to glorify Him with all the zeal that I can muster up (albeith the world can't seem to handle it). BE SALMON LIKE, SWIM AGAINST THE FLOW OF THE STREAM! Jesus did. His apostles did. Often times today, the world has put God in a box with minimal powers to accomplish His will, but I say that we are often blind to His presence, like the donkey & Balaam in Numbers 22, but when we see His providence in our lives, we must bow down & fall on our faces in the presence of "El Shaddai" -God Almighty. The resultant zeal cannot be harnessed!

 

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

 

Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

Psalms 105:1-6 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
3 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
4 Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
5 Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
6 O offspring of Abraham, his servant,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

 

See also Acts 12:1-17 on how intercessory prayer really works with Peter & his imprisonment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The number 4 generally marks the creation works of God.

-On the 4th day of creation, God created the sun, moon, & stars.

-There are 4 regions of the earth - N, S, E, W.

-There are 4 great elements - earth, air, fire, water.

-As part of God's creation, there are 4 distinct seasons-spring, summer, fall, winter.

-As part of God's created day, there are 4 distinct divisions of the day-morning, noon, evening, midnight.

-The 4th book of the Bible is Numbers which in Hebrew means "The Wilderness" because most of the book chronicles the 40 years Israel spent in the Wilderness. This earthly pilgrimage shows that God's people must walk by faith, trusting Him & His promises, if they are to move forward toward the final destination, Heaven.

-In Exodus 16:14, 31, the manna was given a 4-fold description (small, white, round, sweet).

-In the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, there are 4 kinds of soil.

-In the book of Daniel, there were four in the burning furnace (Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, "Son of God" or angel).

-There are 4 women mentioned in the genealogy of the Lord in Matt 1 (Thamar, Rahab, Ruth, wife of Uriah).

-In Revelation 20:2, there were 4 names for Satan: dragon(rebellious & apostate), Old Serpent (seductive), The Devil (accusing), Satan (personal).

 

-Up to 4 more working days until our dossier review deadline passes.

What does that mean?  We should be hearing soon from the Ukraine SDA regarding our dossier petition to adopt.

 

PLEASE PRAY FOR US, THE CHILDREN, & OUR FACILITATOR. PRAY FOR OTHERS SEEKING ADOPTION.

PRAY FOR THY WILL BE DONE! WE REST IN HIS SOVEREIGN PROVIDENCE IN OUR LIVES!!!

 

The biblical significance of the number five is related to grace or unmerited favor. Grace shown to the miserable, we call it mercy. Grace shown to the poor, we call it pity. Grace shown to the suffering, we call it compassion.  Grace shown to the obstinate, we call it patience. Grace shown to the unworthy lost sinner, we call it GRACE.

 

-When God changed Abram's name to Abraham in Genesis 17:5, the significance was that at the 5th letter (Abra_) the Hebrew letter for the number five was inserted (Hey or "h"). This was a sign of God's grace to Abraham.

-The tabernacle had prevailing significance with the number 5 in that almsot all the measurements were multiples of 5.

-The holy anointing oil (Exodus 30:23-25) was comprised of 5 parts (myrrh, sweet cinnamon, sweet calamus, cassia, olive oil).

-The incense (Exodus 30:34) was also comprised of 5 parts (stacte=aromatic gum, on'ycha=mussel shell, gal'banum=fragrant gum, frankincense, salt)

-The phrase "Whosoever hath, to him shall be given" occurs 5 times (Matt 13:12,25:29; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18, 19:26). 5 times we hear of the grace which He gives using the same words.

-David used 5 smooth stones when he went to battle Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:40.

-In Paul's 1st letter to the Corinthians, he stated that he would rather speak 5 words with understanding than 10,000 in an unknown tongue.

 

There are numerous other examples of God's grace to His people & often as a reminder, the number five continues to appear as the number of grace.

 

1. WE PRAY THAT HIS GRACE CONTINUE TO FALL UPON US.

2. WE PRAY FOR HIS MERCY BECAUSE WE FAIL HIM DAILY YET, WE CONTINUE TO RECEIVE NOT JUDGEMENT WE DESERVE.

3. WE PRAY THAT HIS HOLY SPIRIT WILL STRENGTHEN US THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.

4. WE PRAY THAT HIS PROVIDENCE IS WORKING ALL THINGS OUT FOR HIS OWN GOOD PLEASURE.

5. WE PRAY FOR UKRAINE & ORPHANS WORLDWIDE THAT GOD WILL ENABLE CHRISTIAN FAMILIES TO HELP THESE ORPHANS.

 

"Whosoever hath, to him shall be given"

 

Up to 6 more days, we await to hear from the SDA regarding our dossier submittal. Realistically speaking, April 12 is probably the earliest day that we will actually hear anything from the SDA. Since the SDA is running behind in processing dossier submittals, it could be mid to late April.

Our facilitator needs your prayers. He is facing numerous trials & tribulations in his job working for his clients. (See James 1:2)

 

The number "6" is often symbolic of imperfect man, his labors, and his being destitute apart from God.

 

-Man was created on the 6th day of creation.

-Man was appointed by God to work 6 days while 1 day was to be set apart for the Sovereign God as His rest.

-The serpent was also created on the 6th day.

-The 6th commandment relates to one of the worst sins of man - murder.

-6 or multiples of it are associated with labors of man & its measures. 60 seconds. 60 minutes. 24 hours. 12 inches=foot. 36 inches=yard.

-Cain's descendants are given only as far as the 6th generation. 

-In Genesis 22, the burnt offering is mentioned 6 times (v.2,3,6,7,8,13) because the 7th was that of the Divine Substitute which God Himself would provide.

-6 times Jesus was charged with having a devil (Mark 3:22; John 7:20, 8:48, 8:52, 10:20; Luke 11:15)

"7" is the number for spiritual perfection.

 

-There were 7 appearances of angels during the life of Jesus on earth (1. To the shepherds-Luke 2:9, 2. To Joseph-Matt 2:13, 3. To Joseph-Matt 2:19, 4. After the temptation-Matt 4:11, 5. In Gethsemane-Luke 22:43, 6. At the Resurrection-Matt 28:2, 7. At the Ascension-Acts 1:10)

-There are 7 branches to the Jewish candlestick or menorah.

-It was the 7th day of Creation in which God rested & made it Holy(Sabbath).

-In Revelation 6:1-8:6, there will be 7 seal judgements (1.Antichrist, 2.war, 3.famine, 4.death, 5.martyr's prayers, 6. great earthquakes,

     7. Announcements of the 7 Trumpets)

-In Revelation 8:7-9:21, there will be 7 trumpet judgements(1.A thrid of vegetation burned, 2. A thrid of sea judged,

     3. A third of fresh water judged, 4. A third of the luminaries darkened (sun, moon, & stars), 5. Increased demonic activity,

     6. A third of mankind killed, 7. Announcement of the 7 Vials)

-In Revelation 15-16, there will be 7 Vial judgements.

-In Matthew 13, we see Jesus teaching through 7 parables (1. The sower, 2. The Tares, 3. The Mustard Seed, 4. The Leaven,

     5. The Hidden Treasure, 6. The Pearl of Great Price, 7. The Net). 

-In Romans 12:6-8, we see 7 gifts of grace (1. prophecy, 2. service, 3. teaching, 4. exhortation, 5. contribution, 6. leading, 7. mercy)

-In James 3:17, there are 7 characteristics of wisdom(1.pure, 2. peaceable, 3.gentle, 4. open to reason, 5. full of mercy & good fruits, 6. impartial, 7. sincere)

-In 2 Peter 1:5-7, there are 7 graces(1. virtue, 2. knowledge, 3. self-control, 4. steadfastness, 5. godliness, 6. brotherly affection, 7. love)

 

Many more examples of the symbolism of the number 7 exist in relation to God's spiritual perfection of His Sovereignty & His Providence of His creation.

 

And.......Up to 7 more business days, until the Gordon's await word from the SDA.

This waiting game is like the calm just before the storm.

 

My wife has started nesting like a mother in her 7th month of pregnancy and this nesting is testing (LOL) my patience.

 

CONTINUE to PRAY FERVENTLY for us. Specifically, Pray that God's grace will greatly abound to cover own sinfulness & that He have mercy on 2 Ukrainian children of His choosing who were prepared before the foundations of the world to be adopted into our family.

 

LET US remember to not pray selfishly, but as Christ taught us that Thy will be done and if thy will is to travel down a road unknown to us or unforeseen by us, that His grace & mercy will flow like the waters in the mighty Mississippi River upon us in that His Holy Spirit will indwell within us to enable us to walk faithfully & glorifying Him.

·        The Beatitudes are the inner qualities or “signs” of the followers of Christ and the blessings or happiness that are promised to the Christian in the future. They do not present the way of salvation, but they present the way of righteous living for those who are saved and who are in God’s family.

·        The Beatitudes are listed in definite order related to their spiritual sequence.

·        “Blessed are the poor in Spirit” is listed first because apart from this experience, there is no entry in the kingdom of God.

·        To be poor in spirit signifies a process of emptying one’s old natural self so that God can initiate a filling of the Holy Spirit.

·        God always breaks down the foundation of the natural man prior to regenerating and rebuilding a vessel for His glory.

·        When we say one is convicted or is under conviction, he becomes convinced of his own sinfulness and subsequent guiltiness under the law of God. The efficacious, or lasting, conviction is when one is brought to the point of saving faith & repentance.

·        Any conviction that is only temporary only reveals the source of the conviction. A man-made conviction is temporal and outwardly in appearance. God-made convictions are lasting & eternal albeit that doesn’t imply the infallibility of any man while on earth due to the remnant of sin that remains, but because his conviction is God initiated, there will be restoration to any backsliding and growth & sanctification.

·        Therefore, conviction must precede conversion. The Gospel of Christ must condemn the sinner based on His own merit before it releases him on the merits of Christ.  

·        Pastors and men alike cannot reign in or “bring in the kingdom of God”.

·        Man is totally depraved and is utterly incapable in and of himself to do any good in terms of salvation.

·        WARNING:  Avoid the often misinterpretation of this verse, “Blessed in spirit are the poor.”  Poverty does not guarantee spirituality. ‘Poor’ here means ‘not being possessed by a worldly spirit’.  The Bible does not teach that poverty is a good thing; in fact, it teaches that poverty is often the result of God’s judgement (Proverbs 10:4, 13:18, 14:23, 20:13, 21:5, 22:16, 23:21, 28:19).

·        Blessed are the poor in Spirit refers ultimately to man’s attitude towards himself.

·        The world emphasizes self-reliance, self-confidence, and self-expression. “Believe in yourself!” is what the world proclaims, but God says to rely on Him. His grace is sufficient!

·        All Christians shall experience the poverty of the spirit when they come face-to-face spiritually to the Sovereign God. His Holiness, His Righteousness, His Sovereignty, & His Justice will bring about a totality of lowliness & worthlessness which results in self-abasing humility & poverty of the spirit.

·        None of the traits of believers listed in the Beatitudes are natural qualities. Man is not born with the ability to obtain such traits. They are foreign to him although he may try to emulate them outwardly.

·        ‘Poor in spirit’ does not refer to personal appearance or outward impressions. Those who dress down to emulate a poorness of spirit are merely imitators. True poverty of the spirit will exude from the broken-heartedness of one’s true state.

 

Biblical Examples of Poverty in Spirit

Judges 6:15 – Gideon’s response to the Lord is that he was of the lowest tribe (Manasseh) & he was of the lowest family in the tribe.

Exodus 6:12, 30 – Moses questions why God chose him to petition Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go. He refers to himself as a man of uncircumcised lips.

Isaiah 6:5 - …“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

Isaiah 57:14-21  And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

 

·        The beginning of being poor in spirit is the beginning of a complete reliance upon God.

·        The results are the diminishing presence of pride, self-assurance, and self-reliance. Based upon one’s old nature & their remaining remnant of sin, the cleansing of these sinful natures may be more difficult than for others.

·        ‘Poor in Spirit’ essentially means that one has a consciousness that he is nothing in the presence of God. It is that tremendous awareness of his complete nothingness as he comes face-to-face with God. This awareness results in an utter and complete humble bowing at the throne of Grace.

·        To be ‘poor in spirit’ is to be completely delivered from and absent of any right to the things of heaven apart from God-the Father’s choosing, God-Holy Spirit’s regenerating & empowering, and God-the Son’s propitiating (atoning).

Righteousness Through Faith in Christ (Philippians 3:1-11)

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.