cause and effect....the mountain code...

I am going to write about a series I am teaching on cause and effect, the mountain code ,the sermon on the mount, the beatitudes...the most known teaching, but the least understood. I am hoping to shed some light on it for you. If this is the first thing Jesus taught, and the beatitudes are the first thing, from the first thing, than we should really pay attention to this teaching on lifestyle. Blessed are the poor in spirit, is the first mentioned, so we should really take a closer look at what and why.

We know that the beatitudes form the text of Jesus sermon, meaning they are his outline of everything else he is about to share in the code.  The rest of the sermon is His application of the beatitudes

Jesus taught these things and expects us to live them.

It is a teaching on living in the Holy Spirit. Why? because none of it is possible without the Holy Spirit. If you think you can be 'poor in spirit' without the Holy Spirit, then its just reverse pride, or the 'I am a worm' syndrome.

The Kingdom is: invisible - everyone thought it would be visible
                inhabitable - you can actually live in it
                internal - residing in the heart and inherited
                (rom 14:17)because the kingdom of God is not about eating and    
                                                                 drinking. When God reigns, the order of the day is
                                                                 redeeming justice, true peace, and joy made possible
                                                                   by the Holy Spirit.
                                       inherited - no one could inherit until Jesus died
                             and rose again.
                   (heb 9:15)This is why Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant:
                                                                    through His death, He delivered us from the sins that we
                                                                  had built up under the first covenant, and His death has
                                                                     made it possible for all who are called to receive God’s
                                                                  promised inheritance.

  The Kingdom is inseparable  from the Spirit

okay, enough for back ground

Matt 5:3 Blessed are the spiritually poor—the kingdom of heaven is theirs


this is the first. this is the key to all that follows
we cannot be filled until we are first empty

look up psalm 51:17
read Matt 23:12

who is this first talking to ? about ?
them, me, you..

what is poor in spirit?

did you read psalm 51? What sacrifice I can offer You is my broken spirit
    because a broken spirit, O God,  a heart that honestly regrets the past, You won’t detest.

it's not financial, having no money or job.
it isn't even about spiritual awareness
it's about lowly
humble
humility
upside down Kingdom


it's the acknowledgement of spiritual bankruptcy
it's our confession or unworthy before God
it is NOT self hatred.

its that place that I know I need or want Him, more than the things of him.
recognizing spiritual helplessness, want, needy, destitute, humble, low, spiritually incompleteness.
Blessed are those who are know they are wanting, needy, helplessness without me...
do we know that?
do we know how helpless we are without him? or do we go about our day always doing our own thing?

it shatters your pride.
the divine surgery cuts away false illusions you had about yourself.

if you are poor in spirit then God got to you
if you feel totally lost without hope, God will find you

He is looking for the weak, those who know their true need.
do we know how much we need him? do we? do you need Jesus?
do you, do I know how spiritually incomplete we are without Him? without the Holy Spirit?

So why is this one listed first?
it demonstrates the upside down kingdom.
 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (matt 23:12)

we must never outgrow our brokenness. it is our foundation.
I think most of us refuse to be broken.

being poor in spirit is the absence of defensiveness. ouch.
being poor in spirit is the absence of being judgmental. double ouch.
there is no pointing the finger when you are broken.
the one who points the finger needs to be broken.

being broken, poor in spirit is our foundation and superstructure. it is the first mentioned to build upon,
if you don't recognize our own brokenness, poorness, we will never see meekness or self control..

then comes the blessing
the effect of the cause
the immediate consequence of brokenness is the Kingdom of Heaven.

the blessing comes after the obedience.
we want the blessing without the cause. we even make conferences and seminars around the blessing, without the brokenness.

Is this why we don't see the Kingdom of God at hand here?
we aren't truly broken.

we want the icing without the cake. icing without cake is just a pile of lard.

take time today and search it out. don't move on until you feel ready.
embrace the brokenness
then the blessing will come
cause and effect