The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount produces a sense of despair in the natural man— exactly what Jesus means for it to do. As long as we have some self-righteous idea that we can carry out our Lord’s teaching, God will allow us to continue until we expose our own ignorance by stumbling over some obstacle in our way. Only then are we willing to come to Him as paupers and receive from Him. “Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . .” This is the first principle in the kingdom of God. The underlying foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is poverty, not possessions; not making decisions for Jesus, but having such a sense of absolute futility that we finally admit, “Lord, I cannot even begin to do it.” Then Jesus says, “Blessed are you . . .” ( Matthew 5:11  ). This is the doorway to the kingdom, and yet it takes us so long to believe that we are actually poor! The knowledge of our own poverty is what brings us to the proper place where Jesus Christ accomplishes His work.

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

July 21, 2010

I am demoralized again by my propensity to do the wrong thing, even as it appears that I am traveling along the right road. Once again I was feeling so “full of my spiritual self”…and then….whoa, what a slippery slope. Once again I failed, and feel so unworthy.

And God says….”Be poor in Spirit by realizing that you can do nothing good without Me; your works your “goodness” nor your very best even comes close to being acceptable to Me. When you come to the end of yourself by realizing that you must give up, then I can begin my work in you, from the inside out. Your constant failures should only reinforce the knowledge that apart from Me you can do nothing. Stay in Me. How do you do this?

Pray without ceasing or as you say, stay connected, and when you fall, and you will this side of heaven, get up dust yourself off, and reach out and up for Me. Nothing can separate you from My love. Not even your constant failures. Those simply convert themselves into an honest poor spirit that I can use and bless.

I love you so much I give you the opportunity to choose. When you choose Me you choose to be poor in your own Spirit and whatever brings you back to this decision …works for the good.

 I turned the horrible image of the cross into a sign of love and grace and hope. I can turn your failures into life and life more abundantly.