Pastor Ralph Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 Q2. (Matthew 5:3-4) Why is it necessary to be aware of your spiritual poverty before you can become a Christian? What kind of mourning is necessary for a person to become a Christian? What kind of mourning is a common experience of Christians? (See Isaiah 61:2-3; Ezekiel 9:4.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dand Posted December 29, 2007 Report Share Posted December 29, 2007 So many times I see religious people who are following after traditions and the "form of Godliness". I believe until we are drawn by His Spirit and we respond to His calling, can we ever see the Lord. He is desirous to have a relationship with us, yet by only doing the religious forms of the church, we can never truly have that intimacy with the living God. Church is good, worship, fellowship, and being faithful are all desperately needed, yet we must have that sense of lack and need for the Savior to truly cross over into relationship. There many seeking, however, it does seem that only a few find that rich presence with our Lord. Not through our desire to be good or even to serve in the church. Christ freely gives Himself to us. It is free for the taking, yet it will cost us everything to truly be united with Him. The Beatitudes in the place for us to discover the depths of His love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabatha Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 Q2. (Matthew 5:3-4) Why is it necessary to be aware of your spiritual poverty before you can become a Christian? What kind of mourning is necessary for a person to become a Christian? What kind of mourning is a common experience of Christians? (See Isaiah 61:2-3; Ezekiel 9:4.) Each Beatitude tells how to be blessed. " Blessed " means more than happiness. It implies the fortunate or enviable state of those who are in God's kingdom. The Beatitudes don't promise laughter, pleasure, or earthly prosperity. To Jesus " blessed means the experience of hope and joy,Independent of outward circumstances. To find hope and joy, the deepest form of happiness follow Jesus no matter what the cost. With Jesus announcement that the kingdom was near( 4-17 ) people were naturally asking "How do I qualify to be in God's kingdom? Jesus said that God's kingdom is organized diferently from worldly kingdoms. In the kingdom of heaven, wealth and power and authority are unimportant. Kingdom people seek different blessings and benefits, and they have different attitudes. Are your attitudes a carbon copy of the world's selfishness, pride and **** for power. Or do they reflect the humility and self-sacrifice of Jesus, YOUR KING! (Isaiah 61: 2-3 ) To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn. (3) and provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes. the oil of gladness. instead of mourning, and a garment of praise. instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness. a planting of the Lord. for the display of His splendor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic Posted January 12, 2008 Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 Q2. (Matthew 5:3-4) Why is it necessary to be aware of your spiritual poverty before you can become a Christian? What kind of mourning is necessary for a person to become a Christian? What kind of mourning is a common experience of Christians? (See Isaiah 61:2-3; Ezekiel 9:4.) Unless we can see ourselves as spritually bankrupt we will not see the need to have a saviour. We first have to recognise our need of Jesus and to realise that without Him there is nothing before we can come to the point of accepting Him. If we were were financially rich we would not need any one to give us money. It is very much the same with the spirit. If we see ourselves as being spiritually rich we would be led to believe that we have no need of Jesus as a saviour which is the basis of Christianity. I believe that we should be mournful / sorrowful of our state. That is the fact that we are lost in sin and condemned to death. We need to be in a state of mourning over the sin that we are caught in up that is slowing killing us spiritually. We need to be mourning over the fact that we are separated from God because of these sins. This is what leads to true repentance and comforting by God. As Christians we see many things that cause us to mourn. Loved ones who are still livng in sin, oppression of the weak and poor, mistreatment of others, murders and so many others. One other thing that causes us to mourn is when we sin, when we turn away from God and do the things that He do not want us to do or don't do the thing that He does ask us to do. When the reality hits us we mourn over these things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosemary NoVA Posted January 12, 2008 Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 Q2. (Matthew 5:3-4) Why is it necessary to be aware of your spiritual poverty before you can become a Christian? What kind of mourning is necessary for a person to become a Christian? What kind of mourning is a common experience of Christians? (See Isaiah 61:2-3; Ezekiel 9:4.) When a person is feeling satisfied & satiated in life, he or she may not realize or even be concerned that God desires his or her fellowship. Wealth, popularity and other abundances can mask a person's innate need for a relationship with God. But Jesus died for all while we were yet sinners. Often a crisis will spark the realization of spiritual poverty. Another catalyst to a Godly spiritual awakening is being served by someone from whom God's love is flowing. It is compelling to seek God when his servants are observed serving quietly with GODLY love, joy peace, patience kindness goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and temperance. And, Jesus promises that for whoever knocks, the door will be open to him. Whoever seeks, he will find... Regarding mourning -- the Ezek 9 scripture seems to be the mourning of the intercessor crying out for MERCY. The Isaiah passage speaks to the rescue of the persecuted. Evil will be judged and the oppressed will then be freed from captivity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majestic Dancer Posted January 12, 2008 Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 At first I was not sure of this question but after reading others replies I now understand. If you have everything you dont need anything because you have or can get it. You have to desire the things of God to want to learn and grow in him. If you dont recognize how you need him you wont go after him. I have always loved God and have asked for things and have cried to him. When he called me I was afraid to come to him, I knew he was there but I did not recognize how he needed me to serve him. I now recognize how the spirit can help me so I need to recognize where I am in how God wants us to be, likehim. How can you go into something that you dont know about? How can you change when you dont know what needs to be changed? How can you recognize the need if you dont know where you should be? Knowing the father helps us to want to be like him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Posted January 12, 2008 Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 a. "Spiritual Poverty," such harsh words. I prefer "Intentional Self Induced Filing of Spiritual Bankruptcy." The literal emptying yourself of all desire to exercise personal self-will and to have renounced all preconceived opinions in a wholehearted search for God. Willingly setting aside your present habits of thought, present views and prejudices, your present way of life if necessary; to eject, in fact, anything and everything that can stand in the way of your finding God. We tend to reject God because we have great possessions, not unlike the Rich Young Ruler who missed one of the great opportunities of history, and "turned away sorrowful because he had great possession." Our great possessions (not necessarily always money) being preconceived ideas, confidence in our own judgment, ideas with which we happen to be familiar; spiritual pride born of academic distinction; sentimental or material attachment to institutions and organizations; life habits we have no desire to renounce; concern about human respect or fear of public ridicule...or maybe just being heavily invested in worldly honor and distinction. "Intentional Self Induced Filing of Spiritual Bankruptcy" frees us from these possessions that keep us chained to the rock of suffering that is our exile from God. b. Mourning and sorrow is not in itself a good thing...the Will of God is that everyone should experience happiness and joyous success. Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." But...trouble and suffering are often useful, because most people will not bother to learn the Truth until driven to do so by sorrow and failure. Mourning and sorrow then become a relatively good things. c. There is really no need for a Christian to have trouble which results in mourning. He always has the choice of learning by spiritual unfoldment (the WORD and PRAYER) or by painful experience, and it is his own fault if he makes the latter choice. This general principle applies to every one of our difficulties as heirs of flesh. Our understanding that if we seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness (His way of Doing and Being) typically comes after mourning over trouble, and sin. So our remorse can be a blessing in disguise in that we will be comforted or be able to experience the Presence of God, which is the end of all mourning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom.nabors Posted January 12, 2008 Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 Until a person realizes they are spiritually destitute they will believe they can save themselves just as the Pharisees did. Only when a person realizes his or her desparate and powerless condition before a holy God will they turn to Him for mercy. A person must be mournful about his or her own sins. They must see the enormity of their crime of rebellion, of playing god and denying the just and righteous God the worship and obedience He deserves. And then they must be truly sorry for it. Christians mourn over the injustice they see in the world, the abominations and sin in the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Karen Posted January 12, 2008 Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. I am making everything new!" (Revelation 21:4-5) What is the answer to this riddle of the mourners being blessed by comfort? We mourn in our emptiness and purposelessness and pain, and are comforted by Jesus' salvation and the presence of his Spirit. We mourn with Jesus, too, and are comforted by his Return and the consummation of his Reign. These are words of comfort and to me they are a promise of better things to come but how do you answer a person who has given up (poor in spirit) yet believes these words. My niece committed suicide and from conversations with her I think she wanted no more death or crying or pain and chose to go to Jesus. I know it's not what Christ was teaching but that's as far as she got in her walk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VollieFireman Posted January 12, 2008 Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 It is necessary to be aware of your spiritual poverty because you know that you cannot live on this earth alone. One must be in relation with God the Father before they can be in relation with each other. Knowing that our spirit is weak means that we will always be dependent on God and not of worldly things. The kind of mourning that is necessary is to our sin. It should break our hearts, as it does the Father Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elwood C O'Dell Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 Our awareness of spiritual poverty can become a part of the driving force that causes us to seek Him with all our heart. The mourning which is necessary for a person to become a Christian is that which causes them to have a humbleness of heart and be willing to express Godly sorrow for their sins. As a Christian one mourns over the devastation and injustice that sin causes in the lives of mankind and then gets involved in ways to help those in these situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxanne Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 Q2. (Matthew 5:3-4) Why is it necessary to be aware of your spiritual poverty before you can become a Christian? What kind of mourning is necessary for a person to become a Christian? What kind of mourning is a common experience of Christians? (See Isaiah 61:2-3; Ezekiel 9:4. WE HAVE TO BE BROKEN IN EVERY WAY ..THAT WILL LEAD US TO JESUS AND WANT THE OLD TAKEN OFF AND THE NEW PUT ON WE ARE A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST BY THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT HE TAKES AWAY ALL THE MOURING ANDTHE CRYING ETC ..HE COMES INTO OUR HEARTS ..RENEWS OUR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND WE PRAISE AND WORSHIP HIM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxanne Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 Q2. (Matthew 5:3-4) Why is it necessary to be aware of your spiritual poverty before you can become a Christian? What kind of mourning is necessary for a person to become a Christian? What kind of mourning is a common experience of Christians? (See Isaiah 61:2-3; Ezekiel 9:4. WE HAVE TO BE BROKEN IN EVERY WAY ..THAT WILL LEAD US TO JESUS AND WANT THE OLD TAKEN OFF AND THE NEW PUT ON WE ARE A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST BY THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT HE TAKES AWAY ALL THE MOURING ANDTHE CRYING ETC ..HE COMES INTO OUR HEARTS ..RENEWS OUR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND WE PRAISE AND WORSHIP HIM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjj Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 Spiritual Poverty: Unless we go to the cupboard and see that it is empty and feel the hunger we are in a state of denial and ignorance. . Before becoming a Christian many people feel empty and have no direction or understanding of who they are. They mourn the potential of what they feel they could be. An experience common to Christians is to identify with Christ as he wept over Jerusaalem. To look at what happens in world causes us to realise that those who do not know Christ are destined to dwell in hell forever. To know Christ's suffering and God's frustration causes us to mourn. The promise of the oil of gladness gives us hope and understanding of what we have in Christ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katef Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 If you think you have it all, you will seek no more. If you think you have nothing, you will search. I had to be aware of my spiritual poverty before I could believe there was a reason to listen and read the Bible and the Word, that I could trust and believe what I read and heard. Sometimes you don't know how little you have until you start looking. Like you think you understand calculus, but then when you try to teach it and it evades you. You then realize how little you really understand. This creates a kind of sadness or mourning, and a desire to learn more and understand better. Becoming a Christian is continually learning and applying, listening and following. I experience mourning as a Christian whenever I watch the news. There is a lot of evil, abuse, and misplaced principles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s8nfighter Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 Q2. (Matthew 5:3-4) Why is it necessary to be aware of your spiritual poverty before you can become a Christian? What kind of mourning is necessary for a person to become a Christian? What kind of mourning is a common experience of Christians? (See Isaiah 61:2-3; Ezekiel 9:4.) I don't know that if I was aware of any spiritual poverty before I became a Christian. All I knew was that I hated the life I was living and guilt of past sins kept me living that llife. It was when the LORD spoke to me and said, "Your sins are forgiven." that I became a Christian. You see I was weeping and crying over the sins I had committed, the sins which are commonly associated with being an alcoholic. The kind of mourning most common in churches today is seeing the sins around us, but Jesus says that it is observing the sin within us is what sets us free to recieve Him. Matt. 9:11 ("Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.") niv Darrell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DZION Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 Q2. (Matthew 5:3-4) Why is it necessary to be aware of your spiritual poverty before you can become a Christian? What kind of mourning is necessary for a person to become a Christian? What kind of mourning is a common experience of Christians? (See Isaiah 61:2-3; Ezekiel 9:4.) To become a Christian you must first ask Jesus into your life as your LORD and Savior. If you do not know that anything is missing, if you do not know what it is that is needed, you cannot ask for it. You do not know you are in spiritual poverty. So you must become aware of the spiritual poverty in order to seek God. We mourn the lack of knowledge of God, we long to seek His Face. This makes us hungry for His word. Christians today mourn the lack of morality, the sinfulness of the world today. The injustices done to others and to us as Christians. These things make us cry out to God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisbarak Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 It is necessary to acknowlege our spiritual poverty before becoming a Christian--we needed to understand that we were the worst of sinners, mourn & acknowlege the price Jesus paid to forgive us our sins. Commonly, for Christians, we mourn over the sin & devastation in the world, and in the fate of the unsaved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanMary Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 Q2. (Matthew 5:3-4) Why is it necessary to be aware of your spiritual poverty before you can become a Christian? What kind of mourning is necessary for a person to become a Christian? What kind of mourning is a common experience of Christians? (See Isaiah 61:2-3; Ezekiel 9:4.) In my life, I had to come to the end of myself...my plans, resources, experiences, before I even knew I was poverty stricken spiritually, and needed a Savior. I couldn't ask for Him until I realized I wasn't enough, then I sought Him with all my heart, and He sent people to share with me how to receive Him. The mourning I did was for my past sins, and for the years spent living in darkness apart from my precious Lord and Savior. I grieved for the injuries I'd done to others, and for choices I'd made which took me down paths I wished I hadn't taken. (Although as the years have gone by, I see how He has used all of those things for good and for His glory in that I feel compassion for sinners instead of self righteousness, and are a platform to share about His love and forgiveness) I've wept over evil committed in our world, over the lostness of souls around me, or that I've read about in the newspaper. I live near San Francisco, and I've mourned over the degradation and darkness in that gorgeous city. As I've grown in Christ and in forgiveness, I've mourned over the sins committed against me as a child...death threats by my parents, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.....the mourning brought release to forgive the abusers, and eventually, I mourned for their brokenness and lostness, and that they didn't know Jesus as Lord and Savior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 Q2. (Matthew 5:3-4) Why is it necessary to be aware of your spiritual poverty before you can become a Christian? What kind of mourning is necessary for a person to become a Christian? What kind of mourning is a common experience of Christians? (See Isaiah 61:2-3; Ezekiel 9:4.) Until we are aware of our spiritual emptiness we don't know our need for a Savior. We believe the lies of the devil that we go to church or live pretty good lives so everything is fine. Every culture has its deception and we enter willingly into the deception. We need to realize that we are lost sinners and mourn over our sin. We need genuine repentance so we turn to Jesus. A common mourning for Christians is the understanding of the awfulness of sin, and the terrible fate of those who do not turn with a repentant heart to the atoning blood of the Lamb. We need to pray for each other! God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judeshere Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 It is necessary for us to be aware of our spiritual poverty because we need to realise there is nothing good in us that can please God. Our hearts are evil, and there is nothing in us that desires God. We come to Him, drawn by His Spirit, surrendering our lives to Him. We mourn as we fall into sin time after time. Also for the unsaved, especially for loved ones and friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 Q2. (Matthew 5:3-4) Why is it necessary to be aware of your spiritual poverty before you can become a Christian? What kind of mourning is necessary for a person to become a Christian? What kind of mourning is a common experience of Christians? (See Isaiah 61:2-3; Ezekiel 9:4.) 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. How can you seek Christ un less you first come to understand how lost and hopeless you are and this alone can only lead you to morn for the peace that only the Lord can bring. Only true morning that leads to repentance can bring one to Christ and make you a seeker of God and His Mercy. Morning of a true christian comes in many forms one being for their weakness and failure in living holy lives for the Christ that died for them when we stumble we should be repantant and this bring morning. We should also morn for the lost sould around us knowing that without Christ they have nothing. We morn for the weak and the hungry that they might be fed a strong helping of the Holy Spirit so that they can be stronger in the Lord and His service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean @ Rosehill Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 We have to be aware of our spiritual poverty in order to realize that within ourselves there is no good thing. We must become totally reliant on the grace of God. We must mourn our own sin and lack of righteousness so that we will hunger and thirst after God's righteousness which can only be attained by faith in the Blood of Jesus. Believers grieve over the wickedness in the world. They will be comforted at the return of Jesus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulu 1931 Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 I think that you have to face your faults to know how to correct them, the same thing with your spiritual life. We see other people as well as ourselves doing unchristian things and we mourn for the hurt this brings to Jesus and our heavnely father. We mourn because we are not perfect, the world is not perfect , and we can see no hope that it ever will be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sisterlily Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 We have to be aware of our spiritual poverty to realize we are in need of help from some one namely Jesus the Savior, we have to humble ourselves with a willing spirit to call out to Jesus and believe He will bring the comfort and He will. The mourning needed as a Christian is " I can not do this by myself, I am not able, I need you Jesus" Then the comfort we have received can be given to others we see and know who are in need. We can tell them of the goodness and kindness of Our Lord and give them encouragement to call out to Him as well to know the joy of being poor in spirit and the reward of calling on Jesus who answers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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