Matthew 5 begins what we know to be the sermon on the mount. The very first verse in this is “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:3 NIV).
So, what does Poor in Spirit mean? How can one be poor spiritually?
The word “poor” in the Greek language is “pto-khos,” which means to be lacking, needy, and reduced to being a persistent beggar.
This verse is saying those people who are consistently begging for God’s spirit will have the kingdom of Heaven because of their eager yearning for God’s Spirit. We, as Christians, have been gifted the Holy Spirit as a comforter and essentially a guidance counselor. We should always yearn for the Spirit to guide us and lead us to do God’s will, and as Christ said, the Kingdom of Heaven will be theirs.
Dear Father, you have gifted us your Holy Spirit to act as your representatives among the earth to proclaim your good news. Allow your Spirit to teach us, guide us, and mold us to being the best disciples we can be. Amen.
Our world is filled with time-consuming tasks. Whether it be work, school, relationships, and a plethora of other things that could be on your list are consuming large amounts of your time. Early Christians spent much of their days studying, fellowshipping, and praying while also maintaining the same obligations and circumstances we have today. When discussing these things, Modern Christians excuse not having enough time to go to church, read their Bible, or Pray. The truth is that if we constantly make excuses about not having enough time, we never will. We have to make time to spend with God intentionally. We prioritize time to go on dates with our spouses. We make time to get gas before work. We make time to stop at Chick-Fil-A for our 30-minute lunch break. If we can make time for those things, surely we can make intentional time to spend with God. I work a full-time job, go to school full-time, volunteer, and work at my church, which doesn’t include time with my girlfriend, family, and friends. So, I, too, fall into the trap of deceiving myself on “not having enough time.” However, I’ve realized two things; 1. When I make my time with God, the first and most important priority of my day, everything falls in life after my Lord. 2. I need to make God first in everything, every task, conversation, and thought put God first and include him in those things we consider mundane and repetitive. Doing these two things ensures that God comes first in your day and that everything you do during the day, God is included in it whether it be purchases, conversations, or just taking a nap. God is involved in all of those aspects.
Prayer: My Lord, you come first in all things. Forgive me for my excuses for not making time for you, there is no real excuse. Help me stay disciplined and consistent with my priorities and tasks, and let them all fall down and bow to your Lordship just as I. Amen.
Anxiety: a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome (Google)
Anxiety has become a ubiquitous struggle for men and women around the world today. Anxiety can be described as feelings of intense nervousness, restlessness, tension, sense of something dangerous approaching, a moment of panic that urges you to sense the worst thing in or about a situation. This has become a more significant issue due to the varieties of anxieties that can be diagnosed, ranging from very generalized and non-specific anxiety disorders to particular anxiety disorders such as separation anxiety or social anxiety. While some of us may not fall under any of these professionally diagnosed disorders, we all experience feelings of anxiety based upon certain circumstances. Whether it be a life-changing event, financial hardship, or sometimes our educational desires and jobs drive us into anxious states, we all experience it on a micro or macro level. However, there is good news to be shared. The Bible, God’s unchanging Word, has a lot to say about anxiety, and we are even granted access to how to overcome it. The phrase “Fear Not” appears in scripture over 300 times, and there are other verses specifically point out anxiety and why it does not have any power or authority over us.
“If you bow low in God’s awesome presence, he will eventually exalt you as you leave the timing in his hands. Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7
The word Pour here is often translated as “cast” in other English translations, but the Greek word is “epiripto,” which means to throw upon or throw at. God tells us to throw our anxieties and stress at him, and he’ll catch them because he cares for us and loves us.
How Do I Battle Anxiety as a Christian
1. Make Christ Lord over all of your life including your thoughts.
This means submitting all of your thoughts to Christ, both the good thoughts, the evil thoughts, and the thoughts in between.
2. Prayer Habit
Make Prayer a lifestyle consistently. Ask for prayer from trusted spiritual leaders. Prayer is a conversation with God. He already knows your thoughts, and our prayers will often reflect our thoughts. Constantly communicate with Our Father.
3. Take Care of Yourself
Jesus Christ says the two most important commandments are to 1, Love God with everything in you. 2. Love Others as you love yourself. To actively combat the anxiety, you have to care for yourself. The way to do that is to love God fully. It’s essential to love yourself because the way you love yourself is how you’ll love others. Spend time in moments of self-care to properly tend to the needs of the relationships surrounding you. To simplify this: Let yourself Rest!
4. Reach out to Wise Counsel
Wise Counsel in the area of anxiety specifically means seeking out professionals in this area. For believers, consult with Doctor, Counselor, and Pastor to figure out what’s going on while listening to the Holy Spirit to seek what treatments are suitable to you.
Prayer: Father God, you are holy, wholesome, and perfect, and you know our needs, our wants, and our worries. Thank you for taking on my anxiety and caring for me, and curing me of any thoughts that aren’t from Christ.
Revelation 10:8-11 highlights an encounter between John and an angel. The angel instructed John to eat a scroll and assured him that it would be sweet and pleasant, but in his stomach, it would turn bitter and sour.
This passage can present itself as something challenging to comprehend and analyze. We can say that this mysterious scroll is the Word of God. As believers, we experience this bitter-sweetness quite often. The message and goal of the Gospels are sweet and pleasant. However, due to us still being humans, the sacrifices we are obligated to make to live a genuine Christian lifestyle can be challenging; bitter.
After John eats the scroll and experiences everything the Angel said. The Angel then demanded that John go back and prophesy to ALL PEOPLE, of ALL NATIONS, of ALL LANGUAGES, and ALL GOVERNMENTS.
This can apply to us because once we become born again into the Kingdom of God we must accept the sweet and the bitter and do what we as disciples are supposed to do which is to proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ to everyone, because this is what we have been called too.
Many Nations 
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