• March 26, 2020
• By Elder Bert
• Studies

Blessed Be Nothing

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BLESSED BE NOTHING

This may seem like a poor selection for a title, but what can you expect from a man who has nothing.

For my birthday I received a very special present from my favorite brother in law. It was two blocks of wood hinged together and made to look like a little treasure chest. It was quite ornate with fancy brass corners and a fancy brass hasp to keep it closed. The interesting thing about this chest was that it was solid and there was no room to put anything in it. There was however, written on a piece of paper between the two blocks when you opened the hasp this note, “To the man who has everything”. As usual, he hit the nail right on the head.

NOW THAT I KNOW I HAVE NOTHING, AT LEAST I HAVE SOMETHING TO PUT IT IN! If I seem to sound somewhat confused, well bear with me for a few moments and perhaps there will emerge from this something that will bless you. There is no question, at least in my mind and heart, that God has been present with us, in WORSHIP, PRAISE, WISDOM, AND POWER. YES, POWER. WE’VE SEEN SCRIPTURE FULFILLED, PEOPLE ENDUED WITH “POWER FROM ON HIGH”, just as it was in the beginning. It was not just an experience that we were a witness to in someone else’s life, but a reminder to each of us that this is, God in our midst, still pouring out His “power from on high”. “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

The cry of our heart must never be, teach me to heal, teach me to preach, teach me to teach, teach me to sing, or to play an instrument, or to prophecy. Or to do a hundred other things that we might think are important, but rather, like the disciples of old our cry should be, “TEACH US TO PRAY.” Why? BECAUSE PRAYER WILL BRING DOWN “POWER FROM ON HIGH ” And beloved, we need that POWER.

The great task of turning the world, upside down, was not done two thousand years ago, nor will it be done today, by intellectual supremacy, or faultless rhetoric, or even spit and holler. If a life of sin has stood you on your head, it will take the POWER FROM ON HIGH to stand you on your feet and get you walking the straight and narrow way. If you feel like a turtle on it’s back, you sure don’t want some roaring steamroller trying to flip you over; you need POWER FROM ON HIGH. Like James says, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

This kind of POWER “you” don’t have. This kind of WISDOM “you” don’t have. YOU ASK FOR IT. AND WHEN YOU GET IT, YOU USE IT AND THANK GOD FOR IT. NOW BE CAREFUL, THIS IS WHERE LOTS OF FOLKS GET IN TROUBLE. Remember asking, when it’s God your asking is praying, and praying to God for something, implies an understanding that God is able to supply what you don’t have. The DANGER lies in thinking you do have it. Back to the TURTLE. In wisdom you gently, mercifully, peaceably, bent down and turned the little fellow over. Now that you have wisdom you think you can apply it anywhere you want to, the next little critter you come to is caught in a bush. So you just bend down to gently, mercifully, and peaceably help him out, but too late you realize it’s a skunk. And all the sudden, you sweet thing, you’re hard to be around!!

You see, when we think we have something, we are no longer ” poor in spirit ” Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matt 5:3
4434 ptochos {pto-khos’}
AV – poor (30)
– beggar (2)
– poor man (1)
– beggarly (1) [34]

1) reduced to beggary, begging, asking alms

2) destitute of wealth, influence, position, honour; lowly, afflicted: destitute of the Christian virtues and eternal riches; helpless, powerless to accomplish an end

3) lacking in anything: as respects their spirit, i.e. destitute of wealth of learning and intellectual culture which the schools afford (men of this class most readily give themselves
up to Christ’s teaching and proved them selves fitted to lay hold of the heavenly treasure)

If we desire to see the Kingdom of God happen around us, then we must utterly depend on Christ the King. What does it mean to have the Kingdom of God happen?

When you see a need and know you need Jesus to meet it, and you ask, and He meets it, then the Kingdom of God has happened. When POWER FROM ON HIGH flows down, and Jesus ministering to His Church and through His Church turns lives from sin to righteousness, there the Kingdom of God is happening.

What is the chief cause of lacking the POWER FROM ON HIGH? You know it, I know it, yes, and we all know it. “Prayerlessness” IF THIS WORD DOESN’T CHANGE YOU, IT’S NOT BECAUSE THE WORD IS NOT GOOD,
OR NOT TRUE, OR NOT NEEDED, BUT BECAUSE NOT ENOUGH PRAYER WAS POURED OVER IT. IF YOUR LIFE LACKS POWER FROM ON HIGH, IT’S NOT BECAUSE YOU DON’T
NEED IT, OR WANT IT, IT’S MORE THAT WE THINK WE CAN GET ALONG WITHOUT IT.

PRAYER IS THE LANGUAGE OF A PERSON BURDENED WITH A SENSE OF NEED. IT’S THE VOICE OF A BEGGAR,CONSCIOUS OF THEIR POVERTY. THE “POOR IN SPIRIT” PRAY. IT’S MORE THAN JUST LACK, IT’S FEELING THAT LACK, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT LACK, A WRESTLING ATTITUDE OF THE SOUL THAT WON’T LET GO UNTIL THE POWER FROM ON HIGH BRINGS REST.

“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith
the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. What should our response be?

“I ACCEPT THE REBUKE AND THE CHASTENING, AND I REPENT”

LACK OF PRAYER SHOWS GOD WE ARE NOT POOR IN SPIRIT, BUT SAYS TO HIM “I AM RICH, AND INCREASED WITH GOODS, AND HAVE NEED OF NOTHING”.
“GOD FORGIVE US, AND HELP US TO BE POOR IN SPIRIT, THAT WE MIGHT BE PART OF THE PURPOSE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD”

IN THE WORDS OF A VERY DEAR FRIEND, “BLESSED BE NOTHING”.

PAUL WRITES TO THE CORINTHIAN CHRISTIANS,

“As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things”. 2 Corinthians 6:10

In Covenant Love, Bert