Matt.5: 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
Is.57: 15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth
eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also
that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble,
and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
The Lord God is high and lifted up and He reigns from the
Holiest place of all. He Himself is completely and utterly holy and without one
spot or compromise. He is august in the heavens and He is the Most High God. He
created everything with just a word.
But His love created man and with man He desires fellowship
and He will receive worship. But along the many centuries following the Day of
Pentecost man has embraced a higher vision of himself and his talents and
achievements. And with each inch of human idolatry the true vision of the Lord
God diminishes exponentially. The elevation of man is the death knell for
authentic Christianity. And at the very heart of this humanism is the local
church construct, Christian politicians, the Christian music machine, and
Christian television of course. Humility is considered a weakness. We must
shout at sinners and force our values upon the lost and protest whatever
displeases us. This, sadly, is not following Christ.
But true humility and an authentic poverty of spirit is
very elusive and even unsought in this culture of individualism and
achievement. American believers are not known for their humility. Quite the
contrary, we are known for our moral codes and meeting aggression with
aggression. Even on secular talk shows preachers come on with arguments and
forceful opinions on anything that draws public interest.
It is impossible to understand the holiness and power of
Almighty God without being completely humble and having an understanding of
your own sinfulness and powerlessness. In reality any vision you may have of
God in His glory must be granted to you by grace through His Spirit, and the
Lord gives grace only to the humble.
Ask the most renowned astronomer or cosmologist and all
will tell you that the universe is larger than any human mind can truly
comprehend. We can measure what we can see in light years, but even one light
is beyond our understanding. And what we can see through the Hubble telescope
is over 13 billion light years. And that is just the mind numbing size and
scope of the created universe. So just how powerful must be the Creator? It
brings to mind the Psalmist who said, “What is man that Thou are mindful of
him?”
But as mind boggling as the power and glory of the Divine
Creator is there is something just as unimaginable as that. This Creator,
infinitely powerful and august, desires for and allows us intimacy with Him.
Meditate upon that and let it melt your heart. If you truly desire to walk in
the eternal realm and fellowship with and worship the Savior you must humble
yourself under His mighty hand and He will lift you up.
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Perhaps this statement is irrational in my observation, but in all honesty, "What does humility look like in the church system in the hands of man?"
ReplyDeleteIn all of my adult years, I have not seen accountability in the area of meekness and humility in the church systems built up with human hands, only pride, arrogance, boasting and bragging, jealousy and envying, painful narcissism, conpetition, hidden covetessness, and illusions of human granduer. And one word I hear bandied across the plains of American religion is "leadership."
This one word has become the battle cry of our narcissistic religion coined "Christianity," and the painful wounds and scars worn by Lord's chosen are infinite.
May God, our Holy Father, forgive me for my comments here; perhaps I need to attend a leadership conference to enhance my personal religious portfolio.
You have honestly addressed the sad situation. The church not only has lost any sense of humility, but the church does not even seek it.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteWhat is important is the condition of our heart! If we are desirous to experience revival we ought to pray to the LORD to bless us with a contrite and humble heart.
How do we grow in humility? The key in my opinion to growing in humilty is understanding how rich God Himself is.
The poor in spirit understand somthing of the richness of Their LORD. They understand that He is the source of wisdom, knowledge and happiness.
They know that without Him they can do nothing. They know that Jesus, the sinless Son of God, is both Savior and Lord of Lords.
They know that all other gods except the loving, gracious, compassionate, forgiving God of the Bible are liars. How blessed we are to rejoice in the LORD always!
Truly the Lamb of God is risen!
Blessings to you,
James