By Aksel Smith 1) We are not indebted to the flesh. Rom. 8:12. Since we do not owe the flesh anything, it must to be a true joy for us as Jesus’ followers not to give it the least nourishment, in ourselves or in others. The desire of the flesh is death. Why then nurture death in ourselves or in others? 2) Let no one deceive you with empty words. Eph. 5:6. The person who does not constantly preserve the mind’s unshakable firmness before God’s face is deceived. Empty words are a great master at deception. They are filled with folly. The person who speaks empty words reveals his folly, and the person who listens to them is unfaithful to God. By being constantly on the alert, you can arrive at the place that through God’ power, you are not deceived. 3) The person who defends his folly can do so only by covering it with new folly. 4) A rich and satisfied soul will speak about everything but God. You get the sense that you are standing outside the door of the person’s heart like Jesus did with the church of Laodicea. If you take something from the storehouse of your heart and give it to him, it is not received, and you depart, downhearted, with the feeling that your holiest possession, your purest life of Jesus Christ in you, has been trampled down. You did not find any nourishment in this brother. Jesus says that such people are poor and wretched and naked and blind, but they do not know it. Jesus is standing outside their hearts, and you who are poor in spirit also remain standing outside. Jesus enters only as the One who is poor, yet making many rich. Jesus says that he, who receives you, receives Him, and He goes in to those who are poor in spirit. They will be exalted and made to sit among princes, but the rich will be cast down into the dust. Therefore He says that he who overcomes will sit together with Him on His throne. Who, then, is the one who overcomes, except the one who goes in and out in his poverty and finds pasture? It is necessary that these things are practiced for life’s increase. Go only to the hungry! Jesus went to such people. If you have Jesus’ Spirit, then you will walk in His steps. Those who are poor in spirit are often the lowliest in the assembly. You could ask, “Can anything come of such a soul? Can anything good come from Nazareth, that old hovel in Galilee? A twig out of dry ground? Maybe there are greater opportunities in another place, more talents, greater riches, some people with more influence? Wouldn’t it be of greater significance to win them?” The Scriptures say that God makes the lowly into a thousand. “He who has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.” Prov. 22:9. “He who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.” V. 16. Vanity strives for great things, but God blesses that which is lowly. It is more profitable to sit alone with those who are alone but who hunger for the Bread of Life than to be together with a hundred who are rich in spirit. For God is present in the first instance, but in the latter He stands outside.