Helen, that's good.  Yes, eternal life starts now, not sometime in the future.

earlier, Helen, wrote:
>Hi, Lelia,
>I'm not quite certain of an answer to your question, but when people under
>the Old Covenant in Israel were poor of this world's goods, they submitted
>themselves to those who could help provide for them, and they didn't have
>to beg.  There are examples of this in the Bible, but I won't go into that
>now.  However, it seems to me that Jesus is saying that the poor in spirit,
>are likened to the poor in material goods.  In other words, being poor in
>spirit causes one to be totally dependent on God, emptied of anything in
>them that would cause them to strive for the kingdom of Heaven.  And as a
>person is poor in spirit in this way, then God is able to fill them with
>Himself in the Person of His Son, manifested by the Holy Spirit
>within.  All of their spiritual needs are met as they empty themselves of
>the striving of the flesh to inherit the Kingdom.  Being poor in spirit is
>a wonderful gift from God, and I think it is significant that Jesus
>mentioned that one first, among all the other beatitudes.  Notice that He
>said that the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.  He didn't say it would become
>theirs, or that they would come to it, but it is a present position.
>In His Love,
>Helen
>
>
>Earlier, Lelia Struve wrote:
> >Hi all, ok I have a question and I'm asking not because I know but because I
> >don't know.
> >
> >In Matthew in the b attitudes it says Blessed are the poor in spirit for
> >they shall inherit the kingdom of Heaven what does that mean?  I know what
> >the last part means for they shall inherit the kingdom of heaven but what
> >does the first part mean what are the poor in spirit?
> >
> >Thanks
> >
> >
> >Lelia Struve email [log in to unmask] msn [log in to unmask]

John

   I don't know, I don't care, and it doesn't make any difference