Let's look at what Jesus said about those who have the kingdom of Heaven.

We find it at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount and it is His first declaration in what has become known as the beatitudes. This first beatitude sets the tone for the others. Here it is as it is translated in the traditional King James Version,

Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3 - NKJV

Look now at that same beatitude in a more recent translation,

Oh the bliss of those who realise the destitution of their own lives for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven here and now.

Matthew 5:3 - William Barclay's New Testament translation

The traditional translation of this beatitude leaves most people puzzled as to its implication. The translation by William Barclay on the other hand has a much greater directness and plainness to it. Suddenly we start to see it has immediate relevance to our here and now existence. We start to see that this beatitude is declaring a principle of the Kingdom of Heaven. I will call it the kingdom of Heaven principle.

In your heart do you find a longing to have the kingdom of Heaven as part of your daily experience? The kingdom of Heaven principle declared in this beatitude is telling you when this will occur for you.

If you want the kingdom of God to be evident in your life then you're going to have to bring this kingdom of Heaven principle into your daily living. Your emotional life and spiritual life are going to have to come in line with this principle.

So we can get a hold on this let's take a look back to our experience of eternal salvation.

Ask yourself, "How was I saved?" As for me, I was saved when I hungered for God and realised I couldn't come to God by my own efforts. My own life was destitute of anything it might take to bring me into an intimate relationship with God. It was coming to this realisation that brought me to the realisation that I absolutely needed Jesus. I realised only He could bring me to God.

Jesus stated it very plainly,

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 14:6 - NKJV

I started to see the kingdom of God because of my realisation that I needed Jesus. I realised what I possessed didn't even begin to give me access to our Heavenly Father. Goodness knows I'd tried, I'd tried a multitude of things and ways. Nothing even got me near - I realised the destitution of my own life.

The apostle Paul outlines this required realisation when writing to Titus about eternal salvation. He wrote,

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Titus 3:5-6 - NKJV

Jesus brought me to God and so the kingdom of Heaven became mine here and now. I was born again by the Word of God. God raised me up out of sin to sit together with Christ. My life was translated from the kingdom of darkness to have place in the kingdom of God.

This is exactly what the apostle Paul described to the church at Colosse,

Giving thanks to the Father...He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

Colossians 1:12 - 13 - NKJV

What is the kingdom of Heaven principle as the first beatitude declares it? It is straightforwardly this, if you want to have the kingdom of God here and now you have to realise the destitution of your own life. You have to come to the place where you say and pray,

"It's not in me. I haven't got what it takes to even begin to partake of the kingdom of God and all that is available in it. God, I need You. I need You to do it, to arrange it, to work it out."

The default setting of human life is this: you have majesty in your realm and you're on your own until you ask for help. God's gift to man of free choice has set things up that way. God says, "You choose. I've presented you with free choice in your life. I will not interfere. I will only come on the scene at your invitation." What I've seen and heard in my life has fully persuaded me that my very best course of action is to choose to call out to the Lord for help.

Let's look at a practical example of doing this. How do you normally start your day? Do you wash, dress and rush straight out into your day? If you do, what happens then? You have to get on with it. You have to get on with it on your own with your own strength, talents. skills and training. There was no calling upon the Lord so the Lord looks on and doesn't get involved. In those circumstances, are you likely to see the kingdom of God manifest around you in your day? No! Why not? Because you haven't conformed or lined up your life with the kingdom of Heaven principle declared in the Beatitudes,

Oh the bliss of those who realise the destitution of their own lives for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven here and now.

Matthew 5:3 - William Barclay's translation

By default you've declared you have what it takes and you're getting on with it. And God's stands back and lets you.

How do you change this default setting? You call out to God with words something like this,

"I just haven't got anything going for me compared to Your capabilities and resources. Lord, be my strength and guide. Be my provider and my wisdom."

A good place to get started with learning how to pray like that is in the psalms of David.

You, truly, can have in your life the kingdom of Heaven here and now. Follow the kingdom of Heaven principle.