Our walking thru Matthew...

     Jesus says that if we want to be "ultimately happy" (blessed) one must...


*  admit spiritual bankruptcy - "poor in spirit"
* be sorry over my sin - "mourn"
* be humble and submit before God - "meek"
* crave to live right before God - "hunger and thirst"
* respond to the needs God puts before me - "mercy"
* don't compartmentalize Jesus - "pure in heart"
* share the ultimate answer as Jesus - "peacemaker"
* stand under the pressure of being a Christ follower - "persecuted"


     The ones who do this are the ones who are "the" salt and "the" light of influence to the world.  These ones, them alone and only them are the influence needed to this decaying and dark world.  Ones who have a right and ongoing relationship with God and a relationship with others that shows and speaks Jesus to them.  


     It makes me look inward to evaluate where I am at.  Am I coming back to the Lord on a regular basis thanking Him for the sacrificial death that He did for me?  Am I responding rightly to the sin in my life?  Am I continuing to search our God's will and way and am I willing coming under that direction?  Am I diligent in my seeking after God knowing that He has already been seeking after me?  The mercy gauge of my life:  where is it at?  When God places something or someone in front of me and it tugs my heart and makes me shed a tear do I get off my donkey and get closer to see what God wants done?  The purity gauge of my life:  where is it at?  Do others see a consistent follower of Jesus in all situations?  The peace gauge of my life:  where is it at?  How often do I get in the conversations of life to the subject of Jesus?  The pressure gauge of my life:  where is it at?  Am I getting close enough to people of the world that they even notice a difference if they like it or not?


     I need to spend more time in the Word over my sermon for this week and every week.  I need to continual ask the Lord to open me up more to His leading for the direction of the service on the weekend.  I don't want it to be all academic but to be alive and the application to be so convincing because of the Spirit's prompting.  I long to see true transformation and that starts with me.


Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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