July 6th, 2022
The Upward Look, by Jon Forrest
A Spiritual Checkup
When was the last time you had an appointment with your Primary Care Provider for a physical check-up? It is recommended that everyone get that Physical once a year. The reason is that small physical issues can get to be gigantic ones if not caught early. Any kind of cancer can go all through your body if you don’t find it while it is in the early stages.
If you think physical problems can get out of hand quickly, just imagine how fast a spiritual issue can spread through your life. Once it gets a foothold on your life, it is extremely difficult to eradicate it because habits don’t let go easily. We need a daily checkup on our spiritual health on a daily basis. So, how can you check for spiritual issues? Just like the physical issues, you first look for vital signs. You see signs of life. Jesus gave us a great measuring stick in the first verses of his great Sermon on the Mount in what we call THE BEATITUDES. Here they are in Matthew 5:3-12…
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The Great theologian and pastor A.W. Tozer had a unique take on this when he gave us seven questions for self-discovery to consider. These questions, if answered honestly, speak volumes about our spiritual health.
They are:
If you can honestly answer these questions with one of the Beatitudes, you are probably in pretty good shape. But the more of them that can’t be answered that way, the more issues you may have that need to be addressed through prayer and Bible Study. God wants us to be at peak performance in our walk with Him every day. Prayer, devotional Bible reading, Sunday School, morning worship attendance giving us fellowship, teaching, prayer and the Lord’s Supper regularly can keep our batteries charged. Time spent sharing our testimony about the good news of Jesus Christ with others and spending time in meditating on God and His Word will heal the spiritual maladies that have been afflicting us.
This Sunday, Roger Early, member of First Christian Church who has Tumbleweed Campground Chaplaincy at Travelers World west of town will bring our morning message titled The Beatitudes, A Different Look. He has shown me his notes and I know that he will bring us some special insights into these powerful words of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I am looking forward to hearing his message and I hope you will join me in hearing this well thought out sermon. Pray for Roger and for us, that the Holy Spirit will lead and guide him and us into very important truth for our lives. We can all use a Spiritual Checkup.
Ready for Inspection,
Jon
A Spiritual Checkup
When was the last time you had an appointment with your Primary Care Provider for a physical check-up? It is recommended that everyone get that Physical once a year. The reason is that small physical issues can get to be gigantic ones if not caught early. Any kind of cancer can go all through your body if you don’t find it while it is in the early stages.
If you think physical problems can get out of hand quickly, just imagine how fast a spiritual issue can spread through your life. Once it gets a foothold on your life, it is extremely difficult to eradicate it because habits don’t let go easily. We need a daily checkup on our spiritual health on a daily basis. So, how can you check for spiritual issues? Just like the physical issues, you first look for vital signs. You see signs of life. Jesus gave us a great measuring stick in the first verses of his great Sermon on the Mount in what we call THE BEATITUDES. Here they are in Matthew 5:3-12…
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The Great theologian and pastor A.W. Tozer had a unique take on this when he gave us seven questions for self-discovery to consider. These questions, if answered honestly, speak volumes about our spiritual health.
They are:
- What do I want most?
- What do I think about most?
- How do I use the money that God has given to me?
- What do I do with my private, leisure time?
- Whose company do I enjoy most and why?
- Who and what do I admire the most?
- What do I laugh at?
If you can honestly answer these questions with one of the Beatitudes, you are probably in pretty good shape. But the more of them that can’t be answered that way, the more issues you may have that need to be addressed through prayer and Bible Study. God wants us to be at peak performance in our walk with Him every day. Prayer, devotional Bible reading, Sunday School, morning worship attendance giving us fellowship, teaching, prayer and the Lord’s Supper regularly can keep our batteries charged. Time spent sharing our testimony about the good news of Jesus Christ with others and spending time in meditating on God and His Word will heal the spiritual maladies that have been afflicting us.
This Sunday, Roger Early, member of First Christian Church who has Tumbleweed Campground Chaplaincy at Travelers World west of town will bring our morning message titled The Beatitudes, A Different Look. He has shown me his notes and I know that he will bring us some special insights into these powerful words of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I am looking forward to hearing his message and I hope you will join me in hearing this well thought out sermon. Pray for Roger and for us, that the Holy Spirit will lead and guide him and us into very important truth for our lives. We can all use a Spiritual Checkup.
Ready for Inspection,
Jon
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