Hello again from my pen to your heart,
Have you ever read this powerful statement? “If you believe what you like about the Gospel, and reject what you do not like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself.” (AUGUSTINE 354 A.D.)
My friend Jim Mackey writes, “The Word of God has to be the standard for believers.” Let me say it this way, “it is the standard for all believers regardless of what governments or modern cultural thoughts and philosophies might become.”
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD SOMEONE SAY, “SURELY, THE BIBLE CAN’T MEAN THAT?”
HAVE YOU READ, “TRADITION CAN MAKE THE WORD OF GOD TO NONE EFFECT?”
HAVE YOU HEARD OVEREMPHASIS ON CERTAIN SUBJECTS BEYOND BIBLICAL EMPHASIS?
HAVE YOU HAD A TENDENCY TO MAKE YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, A STANDARD BY WHICH OTHERS MEASURE WHAT THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED IN GOD?
I feel a responsibility to place an emphasis, as Paul did in Ephesians 4:1, on the way we walk. We are not to walk according to the fashion of this world.
- WALK WORTHY OF YOUR CALLING. EPH.4:1
- WALK WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. PHIL.1:27
- WALK WORTHY OF THE LORD, COL.1:10
- WALK WORTH OF GOD, 1 THES, 2:4
- WALK WORTHY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 2 THES. 1:5
- WALK WORTHY OF HIS CALLING. 2 THES. 1:11
On occasion you may see someone on television, suspected of driving under the influence, asked to walk the line. This of course is to see if their response is impaired that they would be a danger to themselves and to others. Could it be that we are seeing individuals who are inebriated by the spirit of this world. Ephesians 5:16-17 carries a great deal of weight in this matter:
“Watch your step. (WATCH YOUR WALK) Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!
17 Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.
18-20 Don’t drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink the Spirit of God, huge drafts of him. Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to Christ. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ.”
In Him,
Pastor Cleddie Keith