Scripture

If the way you live isn’t consistent with what you {say you} believe, then it is wrong.

~Romans 14:23, MSG

Quote

Your beliefs shape your values; your values shape your life. Our life is a clearly crafted picture picture book of our creed.

~Franklin Graham

I am convicted by many things that I read. I have a devotional called PROVERBS FOR MEN. I got it to help me with the devotions at the BREAKFAST WITH THE BIBLE meetings. Today entry was by Franklin Graham. It is easy for some of us to state our beliefs, but if we are to remain credible, we have to incarnate our doctrine. Franklin says, “For too many talk about what they believe but they don’t put it into practice; they do not live out their faith.” I was at a meeting last Monday night and I sat down by one of my old buddies. Another preacher entered the room and intended to sit beside me, because my friend had got up to get a cup of coffee. He saw that he was losing his seat so he came back to his chair. The other preacher said, “I didn’t know you knew Jack. How long have you known each other.” Of course, I answered the question before my friend had a chance to speak. I said, “We have known each other for more than forty years. We use to play softball aganist one another.” My friend went to laughing. I had quiet a reputation as a softball player, but not in the way that you think. I was highly competitive. The truth is, I am a horrible sport. I am a gracious winner {some of the time} but a horrible loser. I was known for my outburst of disgust with a call or an error on my part. What I hated most was grounding into a double play.

Let me tell you what my friend said after a horse laugh. “Yeah, Jack and I go way back. We played against him several times. One night someone ask me, ‘who is that guy in left field?’ I said, ‘that is the pastor’ and they said, “What! He is the pastor!” Trust me folks, this was no compliment. I was listening to John Bunyan’s GRACE ABOUNDING TO THE CHIEF OF SINNERS, and he said something that was very encouraging to me. He said one of his common feelings was to feel like a hypocrite. I couldn’t believe my ears. I know I love Jesus and I love people. There are some that I don’t like, but at times I don’t like Jack, but I am sure that I hate no one. With that said, I fail miserably. Oh to grace how great a debtor daily I am constrained to be. May His divine goodness, like fetter bind my wandering heart to Him.

I will say this, one picture is worth a thousand words and there is no doubt that our actions speaker louder than our words. James said in chapter 2, verse 22…Abraham proved that his faith was real by what he did {CEV}. LORD help us live our faith and practice what we preach.

Extra

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