Simple strong steady Christian living...

Hello from J’town, Kentucky.  Our weather here has been a bear recently, 60 degrees one day and -4 two days later with 10 inches of ice and snow in between.  I’m adjusting to including a plan B in my plans.  Spring is on the horizon and winter knows it.  Old winter just refuses to give in, but as we all know and take comfort in, spring is just around the corner.  I’m glad.  It will be so good to see the flowers popping up and the trees budding out again. 

The Watterson Trail congregation is doing just fine, continuing in the Way of Jesus Christ in simplicity and steadiness.  It seems that the world around us moves further and further away from these three principles:  continuance, simplicity, and steadfastness.  Is faith in God (What does Hebrews 11:6 tell us about faith?), repentance (When we sin, saying “I’m sorry” and changing our hearts, minds, and actions is common sense), confession (Either we deny Jesus as the Christ or we confess His as the Christ.  There is no in between), baptism (No matter what people say or teach, baptism is required because Jesus declared it to be), and true Christian living so difficult to understand?  Why do some feel as though these basic principles are from some bygone era and should be discounted as “old-fashioned” and irrelevant in this, our modern-day society?  The Bible is a very old book; still relevant, still vibrant, still alive, still convicting, still needed, still true.

Ephesians 4 teaches us about Christian living.  Take a look.  We are to “walk worthy” of our calling.  How?  Be humble, gentle, patient, loving, always endeavoring to maintain the “unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  God gave each one of us individual personal gifts and responsibilities so that the church of Christ would be strong and growing.  We are to be mature in our thinking, speech, and actions, not like little children who are sometimes easily led astray from the right path.  We must not be ignorant, but always reading, studying, learning, and growing in Christ Jesus.  We must put off the old person of the world, the person who followed their own desires rather than Christ’s desires and wear the new person in Christ, the person who is righteous and holy.  We must never lie.  We must always tell the truth in love.  We must never be angry and sin.  Being angry is not sinful.  Being angry and staying angry is sinful.  Being angry and refusing to find correction is sinful.  When we are angry, we give the devil an advantage.  We must not let the sun go down on our anger.  We must never steal.  We must work to provide for ourselves and for others who are in need.  We must never curse, gossip, or speak in such a way that hurts others.  We must always measure our speech so that the things we say provide wisdom, strength, and positive change in the world around us.  When we speak words of bitterness, anger, and hate we grieve the Holy Spirit of God.  Words can kill or heal.  I choose words that heal.  We must always be kind, merciful, and forgiving.  Every person I know has a bad day occasionally.  God in Christ forgives us.  Shouldn’t we do the same for others?  Living the Christian life is truly the best way, the only way to live.