THEORETICAL CHRISTIANS

                                                               It was A.W. Tozer who said;

"We have today theological saints who can (and

must) be proved to be saints by an appeal to

the Greek original.  We need saints whose lives

proclaim their sainthood,  and who need not run

to the concordance for authentication."

Our Churches today are full of theoretical, theological

or fake Christians.  They may look good, but they are

not the real thing.

I KNOW!

Who made me the judge.

I am not the judge.  Jesus is.

All we have to do is look at the fruit.

"You can identify them by their fruit,

that is, by the way they act.  Can

you pick grapes from thorn bushes,

or figs from thistles?"

(Matthew 7:16 NLT)

"Yes, just as you can identify a 

tree by its fruit, so you can 

identify people by their actions."

(Matthew 7:20 NLT)

Those of us who have raised sheep and goats

know the difference of the "baa" of a sheep as

vs. the bleating of a goat just as you know the 

difference between the meow of a cat as vs.

the bark of a dog.

Christians, that is the true children or family

of God, have characteristics that differ from 

the characteristics of the world.  We are given

them when we are born into the family of God.

How do we get into the family of God?

Just like a family here on earth.  You are

born into it, or married into it, or adopted

into it.  All good Biblical expressions used

in the Scriptures for Children of God - i.e.

Christians.

Joining a church will not do it.  The beliefs

or doctrines you hold will not do it.  Your

opinions will not do it. etc. etc. etc.

There must be a definite transaction with

God almighty.

There must be a repenting, i.e. as change of

mind and turning to God, an asking for his 

forgiveness for failure and sin and then a 

submitting to Jesus Christ to become LORD

and the Savior over your life.

WE HAVE TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP 

WITH JESUS CHRIST.

or else.

"Not everyone who calls out to me,

'Lord! Lord! will enter the Kingdom

of Heaven.  Only those who actually 

do the will of my Father in heaven

will enter.  On judgment day many

will say to me, 'Lord! Lord!  We

prophesied in your name and cast

out demons in your name and per-

formed many miracles in your 

name.'  But I will reply, 'I never

knew you.  Get away from me, you

who break God's laws.'".

(Matthew 7:21 - 23 NLT)

Do you only profess Jesus Christ,

or possess Christ?

TODAY'S PROMISE

"For even the Son of Man came

not to be served but to serve

others and to give his life as

a ransom for many." 

(Mark 10:45 NLT)

 

FAIR WEATHER CHRISTIANS

I live in an area that is extremely popular

with "motorcyclist".  They just love to ride

our hills with all their curvy roads.  That is,

if the weather is nice.

About 15 miles from where I live we have 

about the 6th. largest motorcycle rally in the 

nation.  But in all of this I have learned something.

There are what we call "Fair weather riders."

If the sun is shining and the day is nice, they

will put on their biker costume and go for a 

ride.  Especially if the neighbors are out to 

watch them ride by.  [That is in contrast to 

those of us who rode year around.]

In other words, their whole heart is not into

riding all the time.  Just when it is fun.

Many years ago in Israel there was a king

named Jehu.  He was a God chosen man.

Anointed by God's prophet and he accomplished

what God told him to do.

"But Jehu did not obey the Law of 

the LORD, the God of Israel with all

his heart."

(2 Kings 10:31 NLT)

Jehu obeyed only what he wanted to, when

he wanted to, to accomplish what he wanted

to.  I do not need to tell you that when Jehu's

life was finished - his standing with God was

not favorable.

How about those of us who claim to be Christians.

Are we "Christian" when it is convenient and makes

a good impression on other people?  But the rest of

our life is spent the way we want to spend it?

I need to remember;

"You must love the LORD your God

with all your heart, all your soul, and

all you mind.  This is the first and 

greatest commandment."

(Matthew 22:37, 38 NLT)

 

TODAY'S QUOTE

 

“Throughout his long life as a best-selling

author and speaker, Wesley, had he lived

today, would have been a millionaire many

times over.  Yet he diligently operated his

affairs so that he never had more than a few

dollars in his pocket.  He conducted a world-

wide ministry, yet he always said he handled

his financial affairs with such simplicity that

there would be no need of a will or executor

for his estate.

“And he was true to his word.  By the time

God called him home, friends and family 

were to find Wesley had indeed quietly and

systematically give it all away to the Lord’s

work.  Nothing was left but the loose change

in his pockets.”

                       -K.P. Yohannan in

                     The Road To Reality 

APPEARANCE

You guessed it.  I have already taken this 

character's photo out of my computer.

I guess I am throwing it out to you. I 

don't want the clutter in my computer.

You see, I am an old, old, old man and

I have some ideals that do not match 

with this age.  But, it makes me confess

that I look too much on the outward

appearance.

An example.  There was an evangelist

very active in evangelism when I was

younger.  He has since passed away.

But this brother's appearance was a 

turn off to me, so I more or less discounted

him, or ignored him and his ministry.

Why, he had enough hair on him as

a man that he would have needed a

beautician instead of a barber.  And

on top of that he had a funny looking 

little goatee.  How can some one looking

like that be a man of God?

But the last few years when I am reading

more broadly about the workings of God

in this present age, would you believe it?

God used this man to save thousands of 

people around the world and was used to

heal thousands of people also.

Maybe God does not look at people 

like I do.

"But the LORD said to Samuel,

'Don't judge by his appearance or 

height, for I have rejected him.  The

LORD doesn't see things the way you

see them.  People judge by outward

appearance, but the LORD looks at

the heart."

(1Samuel 16:7 NLT)

 

TODAY'S PROMISE

"Remain in me, and I will remain in

you.  For a branch cannot produce

fruit if it is severed from the vine,

and you cannot be fruitful unless

you remain in me."

(John 15:4 NLT)

 

THEORETICAL CHRISTIAN

 

“We have today theological saints 

who can (and must) be proved to be 

saints by an appeal to the Greek 

original.  We need saints whose lives

proclaim their sainthood, and who 

need not run to the concordance for 

authentication.”

- A.W. Tozer -

Here I am back on a kick I've been on for some time now.

I have preacher friends who like to throw out big fancy

theological terms that regular people do not know.   Lets 

face it, they want to show how smart they are.  [As a 

young man I was there, I know.]  And, now I see all the 

churches today without the power of God, but a lot of 

knowledge about God.

Now here is a true theologian.

Remember;

"Jesus called a little child to him

and put the child among them.

Then he said, 'I tell you the truth,

unless you turn from your sins and

become like little children, you will 

never get Tinto the kingdom of 

Heaven."

(Matthew 18:3 NLT)

Personally I want to forget all the fancy

talk and theology books, then get back

to the simplicity of the Apostles and the 

power of God working in my life, not

just my head.