It may be Friday but Sonday is coming!
–Pastor Ward Clinton
Amen.
–Pastor Ward Clinton
Ephesians 5:1-2 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Eph 5:3-7 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partners with them.
-in slightly plainer english-
“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.”
–Pastor Ward Clinton
Every Christian is, in all actuality, a theologian. Imagine how blessed our world could be if every Christian were a good theologian in the distinctly Christian sense.
There is very much a need for “the Church” to again proclaim and live the message of Christian holiness. Collectively, it have been, for quite some time now, living far below the standard that it has been called to. The people of God must once again become “salt and light” especially in this hour of spiritual darkness. Our lives must become “reruns” of the life of The Christ, that is, lives fully surrendered to the Father’s will, cleansed and filled by His Holy Spirit. Christ-like men and women are very urgently needed at this time, in this hour.
God has always intended for His people to be a holy people. The Holy Bible is pretty clear about that. God has designed a plan whereby the heart of His people can be cleansed from all sin. Some can’t see that because they don’t want to see that fact.
1st Thessalonians 4:7 “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.”
God did not call us to imitate a sinful man but to be like, to imitate, the Holy One of God, Jesus The Christ.
1st Corinthians 3:3 “You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?” We are called to be imitators of Jesus, the holy one of God, and not like mere sinful men trying to make excuses for being sinful rather than living better lives than that. We are called to have a better understanding of God and an acceptable walk. 1st Peter 1:13-16
“Therefore prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your pope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be ye holy in all that you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.'”
Christians are supposed to stay clean while living in an unclean world; Jesus did not compromise with the world, He remained holy and sin-free and we are to follow his example — not the devil’s.
1st Thessalonians 5:23-24 And may the God of peace Himself fully sanctify you, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is the One calling you, who also will perform it.
Walk in the paths of holiness of heart and life, the world secretly longs for us Christ followers to do that. Sure they may give us grief for it, but if we do not falter, some of them will join us in that walk, the only walk that is acceptable to the one true God, the God of Father Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Then, when we Talk About God And Love Others Graciously – they will see something special and understand.
–Pastor Ward Clinton
Good Theology requires a good perspective.
Three people were visiting and viewing the Grand Canyon – an artist, a pastor, and a cowboy. As they stood at the edge of that massive abyss, each one offered his personal perspective. The artist said, “Ah, what a beautiful scene to paint.” The minister said, “What a wonderful example of the handiwork of God.” The cowboy mused, “What a terrible place to lose a cow.”
If every Christian were a better theologian the world, instead of sitting on the verge of collapse into chaos, would be a far better place than it is currently.
True theology points to God. In the summer of 2015, LifeWay Research conducted a survey which revealed that 45% of Americans claim there are many ways to Heaven. Only 30% of Americans actually have Evangelical beliefs and of them only 70% believe Jesus is the only way of salvation. The good news is that it does appear that those who believe Jesus is the only way also believe that they have a responsibility to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus as their Savior.
Distinctly Christian theology, which the apostle Paul refers to as “sound doctrine” in 2nd Timothy 4:3 is founded upon the belief that God has revealed Himself to us in His Word, The Holy Bible. Of course good theology is also focused on Messiah, the holy one of God, The Christ. We read in the Gospel according to John in 5:39 that Jesus declared the Scripture testifies about Him.
Unfortunately, a large portion of Americans are getting their “theology” from Hollywood, television, and other unchristian, even antichristian sources instead of the Holy Bible. Yes, even Christians have to be careful to avoid getting their theology warped by the wrong sources.
It is by knowing God that we come to love Him, and by loving Him that we come to know Him who first loved us.
Theology is undertaken so that our hearts might respond to God and that our lives might be conformed to His will, not the will of some mere ‘prophet.’ Loving God and loving people are made possible by a correct theological vision of God and the Christian life.
True theology, a correct speaking of the things of God, fuels our devotion to God, the God of Father Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and our passion for sharing the gospel of the holy one of God, Jesus The Christ.
Every Christian is, in all actuality, a theologian. Imagine how blessed our world could be if every Christian were a good theologian in the distinctly Christian sense of the term.
–Pastor Ward Clinton
–Pastor Ward Clinton
I’m a theologian.
Now I don’t know what thoughts just came into your head when you read that. What I know is that I tend to have a slightly erroneous picture formulate in my own head. (But i’m getting better)
Many of us Christians tend to think of theology as an abstract academic discipline with little bearing on day-to-day Christian life and activity. Therefore one of the first things we ought to do is to understand what theology is. Theos (God) logos (word); it means a word about God.
There is Christian theology, Muslim theology and atheist theology as well as a few others. …Atheist theology? …Oh yes, some atheists absolutely obsess on the God whom they vehemently deny exists and then they go to great effort, expending lots of energy and time, to try to get rid of the God they claim to not believe in…is that weird or what?
It is no wonder, then, that God calls them what He does.
Muslim theology is based on the Koran while Christian theology is talking and thinking about God in a distinct way based upon the Holy Bible which, even the Koran acknowledges, is the uncorrupted holy book of God. Sadly, for the followers of Mohammad, most of them don’t seem to be aware of that fact. That is understandable because of all the confusing contradictions contained in each of the various versions of the Koran.
Every Christian, by definition, knows God, thinks about God, and makes statements about God. Therefore every Christian is a theologian; some are better at it than others but every child of God is supposed to be a good theologian and that is accomplished by studying and knowing what is actually in the Holy Bible and what is not. Some, if they are asked to open their Bible to something like 2nd Hezekiah 3:16 will search and search while others will quietly smile. It is an indicator of the level of theological understanding, not the best indicator, but it is one.
I am an above average theologian but every Christian should be at least at my current level. I did not get to my current level of theological comprehension without lots of study and help from fellow Christians; however I am far from where I really should be.
If every Christian were a better theologian the world would be a far better place than it currently is.
…to be continued…
–Pastor Ward Clinton
Then there is 1st Corinthians Chapter 6: “1Co 6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
1Co 6:4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
1Co 6:5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
1Co 6:6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
1Co 6:7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
1Co 6:8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. ”
–Pastor Ward Clinton
–Pastor Ward Clinton
pastorwardclinton 