Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Power and influence


It’s been four days now that I’ve been without a car and I still have a few more to go. The bicycle I’ve been using is actually one I bought the last time this situation occurred—way back in 2007 when I first moved to rural Ruth, Ala. (four miles outside Arab) and didn’t have wheels for a whole month.

You definitely get clear again about what a privilege it is having a vehicle, especially when taking the subway to the bus and then back to the subway just to get home. At least I can be happy there’s public transportation, no matter how slow it is compared to Manhattan.

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I Timothy 1:5 says, “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.”

Jordan explains, “The heart is the mentality of your soul. It’s single-minded; it’s a heart that just goes on sound doctrine. It’s not living on emotions, not living on religious tradition. It’s living on the application of the truth of God’s Word rightly divided.

“ ‘And of a good conscience.’ Your conscience is a system of norms and standards that’s allows you to evaluate what’s going on around you. We live in a day where people don’t know how to do that. They look at what’s going on and they react, but to be able to accurately evaluate and see beyond the fuzz and see the real issue, that’s what a good conscience does.

“You have a system of norms and standards that reflects what God’s thinking. You’re able to walk by faith and not by sight. That verse is a beautiful description of a mature Christian walk. And not just an individual walking that way, but a group of people gathered together and working together in the work of the ministry.

“Paul told the Corinthians, ‘As unknown and yet well known.’ I love that verse because that’s exactly what you’re . . . your spiritual power and influence far outweighs your appearance.”

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