Are You Keeping it Real....?

When I became a young adult  I started to take sermon notes. I would write down the text, the points the pastor would make and any quotes that he would say that really hit me. The good thing about taking notes is that you can always go back and read them and study them. I was reading over my notes from a sermon that our home Pastor Brother Jeff Jones preached entitled "Keeping It Real". The text came from James 1:22-25. Here the bible describes a man who merely listened to the word of God. He knew the truth and yet walked away and did nothing. How many of us can honestly say that we go to church on a regular basis...as in you attend Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. I can say that we as a family....all 19 of us are there when the doors are opened. We hear the truth and we know the truth but do we walk away changed or do we continue in our old routines? A quote that Brother Jeff used was "God did not inspire HIS word to be optional in your life". How true is that!!  God gave of his word to help us, to encourage us and to teach us. He did not give it to us so that we could put it on a shelf and pull it out when we had a problem. Another quote that Brother Jeff said that service was that the bible should never be used like a cafeteria line.....picking and choosing the parts we want when we want it......OH WOW! How many times have you heard someone take a verse out of context or even turn it to fit their own fleshly desires? If the bible says it is wrong then it is wrong! Just because you like it or want to continue to do it does'nt make it right. We all have a car.....we all have gone over the speed limit in our lifetime. However, there is a little sign that has a posted speed limit on it.....you choose to obey it or when you are caught you pay the price. Our sin and regards to the bible are the same way. If we know it to be wrong but continue to do it anyway...we to oneday will pay the price. My question for you is are you keeping it real? Are you following God's word in your life. Is God's word making a difference in your life...if it is not...it is because you are not allowing it to. (another quote by Jeff Jones). If you coninue to live your life and neglect the bible...you are only robbing yourself of a lifetime of blessings. Keep Christ in Your Life and Keep it Real.  I know I want to be a Real Christian...I want to always have Christ shining in my life....this was a benefit to me and I hope it is to you as well.