PRACTICAL means acting as if truth is true! 2 Peter 3 10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
JUST WHAT IS IT THAT I SAY THAT I BELIEVE? AND, IF THESE THINGS ARE SO WHAT TYPE OF PERSON SHOULD I THEN BE?
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In the letter from Peter I am reminded that everything that I see and touch and smell and experience will soon pass away and that I am commanded to hope, (hope is the type of picturing of future reality, that drives me to ACT accordingly in the present) in my new heavens and new earth filled with righteousness. To do so is eminently PRACTICAL. Paul was being practical when he left power and fame and prestige to be chased and beaten and tortured for Christ but not forsaken or in despair or distressed, not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8) For in all these things I am more than a conqueror through Christ.
“Believing that Jesus died for my neighbor and that, if they do not repent, they will be forever estranged from God and they doing nothing IS NOT PRACTICAL James 2 19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? I should at least shake in my boots in order to catch up with the faith of devils. And then go beyond to accept his “Fear not!” and allow him to lift me up and send me out.
James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit (breath) is dead, so faith without works is dead. BODY=FAITH, WORKS=SPIRIT
I don’t get all this fuss about “it is faith and not works” If a friend of mine drops to the ground and is not breathing and I call on him to breathe and start CPR to get him to breathe; am I judging that his body, (faith) is not enough? NO! But if there is no breathing (works) I am judging that he is in real trouble and will be soon dead. It is just PRACTICAL to breathe. Just like breathing, good works bring energy, substance, purpose, growth, direction etc to my faith. Faith leads to action, action strengthens faith and both are driven by hope.
Do I believe that I am immortal already? Then how should I live now?
Do I believe that I am of infinite worth, bought with the very blood of Jesus? Then how should I live?
Do I believe that He is not willing that any should perish? Then how should I now live?
Do I believe that God counts the hairs on my head and has purpose and is involved in all that I do? Then how should I now live?
Do I believe that my love for Jesus should lead to feeding his sheep and that this is how all men will know that I am his disciple, by my love to his people? Then how should I now live?
Etc. Etc. Lord help me be radically practical
verlebellmd.com 
2 replies on “BE RADICALLY PRACTICAL”
Dr. Bell, your post reminds me of how the Apostle Paul taught that, of faith, hope and love, the greatest of the three is love. Have you ever wondered why? I heard a pastor say that when Christ returns, all that’s hidden will be revealed, so we will no longer need faith. When we live on the new earth, all our hopes will be fulfilled so we will no longer need hope. But love? Love remains. Love triumphs! Love is eternal.
Therefore, along the lines of your thinking and teaching here, this is another way to remember that loving your neighbor is indeed intensely practical. “The greatest of these is love.”
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I almost died of Covid in my lungs, praise God! No I am not just praising him that I didn’t die but for the ordeal itself. It taught me to keep my priorities straight and that ONLY what is done for Christ will last. I am much better now and seem to have kept my brain intact so if you have any situations or questions for me to blog on I hope to be doing a lot more of that. Thanks Verle
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