ENCOURAGEMENT FOR STRAIGHT WALKING
By Ken Blue
Dr. Paul Vanaman was my professor and a dear friend. He spoke at our church on many occasions in the early days of my ministry. I will never forget a statement he made in one of those sermons. He said, “I don’t care how high you jump, what concerns me is how straight you walk when you come down.”
Some of the brethren, I fear, have confused the two. They think high jumping is the same as straight walking. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have seen many who can run, jump, and yell but they don’t tithe when they come down.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]We’ve seen you jump; now let’s see your walk.[/perfectpullquote]
I love excitement in church. Very little plagues Christianity more than a dead, dull, dry service. We are not against jumping high, but we are opposed to that Christianity that fails to walk straight when the dust settles and the shouting is over.
When you come down, do you gossip? Do you attend church regularly? Do you tithe and support missions? Do you read your Bible and serve in your local church? Do you love all the brethren? Are you harboring bitterness and resentment? We’ve seen you jump; now let’s see your walk.
Pastor Ken Blue was born in Boswell, Ark. In 1955 he accepted Christ as his Savior. He and his wife Joyce were married in 1955. They have 5 children. He graduated from Midwestern Baptist Bible College in 1969 and started the Open Door Baptist Church in Lynnwood, Wa. where he pastored for 39 years. Because of health issues (ALS) he was forced to resign as pastor. It is his desire to continue to be used of God to help pastors and believers through this ministry.