July 8, 2010

"But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do." James 2:18

Talk is cheap!

Anyone can say anything! But unless you can back up your claims with action your words are empty.

I could say that I can beat Tiger Woods in golf, but until I actually get it done, my words would be empty and my claims foolish.

Saying that I could slam dunk a basketball over LaBron James would be a delirious claim I could never substantiate. Until I would do it no one would believe it.

The writer of Hebrews stated, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen."

Certainly, faith has an invisible component, but it also has a tangible aspect. Faith is a spiritual connection with an invisible God that results in visible and tangible evidence. Faith does not deal in wild or fanciful claims. Faith is not delusional.

Real faith, the faith that James talks about, makes an invisible God believable by the visible actions and attitudes that it transforms. When a man who once was a degenerate alcoholic and womanizer suddenly becomes sober and chaste, that indicates something substantial happened. What is behind this incredible transformation? Faith! You cannot doubt this man's faith because his life has dramatically changed.

Faith is a connection between two realities - an unseen spiritual reality and a visible physical reality. While faith originates in the unseen world it is expressed and validated in the realm of sight and sound.

What you think about faith and God are important. What you feel about God matters. But according to James, what really matters is what we do. That is what people see and what people see is what is real to them.

Making faith real - making God believable - is one of the things we are called to do as Christians.

How about you?

Are you talking a good game but not really delivering with the behavior and attitudes? Or is your life indisputable evidence becaue of your deeds, your attitudes, and actions?

Believers are to make faith believable by what they do!

July 7, 2010

"Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:15-17

Good intentions are nice! They are certainly better than evil intentions. But the fact is it really doesn't matter in the end because when you are talking about intentions it really doesn't matter what you intend to do it nothing ever happens! Good intentions make a bad religion.

Faith is defined by actions! That is James' whole point for writing his book! Real faith results in real acts of kindness. Good intentions or kind thoughts do not meet the needs of hungry people or those needing clothing.

How long would your job last if you called into your boss tomorrow to inform him that you are not coming to work but you will stay home and think about what needs to be done? You will feel kindly toward him and your fellow employees, but you won't actually show up at the office.

I think you know the answer to that!

This is akin to those who tell their pastors, "I won't be there Sunday for church - but I will be there in spirit!"

I know one pastor who, when building his new church building, added a "spirit gallery" to his sanctuary for those who only "come in spirit".

One more thought on this since it is fairly obvious in it's foolishness. But what if God would have just thought about sending Jesus to redeem the world? Where would we be? And what if Jesus had come but once He got here just thought about dying on the cross and harbored good intentions of dying on the cross - but never surrendered to the cross?

God has true faith! Jesus modeled true faith! They deliver on their promises and do what they intend to do!

I'm sure you are familiar with the old saying, "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." You only have to read these verses to see the truth of that statement.

It is equally true that the road to heaven is paved with obedient actions - aka - faith!

Which road are you on?

July 6, 2010

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?" James 2:14

This is one of the key verses for the book of James. It is where I got the title for my series, "Faith Works Out".

Of course, faith is an intangible - you cannot see it. It has to be evidenced by actions. Faith arises out of a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. How do others know that I have been made right with God and received His righteousness. I can tell them, but the real evidence is when I show them. If I have been made righteous then that should be proven by my life and by the right actions and right decisions demonstrated by how I live.

For instance, you can believe that you need groceries. You have no food in the house and you are growing more hungry by the moment and the supermarket is just down the street. What do you do? You can sit there and hope you get around to going to the store. Or, you can talk about going to the store. Or, you can get out and actually go to the store!

Which one of those shows evidence of true hunger?

Obviously, the answer is the last one - getting up and going to the store. Your desire evidenced itself in actions.

In Hebrews 11 there is an honored list of people who are mentioned because of their exceptional deeds they accomplished through their faith.

Abraham didn't just think about leaving his home and his family to follow God - He got up and packed his stuff, took his wife and their servants and headed out! That's faith!

Noah didn't just set around and think about how it should be built or how niv - he got to work and began building it. He evidenced His faith by stepping out and working diligently everyday pounding nails and sawing boards.

Doing good will not save your soul. But, if you have had a supernatural life-changing faith experience with God through Christ that will show by how you act or what you do. You have a better understanding of what faith is and how it operates when you can actually see it lived out!

Is faith worked out in your life?

July 5, 2010

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." Proverbs 14:34

Much is wrong with America but - there is plenty right about America, too! In fact, I contend that there is nothing wrong with America that a good dose of righteousness couldn't fix.

Do you believe that?

Do you still hold out hope for America?

I do!

I believe there is hope for America because I believe in a God of hope and I still believe in the people of America - like you!

What will restore the greatness of America? To answer that you must remember what it was that first made America great - RIGHTEOUSNESS! Yes, righteousness! That means knowing what is right and doing what is right and doing your best to stand against wrong.

If you do that, and if I do that and if we each get a few of our best friends to do that, don't you think that will make a difference?

Indeed, it will! That is how our nation got started! 56 men who were seriously committed to righteousness and even more committed to freedom came together to commit to each other and a bold new idea - a nation founded upon Biblical principles that would honor God!

Those 56 men already had their fortunes. They were wealthy people who were comfortable and secure with possessions and land. But their passion for righteousness overcame their personal interest and coming together they pledged to one another their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. 52 of these 56 signers were righteous men who professed Christ as their Lord. They proved that it doesn't take a lot of people or powerful people to change the moral tide of a nation. It just takes fully committed people who love righeousness more than life.

I urge you not to underestimate the power of your influence. Your example matters! Your words matter!

There is still a lot that is right about America. But the things that are wrong with America are killing us!

If you want to get America right, begin with you! And then use your influence and impact for good! Let's fix America one person at a time!

July 4, 2010

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." Proverbs 14:34

I want you to think about something.

How much do you owe to the righteousness of other people? How has your life been enriched because other people chose to obey God and live righteously?

It is hard to measure, but let me drop a few names: Abraham, Noah, Moses, Joseph, David, Job, Daniel, Mary, John the Baptist, and the Disciples - and most of all, Jesus! These righteous and faithful people have touched your life.

Each of these people answered the call of God to tackle a task He had in mind for them to accomplish. Every one of these I mentioned obeyed God and trusted Him to enable them to accomplish. God worked through them to accomplish His desired will.

These Bible heroes allowed God to work through them because they chose to do the right things.
As God's Kingdom came and as His will was done through them, you benefited.

What if these great people had chosen to do like you often do - waited for someone else to do the right thing? Where would you be today?

Think about the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence. They took a tremendous risk when they pledged to each other their "lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor" believing that fighting for their freedom was the right thing for them. What if they would have decided to sit and wait for someone else to do it? I doubt if we would be celebrating Independence Day.

Righteousness exalts those who do the right thing. Not those who wait for others to do it! Righteousness delayed is a sin known as disobedience!

July 3, 2010

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." Proverbs 14:34

Solomon throws out the choice that every free people and nation has faced over the centuries, will we honor God and be favored by His grace or or we dishonor Him and disgrace ourselves?

The history of Israel is alternating periods of grace and disgrace.

Our nation for over two centuries has been showered by the grace of God. For most of our 234 we have sought to honor God. He has blessed us abundantly. He has protected us. Hundreds of millions of people have found safety, security, freedom, prosperity, and happiness. Millions have found the freedom to worship and serve their God. Churches have flourished and have nurtured faith in their members. They have assisted the poor and sent missionaries around the world.

God has bless America and America has blessed the world.

That has been our legacy.

But for the past half century our nation has been losing its moral compass and drifting in a see of secular humanism and relativism. Rather than honoring God we have been bringing disgrace upon ourselves.

You cannot take God out of the schools and not disgrace your nation.

You cannot take respect for the Scriptures and teaching of Biblical principles out of your educational systems without disgracing your nation.

You cannot diminish the role of Christian morality and ethics in business, politics and government and not disgrace your nation.

You cannot disrespect unborn life and murder one million innocents every year without disgracing your nation.

You cannot pollute the airways, the world-wide web, and print media with pornographic images and not disgrace your nation.

Many in America have forsaken God and brought disgrace upon our once great nation.

What at we to do? Is there no hope?

According to a recent census there are 232,000 adults over 18 years of age.

A survey taken in 2008 revealed that 76% of those adult Americans profess to being perople of faith.

Assuming those statistics are accurate, that would mean there are 176.3 millions of people who believe in righteousness and desire His grace to be shed upon our land.

That could change things in a hurry! There is reason for hope!

But you and I have no control over those millions of other - but what about you?

Will you get right?

Will you live rightly and commit to always doing the right thing?

Will you stand for right and demand rightousness of your elected officials?

It's grace or disgrace! Which will you choose?

July 2, 2010

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." Proverbs 14:34

American the beautiful - God shed His grace on thee!

Indeed, He did!

What nation in the history of nations has ever been so blessed by God! In just two and a third centuries the USA has become the wealthiest, mightiest, most generous, and most advanced people ever to populate the planet.

The world is a better place because America showed up! Our nation became great because it was founded on eternal principles of grace and truth! It is hard to study the founding documents and not see the grace, goodness and inspiration of Almighty God! Just a cursory study of the Founding Fathers writings and quotes reveal their understanding of the role the Bible and Divine Providence played in the establishment of this nation.

With freedom comes opportunity - opportunity for good and opportunity for greed. Both happen is a free nation. Fortunately, over the first two centuries there has been much more good than there has been greed. For the most part America has been guided by the moral compass built into it by the Founders and as a result, God has graced it with His blessings.

But, as our people have drifted away from founding principles and from the God of the Fathers, it has been more difficult for God to bless us. When the sins of a nation exceed the goodness of that nation, grace turns to dis-grace and the wise words of Solomon become true - "sin is a disgrace to any people."

When a nation removes the Bible and Biblical principles from its educational system, that is a disgrace!

When a nation opposes prayer in public school and public places, that is a disgrace!

When a nation assaults the Ten Commandments to discredit their authority, that is a disgrace!

When a nation twists the Constitution to make it support the murder of unborn children, that is a disgrace!

When a nation tries to undermind the family and the sacred institution of marriage, that is a disgrace!

Sin in every form is a disgrace because it "disses" grace! Sin is a disgrace because it separates us from the grace of God!

What can you do?

A nation is made up of people. You are a person - free person! You have an opportunity to grace your nation with the goodness of God and His truth. With opportunity comes responsibility. Responsible use of freedom allows God to shed His grace on that people.

Grace or DIS-grace? It is up to you!