FAITH/WORKS - 1.8.2016

Have you thanked Him?
Have you praised Him?
Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?
Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?
1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)
1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

James 2:18 (MSG)
I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, “Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I’ll handle the works department.” Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. 
Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.

There are some of us who are more comfortably wired for “faithy” things. Prayer, fasting, and meditation come to mind.

Others of us are “doers” by nature.
Start a program.
Grab a shovel.
Get moving. Get doing.

But JAMES is telling us today that a BLEND of these is critical for effectiveness. Our WORKS must be FAITH led and our FAITH will lead us to ACTION.

As more doer than “faither” I struggle a little with the faithy stuff. 
I do. Just being real.
But I heard James Robinson say yesterday that a PASTOR like that is like a sailor who raises his sail and stands in the middle of his boat and blows at it rather than riding the PROMISED wind.
Silly right?

Which camp do you reside?
“Doer”?
“Faither”?
Hopefully you are both. I am working at becoming more of both.

As:
Works follow faith. Behavior follows belief. Fruit comes after the tree is well rooted – Swindoll.

So what I do for example is because I have FAITH and BELIEF that GOD is making the difference in the mess of addiction. Without my faith, I couldn’t do what I do. In my own strength I would be as “FRUITless” as that sailor. I would (and quite frankly have at times) fail.

But because I have FAITH that GOD aches for the addicted and so MUCH is “going on but disconnected”, I feel led and called to connect other faith-filled folks together for the one who is struggling; that addicted/homeless/trafficked/challenged person.

Our FAITH allows GOD to ignite our passions and gifts so that we can DO the WORK He has called us to do for HIS GLORY!
…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)

So don’t stagnate.
Ignite your faith with prayer, fasting, worship or whatever inspires and emboldens your relationship with GOD. 
Then once stirred don’t sit idly. 
Get to work.

Don’t just talk, walk. Find others to walk with. Ask GOD in those times of prayer and worship to SENSITIZE you to the calling and destiny He has for you.
It isn’t to merely “consume” a service on a Sunday. 
I will guarantee that.

One of the problems is that “church” today has many more consumers than committed participants. “Church” has sadly in many circumstances become an “event” we attend or an organization we belong to. 
- from Instruments in the Redeemers Hands (Tripp)

Why when God has called His children (that is US) into DAILY doing, DAILY ministry? Good question right?

It WOULD BE a relief if God took the pressure off and left the seminary grads, pastors, leaders, missionaries, counselors and elders to do all the work.
But that's simply doesn’t cut the mustard friends.

That ain’t the model.

God’s plan can be summed up in a sentence: people in need of change helping people in need of change. - Tripp
He calls all of us to PARTICIPATE in ministry.

That IS the model

So today IN FAITH let’s all keep WORKING to become effective tools of change in the lives of others!

I love you ALL!
Have a blessed weekend.
Opportunities for Hope (Champions Charge)