james 2.25 – 26 (ms), the same with rahab, the jericho harlot. wasn't her action in hiding GOD's spies and helping them escape—that seamless unity of believing and doing—what counted with GOD? the very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. separate faith and works and you get the same thing: a corpse.
here he uses another example from the ot. go to joshua 2 and you will read the story of rahab who was a prostitute who helped a couple of spies when they were coming into jericho. rahab ends up in the family line of JESUS. she risks her life to save a spy.
now she could have said, "i'm a believer but no way am i going to risk my life for these spies. i know that GOD would never ask me to do something that would hurt me" but he did. "there is no way he would ask me to risk it all." but he did.
our faith is not determined by what we do, it is demonstrated by what we do.
erwin mcmanus tells the story in his book the unstoppable force of his sitting in the home of a pastor and his wife just after they had finished seminary. he says "they were tremendously gifted and had chosen to serve in a small community of a few thousand residents. we began to talk about their future, and i suggested they move to a major metropolitan center, such as los angeles. i was stunned not so much about their response, but by the rationale behind it. with great passion, they told me that GOD would never expect them to do that. GOD would never subject their children to the danger and corruption of the city."
and erwin continued and said, "i remember leaving that night wondering what was happening in the church. if those who prepare for leadership are looking for the safe place, who will lead the church into the dangerous places."
i remember when we as a family of four were in the process of moving to start a church in las vegas. brett was a sophomore in high school and stefanie was just going into sixth grade and a person close to us said that there is no way that i would move my family to vegas because of my fear of what would happen to my kids.
i understand that fear but i also understand that anything that is used to come between me and GOD as an excuse to my disobeying GOD becomes a god to me and he will have no other GODs.
now did we lose our family? no way. i sit every sunday and listen to stef as she is a part of a team that leads us in worship and i listen to my son brett who is my pastor challenge me to risk it all for GOD.
was the risk worth it? without a doubt. we got two calls yesterday from people in vegas who might not have made it into the kingdom if we hadn't risked it all and gone to vegas. there are stories after stories of people who will read this blog today who are CHRISTians today because we risked it all and there will be people in ny who will make it because we risked it all again.
i believe that GOD is saying to us that talk is cheap. put your money where your mouth is. "i believe in JESUS." then prove it. our faith is demonstrated by our actions. actions speak louder than words. our behavior shows what we really believe.
just some thoughts here on my front porch…
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