i'll do it if it's convenient...

paul says of epaphroditus, philippians 2.25-27 (ms), you sent him to help me out; now i'm sending him to help you out. he has been wanting in the worst way to get back with you. especially since recovering from the illness you heard about, he's been wanting to get back and reassure you that he is just fine. he nearly died, as you know, but GOD had mercy on him.

who is this man? as you know paul is the writer of this book of philippians and he is in prison in rome and the people in philippi took up an offering to help paul with his expenses.

now rome was 800 miles away and 6 weeks travel over rough terrain and this man epaphroditus said, i’ll take it, i’ll take the offering. i’ll make the trip and at great expense, he travels 800 miles by foot to rome

but on the way there he caught a disease or infection and it was deadly. he nearly died. it wasn’t a runny nose, he almost died, but epaphroditus is persistent in spite of his sickness.

now epaphoditus did not say, i’d like to help you but it’s not convenient for me. i want to stay home with my family. i can’t be gone that long.

no he said, i’ll take it and he took out on an 800 mile journey on foot. he got sick along the way but he didn’t turn back. he didn’t say, i got sick out here, things got rough so that must mean it is GOD’s will for me to turn back. no, he was a man of commitment, he finished what he started.

james 2.17 (ms), isn't it obvious that GOD-talk without GOD-acts is outrageous nonsense? or as the niv puts it, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

GOD is looking for people of action. if you believe, let me see it. "put your money where your mouth is!" faith without any action is dead.

do you know what the number one complaint from wives is about their husbands? the number one complaint from wives is passive husbands, passive husbands. they are aggressive at work, taking the lead, but at home they are the frozen chosen. they hide and abdicate leadership to the wife or kids or anyone else that will take it. and for sure they are passive in their spiritual life.

GOD uses men of action who take the initiative. spiritual awakenings occur when men in a church become participators, not just spectators. they are men of action for the cause of CHRIST. they put the cause of CHRIST before personal comfort.

just a thought from the front porch...