# 13 – Losing the Standard and Fanning the Flames

2) help others do the works of faith



photo credit: Dean Williams 2012

Do biblical standards serve Christians well on uncomfortable issues like abortion and GLBT rights? When these issues come up, do we behave defensively, guiltily, and apologetically; or, are we offensive, harsh, and just plain mean? Any one of these behaviors signals we’ve lost a very important biblical standard.

Christians are not defined by whether we are for or against “the issues”. Instead, what defines us is LOVE!

 

Love suffers long, is kind, is not puffed up or rude, and thinks no evil (1 Cor. 13: 4-7). If we fail to love according to this standard, then we are undefined Christians and breakers of the law. “The entire law is summed up in a single command: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal. 5:14, NIV).

Besides, at one time or other, members of our family, friends, or neighbors will become “the issue”. When they do, we are under command to love them—not more or less—but in the same way we love ourselves. Love binds us to one other as we are bound to our selves. After all, love is about balanced scales. Therein is justice satisfied.

As community issues continue to impinge upon our faith, let us remember that the standard God set for us is the same one he set for himself (John 3:16). Thus, if we lose the standard, then we’ve lost our connection to the Vine, Jesus.

In that case, we are useless branches, left to wither until we become fuel for the flames (John 15:6, NKJV).

 

 

Scripture quotations from the King James Version (KJV) of the bible unless otherwise indicated.

# 12 – Different Levels of Growth

2) help others do the works of faith

photo courtesy Dean Williams 2012

Our journey as Christians begins and ends in Christ Jesus. That journey starts where we are—in the flesh; and ends where we should be—in the spirit. Let’s review some basics.

• We received Jesus as Lord and Savior. We’ve confessed with our mouths, believed with our hearts, and are saved (Rom. 10:9, 10).

 

• Yet all who are saved do not submerge themselves into John’s baptism by water. Water-baptism displays our repentance over past offenses, and establishes our commitment to change for the better. Otherwise, we’re just a brood of saved vipers (Luke 3: 7, 8). 

• Jesus stressed the importance of being “born again” (John 3:3). If we don’t experience this re- birth, then we cannot “see”, ĕidō, know or perceive the kingdom of God because the kingdom is spiritually discerned. Moreover, if we are birthed by water and the Spirit, then not only do we “see” the kingdom of God, we can also “enter”, ĕisĕrchŏmai, into it spiritually. And this is where most Christians, out of fear, begin to “dis” the spirit-workings of the Holy Spirit. 

• Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and fire. This baptism burns up the chaff in us—our corrupt nature—so he can gather to himself the wheat-part of us (Luke 3:16, 17). Once we’ve identified with his death, burial, and resurrection, we are transformed into his image—and are born of Christ (Rom. 6:3, 4; 2 Cor. 3:18; 1 John 2:29; Col. 1:27, 28). 

• Christians who are born of Christ are also born of God and do not sin (1 John 3:2). We have learned to participate in the divine nature through the incorruptible seed that has been planted in us (2 Peter 1:4). 

• We are also born of the Spirit. If the Spirit births us, then we display other-worldly abilities. One of them is to come and go like the “wind”, pnĕuma, current of air, or spirit (John 3: 8). 

Yet, no matter what stage of the journey we are at, spiritual expressions will often occur in our lives by virtue of our births. Fear will not help us here. Only faith in Jesus—and support from the household of faith—will help make our journey a faith-filling one.

The kingdom of God is spirit. We are meant to be spirit. Isn’t it about time we put our fears away, and get acquainted with the spiritual kingdom he’s given us?

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References: Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV). Greek definitions from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible; and Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (1981).

# 11 – Faith to Recognize God’s Care

2) help others do the works of faith


Diamond Head hike 2012 - photo credit: Dean Williams

Recently, I read a post on a social network site where a young Christian woman claimed she heard the sound of an approaching “manapua” truck. This sound is familiar to all who grew up in the Hawaiian Islands. Every kid of elementary-school age recognizes this sound.

So, the experience would not have been an unusual one—except that this young woman was not in Hawaii—she was in Massachusetts! She knew no manapua truck was going to come around the corner (indeed, none came); and yet she also could not deny the reality of her experience.

So, she shared it online. Sadly, none of her age-group validated her experience. Instead, many ignored it. In the end, she too began to “dis” the experience, calling it “creepy”. However, she had enough reasons to accept her “creepy” experience as a gift from God. College had uprooted her from her culture. So she was missing home. Missing ‘ohana. Missing the local food.

Had she been able to receive her “manapua” experience by faith, she would have discovered the reality of an extraordinary God in her extremely ordinary life. He knew her yearning, her heart, and her homesickness—and showed he cared by sending her a blessing to comfort her—the familiar sound of the manapua truck.

We mistakenly reserve faith for “Godly things”. And when we do, we miss out on the only “Godly thing” God truly cares about—us!

I’d say that “us” would always be the right "time" when to apply faith.

 

# 10 – Do Christians Have Biased Faith?

2) help others do the works of faith



photo credit Dean Williams 2012

 

Do we know Christians who have waited to be “moved by the Spirit” before they lifted a finger to help a brother or sister in Christ? What a lame excuse used to disguise self-deception (James 1:22)!

To claim that the Spirit did not "move" us makes us “judges with evil thoughts”; thus we “hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ…with partiality” (James 2:1-4 NIV). Scripture clearly rectifies such self-deception, “…to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17 NKJV). Nowhere in that verse does it say to wait for the “moving” of the Spirit in order to lend a hand to another person in distress. At its basic level, it is opportunity—and not the “moving of the Spirit”—that requires we do good. The apostle Paul concluded, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10).

Mature Christians need not wait for the Spirit to “move” us. We are fruit-bearers. The fruit of the Spirit alone—love, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), gentleness, goodness (kindness), faith, meekness, and temperance (self-control) (Gal. 5:22, 23)—is sufficient for us to “move” ourselves because we’ve been busy “being fruitful in every good work” (Col. 1:10 NIV)!

Do we “hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ…with partiality” (James 2:1-4 NIV)? Look closer. The fruit we bring forth reveals the condition of our hearts (Matt. 7:17, 18).

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Scriptures from The King James Version of the bible unless otherwise stated.

# 9b – When We Can’t Find Faith (Part 2 of 2)

3) Faith to recognize God’s answer

photo credit: Dean Williams 2012

In fact, I felt like my mother! I felt hunched like she had been. I felt I had her white hair, her facial creases, and her tired smile. So convinced was I that I anxiously glanced around the empty room. Mom, if your senior-citizen friends were to walk in here right now, would they say to me, ‘Ana, what are you doing here’?

Peace descended. Fear left. My body quieted. Joyfully, I hunkered down—so happy that God chose to answer this particularly strange prayer of mine.

When I came to, I felt like myself again.

I was surprised to see my aunt sitting next to my bed. Unexpectedly, a tear rolled down my face, which prompted her to ask, “How’re you doing? You okay?” This aunt and my mom were very close sisters-in-law. I responded that I was okay and thanked her for coming.

After she left, my heart beamed a silent prayer of gratitude to God for this extra special gesture on his part because in a strange way, mom had visited me twice: first, literally, as spirit-wind and then second, figuratively, in the flesh as aunty (Matt. 11:9, 10, 14 - John the Baptist as Elijah).

What is faith? For me faith is the proof of things I cannot see; the reality of what I hoped for and took hold of, during my time of need (Heb. 11:1).

 

Faith is accepting the proof and the reality when they appear in whatever form God chooses to package it.

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Scriptures from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV).

 

# 9a – When We Can’t Find Faith (Part 1 of 2)

3) Faith to recognize God’s answer

photo credit: Dean Williams 2012

It was the morning of my surgery for cancer. This time, it was a second go-round. This time, it was two different cancers in the same location. This time, all the prayers leading up to surgery seemed to lose their power. All I could feel was fear! Why weren’t the prayers from the fellowship working? Immediately, I looked to God.

Meanwhile, my body suffered its own earthquakes as I continued to shake on that hospital bed. The shaking wouldn’t stop. What’s wrong? I can’t be that scared, right Lord? The hospital assistant saw how “cold” I was and kindly brought me a blanket and hot pad for my feet. I guess I am scared, Lord.

“It’s almost our time to go up,” he said as his finger pointed in that direction. I hoped he wasn’t being prophetic. He left me alone for a little bit. Good! I needed more time to find the faith that up to now seemed to elude me.

“Lord,” I prayed, “if you are willing, please send my mother to visit me”. Although mom had passed months earlier, I remembered that God was the God of the living, not of the dead (Matt. 22:32). And, since mom was a Christian, I knew she was not dead, just sleeping (Matt. 9:24).

Suddenly, I felt a “wind” blow into my body (John 3:8). I looked around to see where the “wind” had come from and realized that I was looking around my hospital room through my mother’s eyes!

 

(When We Can’t Find Faith…continues in Part 2 of 2).

 Scriptures from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV).

 

# 8 – The Plan, the Provision, and Works of Faith

2) Help others do the works of faith

photo credit: Dean Williams 2012

God decided to wipe out all corrupt flesh (Gen. 6:12, 13). Yet, God’s grace made provision for one righteous man, Noah. Once God did this, Noah became a participant in the plan, not a bystander. Thus, Noah had to work out his salvation with works of faith—called ark-building.

But what if Noah had decided to just “have faith” in God’s provision, and did nothing that the works of faith required?? Would his bystander-mentality still have saved him and his family? Or, would God have let him perish, along with his dead faith? Doesn’t Scripture say that faith without works is dead, being alone (James 2:17)?

The last days’ catastrophic events are to once again purge the earth of corrupt flesh. Have we bothered to do our own ark-building? For example, have we grown in grace*, cast off the works of darkness*, put on Christ*, and been diligent to be found of God in peace—without spot—and blameless*? These are works of faith. If we believe for the rapture, yet have done nothing of the works of faith to prepare ourselves for it, then our faith is dead.

Moreover, if we do nothing to work out our precious salvation, nor accompany our faith with works to inherit the promises, we are lazy believers (Heb. 6:1-12)! God has yet to retract or change his plan for lazy fools. Ready or not, even Jesus will not open the door for fools when the time comes (Matt. 25:1-12).

Like Father, like Son.

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*2 Pet. 3:18; Rom. 13:12; Rom. 13:14; 2 Pet. 3:14, respectively - Scriptures from The King James Version of the bible.