The Gospel In Action

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

                             " . . . I will shew thee my faith by my works."   James  2:18

     Only God can see "faith" in the heart of man.  People see our faith only by our works.  Faith is like a seed planted in the ground.  It is hidden from view but if it is a living seed it will soon manifest itself by pushing its stalk up through the soil for all to see.  We may talk about our "faith" from morning till night without results, but when that faith works, men must recognize it.

     Out of the war comes a story of faith in action.  A godly chaplain in the army found a dying soldier on the battlefield, and being anxious about his salvation he took out his Bible and said,  "Shall I read a portion of Scripture to you?"  But the soldier replied,  "No sir, I am thirsty and need a drink of water."  At the risk of his own life, amid bursting shells, the chaplain went in search of water and having found some, gave it to the wounded man.  Then he asked again,  "Shall I read some Scripture to you?"  But the man replied,  "No thank you, I am so cold, I am almost freezing."  The chaplain removed his own coat and wrapped it about him, and once more asked with shivering body and chattering teeth,  "Now may I read to you?"  Again the reply was  "No sir, I am too uncomfortable on this rough ground."  The chaplain gently lifted him up and placed him across his knees with his head in his arms and once more asked the same question.  "Yes sir,"  he replied,  "for if what you are going to read can make a man willing to risk his life like this to ease a dying stranger, I want to hear about it!"  And there on the battlefield he was told about Jesus who died that we might live.

     This is the Gospel in action.  It is what the world is waiting for today!  Amid the clamor of religious cant the world is looking for a cup of cold water in the Master's name.  Faith without works is dead.

"Bread For Each Day"

Deceit

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

        "They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit." 
                                                                                                                             Job  15:35

     During the first World War, I was practicing medicine.  Many young men were volunteering for service in the Army.  Among them was one fellow, the son of a preacher, who, lured by the prospects of the thrill of combat, tried to enlist.  However, when examined for service he was rejected because he was ten pounds underweight.  He sought my advice as to how he might gain ten pounds, but it was all to no avail.  The best he could do was gain five pounds.  A few weeks later I heard he had been accepted into service.  When I first saw him I enquired how he had manged to put on extra pounds, and he slyly replied,  "Just before I went in for my examination, I ate five pounds of BANANAS, and just made it."  He was later killed in action.

     Job describes those who by deceit seek to gain their ends, but later must eat the bitter fruits.  Job said of such,  "He wandereth abroad for bread, saying,  Where is it?"   (Job  15:23).  Of all such Solomon said,  "Bread of deceit is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel."  (Proverbs  20:17).

     One may fool men, even the army physicians, but no such tactics can fool God.  He weighs with a scale having x-rays attached and immediately recognizes the fraud of a man trying to make himself fit for God by his own efforts.  God says of every sinner,  "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting" (Daniel  5:27).  The bananas of morality, good works, religion, and human righteousness cannot avail.  Only as a sinner accepts Christ into his heart can he (in Christ) meet the standards of God's holiness.  You cannot deceive God - you are only deceiving yourself.

"Bread For Each Day"