Hello Everyone,
Another reality of “Experiencing God” is We Trust – Read Exodus 3:11; 13; 4:1; 10; 13. Verse after verse Moses tries his best to convince God that he was not the man for the job. God’s invitation to work with Him led Moses to a crisis of belief that required faith and action!

Moses had to get to the place where he no longer looked to his own resources or ability, but to God’s resources and ability!
Moses was finally willing to trust God.When you believe that nothing significant can happen through you, you have said more about your belief in God than you have said about yourself! Moses had to turn from looking to himself to looking to God (Luke 18:27)!

Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."Moses believed in God. God took care of the stuff.
Now do you think God has any problem providing you with whatever you need to walk in His will?Next we adjust - Exodus 4:20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.Moses had to make major adjustments in his life to join God in what He was doing. Experiencing God is not a matter of getting God to come to where I am, but getting me to come to where God is!
God does not come to us on our terms, but we must come to Him on His terms!It doesn’t matter how often I come to church, read God’s Word, or pray if I am not willing to make the adjustments in my life that God says are necessary for me to get where He is calling me to be. (Isaiah 1:19)! If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land;
Whatever needs to change in order to get in on what He has in mind for me, I must be willing to change!

Finally We Experience God!Moses came to know God by experience as he obeyed God and God accomplished His work through him.

True success consists of knowing God’s will and being in the center of it.
“God willing, I will push and politick no more . . . the mountains are too high, history is too long and eternity is longer. God is too great, man is too small, there are many of God’s dear children, and all around there are men (& women) going to Hell. And if one man and a small group of men do not approve of where I am and what I do, does it prove I’ve missed success? No; only one thing will determine that — whether this day I’m where the Lord of lords and King of Kings wants me to be.” - Francis Schaeffer Where are you in your present experience with God? Are you where the Lord of Lords and King of Kings wants you to be?

Oh How HE Loves Us!
Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,
God spoke to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways to Moses.First of all God revealed Himself to Moses - Exodus 3:13-1513 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"
14 God said to Moses, "I am who I am . This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' "
15 God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.
He revealed Himself as a God who is sufficient for every need everyday! God revealed His purpose to Moses - Exodus 3:12 And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."
God’s purpose has not changed! He is at work, calling a people unto Himself who will live in such a way as to bring glory to God (Ephesians 1:11-12).
11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

This purpose of God is said to be ETERNAL (Ephesians 3:11).“according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
God revealed His ways to Moses - Exodus 3:16-2216 "Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.'
18 "The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.' 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.
21 "And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. 22 Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians."
God has called us to join Him in His work. There are usually three stages in this process: He shows us WHAT He wants done - Exodus 3:7-10He shows us HOW He wants it done - Exodus 3:11-4:17He shows us WHEN He wants it done - Exodus 4:18-20 (v.19)

God speaks to His people.
Oh How HE Loves Us!Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,

Two other realities of Experiencing God are God Pursues and God Invites.

First God Pursues read with me - Exodus 3:1-6.Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up."
4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am."
5 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
God pursued a continuing love relationship with Moses that was real and personal. God took the initiative in calling Moses to Himself.
God’s work in our lives is always at God’s initiative (1 John 4:19). We love because he first loved us.
Notice what God used to draw Moses to Him. The miracle was not that the bush was burning. The miracle was that it was not consumed (v. 3)! An ordinary event was used for an extraordinary purpose.This is the way God works. He calls us to turn in His direction through ordinary occurrences, ordinary situations, ordinary people, that He uses for His extraordinary purpose. He often calls us to Himself by using the ordinary things of life. How is God calling you to Himself today?Notice something it was only when Moses turned toward God that he heard God’s voice (v. 4). To hear God’s voice, we must respond to His call to turn our lives in His direction!
As it was with Moses, so it is with us. God is constantly at work in our lives, even through seemingly ordinary circumstances, calling us to turn our lives in His direction, so that we might hear His voice, and have an encounter with Him that results in surrendering ourselves to be His servant!The third Reality is God Invites – read with me Exodus 3:7-10The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."
God invited Moses to become involved with Him in His work.
When God is ready to do something, He always seeks to reveal to a person or to His people what He is going to do (Amos 3:7). Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.Look at the progression of things: God’s initiative - "I have indeed seen" v. 7; "I have heard" - v. 7; "lam concerned" - v. 7; "I have come down" -v. 8. God’s invitation - "lam sending you " - v. 10 God told Moses, I am going to do a work, and I want to use you as my instrument!

To be used by God to do His purpose is the greatest joy and privilege on this earth,

Oh How HE Loves Us!
Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,
When God is about to do something in our lives or through our lives, He has to get us from where we are to where He is. When He does, He takes the initiative to draw us toward Him, so that we might hear His voice and understand what He is doing.

There is one thing that you need to understand - WE CANNOT STAY WHERE WE ARE AND GO WITH GOD!
This week I want us to think about the spiritual dynamics associated with discovering and getting in on God’s will.Because we cannot improve on God’s will, we should want to make sure we get in on it.

There are 7 realities that we can lead us in God’s will and experience Him in our lives. We are going to look at the call of Moses and how he committed himself to following the call of God.

The very first thing that we need to understand is that God Works. Exodus 2:23-25During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.
God was already at work around Moses, even though Moses did not realize it. God was aware of the needs of His people and God had been at work to bring about their deliverance.

God is always about His redemptive work (John 5:17). Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."

He is always at work, to accomplish His purpose of drawing people to Himself. He is always moving and working.
For centuries, Israel had looked for the corning of the Messiah. They wondered when the Messiah would come and why He had not yet arrived. For some 400 years prior to John the Baptist, there had not even been a prophet sent by God. Where was God? Well, He was at work. He was orchestrating world events, raising up people who would obey, and maneuvering circumstances so the Messiah could come and accomplish the work. Then, Paul tells us, "when the time had fully come, God sent his Son" (Galatians 4:4).In the same way, God had been at work to set the stage for what He was calling Moses to be a part of.Not only that, but He had also been at work to make Moses usable in His work and will.
God had provided for his survival (Exodus 1:22-2:6).
God had provided for his spiritual development (Exodus 2:7-10).
God had provided for his education, as he grew up as a person of privilege in Pharaoh’s house-hold.
God had placed a passion ... for His people in Moses’ heart (Exodus 2:11-13).
God had taught Moses that God’s will must be accomplished God’s way (Exodus 2:11-15; Acts 7:25).
God placed him in the land of Midian, where he married into the family of Jethro, the priest of Midian, who would later prove to be one of Moses’ best advisors; and where he would become familiar with life in the desert (Exodus 2:16-22).

All of this was of God. God was definitely at work.God is not only at work around us, but as a child of God, I can know that I know that He is always at work in me (Philippians 1:6)!
“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”.

This means that when God calls me to join Him in something, I can know that He has providentially been at work to equip me with what I will need to obey!
Oh How HE Loves Us!
Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,

When we look to Jesus as our example it would be good to look at His approach to things.
…he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. John 5:19b
"We are laborers together with God." -1 Corinthians 3:9 (KJV)

Jesus said: “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:30
We also see Jesus’ appreciation of things – John5:20
For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.
Jesus knew that all the Father wanted to do through Him was centered around a love relationship. The same is true for us."The person who has my commands and keeps them is the one who (really) loves me; and whoever (really) loves me will be loved by my Father, and I (too) will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) myself to him. (I will let myself be clearly seen by him and make myself real to him.) - John 14:21 (Amplified)As I focus on my love relationship with Jesus, I will come to see him more clearly; and as I see him more clearly, I will know how and where to walk with Him; and as I walk and work with Him in obedience to His call, my love relationship with Him will grow even deeper!The question is not "What does God want me to do for Him?" but "What does God want me to do with Him?’

It’s not, "Lord bless what I am doing," but "God, let me do what You are blessing!"

Let’s not make the mistake the church at Ephesus did:
"You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first." - Revelation 2:4-5 (NIV)

God the Father wants us to “Experience Him” in a Personal Love Relationship.

Oh How HE Loves Us!
Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,
There are some things for us to notice about Jesus’ example of how he walked with the Father:First of all there was His awareness of things – John 5:1717Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."
Jesus lived with the awareness that the Father was at work around Him and called Him to take advantage of the opportunity to join Him."Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), making the very most of the time (buying up each opportunity), because the days are evil."- Ephesians 5:15-16 (Amplified)As Jesus lived each day in communion with the Father, we also must live each day in communion with Jesus, so that we might recognize the opportunities to partner in His work.

"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak of His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you." - John 16:13-15 (NIV)Another thing that we see in Jesus as our example is His attitude toward things.

Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; John 5:19a
What Jesus says here reminds us of what he said about us in John 15:5. Where he tells us that if we abide in Him (focus on walking with Him), we will be fruitful, but on our own, we can do nothing!Two psychiatric patients had become friends through their mutual contact with the same doctor. Once they saw each other at the doctor’s office and one asked the other, "Are you coming or going?" The other one said, "If I knew that I wouldn’t be here!"With out our daily communion with Christ we cannot know whether we are coming or going. We can do nothing apart from Him. As someone once put it, "He who guides himself has a fool for a follower."

Look to Jesus as our example.
Oh Hoe HE Loves Us!Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,
As we look to Jesus on our journey of experiencing God in our daily lives, one thing for us to keep in mind is Jesus is our Way."’I am the way, the truth, and the life!’ Jesus answered. ’Without me, no one can go to the Father.’ " - John 14:6 (CEV)There is a big difference between receiving directions and traveling with someone who knows.
The Lord doesn’t just give us directions for how to live and then leave us alone to figure out how to follow them; He is with us for the journey to guide us along the way!Most of us want the whole picture instead of saying: "Lord, tell me what to do one step at a time and I will do it as I follow you." The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. - Genesis 12:1 (NIV)When Abram started, he did not know his final destination, but God got him there anyway.

He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. Genesis 12:5.

Abram focused on walking with God and the Lord led him one step at a time.
Every time we get outside of God’s will for our lives it is because our primary concern is no longer on walking with God, but on things related to this world.The early church saw Jesus as their way to experience God.
That is why they were called "followers of the Way" - Acts 9:2 (NLT).

If we are going to experience God the way the early church did in the book of Acts, then we, too, must look to Jesus as the way.
We must look to Jesus if we are going to know and do God’s will and experience God in the fullest sense of what He desires for us!

Oh How HE Loves Us!
Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,
"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” - John 17:3Jesus defined eternal life in terms of knowing Him.
"Eternal" not only describes life in terms of quantity, but in terms of quality; not just in terms of length, but in terms of depth.

In “Eternal Life” there is also the abundant life that Jesus spoke about in John 10:10.
"Eternal life" is a life characterized by experience with God.We experience God at salvation, but if that is the total of your experience with God you are missing out on the abundant aspect of eternal life.

God has wonderful things in mind for each of His children." ’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ’plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’ " Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)So how can we experience God to the fullest sense of what He desires for us? We look to Jesus."Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus." - Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT) As we look to Jesus on our journey, to know how we can experience God in our daily lives, there are two points for us to keep in mind:

And that will be our topic this week for our e-votion.
Oh How HE Loves Us!
Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,
There is one thing that you can count on when it comes to doing acts of kindness and that is God Will Bless Our Acts of Kindness.
In a world full of big and bad problems, we might think that our small, personal service makes no difference.

We may not receive the pats on the back, or the praise, or the feelings of accomplishment we would like as we serve those in need, but those acts do not go unnoticed and they do bring blessing both to us and to those that we serve.God will bless our loving service.To live the way that God calls us to live is not an easy thing do.

But when we live with the attitude that every act of kindness is a direct service to Christ and that we will be rewarded by Him, we will find sufficient energy and drive to meet the needs that come our way.

Look around this weekend and see what God is up to in the people’s lives around you and join His work with some type of Act of kindness.

Oh How HE Loves Us!
Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,

What were the ministries that Jesus mentions in Matthew 25:31-46: feeding the hungry; giving drink to the thirsty; showing hospitality to strangers; clothing the naked; caring for the sick; and visiting the imprisoned.

These acts do not depend on wealth, ability, or intelligence; they are simple acts freely given and freely received.

The Christian author, A. W. Tozer, said this: “Before the judgment seat of Christ my service will be judged not by how much I have done but by how much I could have done!... In God’s sight, my giving is measured not by how much I have given but how much I have left after I made my gift… Not by its size is my gift judged, but by how much of me there is in it. No man gives at all until he has given all! No man gives anything acceptable to God until he has first given himself in love and sacrifice”.God calls us to let our light shine—through acts of simple service.In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus used the images of sheep and goats to describe two different groups of people based on how well they served those who were in need around them.

He said that the sheep were those who saw the needy around them and responded to their needs in acts of kindness.

The goats, on the other hand, were those who also saw the needs around them, but failed to act to help those in need.

As a result of their decisions, each was given what was due them—to the sheep was given great reward; to the goats a harsh judgment.

Just a simple act of kindness can make all the difference in the world.
Oh How HE Loves Us!!
Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,

When we think about “the small stuff” through acts of kindness we need to understand that: We serve a God who is described as being a loving God. One of the most familiar verses in the Bible—one that many of us have committed to memory—begins, For God so loved the world… (John 3:16). And in John’s first epistle he writes, God is love (4:16). Next to holiness, love is at the very core of who God is.When the word love is used in association with God, you will also find an accompanying action. Let’s look at the words of John 3:16 once again: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.God’s love is demonstrated in giving. The love of God is living and active. It is tangible and easily recognized.

When God’s love is poured out, there is no mistaking it.The God of love calls us to loving service.

Take time today and show the love of God by some type of act of kindness.

Oh How HE Loves Us!
Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,
We are going to see this week that it is the little stuff that counts.

Matthew 25 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

One writer said: “Whatever is done for Christ’s sake is done through Christ’s grace; and he who does the work attributes to Jesus both the will and the power by which the work was done, and seeks and expects the kingdom of heaven not as a reward, but as a gift of pure unmerited mercy”.

The return of the Lord will usher in judgment, and this judgment will divide people. Some will be on the left hand of God and some on His right hand.
The judgment will be based on moral character.

This character was displayed by acts of kindness or the lack of them.

Outward acts of kindness are a demonstration of inward righteousness or unrighteousness.

Good works do not produce good character; good character produces good works.

When ever you or I give we are doing it for Jesus.
The person we feed becomes as Jesus to us.
The person we visit becomes as Jesus to us.
The person that we clothe becomes as Jesus to us.

The way we get to know the Lord better is by doing His work.
And when we do simple acts of kindness we are doing them as much to Him as for Him.

We know Him by putting our arms around those who are desperate or alone.
He said that when we do this we are putting our arms around Him.

The focus of our faith is always on Jesus and Jesus alone.

He is God and He is our source. He is the object of our worship and our love.
He alone is worthy of our lives, and He alone can supply our needs.
We give to others, but let us keep our vision clear.

We look past them, with our faith directed to God and offered as a service of love for Him.

You see as one writer said, “Greatness in the kingdom of heaven is measured by small acts of kindness.”

Oh How HE Loves Us!
Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,
WHAT KIND OF FAITH IS REAL AND DYNAMIC? Well ...We know that such faith is based on the Word of God (ROMANS 10:17). Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.Secondly, dynamic faith INVOLVES THE WHOLE MAN.* Dead faith touches only the intellect.* Devilish faith touches the mind AND the emotions, but nothing else.* DYNAMIC faith involves the INTELLECT, the EMOTIONS, and the WILL!
The mind understands the truth, the heart desires and rejoices in the truth, and the will ACTS on the truth.True, saving-faith, then, LEADS TO ACTION. It changes the whole life. If your life is not changed, it’s NOT that you have faith, but lack works — it’s that you don’t have real faith at all!To illustrate, James refers to two well-known people in the Bible: ABRAHAM and RAHAB.You could not find two more different people! Abraham was the father of the Jews; Rahab was a Gentile! Abraham was a godly man; Rahab was a prostitute! Abraham was the friend of God; Rahab had belonged to the enemies of God!What did they have in common? Both exercised saving faith in God! Abraham demonstrated his saving faith by his works — James 2:20-24. 20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
Rahab demonstrated her saving faith be her works — James 2:25-26.
25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.Abraham and Rahab BOTH had a dynamic (God-given) faith that justified them for time and eternity.The beginning of a New Year is a good time for every believer to examine his or her own heart and life, and make sure that they possess true saving faith, which is a dynamic faith.May our prayer be similar to that of the Psalmist’s:“Search me, O God, and know my heart;try me and know my anxieties;And see if there is any wicked way in me,and lead me in the way everlasting.”(Psalm 139:23-24)
Oh How HE Loves Us!
Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,
To SHOCK any complacent readers, James reminds us that even “demons” have the kind of faith that some people claim — but they have no salvation. It’s not saving faith.Read with me: James 2:18-19

18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
Listen to me now: There are many people who give mental assent to the reality of God, mental assent to the reality of Christ, the facts of the gospel.
The demons of hell have pretty good theology! They believe in God. But James goes on to say AND THEY SHUDDER! That word means “to bristle”, “to have their hair stand on end”; they are in terror.
Follow this now: the demons of hell go one better than religious phonies do! We’ve talked about people who have INTELLECTUAL faith; they say, “I believe”, and that’s as far as it goes.
For demons, it’s not just intellectual faith — it’s highly EMOTIONAL as well. Demons say, “I believe”, and they shake with terror because they understand the implications. They are in fear. It says of men in ROMANS 3:18, “There is no fear of God before their eyes”. Men don’t fear God — demons do!So, James says: “You believe in God, do you? You believe in truth, do you? You believe all the right stuff?
Well, the demons are one up on you. They believe it too — and they tremble! They fear God. They understand the full implications of what they believe”.So the demons of hell are one step above the person who has a “dead faith”. DEAD FAITH is merely intellectual — it’s just words. DEVILISH FAITH is intellectual AND EMOTIONAL. (They tremble in fear.)It is possible that a person may be enlightened in their mind, and even stirred in their heart, and STILL be lost forever!
True, saving faith involves something more, something that can be seen and recognized: a changed life! (This is how Jesus can say: “By their FRUITS you shall know them”.)So, James has introduced us to two kinds of faith that can NEVER save: DEAD faith (involving the intellect alone), and DEVILISH faith (involving the intellect and emotions, but stopping there).Finally, having dealt with what does NOT prove to be real faith, he turns our attention now to what DOES. And that is a Dynamic faith.

Till tomorrow Oh How HE Loves Us!
Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,
The measure of our faith is NOT our “talk” — it’s our “walk”.
It’s what we are prepared to do.And this is James’ message in James 2.
Good works are the natural fruit of true saving faith in our lives.

In this passage, James talks about THREE KINDS OF FAITH. The first one is:

DEAD FAITH
James 2:14-17 14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.The first thing we must point out is that this “DEAD FAITH” that James talks about IS NOT FAITH AT ALL. It’s not James who calls this faith — look at v14: “if someone SAYS he has faith”. James is talking here about a person who CLAIMS to have faith, and he is testing the claim.This kind of “faith” SUBSTITUTES WORDS FOR DEEDS. TALK for ACTION.Look at the example James gives. Someone “claims” to have faith, but when they see a brother or sister who doesn’t even have the food or clothing to get through the day, what is their response? “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled”. “Good luck to you! I hope you find some relief — I’ll pray for you.”James says, “LISTEN! Any faith you claim to have, that isn’t accompanied by action, is DEAD. Whatever it is that you’re claiming to have, it’s not the LIVING, life-changing, motivating, transforming FAITH in Jesus Christ that comes from God! It’s not “saving faith” at all.
To sort of paraphrase James, “Faith PLUS nothing EQUALS ... NOTHING”. Faith without fruit is no faith at all.Three times in James 2 (vv17, 20 and 26), James makes it clear: “Faith without works — without the stuff or action — is DEAD”.
It’s like a corpse lying in a casket: all dressed up, all made up, looking life-like, but with no real life at all! No breath, no movement.

Don’t comfort yourself with that kind of faith — BURY IT! And cry out to God for real faith. Cling only to Jesus — trust Him with every fiber of your being to be your Saviour and Lord.Listen very carefully, for here is the summary of it — ANY DECLARATION OF FAITH THAT DOES NOT RESULT IN A CHANGED LIFE AND GOOD WORKS IS A LIE: It is D.O.A. A DEAD FAITH!

So the question is do you have the kind of faith that is ready to do something for some one else in His name or just a DEAD FAITH?

Oh How HE Loves Us!
Pastor Phil