LESS TALK, MORE ACTION

PRAY WITH ME FOR AFRICA: Nigeria is a wealthy country represented by the green bars on its flag. The white bar represents peace in a country with much division and persecution of Christians by Boko-Haram and Hausa-Fulani herdsman (16,000 killed since 2015). Nigeria also has one of the largest prayer movements in the world with dynamic church growth. Pray for maturity and continued growth for these persecuted Christians.

NIGERIAN FLAG

I hope it is your common experience that as your read your Bible certain verses stick in your brain and then bounce around in your head for days, sometimes weeks, and help you grow in your relationship with God and in your daily living. 1 John 3.18 is vibrating in my mind these days, "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." This verse exhorts me to put my confession of love into action. As one commentator writes, "Love is not sentiment, but deeds".
I find this same teaching in James 2.14-17, "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." We can also find this teaching in 1 Corinthians 13, Matthew 25.31-46, Ephesians 2.10 and a number of other places.

When reading about the final judgement one would expect that the standard of acceptance would be faith in Jesus Christ but Revelation 20.12 teaches us, "And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done." (see also Matthew 16.27; Romans 2.6; 2 Corinthians 5.10; Revelation 22.12) True love and faith is expressed in actions and truth. Works and deeds cannot earn salvation, but works and deeds that reflect true faith and love will be rewarded with salvation. Words and Talk are great but the proof is in the doing.

Good articles this week:
You'll never wish you did less
Joshua Project: Least Reach in the World
[Pray each day for a different people group. Download link to your computer or phone. Also access by clicking banner at top of page]
Long Term Christian Prisoners in Pakistan