18 for LIFE!!!
Today am being led to talk about faith without works. Last night we went to a great bible study, with people who love GOD. It was a huge blessing. As usual, the enemy tried to damper things, with his darkness, but he cannot undo God’s love and peace. What happened was before we left, a little boy about 6 years old had a big shelf fall on him. Thankfully, by God’s grace, it just grazed his face. More than anything, it just frightened him. We anointed his face, prayed over him, used some ice, and swelling went down. There is not even a mark on his face, praise GOD!!!
This started me pondering something, what happens when in LIFE a circumstance like debt, or lack, or pain falls on us? Who do we turn to first. My first instinct in the past when we felt a symptom, like pain, was to head to see a doctor. I used to really have issues with medicine. Thankfully, GOD brought me to a place of understanding in HIM. He taught me that He can use anything, but HE excuses nothing. Great parents use discipline in LOVE and don’t spare the rod.
When we experienced lack before or debt, there was major condemnation that came with it. It was like we had not held up our end of the bargain, so to speak. Which on some level, we probably had not, but there were also many obstacles put in place creating conflict. But, last night my husband and I were talking about how when we did “have it all” according to the world’s standards, or even just had more, how complicated it was. Because of what we had learned from the world, and people in it, we did not know how to enjoy it, without guilt.
I remember before we moved, I was speaking to one of my beautiful sister’s in GRACE, and I said something along the line of, “we need a BIG change and I mean now.” She said, careful saying that, cause I sense something bad could happen. I began to wonder if that was something GOD showed her or not. When we left it was such a gift. Being able to walk away, and leave everything behind, and have a NEW LIFE and FRESH start, was beyond words a package of GOD’s LOVE!
Now, when we did those things, we had little time to react. people ask why we moved, and we can only say we felt the season was done. Some don’t understand being led by God’s peace. Not faulting anyone for that, but will say, there is no PEACE and no LOVE like that of GOD.
The topic here is 18 for LIFE because, as a kid around 18 most of what I had learned up to then was put into practice. I actually think if we all observe our life till now, we would say that it was a progression of getting to where we are now. I mean, that is kind of obvious, but let’s think about that age. 18, is the biblical number of bondage. So, statistics say that if a person does not come to know GOD by then, they likely won’t. I personally don’t know whether statistics are correct, but what I do know is if they have not experienced GOD, it is harder to recognize HIS LOVE.
Last night as I was going to sleep, I thought of a song from the past. One that resonates with a lot of what is happening in our world today. The song, was by a band called SKID ROW. It was called 18 and Life. In the song the band sings of a guy who had a hard life, tried to work hard but got mixed up with drugs and guns and violence. Ultimately this man’s life led him to prison.
It was ODD for me to think of this song. I have been doing a lot of research about music, and the industry and how the enemy, satan, has been trying to wreak havoc. We listened to and watched a video about it. So many are living life in that prison. They stopped growing around 18, and just decided they had to do whatever need to be done, so their needs could be met.
The only reason that we know this, is because it took the relentless LOVE of GOD to break US free. Eventually GOD will send us more and more places to meet with new people. I can say as a human, I would rather just sit home and pray. I know many people who do that. But, I can also say as COGS (Children of GOD Supers) in HIS wheel, a CHILD of GOD, that He makes super when needed, I can’t do that. In fact, we shouldn’t do that.
God needs us! He created us to work with HIM and for a specific purpose and destiny.
James 2:14-26
Amplified Bible (AMP)
14 What is the use (profit), my brethren, for anyone to profess to have faith if he has no [good] works [to show for it]? Can [such] faith save [his soul]?
15 If a brother or sister is poorly clad and lacks food for each day,
16 And one of you says to him, Good-bye! Keep [yourself] warm and well fed, without giving him the necessities for the body, what good does that do?
17 So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).
18 But someone will say [to you then], You [say you] have faith, and I have [good] works. Now you show me your [alleged] faith apart from any [good] works [if you can], and I by [good] works [of obedience] will show you my faith.
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and shudder [in terror and horror such as [a]make a man’s hair stand on end and contract the surface of his skin]!
20 Are you willing to be shown [proof], you foolish (unproductive, spiritually deficient) fellow, that faith apart from [good] works is inactive and ineffective and worthless?
21 Was not our forefather Abraham [shown to be] justified (made acceptable to God) by [his] works when he brought to the altar as an offering his [own] son Isaac?
22 You see that [his] faith was cooperating with his works, and [his] faith was completed and reached its supreme expression [when he implemented it] by [good] works.
23 And [so] the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed in (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on) God, and this was accounted to him as righteousness (as conformity to God’s will in thought and deed), and he was called God’s friend.
24 You see that a man is justified (pronounced righteous before God) through what he does and not alone through faith [through works of obedience as well as by what he believes].
25 So also with Rahab the harlot—was she not shown to be justified (pronounced righteous before God) by [good] deeds when she took in the scouts (spies) and sent them away by a different route?
26 For as the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from [its] works of obedience is also dead.
Again, no judgement on those who sit back and just pray, and none on who don’t pray at all. Many are praying for you, that is for sure. But, if we want change to happen, we cannot look to government, or anyone else to make it so. WE have to step out in FAITH and trust that GOD will perfect our ways. Will we mess up sometimes? ABSOLUTELY! Has God accounted for that in HIS plan? ABSOLUTELY!
So, the last thing I feel led to add is this. Faith without works is DEAD. That means that when we do not OBEY God we are dead inside. Now, some will get defensive and that is very normal. I used to get defensive, so did my husband and even our kids. But, here is the bottom line, if defense happens, something is hidden and covered up.
When we WANT the change to happen, bad enough, we will work with GOD, not against HIM. Now some will say well I don’t work against GOD. But, when we choose every day to do it our way and not HIS way, we are not working for HIM or the goals and plans he has set into motion.
The fearful time of destruction does not have to be now, GOD gave us choice for a reason. He gave us LOVE for a purpose. FAITH without HIS WORKS in us, and through us as well as around us is dead. But, “take heart, for HE has overcome the world!” He will resurrect the GIFT of faith, just watch, pray and see HIS GLORY come to LIFE!!!!
Choose to GROW UP in HIM and you will be amazed what wonders you will enjoy even more. Not to mention the freedom that comes when HE breaks us out of prison after prison!!! Receiving HIS LOVE, and loving HIM in return, there is NOTHING better than that. ~
In His Grace,
E