Newspaper Page Text
October 29, 2014
PAGE 7C
^Reporter
Pastor’s Corner
faith evolving
into active, living faith?
Is your
BY REV. LIZA
MARLER
James 2:14-26
ow can you
tell the dif
ference be
tween an ar
tificial plant
and a real plant? Artifi
cial: low maintenance -
only dusting re
quired. Never
blooms. Never
gives signs of
life. But it stays
green. Real
plant: high
maintenance by
the standards of
artificial plants.
Always shows
signs of life.
Blooms in sea
son. Requires
water, love and
pruning.
When you look superfi
cially at the two plants,
it’s sometimes hard to
tell which is alive and
which is artificial.
Sometimes Christians
have this same problem.
While some are genuine
and alive, others only
give the appearance of
being a follower of Jesus.
In reality there are
REAL Christians and
FAKE Christians. Look
at the acrostic below -
which one fits you?
Really
Evolving into
Active Disciples of
Jesus
Living their faith
Falsely
Appearing to
Keep the command
ments of
Jesus
Electing to
not be a
true
Christian
How can
we know
whether we
are living a
“real” faith
or a “fake”
faith in God?
The second
chapter of
the book of James helps
to give us some answers
to that question. In the
first part of James 2, he
tells us that we should
n’t show partiality to
people - treating a
wealthy person better
than a poor person.
James says that a living
faith is one that wel
comes equally all people
regardless of their
hygiene, wealth, poverty,
illness, or anything that
causes us to treat them
differently than we
should. James tells us
that we should have a
“living” faith that does
not discriminate. If we
break one law of God’s,
we break the whole law.
True faith in God -
Father, Son and Holy
Spirit — brings us to
action — actively seeking
God through worship,
prayer, Bible study, and
service to others. As fol
lowers of God, we are to
share our faith by invit
ing others to learn about
God, sending help to
those in need in other
areas, offering help to
those in our community
and in our church family
with love, forgiveness,
and compassion
It is not a matter of
what we say BUT what
we DO that shows our
living real faith in God —
Father, Son & Holy
Spirit. James says that
true faith goes beyond
belief and expresses
itself in action. Love only
means something when
it is expressed actively —
not just in words. God
wants us to put our faith
into action. James gives
us two examples of
active faith - Abraham,
whose story can be found
in Genesis 15 and
Rahab, whose story is
told in Joshua 2 and 6.
Abraham was a very
faithful man of God. He
trusted God implicitly
and was obedient to God.
He trusted God to guide
him and his family and
to provide for them. God
gave Abraham right
eousness as a gift that
brought him to be justi
fied by his faith in God.
When Abraham was to
place his one and only
son, Isaac on the altar to
be sacrificed, God
responded to his obedi
ence by saving Isaac.
Abraham put his faith in
God and followed up
with his actions.
Warren Wiersbe,
author and commentary
writer states: Someone
said, “Abraham was not
saved by faith plus
works, but by a faith
that works.”
Rahab was a Gentile.
She was a sinful woman
who was an innkeeper.
When she heard the
Word of God and real
ized that her city had
been condemned by God,
she took action! She hid
the Jewish spies and she
risked her life by shar
ing the good news of
deliverance with the
members of her family.
Abraham and Rahab
were two very different
people, but they both
had an active, real and
dynamic faith in God.
What about us? Is our
faith real? Is our faith
dynamic and active? Or
is our faith only in
words?
James calls us today to
think through our per
sonal walk with Christ
Jesus. 2 Corinthians
13:5 (NRSV) says,
Examine yourselves to
see whether you are liv
ing in the faith. Test
yourselves. Do you not
realize that Jesus Christ
is in you?—unless,
indeed, you fail to meet
the test!
This week I encourage
you to re-read James 2.
Ask yourself these ques
tions: 1. Do I truly
believe in the gospel of
Jesus Christ, that He
died for my sins and rose
again to bring me into a
right relationship with
God? 2. Have I been liv
ing the life of a “fake”
Christian only using my
words and not my deeds
to shower God with my
faith in Him? 3. Is my
faith only seen in words
instead of my heart,
head and body actively
living my faith in Jesus
Christ?
Psalm 139:23-24 —
Search me, O God, and
know my heart; try me,
and know my thoughts;
and see if there be any
wicked way in me, and
lead me in the way ever
lasting.
We are not Abraham
and we are not Rahab.
But we are loved by God.
We are justified by Jesus
Christ. We are daily
growing closer to God
and becoming sanctified
— holy — by the power of
the Holy Spirit.
Remember the plants?
Can we tell if you are
REAL or FAKE? May
our actions speak louder
than our words and may
God bless us all as we
continue to seek Him
and serve Him!
Rev. Liza Marler is
pastor of Mt. Zion
United Methodist
Church at Smarr. The
Pastor’s Corner is spon
sored by the Monroe
County Ministerial
Association.
Rev. Liza Marler
Helpers visits preschool
Right, veterinarian Dr. Butler Caldwell visited First Baptist Church preschool to share
with the children what happens when an animal visits his office. City of Forsyth city
firefighters also visited FBC to show the preschoolers a fire truck. They explained fire
safety and told the preschoolers not to be afraid of a fire fighter, that they are there to
help them in time of need. The preschoolers got to walk through the fire truck. A spe
cial thank you to firefighters Brandon Walker, Hunter McLendon, and Xavier Chamb
liss and to Dr. Caldwell.
Metaxas keynote speaker
for Covenant Care banquet
Eric Metaxas will give
the keynote address at
the 25th Anniversary
State Fundraising
Banquet for Covenant
Care Adoption Services,
scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
on Monday, Nov. 3. The
banquet will be held at
Anderson Conference
Center in Macon.
Proceeds from the ban
quet will enable
Covenant Care to contin
ue serving birthmothers,
children and adoptive
families throughout the
state.
Metaxas is the author of
the New York Times #1
Bestseller, Bonhoeffer:
Pastor, Martyr, Prophet,
Spy and Amazing Grace:
William Wilberforce and
the Heroic Campaign to
End Slavery. He has also
written for Veggie Tales.
Metaxas was the keynote
speaker at the 2012
National Prayer
Breakfast in Washington,
D.C., an event attended
by the President and
First Lady, the Vice
President, members of
Congress, and other U.S.
and world leaders. In
2011, Metaxas was the
17th recipient of the
Canterbury Medal
awarded by the Becket
Fund for Religious
Freedom. In 2013, Eric
and his wife Susanne
were jointly awarded the
Human Life Review’s
“Great Defender of Life
Award.” Along with his
colleague John
Stonestreet, Metaxas is
the voice of Breakpoint, a
radio commentary that is
broadcast on 1,400 radio
outlets with an audience
of eight million. His most
recent book, “7 Men and
the Secret of their
Greatness,” has been a
New York Times
Bestseller; a sequel, titled
“7 Women,” is due out in
spring 2015. His new
book is “Miracles”. There
is no cost to attend the
banquet, seating is limit
ed and advance reserva
tions are required. Free
tickets may be reserved
online at
www. CovenantCareAdopt
ions, com, or by calling
800-226-5683.
Green
Tomato
Festival
draws
crowds
Big crowds flocked to
Juliette this past
weekend for the
Green Tomato Festi
val. New this year, ac
tors from the Backlot
Players performed
scenes
from the
movie
“Fried
Green
Toma
toes”. Mu
sicians
also en
tertained
at the Juli
ette Opry
House.
The
crowds
enjoyed
perfect fall
weather.
(Photos /
Richard
Dumas
and Diane
Glidewell)
Church Calendar continued from 5C
Nov. 3-5
Revival is at
Mt. Airy Baptist
The Monroe County Ministry
Alliance will have a three-night
revival at Mt. Airy Baptist
Church, Hwy. 83 North,
Monday-Wednesday, Nov. 3-5,
at 7 p.m. nightly. The speaker
on Monday will be Rev. H.
Clark; on Tuesday, Rev. D.
Blalock will bring the message;
on Wednesday, Rev. T. Head
will lead the revival. Everyone
is invited.
Nov. 8
Mt. Zion Baptist
has yard sale
Mt Zion Baptist Church, 7015
Rivoli Road, Bolingbroke, will
have a church yard sale and
bake sale on Saturday, Nov. 8,
from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. at the
Fellowship Hall. All proceeds
will be divided between the
music ministry and building
maintenance. Donations for
either sale are appreciated, and
volunteers are needed to accept
and sort items and help in
other ways. Call Sonia
Balkcom at 478-477-2861 for
information on the yard sale or
Merrie Lowe at 478-747-5415
for information on the bake
sale.
Nov. 8, 16
St. Luke AME has
Family Fun Day, 150th
anniversary
St. Luke AME Church mem
bers will have a Family Fun
Day on Saturday, Nov. 8, from
1-5 p.m. This is just one of
many activities leading up to
the church's 150th anniversary,
a great milestone and accom
plishment, which will be cele
brated on Sunday, Nov. 16, at
2:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to
help commemorate the first
black church in Monroe
County; St. Luke AME was
founded by a slave named
Henry McNeal Turner in 1864.
Pregnant?
Looking for answers
or options?
We can help!
• Free pregnancy test
• Parenting classes
• Pregnancy Support
-Ai'i
The PrcgOftwy Center 1
cf ACiKFtt
478-994-3173
Mon, Tue & Thu 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
www.monroecountypregnancycenter.org