Meekness is most certainly not weakness . . .

It has been my experience down through the years to see some Christians walk around with an air of humility, cocksure that they are humble by the way they conduct themselves—the way they dress, beverages they do or don’t drink, the pious smiles on their faces, or in a thousand and one other ways. 

All in all, the point is, they are living miserably under a set of self-inflected sanctimony of do’s and don’ts that adds absolutely nothing spiritually to their standing before God; and, as a matter of fact, distracts from pure holiness. Self-imposed piety is, of course, the simplest form of self-delusion, as well as at times sheer hypocrisy. The Bible certainly speaks against such “voluntary humility” or “self-imposed piousness (Colossians 2:18)”—that’s for sure!

Regarding this, I am reminded of the story told of a young priest, who was considered as the first living candidate in history for sainthood. When the clerics came to interview him to affirm such a distinction, the first thing the chief interrogator said was: “Young man, we have come to affirm your sainthood.” “Yes,” the sanctimonious priest answered, “I’ve been waiting for you. What took you so long?” At that, the old priest in charge, replied: “Well, son, let me put it this way, it is obvious that we didn’t wait nearly as long as we should have.” And, with that the committee of clerics left the room. As they, of course, should have. 

Humility, which is an expression of true holiness comes naturally to a real saint. It is not something that is forced, voluntarily or otherwise. One is either humble, or one is not. However, neither humility, nor meekness—which is the outward form of humbleness, should never be confused with weakness. A humble and meek character is a strong character, settled in confidence, and solid thru and thru. Neither needs to force an issue, either. One that is meek and lowly always gets their way, for that is what meekness and humility are all about. 

During this post-reformation anniversary year, we would do well to remember that, as Luther discovered, we are saved not by our works of righteousness, but rather thru faith in God’s promises to effectively work that miracle in us (Galatians 2:16; Titus 3:5-7; Ephesians 2:8-6:24).

Now, friends, I have no particular group in mind—the principles apply to all. Mennonites, for example are no more or less holy than others. The same goes for tongue speaking Charismatics who rejoice in a façade of exuberant worship, either—since only God knows what true character of spirit lays beyond that. The facts are, we should not expect a godly pat on the back because of what we eat or drink, or on how often we attend church, or whether we go to church on Easter or Christmas, or any other Christian habit simply because it is the thing to do. True holiness does not work that way. Meekness and humility come from the inside out, not the other way around.

When it comes to holiness, as expressed in meekness and humility, we all could take a good lesson from grammar. Yes, grammar. We are to be holy—not simply act as if we are. Being is a matter of character, an essence, our true nature. So, when Peter reminds us that God has said that we are to be holy as He is holy, he is talking about holiness in the very core of our nature (1 Peter 1:16)—the very essence of who we are. Façades of holiness are never pleasing to God, now or ever.

Personally, I have never met, nor expect to meet, a man or woman who champions their holiness, that really is holy. Holiness, meekness, humility, and all the other attributes that spring out of the spiritual core of a true saint are what they are in both the sunshine and the rain, in dark times as well as the bright. Through it all, His loving kindness endures forever (Ps 136:1b), and when we are rooted and grounded in Him, so does ours.

May God give us the wisdom to see the difference,

 JimR_/

True Truth . . . take it or leave it.

I am a propositionalist—that is, I believe that theological truths can reasonably be proven to be true thru the eyes of faith. Reason, however, is never the final test. 

This I say, because as Chesterton once remarked:

“All that an insane man has left is his reason.”

This brings us logically, then, to the conclusion that one must start with the proposition that the foundation of truth is axiomatically true. Now, this is not a play on words, either. Give me time here, and I’ll show you.

First of all, all truths about truth is circular, that is, first the proposition, then the assertion, followed by other assertions that, when followed sequentially, always circle back to the original statement of truth. To put it in a slightly different form, we may say, that each step in any sequence of true statements must be absolutely in synch with the original statement of truth. This, Francis Schaeffer called: “true Truth.” Again, not a play on words, but an absolute necessity.

Problem is, some of our dear Evangelical friends limp along with half-truths, thinking that they have the full truth each step of the way. Nothing could be farther from the truth, either. For instance, some of these dear friends insist that we must live by faith, and insist that as a matter of fact faith in Christ is what saves us. Belief in Christ is thus treated as a kind of catalyst that sparks and maintains eternal life in us—unfortunately, they fail to understand the ingredients in faith. They think faith and belief are on the same level. Not so. With true biblical faith belief is only one ingredient, good works is also required to help round out the definition. As the New International Version puts it: 

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (Galatians 5:6 NIV)

James says much the same. For we read:

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. (James 2:18 NIV)

Again, this was not a play on words by James, he was dead serious. However, all James was saying is what Paul was saying, that is, the thing that counts is that faith must express itself through love, or it is not faith at all. Friends, there is no hollow faith, intellectual, or otherwise. You may never defend your faith without demonstrating it, either.

Recently, I was talking to a good friend of mine who happens to be the General Superintendent of one of the largest national bodies of Assemblies of God believers. He spoke of a certain visiting pastor who came to the Superintendent’s country, and in a public display on several occasions ridiculed some of the most beloved elders in the country. I wasn’t there, but apparently it really got vicious more than once. Finally, the pastor was asked either to apologize publicly or leave. He chose to leave. However, following that, every time my friend met the pastor outside the country, the pastor would throw his arms around him and in a deep sonorous voice say, “Brother, I love you, and your wonderful people!”

My national friend remarked to me, “Boy, it would have really been nice, had he shown it before.”  Truth is, the pastor probably liked most of the people, but it is doubtful that he really loved all of them. At least, he hadn’t shown it.

Faith doesn’t work like that. For one to have faith, one must love; and, to love, means to show it. That’s faith. The full circle of faith.

So, for one to insist reasonably that they have faith, without showing it, is impossible, and only a half-truth. Unfortunately, there are no half-truths with God. For something to be true, it must be true in every arch of the circle.

Now, may God give us the wisdom, and the courage to understand truth and act upon it as necessary.

Faithfully yours, in truth, 

 JimR_/

What a fool . . . !

Recently, during one of my classes in apologetics the students and I had a very lively discussion on hearing the voice of God. I am a presuppositionalist—I believe that all men have a sense, instinctively to believe in God. They may not all describe him the same, but all have the concept. That concept alone is enough for the sincere to discover God in His fullness when given the opportunity. Disbelief, I insist is a matter of the heart, not the head.

The psalmist said,

“The fool has said in his heart, there is no God (Psalm 14:1)”

The head has very little to do with belief in God, except to find ways to skirt the issue. The heart, the center of the will, has everything to do with it, however (Romans 1:18-20).

Why is that, you say?

Well, besides being true, it is also scriptural, too, I believe. This brings me to the following consideration. That consideration is simply this: To hear the voice of God, you and I must listen. The problem with most Christians is that they do not listen. Mortimore Adler, an outstanding philosopher of the Aristotelian and Thomistic traditions once authored a book called: “How to Speak, How to Listen.” Part of the problem with poor performance for students and others to meet his expectation in class was that they not listen, but by and large they did not even know how to listen. It should not surprise us, either, that poor listeners were unable to articulate their views well, either.

Most of us, know that we must listen. The Christian’s problem is ‘When and how, and where to listen?’ I call these the Big Three of Understanding.

Since this is not a class in apologetics; however, let’s consider the average Christian. The child of God must listen at all times, not just at church, or in a short 15-minute devotional routine. The when and where is at all time under all circumstances—in the bad times, as well as the good. On dark days, as well as the bright ones. In the mud, as well as bathing in a crystal-clear lake. The when and the where is everywhere and at all times. This, is not just a cute play on words, either.

Moses listened in the Sinai desert, not just to the ordinary things—like, the cooing of the desert dove, the chirping of crickets, or even the faint sound of the slithering lizards scaling across the rocks or burring their way into sand; but through the eyes of faith to the voice of the burning bush. Not just to the crackle of the burning stems, but to the voice beyond.

Jeremiah did much the same thing—he watched and listened to the spin of the whirling potter’s wheel, but beyond that, too, intuitively to the voice of God. David, the psalmist, in the same vein watched in silence to the whirls of the galaxy and wrote,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork (Psalm 19:1).”

Regarding that, I am sure that in a large part David was called a man after God’s own heart because he listened to the voice beyond that spoke volumes that was amplified louder than mere words. We must listen, even when God is silent because God will and most often does speak at the most unexpected times.

Take eccentric Elijah, for instance—sometime soon, take time to reread his life story, and you’ll find out, in case you don’t all ready know that: Boy was he weird! Nonetheless, consider him for a moment.

The Lord spoke to him (How? I am not sure, since the passage is not clear here.) but the author of the book says,

So, [a voice] said, "Go forth and stand on the Mount Horeb before the LORD."

Here he could have gone and just stood. He had obeyed. So, surely that was enough. Fortunately, for him, however, he listened as well. Thank goodness for that, for God had more to say. For scripture says,

And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?

This was the second time, God asked Elijah what he was doing. However, Elijah kept listening. Elijah listened to the strong wind—God was not there, even though God had just told him to stand precisely where he was standing. Then the prophet listened through an earthquake and fire. Not there, either. Silence. Pure silence, except from the commotion going on around him. The old prophet was a stubborn man, so he even forced himself to listen for God’s voice in the soft blowing of the wind. Following that he stood at the mouth of a cave, thinking perhaps, ‘Well, it’s about time to crawl inside and sleep a little, after all its’ been a long, scary, and spiritually uneventful day. But, to his credit, he listened. Then following the gentle breeze, he heard the voice that launched a spiritual battle that changed the course of history.

The principle of listening is true at all times, in every place, under all circumstances.

The Good Samaritan listened, not through his ears, but through his heart. So, he when out of his way, caring enough to do something. Peter and John listened through compassion, and a sense of ought. This man is cripple, I’ve got the answer, so why not share it? This is what we ought to do. This is what they thought, and this is precisely what they did. So, Peter, in the Name of Jesus, healed the man.

Trouble with many Christians is that they have the answer, but not the sense of ought. Money is never the issue in such cases, selfishness and the lack of a sense of ought is, however. For there is a stroke of kindness that reaches far beyond the pocket book. It emanates right from the inner-court of Heaven, from the very heart of God—and with that a sense of ought, and a voice from beyond. But, not without listening.

What shall I say? What shall I do? Listen, you say? How foolish. What can listening do on a dark day? Can listening move mountains—straighten a crooked path? Turn on fountains? Cause the desert to bloom? Heal a broken heart?

Yes, listening can help do all of this, when you listen to the voice in the now beyond the when and the where and the how.

May God give us the insight to understand the significance.

 JimR_/

When good is bad . . .

Doing something good is not always good. How's that you say?

Well, consider Matthew 24: 37-30:

³⁷ For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 

Nothing wrong with any of that. All good stuff. Yet, good stuff can get you in trouble, if you are not careful. So, in the case of good stuff mentioned in Matthew’s gospel, what we really end up with is bad stuff.

Think of the number of bad children that have come from good homes. Dad or mom were so busy taking care of others that they neglected their own. As a result, little Junior or sister Susie felt neglected, abandoned, secondary and forgotten. The same could be said of marriages gone bad. Hubby is so busy making a living, keeping up with the Joneses that the wife feels treated like a second-hand piece of furniture. Useful in need, but not really appreciated all that much, just a taxi driver for the kids, a cook to keep the kids fed, and dad happy, but that's about it. All were busy doing good stuff all the way around, but in the end a disaster.

That's one scenario. There are countless others. Take marriages for instance. Think of the enormous amount of time taken to plan, arrange, and put on a wedding. Never mind the money spent. Marriage ceremonies are good, but why go over board? Bi-zillions of dollars are spent on wedding each year just to impress others, or make up for the lack of attention little Susie had growing up, or because society expects a big splash. Nothing wrong with showing love, or inviting friends and relatives to a wonderful ceremony, but these things get out of hand, and can cause more harm than good. Often, they zap the budget, that in some instances take years to recover. All good stuff, but in the end bad.

To me it is obvious that what Christ is saying in the verses quoted above is that we can get so preoccupied with the good things that we neglect to do the necessary. Good just for the sake of good, is not always necessary.

The necessary good is quite different, as for example, we are encouraged to pray without ceasing, to do everything in the name of Jesus, to love unconditionally—all good, and at the same time, all necessary. Nothing excessive or harmful here.

Sainthood, or to use a more acceptable Protestant word, sanctification, doesn't happen overnight. That takes work. It takes perseverance. It takes prioritizing, differentiating between the good and the necessary good. There is a difference. A world of difference. One causes you to miss out on the good and necessary things of God; whereas, the other brings balance and stability over the long-haul, and in the end, you inherit the Kingdom.

Paul once remarked that some say, “Shall I do bad that good may come?” Then, he answers, “Of course not. That is to be condemned.” Now, I would like to reverse the question, “Shall we do good that evil might come about?” Of course, you know the answer. Certainly not. However, that is precisely where we find ourselves when we neglect the necessary good to excessively do good, just for goodness sake. Food for thought, I hope. I say this, because, many a good person has missed out on the lasting good, simply because they did not take care of the necessary good.

May God give us the insight to see the difference.

 JimR_/

Ministry summation for 2017 & 2018 thus far . . .

Dear Colleagues,

Had a very interesting week. Here are some highlights. Bonnie (bless her heart) spent 7 hours at the visa office to "regularize" our 5-year multiple entry tourist visa, when she finished, on the way out, she peeked at the passports and lo and behold we have been given a multiple entry "business" visa. Go figure. So, suddenly we are in the education business. Nope, didn't have to submit any paperwork or documentation, other than what is included on a normal tourist application. As a matter of fact, less, since the clerk said, "Ah, don't bother filling out all that stuff, just give us pictures, address, passport, and we'll do the rest." Interesting. Very interesting. Either Jesus is working very hard behind the scenes or someone else is--perhaps both, who knows. Certainly not me. All of this comes as a real surprise to us. Looks like God is not finished with us, yet.

Now, on to another interesting development. Suddenly, our MACM program has taken off with new enthusiasm. Previously, all but about 2 had dropped out of the program. We contacted those dropouts and potentially new students, scheduled an orientation program for new and returning students, and 10 showed up. 6 of those will hopefully be finished by July 31, 2018. Primarily, the greatest obstacle is for 3 of them to complete their thesis projects on time. 2 of the others have already completed their thesis, but are awaiting the mentors to guide them through the Turabian thesis writing process. That should be a relatively easy process.

Now, on the undergraduate side. All of us were astounded at the number of new student. All we had promise of when we assessed our new block that was committed for the 2018 term was 4 new students. Today, the chapel was packed with from 35 - 40, new students with more (it looks like) on the way. Amazing to say the least.

Now, I am fully aware that critics will try and pick any improvement apart, and that there will be set backs, but this will only give us an opportunity to spend a little more time on our knees praying for the school and Sri Lanka in general. Personally, I believe that this is, together with our new AGWM team, a new day for Sri Lanka, and that we will someday step back and say, "This is the Lord's work, and we marvel in it (Psalm 118:23)."

Bonnie and I leave for the States via China on Friday. Veteran educators, Everett and Evelyn McKinney arrive on Tuesday night. Our future plans? Just let me say, my song and dance has always been, "One day at a time, sweet Jesus." I do feel, however, that with the McKinneys here basically through June, we have left our part of the graduate teaching load in good hands. I will, however, remain in title “Dean of the Graduate School" for stability in the program and ATA accreditation purposes. I will be using Skype to continue to mentor some of the graduate students, and to converse weekly with the Graduate School's Program coordinator, Pastor  Shehan Pereira. 

We have completed the request for bids and electricity bills for a solar panel project, costing about $43,000 (forty-three-thousand dollars). We do need, however, to come up with some form of matching fund for project, as the funding source (a parachurch organization that remains anonymous, at least to me) requires it.  So, pray with us regarding this.

Thanks for taking time to read this.

Blessings in God’s Amazing Grace,

JimR/-

P.S. By the way, we leave for the States on Friday, 19, 2018, next week, via China, Minnesota, then Texas. Keep us in you prayers for traveling mercies.  JimR/-

Final Sequence of Events at the Last Supper

The Final Sequence of Events at the Last Supper

Question: Dear Dr. Roane, Was the Last Supper a Seder meal or not?

Answer: The answer is, "Yes" and "No." Yes, in the sense that it replaced the Old Covenant Passover Meal with "as oft as you do (1 Corinthians 11:25)" as far as time goes, and different places as for as Jerusalem is concerned (See Malachi 11:1); further you will notice that Christ is the Lamb provided for the Last Supper, not a real lamb in the traditional sense. You will also notice that Jesus was on the Cross when the sacrificial lamb was offered— 

thus there is no way for Him to be physical present at the Lord's Supper and be sacrificed at the same time..

Below are scriptures that will help guide you through the sequence:

1. Judas went to the Chief priests to betray Jesus for money (Matt. 26:14; Mark 14:10; Luke 23:2-6).
2. The disciples all ate at least the initial part of the Passover Supper (Mark 14:17; Luke 22:14).
3. After the initial part of the Passover Supper was ended, the devil puts it in Judas' heart to betray Jesus; Jesus washes all their feet (John 13:2-11).
4. They were told that they were not all clean, a clear reference to Judas. (John 13:11).
5. All, or a few of them, sat back down at the table to dip sops. (John 13:12, 28).
6. The disciples are then told that one of them would betray Jesus. (John 13:21).
7. They ask, including Judas, "Is it I?" and who it was. (Matt. 26:25; John 13:22-25).
8. They are told that the one that dips his 'sop' with Jesus would be His betrayer. (John 13:26; Mark 14:18-20).
9. Judas is told that he is the one and given the 'sop.' (John 13:27, 30).
10. After being given the sop, Judas IMMEDIATELY goes out from them and goes to the chief priests. (John 13:30).
11. Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper/Christian Communion with the eleven. (Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:19-20). Judas is no longer present.
12. Jesus Expounds upon the meaning of His life and the Gospel (John 13:31 to John 18:1).
13. The eleven sing a Hymn (Mark 14:46).
14. The eleven go out to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane (John 18:1; Luke 22:39).
15. Judas takes Jesus' enemies to Him, betraying him with a kiss (Matt. 26:47; Mark 14:43; Luke 22:47, 48; Acts 1:16; John 18:2-5).
16. Judas repents and hangs himself (Matt. 27:3; Acts 1:25).

Conclusion

Judas was indeed present at the Last Supper, but Judas (see # 9 above) was not present at the full revelation of its meaning. He heard that there would be ceremonial bread and wine, probably saw it, but never actually partook of that bread and wine as a religious expression of faith in Jesus because he had already left before that stage was reached. In short, it seems clear that Judas had no part in the first ever Christian communion service.

Groaners for loners!

Now that’s a lot of bull …

A man asks a farmer near a field, “Sorry sir, would you mind if I crossed your field instead of going around it? You see, I have to catch the 4:23 train.”

The farmer says, “Sure, go right ahead. And if my bull sees you, you’ll even catch the 4:11 one.”

*****

Hearing Problems

An old man was wondering if his wife had a hearing problem. So one night, he stood behind her while she was sitting in her lounge chair. He spoke softly to her, "Honey, can you hear me?"
There was no response.

He moved a little closer and said again, "Honey, can you hear me?"
Still, there was no response.

Finally, he moved right behind her and said, "Honey, can you hear me?"
She replied, "For the third time, YES!”

*****

 Top Hymns for Old Folks

1.) Precious Lord, Take My Hand . . . And Help Me Up
2.) It Is Well with My Soul . . . But My Knees Hurt
3.) Nobody Knows the Trouble I Have Seeing
4.) Just a Slower Walk with Thee
5.) Count Your Many Birthdays, Name Them One by One   
6.) Go Tell It on the Mountain . . . But Speak Up   
7.) Give Me the Old Timers' Religion   
8.) Blessed Insurance
9.) Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah . . . I've Forgotten Where I Parked

*****

Senior Golf Game

An eighty-year-old man's golf game was hampered by poor eyesight. He could hit the ball well but he couldn't see where it went. So his doctor teamed him up with a ninety-year-old man who had perfect eyesight and was willing to go along to serve as a spotter.

The eighty-year-old man hit the first ball and asked his companion if he saw where it went.

"Yep," said the ninety-year-old.

"Where did it go?" the eighty-year-old demanded.

The ninety-year old replied, "I don't remember."

*****

Where Are You Going

Grandma and Grandpa were sitting in their porch rockers watching the beautiful sunset and reminiscing about "the good old days". Grandma turned to Grandpa and said, "Honey, do you remember when we first started dating and you used to just casually reach over and take my hand?"
 
Grandpa looked over at her, smiled and obligingly took her aged hand in his. With a wry little smile, Grandma pressed a little farther, "Honey, do you remember how after we were engaged, you'd sometimes lean over and suddenly kiss me on the cheek?"   

Grandpa leaned slowly toward Grandma and gave her a lingering kiss on her wrinkled cheek. Growing bolder still, Grandma said, "Honey, do you remember how, after we were first married, you'd kind of nibble on my ear?" Grandpa slowly got up from his rocker and headed into the house. Alarmed, Grandma said, "Honey, where are you going?"    

Grandpa replied, "To get my teeth!"

*****

 Prayer of Senility

      For those of us who are getting a little older:

              God grant me the Senility

      to forget the people

       I never liked anyway,

      the good fortune

       to run into the ones I do,

      and the eyesight

       to tell the difference...

*****

That's Once

A couple was celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. Their domestic tranquility had long been the talk of the town, and on this special occasion, a local newspaper reporter paid them a visit. He inquired as to the secret of their long and happy marriage. 
      "Well," explained the husband, "it all goes back to our honeymoon. We visited the Grand Canyon and took a trip down to the bottom of the canyon by pack mule."
      "We hadn't gone too far when my wife's mule stumbled. My wife quietly said 'That's once.' We proceeded a little farther when the mule stumbled again. Once more my wife quietly spoke: 'That's twice.' We hadn't gone a half-mile when the mule stumbled a third time. My wife promptly removed a revolver from her purse, hopped down off the beast, and shot the mule dead."
       "I started to protest over her treatment of the mule when she looked at me and quietly said, 'That's once.'"

*****

Three Old Sisters

There were 3 sisters living together 92, 94 and 95 yrs. old. The oldest went upstairs one evening to take a bath. As she was getting in the tub with one foot in and one foot out, she called down to her sisters, "Am I getting in the tub or am I getting out of the tub?"

The 94-yr. old decided to go upstairs to see if she could help figure out the situation. She got to the 3rd step and stopped - then called out, "Was I going up the stairs or was I coming down the stairs?"

The 92-yr. old, sitting at the kitchen table, thought she better knock on wood and as she knocked on the kitchen table she said, "I hope I never get as bad as my sisters. Now was that the front door or the back door?"

Childlike faith . . .

We’ve often heard: “Seeing is believing!” However, with God it is most often just the opposite, that is: “Believing is seeing.” Take just a couple of examples, for instance: The Virgin Birth is absolute non-sense, unless it is seen through the eyes of faith. The same goes for the Resurrection. When is the last time you saw a dead man resurrected three days after the undertaker had buried him? Same goes for turning water into wine, or Jesus walking on the water. All are non-sense, unless you believe first, then, and only then, does it make sense.

The same goes for spiritual rebirth, also. Jesus said,

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So, it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit (John 3:8 ESV).”

Show me proof for the new birth, without believing first—then a changed life means nothing more than a poorly kept New Year’s resolution, or an ill kept promise to keep an anxious wife at bay. Why, do I say this? Well, simply because nothing has change on the inside—that is, the soul is still as sick as ever, and the spirit remains in bondage to the filthy residual of Adam’s legacy. 

So, in short, belief not only works miracles; it is a miracle. No wonder Jesus said to the Syrophoenician woman whose daughter he healed:

“Woman, your faith is great! Let what you want be done for you (Matthew 15:28).” 

Her faith did not waver, even when He told her in essence that His mission was to the Jews, not some off-brand Canaanite. Yet, she persisted. Faith paid off, not persistence, however, that was only a sign of her unfailing belief. True she no doubt had seen, but seeing accomplished nothing; committed faith, however, made the difference.

May God give us the insight to step on the water when He calls us, trusting that the tumultuous sea beneath will sustain us, simply because He said, “Come.”

Faith is nothing more than belief in action; and faith is given, not rationalized (Romans 12:3; 1 Corinthians 4:7). No one has ever thought his way into Heaven; yet even a simple child can often radiate with the glory of God. Faith is never childish; however, it is only childlike in its simplicity. 

Childish faith is whimsical, playful, treats God’s promises as commodities, fostered off at times to the most gullible among us—like so much merchandize: a prayer cloth, or holy oil or water, or a rosary blessed by the Pope, a miracle working CD. Like children playing the street (Luke 7:32), Jesus says. In other words, religion is only a game. Great fun, but no substance. An entertaining sideshow. A facade, or ruse to work its way into our pocket books. To the unbelieving, it is all of these and more; but never sustaining faith. Sad, but true.

So, anything short of belief, is not faith at all. 

True faith, therefore, is always first grounded in belief. It can not be whipped up emotionally, experienced at the short end of a long-armed evangelist shouting “Be healed, in the Mighty Name of Jesus!” or mustarded-up by wishful thinking. True faith is belief that simply takes God at His word. Nothing more, and nothing less. 

Remember, there are no mountains you can't tunnel through, or rivers that you cannot cross with Christ at your side.

JimR/-