The Work of Faith

 

 

     What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions?  Can that kind of faith save anyone?  Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”- but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing.  What good does that do?

 

     So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough.  Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

 

     Now some people may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.”  But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds?  I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”    James 2:14-17

 

     THANK YOU to the many people who are applying these words to Swaziland!  The resources are greatly needed here- for food and clothing as well as medicine, school fees, transport, health care, and missionary support.  We are honored to be a part of faith at work in Swazi.

 

     One church who is working out their faith in Swaziland is Capo Beach Calvary Church.  They shipped a container full of clothes and shoes and a giant playground and other items and it just arrived a couple of weeks ago.  In preparation the church painted a beautiful mural on the side and the container is going to be a permanent fixture at the Thembeni carepoint. 

 

     I was working with the ladies of Timbali Crafts last week and spent some time with the women of Thembeni carepoint.  I asked them what they think of the container (it hasn’t been opened yet and they don’t even know what’s inside of it for sure).  They produced enormous smiles and replied, “We think that God must love us very much!”

 

     The works of faith are producing a display of God’s tender loving care and his compassionate provision.  The good deeds by many are building faith and proving the truth of who God says that He is to a persevering people ion need.