Put Feet to Your Faith

We’re 34 days until Easter, but I want to take you to 40 days following Easter when Jesus was saying good-bye to his followers. Mark’s gospel captures Jesus’ words best when He said:

“And these signs will follow (accompany) those who believe…” (Mark 16:17)

There is something obvious I have missed that needs our immediate attention.  Notice what Jesus didn’t say; “These signs will PROCEED those who believe!”

Why is that important you ask?

Nothing happens with God unless faith is put into action.  We can pray for hours, but until we get off our knees and put faith into action, then and only then will we see the sick miraculous. 

Before many miracles occur, there is a moment when someone’s faith has taken action and God said: “There’s childlike faith; I will honor that!”

The very best day of my presidential life at Zion Bible College was unexpected. It wasn’t my inauguration or the day I received my Master’s Degree. In fact, it happened on an ordinary day, when my plate was full and I really didn’t have time for a visit from a student.

Peter, an international student, sat down nervously to say: “President Cope, I think I owe you and Zion an apology.” I quickly replied, “Let me decide that; you just tell me the story.”

He proceeded. “I went to the airport to buy a ticket to Long Island, NY to speak to a youth group.  I discovered I didn’t have enough money for the ticket.  Not knowing what to do I prayed and I felt the Holy Spirit tell me to go stand by an ATM machine.  I was prompted to wait and ask the next person who came up to use the ATM machine if I could borrow $20. I was to tell them I would pay them back. $20 is all I needed.”

Peter told me he did just what the Holy Spirit prompted him to do, knowing he could be arrested for doing that.

He then told me what happened next. Immediately a man walked up to use the ATM machine. Peter asked him for the $20, the man gave it to him, and then walked away. The man did not want to be paid back.

I was sitting behind my desk with tears running down my cheeks, feeling like I’m in a Bible story. Finding it hard to speak, I simply said, “Peter no apology is necessary!  Never apologize for FAITH.”

The Epistle of James gives us the moral to that story: “Faith without works is truly dead.” (James 2:17)

Go and do likewise!

I’ll meet you at the Throne,

Pastor George