Magicians, Illusions, and God.

YOU'RE A WHAT?!

James 2:14-26

Faith Without Works Is Dead

¹⁴ What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your^[a] works, and I will show you my faith by my^[b] works. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! ²⁰ But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?^{[c] 21} Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? ²² Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? ²³ And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”^[d] And he was called the friend of God. ²⁴ You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
²⁵ Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

SO! One of the arguments I heard today that Christians present is that this world means nothing and the only thing that matters is the world to come.  As this passage from James states, this is obviously NOT TRUE.

A quote from class states, “The world that we live in is an illusion. The realm that we actually should live in is not here. The truth will never be found here in the stuff of this world. The truth resides in a different existence other than this one. “  I actually just spoke to a friend about why this world matters a week or so ago.  I think that a common misconception that is given by Christians is that the only goal in this life is either to get to heaven or hell.  Often times, young Christians are taught one of two ways, that God is wrathful, or that God is loving and merciful.  I believe that most people gravitate to either of the extremes in order to put God into a box.  The thing is, God is incomprable.  Indescribable. Amazing. All powerful. We cannot put Him into a box! Thus, we cannot simplify our lives into a simple box in the decision that we beleive in Jesus and that we are going to heaven and that is all that matters.  We are called to be so much more than that.  Thus, our lives must revoleve around others.

Matthew 25:14-30

The Parable of the Bags of Gold

¹⁴ “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,^[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶ The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. ¹⁷ So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. ¹⁸ But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
¹⁹ “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
²¹ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
²² “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
²³ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
²⁴ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
²⁶ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷ Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
²⁸ “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. ²⁹ For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ³⁰ And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

We all have talents. These are seen here on earth.  Some are gifted with musical abilities, others with the ability to use a camera, others with the ability to draw, and yet others with the ability to tell a story.  The point of this is we are called to use our talents to serve the Lord and to serve others as exemplified in Matthew;

Matthew 22:36-40

³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^{[a] 38} This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^{[b] 40} All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

We are called to focus on others and use our talants for others and to their fullest and multiply them.  I heard a friend once say that he believed that, "Whats real, is when we get to heaven.” No. Although that is a possible end result and it IS real.  The now is real! That is how we get to either or place.  God placed us on earth with the responsibility and the PRIVILEGE to live for Him and we are called to live for Him by serving Him and others.  Honestly, If this is not real, than what is the use of doing anything? Another stated that what is real is only the "spiritual."  Only what you believe on the inside is what counts in the end.  And I really truly think that those who say that this world is only about the spiritual are using religion and God as an excuse to not to do work.  I once heard on a YouTube video, this man Penn, who is a famous magician tell this story of a man who came up to him after a show and gave him a Bible. (Link below) This proclaimed athiest magician said, "How much do you have to hate someone to not tell them about God?" If you know for certain there is a God and there is a heaven and a hell. How much do you have to hate them to not tell them that God loves them and can save them from that?

I believe there is a heaven and a hell. I believe that this life has meaning.  If you do not follow Christ, you are going to Hell. Yes, it is scary. Yes, it is real. That is why we are called as Christians should be committed to doing work for others and commit to living our lives to the fullest.  This is real.  “I think, therefore I am.” I have my own heart, life, soul, mind, talents, and body.  But, to live your life, not for yourself and for someone else may be the hardest thing of all. It is alot easier to jump out of the way of a train yourself, than to jump in front of one to push another person out.  Just as it is easier to pull someone down off a stool than it is to pull them up.  My challenge for you to not think about yourself and how it might make things socially awkward if you bring up God. Think about the fact that you could be planting the seed to help someone along their way to a relationship with Christ.  How will anyone know about God if we don't tell them?! They won't! MY mom always loves to say, "Live your life like Christ, because you may be the only Christ that these people ever see or know."  We constantly think that those who are very straight and narrow and read their Bible everyday and are not shy about their relationship with Christ as weird.  We see them and call them goody-two-shoes and watch what we say around them.  We don't understand them. Why do we think that is weird? Because it is socially unacceptable to be that way? Live your life the way that God calls us to be.