Scotty and Jack are back, shout is out.

James 2:24-26 "You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead."

God help me, I need a lot and feel this not very much.  I feel quite sufficient myself and think that you fill in some of the details nicely.  Thanks for being patient, mold me each day.  

Funny story first.  I open the mail today at home, and out drops a check for $3,900, and I have no idea what is going on.  My first thought is SWEET, and then read this really sketchy letter and see what its all about.  Turns out its some scam that has been getting mailed out across the country.  Some shady folks from Canada I guess.  They are posing as euromillones award presentation and sent a check printed on legit paper....

Its funny to gauge my heart by the prospect of getting a chunk of change.  Who really cares anyways- not like my life would change significantly if I had received it.  Moth, rust, and really bored lazy and fairly smart individuals all destroy, even though in the moment seem quite attractive indeed.  

Back to James. 

James completes his appeal to the dispersion after a comparison to Abraham with a parallel to...a prostitute. They must have been surprised when they first read over this, that this rather promiscuous individual needs to be the model of what true faith is.  So faith is truly something believed by a changed heart, which in turn lives life differently, since it is new.  

While this is somewhat easy to understand, it is all too easy to stop there and agree intellectually.  Lets examine the two examples given.  Abraham trusted that the Lord was going to take care of his son, his promised child of keeping Israel propagating.  In Hebrews, we find he was ready for God to raise up Isaac from the dead, and his faith in God manifested itself in his obedience.  If he hadn't believed the Lord, He never would have done that.  Not a chance.  He would have pretended, and and angel would not have been necessary to stop him from slaying his only son. See Genesis 22, how his faith is made known by what he says in verse 8.  Also see Hebrews 11 regarding both faith and this specific encounter.  

In Joshua we hear a little bit about Rahab, when she houses the spies, and doesn't turn them into their enemies, but trusts them, hides them and saves them.  She could have been killed by either side, but because she fears God, protects the Israelites, and her laying down of life is true faith in this God she heard about.

So some people have tarnished reputations, some appear quite clean and respectable.  Both might be numbered among the condemned or the anointed.  What we see on the outside or present ourselves to others can be quite deceptive, but God is not fooled.  He wants our hearts.  The one who keeps all the social standards and the one who is an outcast for unspeakable mistakes.  God is the one who redeems the heart who thinks its good enough on its own and the one who knows its deserving of something awful. 

I have no control over my heart.  This needs to make me prayerful, not fearful, if there isn't evidence in my life that faith is genuine.  Please help me to spend time around things and people that will quicken my heart to love you and your son more and more.  And when those things happen, let my heart respond, and not be flat-lining.  Finally, let true fruit spring from branches when roots are taking in truth and grace and love.  I need you and forget or ignore this as a default.  Forgive me.  Amen, not by my reputation, but Jesus'.