THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2023
A CALL TO ACTION – Pastor Chris
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved (Romans 10:9).
When we preach the message of salvation to sinners, we must give them the opportunity to act their faith and receive salvation. There must be a call to action. If we don’t give them an opportunity to act their faith on the message, the seed sown in their hearts could be lost; Satan could steal it from their hearts (Matthew 13:18-19).
The proof that the seed of God’s Word has taken root in someone’s heart is their response and action of faith. Until a person responds in faith, it can be said that they have not truly heard the Word. When the Word is truly heard, it produces faith within the individual.
Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17); and faith is the response of the human spirit to the Word of God. So the response is so important. It’s the same when we minister to the sick. Take what Paul did in Lystra as an example.
A man who had been crippled since birth listened intently to Paul’s teachings. The Bible says Paul perceived that the man had faith to be healed. He locked eyes with him and then commanded, “Stand up on your feet!” The man jumped to his feet and walked, gloriously healed!
In ministering to people, be it the sinner, the sick, the oppressed or the depressed, we must provide clear instructions for their faith to be activated. Don’t just preach the Word and leave them wondering what to do next; put them through and let them act their faith on the words they’ve received.
Even now, while reading this, if you’ve never been born again, turn to the “Prayer of Salvation” on page 76; pray that prayer, mean
it with all your heart and immediately, you’ll be saved, translated into the Kingdom of God. Hallelujah!
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CONFESSION: Dear Father, your Word is life to me, and as I hear and receive your Word, I’m compelled to respond, because I’m a doer of the Word. My faith prevails as I walk in the consciousness of all that the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ consummated for me, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
James 1:22 But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].
James 2:17 So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).
Acts 14:8-10 Now at Lystra a man sat who found it impossible to use his feet, for he was a cripple from birth and had never walked. 9 He was listening to Paul as he talked, and [Paul] gazing intently at him and observing that he had faith to be healed, 10 Shouted at him, saying, Stand erect on your feet! And he leaped up and walked.
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Timothy 1:1-20 & Jeremiah 5-6
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 6:41-51 & 2 Kings 5
