Faith is Action- Rodney Turner

Faith Is Action!!
Written by: Pastor Rodney Turner

Faith is an action. A process of living our lives on a daily basis one day at a time; sometimes living it one hour or even one minute at a time.
Faith is not the church or being a member of a religious organization. The Bible (Gods instructions to all men & women) tells us that,
“Faith comes by hearing and hearing (understanding) by the
Word of God.” (Rom.10:17)

Faith is putting the Word of God that we know, that we really know,
into action in our everyday lives. The life we live Monday through Saturday, not just the one we “put on” when we get up on Sundays!!

“For by Grace are you saved through FAITH…. It is the gift of God”
(Eph. 2:8)
The same way we started our journey with God, “by Faith”, is the same way we must continue every day when we get up for a new day.

Hebrews 11:6a tells us, “without FAITH (I didn’t say this God did) it is
IMPOSSIBLE to please God..”
We (my wife Monica & I) have determined in our life that we need
“Faith In Action” to be pleasing to our Heavenly Father.

On New Years Eve of this past year 2008, my wife Monica and I decided to go to our church in Chelsea, Al. (where we are the Children’s Pastor) for some food, fun And fellowship. We decided to travel down with another family from here in Cullman. As we were getting on the road my wife Monica prayed that our journey would be
easy and safe there and back home. We all agreed and said, AMEN!
The time of food, fun & fellowship was great. Everyone had a good time celebrating the coming of the New Year…2009!!
As we journeyed back home from Chelsea to Cullman, We were on
I-65 North just past Finley Ave. @ about 12 midnight. Monica was
seated behind the driver, I was seated in the middle beside her and the couples son was seated on the passenger side of their Ford Explorer.
Monica was on her cell phone sending a text message to our son in
Cullman when a bullet came through the window of the vehicle, spraying glass everywhere, hitting her in the center of her chest.
The first thing out of her mouth was somebody just shot me call 911.

Then, FAITH was Activated! Monica began to speak out of her own mouth the word of God and the very promises that the Heavenly Father has promised to all that will believe and receive them.

Isaiah 54:17—“No weapon that is formed against me will prosper”

Ephesians 6:1—“Children OBEY your parents and honour your parents…
So that it will be well with you and you will have LONG LIFE on the Earth.”

I have obeyed and honored my parents, the promise of life is MINE!!!

As she was proclaiming the promises into the atmosphere of that car
Each one of us was joining our Faith with hers and agreeing with her
for her victory!
Deuteronomy 30:19—“I the Lord call Heaven and Earth to record this day, that I the Lord have set before you life & death, blessings & curses; therefore CHOOSE LIFE that you may live.”

Monica began to shout, “I choose LIFE, I will LIVE & not die on this day. I didn’t go all the way to Africa 3 different times to come home
And die here tonight. I will Live and TESTIFY of the power of Jesus!”

John 10:10—“The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy; but Jesus you said that you came to give us LIFE, to give to us ABUNDANT LIFE”

Tonight I/we (Monica & Rodney Turner) recognize the enemy and we
choose to have the Abundant Life of Jesus!!!

During all this time (about 3 min.) we are trying to get off the interstate to a truck stop/ travel center to get help. Ms. Bobbie is driving the car, Talking to the 911 operator and listening to my directions to the travel center…. And praying with the rest of us!
When we get to the travel center and as the emergency personnel get to the scene to take Monica out of the car and put her in the Ambulance, she turns and looks at me and says “listen to me”,
I said I’m listening. She said these POWERFUL words….

“I FORGIVE the person that just shot me. Do you hear me?
I FORGIVE them and release them right now!!!”
I told her that I agree with that they are FORGIVEN.

Matthew 6:14—“if you forgive…. Then your Heavenly Father will forgive you.”
Verse 15 says, “if you do not forgive.. then your Heavenly Father will not forgive you”

“FAITH IS ACTION!!”

We left the travel center and went to UAB ER. As we traveled to the hospital, we began to call and send text messages to several of our friends, families and prayer partners at Daystar Church, at Chelsea Community Church, at Simcoe Worship Center, at Christ Fellowship Church, at Destiny Church and at Abundant Grace Church
And many others at other churches across the USA and world to be in agreement with the Word of God concerning what had just happened to Monica. We wanted them to stand with us in FAITH!! Praying and Believing the Word!
People from America, Africa & Germany were praying and believing. People were called to pray in Cullman, Chelsea, Birmingham, Hartselle;
In Florida, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, New Mexico, Oregon.

At the hospital, after all the tests and x-rays (and finding NO bullet) and close observation; the ER Dr’s & nurses would just say that Monica was “LUCKY” because most people that are shot in the chest don’t survive the shooting; but every time Monica would say,
“I AM BLESSED and HIGHLY FAVORED”

She told them that the Power of God was what brought her through this situation and every circumstance she/ we have faced in our lives.
They were in awe that she would even consider forgiving the person that shot her only a few minutes after it had happened, but she just told them that God had forgiven us, so why couldn’t we forgive those that hurt or harm us? FAITH IS ACTION!!

After a total of 12 hours at the hospital we left and came home. ALIVE!!!

Some, not many, have said it wasn’t a safe trip like you prayed for
because you got shot on your way back home. However, what is a gun shot wound to the center of the chest (that most people don’t survive), some swelling, bruising, discomfort and pain for a short period of time that will soon be gone… compared to the price that Jesus paid so that today I can stand up and say with my own mouth; I AM ALIVE!!! The only reason; because I/ we activated the Power of our Faith.

FAITH IS ACTION!!!

Just like it worked for Monica & me, it will work in your life when you begin to proclaim and speak out of your own mouth the Word of God!
I/ we are not any more special than you. We are not more perfect than anyone else, matter of fact no one is perfect. We all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. But, when the pressures of life are all around us (finances gone, marriage trouble, family problems, jobs gone, need new direction in life, new decisions to be made and even death & pain), we must act on the Word of God. The Word of God works when we SPEAK IT out of our mouths!!!
We must put our….

FAITH IN ACTION!!!

“Faith is the substance of the things hoped for,
the evidence of the things not seen.”
(Hebrews 11:1)


This is our personal testimony of how speaking the Word of God makes
tremendous POWER available for anyone to help in every situation that we have to face. Nothing that we have to go through and face in our lives is a surprise to our Heavenly Father. Neither has it caught him off his guard when we face the “Big Deals” in our life.
God has promised to always be with us and that he would never leave or forsake us –plus— He promised to never put more on us than we could bare or handle. Another of our favorite scriptures to speak is..

“IT CAME TO PASS…”

And this too shall come, not to stay,
But it shall come to pass!!

Thanks for ALL the prayers of FAITH!!!
Keep speaking the Word of God.