Sunday, May 05, 2019

sermon, Faith or Famine, by Pastor Ruth Foss, Patten, Maine

May 5, 2019
Faith, Works and God’s Abundance
Psalm 150
Ephesians 2:8-9
Ephesians 2:8-9 Amplified Bible (AMP)
2 Corinthians 5:7 Amplified Bible (AMP)
1 Corinthians 16:13 Amplified Bible (AMP)
2 Timothy 4:7 Amplified Bible (AMP)
James 4:3 Amplified Bible (AMP)


“Faith or Famine”

Prayer of Illumination and that God is heard through or in spite of me.

A reading from the letter to the church in Ephesus…Chapter 2 verses 8-9…these words that are still relevant today a when Paul penned them…

For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation].

Good morning. Growing up my parents tried to give me all that was good. I always didn’t get what I “wanted” but always had what I needed. I even got some of those wants once in a while…  I believed that everything I got was good and appreciated all that they did for me as I grew up. They never gave me anything that was bad for me. That would have made them bad parents…they loved me to the best of their ability and wanted the best for me.

So, I have a question for all of us. Do you and I believe that God is the giver of all that is good? He is our ultimate parent…the Parent above all parents. So, do we believe that as our earthly parents did the best of their ability at the time to give us good…does our perfect heavenly Father give us good?

Well I hope that we would believe that the answer to that question would be “YES, God is the giver of all that is Good.” He gave us His one and only Son to die in our stead so we can be restored and have eternal life with Him (John 3:13). He lavishes grace upon us but we can only receive it by Faith…(For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith.)

Jesus often asked “do you want to be healed” to the people who came to be healed by Him. He was always ready, willing and able to heal but the people…and we…had to want to be healed…to desire the healing that He offered and still does today…this healing offered through Faith in Him. Last week we talked about there being a difference between faith and believing…believing is in the head and faith is what happens when that belief goes from the head to the heart… Many times, we hear Jesus saying “your faith has healed you” not your belief in me but “your faith” has healed you…

It is my belief that many “Christians” do not have because we don’t have faith. Grace for the miracle is there but do you and I have the faith to receive it> God knows what we need and He knows we need grace but Grace doesn’t flow into need, Grace flows into faith… (for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises]— 2 Corinthians 5:7 (AMP))
ie…Kid at college runs out of money so they phone home because they need more. The parent sends more to their bank account…all they have to do is swipe their bank card to access it.

We have everything we need…all the blessings…all the equipment…all the things we need in our lives already by God’s grace…all we have to do is to align…position…ourselves to His will for us. Psalm 139: 16 tells us that all our days are written before even one has come to pass…before our first breath… Water poured can only be poured into a vessel lined up with it. “You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires. (James 4:3 Amplified Bible) Are our motives, right? Are our prayers serving others or ourselves? His grace goes right along side His will for our lives.

God’s reservoir of grace does not run dry….it cannot run out. He is the God of abundant…Fill in the blank… He did not even spare His Son. All our physical, emotional, spiritual, financial and intellectual needs are met through Jesus Christ. Faith is what enables us to position ourselves under God’s grace and freely receive from Him (Faith is our debit card, so to speak, that we use to receive the grace that has already been deposited into our spiritual bank account in and through Jesus Christ).

When we are faithful in following God’s will for our lives, His grace provides everything we need. Faith is what “activates” the grace…it will never run out…“13 Be on guard; stand firm in your faith [in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound]. Act like [mature] men and be courageous; be strong.”
(1 Corinthians 16:13 Amplified Bible)

He gave up His Son for us…much more grace is He will to give to all who by faith ask to receive? By Grace we have been saved by faith..

I have fought the good and worthy and noble fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith [firmly guarding the gospel against error].


Amen  

==============
May 5, 2019
Faith, Works and God’s Abundance
Psalm 30
Psalm 150
Ephesians 2:8-9
Ephesians 2:8-9 Amplified Bible (AMP)
2 Corinthians 5:7 Amplified Bible (AMP)
1 Corinthians 16:13 Amplified Bible (AMP)
2 Timothy 4:7 Amplified Bible (AMP)
James 4:3 Amplified Bible (AMP)
and sermon, “Faith or Famine”
video
text:
by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
8AM Live
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Children’s Message
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
May 5, 2019
&
April 28, 2019
1st Sunday after Easter
Question from Pastor Ruth’s Facebook friend, Moses Mela,
“Is there a difference between faith and belief?”
Psalm 150
Matthew 17:14-20
Mark 11:22-23
Hebrews 11:1-3
Proverbs 3:5-6
and sermon, “Faith vs Belief”
video
text:
#sermon #Faith versus #Belief (they are not the same thing) https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1123612440460234752
@PastorRuthFoss #Jesus #Christ #God #Spirit #love #grace #prayer #hope #PastorRuthFoss #Patten #Maine #poetry #believe #TrustThePlan  #Trust #TrustGod #Hebrews11 #Proverbs3 #Matthew17 #Mark11 #joy
(and departing blessing
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
April 28, 2019

All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 49,820 of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Christ, Spirit, God, grace, prayer, love, journey,  Pastor Ruth Foss, Patten, Maine, poetry, Believe, belief, faith, trust, famine, communion, sermon,

#Jesus #Christ #God #Spirit #Faith #love #grace #poem #prayer #hope #PastorRuthFoss #Patten #Maine #poetry #believe #belief #trust #famine #food #water #communion #sermon

No comments: