Living By Faith
Beloved,
Today is Wednesday. We set aside an hour each Wednesday evening to come together, to study together, to learn together, to journey together, and to grow together. Why come? It is because in our coming, our faith, based on our growing knowledge of God increases. Our hour is not a social hour. It as an Hour Of Power and Encouragement. It is HOPE Wednesday.
And, our hope comes from a belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Now, this message to you is not an endorsement for or an appeal to come to HOPE Wednesday. You should pray about your commitment to coming with God. I know it can only help you to come; but, you have to decide if you are going to come to help yourself.
No, I am writing to you because I want you to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, where your hope should be and where your power resides.
In Romans 1:16-17, the Apostle Paul wrote, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, 'The one who is righteous will live by faith.'"
My mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters in Christ, we should live and love by faith.
Getting saved, receiving salvation, is not just the end of an old way of life. No, it is also a beginning of a new way of life.
And, that life is only found by living out the gospel in such a way that others will see God inside of you. The God inside of you should empower you, encourage you, exhort you, uplift you, make you bold and courageous, believing you can do all things because greater is He who is in you than He who is in the world.
Do you live by faith like that?
When you live like that, if you dare, your faith will not only be strengthened. Your faith will also be shared as it is revealed to others. And, before long, you will find that others will want what you have. They will want and long for your kind of faith.
And, in that moment, you will have an opportunity to share it...if you are not ashamed of it...and if you will live by it.
We want the big house that some people live in.
We want the fancy car that some people drive.
We want the nice clothes that some people wear.
Unfortunately, none of that matters in the end...for them or us.
But, what if we could simply want the faith that God promises us? What if others wanted that same faith revealed in us?
Faith, the size of a mustard seed, can move mountains.
Big houses get old.
Faith, the size of a mustard seed, can move mountains.
Fancy cars come with large maintenance bills.
Faith, the size of a mustard seed, can move mountains.
Nice clothes go out of style and have to be replaced with new in-style clothes...until those go out of style.
Faith, the size of a mustard seed, can move mountains.
Beloved, however you are living, if you are a child of God, one of the righteous, you should be living by faith...that can move mountains.
Let us live by and live out our faith.
And, I, now, will encourage you to come to HOPE Wednesday tonight at 6:30pm. Why? It is not to fill up the pews. It is to fill up your minds, hearts, and spirits with more knowledge of the God of faith, more understanding of the God of faith, and more trust in the God of faith as we continue our journey in learning how to be closer to Him and strengthen our relationship with Him through prayer. Why? Because we are supposed to live by faith.
And, remember, God loves you and I love you too.
Do keep Deacon H.T. Rorie, Sr. lifted up in prayer as he recovers from his procedure.
Be blessed,
Rev. Cain
