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| Leap of faith image courtesy photobucket.com |
Because our Pastor is still having physical problems, we are benefiting from guest ministers during his absence. Different church members are taking portions of the service that our pastor usually does.
Earlier in the week, I was asked to do the opening “Prayer and the “Call to worship.” I had been given the title of Sunday’s sermon which was to be “Leaping Faith,” so I selected the verses from Mark 11 about Jesus cursing the fig tree and it withered overnight. When this was called to his attention, Jesus replied by saying if you have faith you can speak to “your” mountain and it will be cast into the deepest sea.
Our guest minister on Sunday was Rev. Steve Terry from our local Rescue Mission. He read from the Faith Chapter Hebrews 11 mentioning the hero’s of faith who having not seen yet they believed.
Rev Steve mentioned that Faith is believing for something that we need but do not yet have. For the Christian, we usually think of the word Faith, as placing our trust in Jesus, and receiving the salvation that He offers.
Even an atheist has faith to believe beyond reason even if they deny the existence of God.
The Bible says that God has given to every man a measure of Faith. That faith will grow as we exercise it and use it. Without Faith it is impossible to please God.
Rev Steve told that as a boy there was an annual missionary convention at his church. Members were to write on a piece of paper their Faith pledge for their missionary giving for the next year. He knew that as a young boy he could afford 50 cents a month, but he decided to act on faith and pledged a larger amount and trust God to bring it to him. God provided him with a part time job so that he was able to meet his faith pledge.
Recently he sat in a beautiful new car with programmed seats and all the lovely dashboard controls. How nice it would be to enjoy and drive such a luxury car, but God spoke to him and said, “You do not NEED such a fancy car.”
God has promised to supply our needs, and we might desire something better, and more impressive, but those things might be something beyond our faith, and outside of our need.
When Jesus walked on the water, Peter was the only one who had faith to get out of the boat. Once out there, he began to doubt and say to himself, “What am I doing out here? I can’t walk on water.” And his negative words became true.
Often we tell ourselves “I can’t do this,” as we take that leap of faith, then we cry out to Jesus for His help.
Peter knew he had nothing to give the lame man, but he reached out in Faith and proclaimed, “Such as I have I give unto you,” and the lame man jumped up leaping because of Peter’s leaping faith.
Rev Steve told us that he wished he could speak those words of faith to his 26 year old daughter who has been confined to a wheel chair since birth. He has not given up, and will continue to trust God, believing that she will walk either in this life or in the next.
"Why?" we ask, are there so many suffering and having such trials? We don’t know what the answer is, but the Bible tells us that the secret things belong to the Lord.
Sometimes we think we know better than God and if it were up to us, we would fix all those in need. We worry that if we took that leap of faith we might fail, but failure is only when we fail to get up and try again.
The chairman had asked me to also take the opening prayer time. Just so I would remember all I wanted to pray, I wrote it out. I will close here with it’s adaptation that applies to you my dear readers - -
“Father I thank you for each person reading this post today, and I know that you are aware of every need, every care and every joy in their lives.
May you reveal to each one of us - - the bridge that is under the water just below our feet.
Teach us to step out with that Leap of Faith that is resident in each of us, but is crying out to be used more often.
Instruct us how to exercise our faith for our daily bread, and for our health. Oil our aching joints and all the torn areas of our lives that need healing.
Thank you Father that you have given to us the Holy Spirit to be our guide and may we ever listen carefully as He shows us what to do for the next step in using our faith.
Help us to take courage, to be brave and to step out in Faith for what you will show us today. Amen”
This post is linked with Michelle’s Hear it on Sunday
Also linked with Joan Davis Sharing His Beauty on Monday
5 comments:
"God provided him with a part time job so that he was able to meet his faith pledge."
I love how you put this. This is so often how God works in our lives, giving us opportunity to do His will, as He also calls us.
Faith requires some sort of action on our part...one that doesn't always make sense to the people around us, but it makes sense to God. Thanks for sharing!
As we seek to please God by our faith, it is such an encouragement to know that "faith will grow as we exercise it and use it." Wise words!
Blessings, Joan
We all lack the faith that could be ours due to our trust in the flesh... But it does just take a mustard seed doesn't it? Thanks for the reminder, I can't seem to get enough of them...
Sometimes I'm not even sure where my faith fits. Mostly, I simply try to obey the Lord; He asks me/tells me to do a variety of things I never would have expected. One is blogging. Never thought of it or planned... and then Susie kept pushing it b/c she felt it was the right God-choice. He also started prodding me to become very FB-oriented, which has been to learn more and more about various people, even though the language and behavior crashes my heart occasionally. So, I try to do what He says. And need to trust Him for the results. I guess that's the main way my faith operates.
Blessings.
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