The Christian Response to the Coronavirus
Family Faith
Bethel Missionary Baptist Church
Sunday, April 26, 2020
I have been greatly blessed by almighty God to have been born into a family that has great faith in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. My beloved parents and grandparents were people of great faith. My parents never lived in fear and doubt; they instilled in all eight of my siblings and me the power of faith and vision. “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5: 2) Through our faith, Christ has brought us into the blessing of God’s Grace that we now enjoy. My parents and grandparents literally taught us that with God nothing is impossible.
The faith of my mother and father has had an enduring impact on my life. We really saw faith in action in the Holmes Family. Oh Lord, how we thank you. My parents walked by faith; they were faithful providers; they took care of us; they gave us the best of themselves. They taught us by precept and example that the God we served was a faithful God. Listen parents, your walk of faith will make a lasting difference in the lives of your children. My parents not only encouraged us to go to church; they went to church. My grandparents not only told us to go to church; they went to church. Because of their great example, you have it right, we all are in church. Friends, faith is contagious. This past week’s devotionals called us to walk by faith. We reap what we sow. Maybe you have heard the quote from the English novelist, Charles Reade: “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.” The word of God says in Galatians 6: 7-9, “Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap; for he that soweth to his flesh shall reap corruption; but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting; and let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season; we shall reap if we faint not.”
I thank God for family faith. You know, the month of April is a month where many members of my family celebrated birthdays. For example, my beloved late father, the honorable RB Holmes, Sr.; my dear sister, Betty; my dear sister-in-law, Constance; my late, esteemed brother-in-law, Kenneth; my cherished niece, Joi, and her adorable son, Kadin; my loving late grandmother, Ma, and my beautiful niece, Shaen were all born in April. Happy birthday, guys. My point is that God honors faithfulness. Family faith is extremely significant. We must never cease to honor and serve our most high God and praise God daily for his great faithfulness.
“Great is thy faithfulness, O God my father; there is no shadow of turning with thee;
Thou changest not, thy compassion they fail not, as thou hast been thou forever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand provided, great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto to me.”
The household of faith. Keep the faith. Amen.
