End your Famine

Introduction:

Magandamg umaga at happy Sabbath day ating lahat.

Our family is supposed to spend the Sabbath day in our own local church back in Bulacan. But since our
beloved relatives are here, and it's only once in a blue moon to be with them, because we have our own
schedules, we decided to come in this temple. And so with that, ako po ay sinabihan ng mga 2 days ago
to share something from the Word of God.

I have kept some materials that I used to share whenever I am asked to give a message. But yet, the
Lord spoke to me in a such a way that the cutting edge of the Sword of God wounded my heart and I just
realized that, this is real.

I just can't kept it myself and so this morning I only have a limited time to speak of God's word. And so I
want to invite you to open with me your Bibles in the book of Ruth and we will pick the first chapter.

Ruth 1:1

[1]Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a
certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two
sons.

(PRAY)

Now our story begun when the Bible describes that there was a life threatening event that struck the
land of Bethlehem. There was a famine. And we know that when there's a famine there's a shortage of
food.

On 1993 a famous photograph appeared in the New York Times flashing the a frail famine-stricken girl,
who had collapsed in the ground with a vulture eyeing him from nearby. This picture is called the, The
vulture and the little girl, also known as "The Struggling Girl" captured by Kevin Carter back in the 19
hundreds.
This little girl is said to be struggling to attempt to reach the United Nations feeding center about a half
mile away in Ayod, Sudan (now South Sudan).

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Going back to our story, the Bible says that because the land was hit by a famine, Naomi and his
husband Elimelech, together with their two sons, went to sojourn in the land of Moab. In other words,
for them to survive they tried to migrate to another country.

This is very interesting, because brothers and sisters, when we look at the original meaning of
Bethlehem it is a combination of two words. Bethel and lehem.

Bethel means= House

Lehem= Bread

And so we shall understand that there was a famine of bread and food in the House of Bread.

And also I want you to notice that this was the time when the judges ruled the land. The judges are man
and women sent by God to lead the children of Israel because they have no King. And this is the time
when the Bible said that all did not follow the God, they only follow what's good in their own eyes. They
only follow what's right in their own eyes. They forgot the commandments and teachings of God. They
follow what their hearts desire. And in that situation of disobedience and forgetting God in their lives, a
famine of bread stuck their lands until they became empty.

Today friends, who rules your life? Who seats upon the throne of your hearts? Who takes the wheel of
your life? Or what consumes your time, effort and energy that famish you of the bread? Of the bread of
life.

Is it your ambitions. Your friends. Your work. Your education. The entertainment and showbiz that clogs
up our appetite from God's word? Does these things take away the true bread of our lives?
The Bible tells us that us we near the end, there's going to be a famine. Not a famine of food, but a
famine of bread. A famine of the Word of God.

That is true that as we near the end we will experience this famine, but in reality, my dear friend, are
you experiencing famine even before it is time? Is there a famine of the true Bread in your life?

And so the Bible told us that because of the lack of food to satisfy their hunger, Naomi and her family
needed to moved over to a strange land called Moab. A place where the enemies of God reside.

Hoping that they could find something that will fill their empty stomach. Looking for something to satisfy
and preserve their lives.

And yet, as they move away from the House of Bread, in the land of the worshippers of God, and
wander in the unforbidden land of idolaters, a more terrible misfortunes come in their lives that would
take their breathe away.

Verse 3 tells us that while they were in the country of Moab, the father died. Verse 5 says that Mahlon
and Chilion, the two sons, also died.

Friends, this lesson may hit us hard, but the Word of God teaches us over and over again today, that
when we choose to follow ourselves, decides by our own, and leave the Divine instructions and ways of
God in the holy pages of Scriptures, when we move away from God, we find that life gets harder.

That instead of abundant Life there's death.

That instead of blessings there's curse.

Sickness in place of health.

Sorrow instead of happiness.

A frown on the place instead of laughter.

A sad cry in place of song of praise.

Insanity in place of peace

And hopelessness in place of joyfulness.

Friends, there's no life apart from Jesus. In Psalm 16:11 says, that in the presence of God there's fullness
of joy, and in his right hand our pleasures forever.

We may find ourselves today in state of prosperity, our pocket may overflow with money, our cameras
may be filled with pleasurable experiences, but brothers and sisters, the presence of Jesus is more than
enough to say that we had the best of everything.

Can you please say Amen?

Because the poorest of all is not the one who has nothing, but they are those who have no Jesus in their
lives.

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And so, in Moab, the Bible says, Naomi loses her husband and two sons, and she's left with 2 daughters
in law. Orpah and Ruth.

What must a poor widow have had to go through to lose her children, away from home, away from her
own people, in the midst of these strange people to lose her own children? To lose her own husband, it
must have broken her heart.

and yet to our amazement the Bible says that in the midst of this darkness, Ruth Chapter 1 verse 6, and
then 'She arose'...

Dear brothers and sisters, maybe you are going through some deep darkness, disappointments in life,
frustrations. Maybe you are hit by a great storm or there's a sickness in the family that has robbed you
of your joy and gladness the Bible, friends, offers us hope. It is, indeed, possible to rise up in midst of our
trials. It is possible to rise up from the deep ditch of sin.

And don't you know that just how Naomi was excited to go back to Bethlehem, Jesus was also excited to
your coming back? Today, if you God spoke to your heart and you want to go back to Jesus, I want you
to know that Jesus is excited too. He is excited to hear from you again. He is excited to forgive you again.
To carry you again. Give mercy to you again. And heal you again.
And yes, maybe your asking the question as to how this poor widow was able to rise up after all this
weight of sorrow weighing her down. How is it possible?

Well the Bible gives us the answer. Ruth 1 verse 6 says,

For Naomi had heard in the land of Moab how the Lord had visitest his people in giving them bread...

❣️We praise the Lord, for the Bible says that the 'Bread' had returned to the house of bread. The famine
had ended, for the bread had returned.

In John chapter 6, Jesus says that I am the Bread of Life. I am the Living Bread which is come down from
heaven.

Dear friends why do we settle for the cheap loaves of this world? Why do we settle for crumbs when the
living Bread waits upon us to give us life eternal.

❣️Are you tried of gathering dusk that mocks your soul sad cry?

Are you tired of gladly filling your belly with the husks of this world and still go to bed empty and in
vain?

APPEAL:

Dear friends the truth is, Jesus the living Bread is appealing to us today. He is calling us to run to him
today. Our famine can end today, we can run to the abundance of Life today. And experience the wells
of water springing.

He is the bread of life dear friends. So rich and free. Jesus is calling you today.

Soon, the Eastern skies will part and the living bread will come from heaven to take us, the bread, oh
indeed, is returning to this wretched land. This famished land. to take his people. To eat with Him and
be with Him and live him for all eternity.
I beg you and plead with you today, to think and admit about our present condition, friends we are
famished. The reason why we don't have the energy to read God's word, to pray and to witness to
others is because we don't have spiritual calories to do so. And so today, as we near the end of this year,
this is my prayer that you and I will feast more of God's Word. That as we enter the year 2020, we will
allow Jesus to end our famine.

Happy Sabbath and God bless us all.