Behold the Lamb of God

Today's blog post was contributed by David Trotta:

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

 

Jesus is given numerous names in scripture, many describing His position of power and authority.  For example, He is called Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Holy One, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, King of Kings, Righteous Judge, Chief Shepard, and the Alpha and Omega.

All names declaring His greatness.

But it’s another name, one that doesn’t conjure images of power and strength that we celebrate this week.

2000 years ago Jesus set aside the glory of Heaven and all its splendor and came as a lamb.

That’s right, a lamb.  A symbol of meekness and gentleness, not power and strength.

But it was in His role as a lamb that He put on display one of the most incredible acts of power ever witnessed.  As a lamb, He permanently destroyed the power of sin and death.  He defeated the kingdom of darkness in one lamb-like act of allowing Himself to be led to the slaughter.

While Jesus was willingly being led away to the cross, little did Satan know that soon his world would come crumbling down.  That his power would be stripped away.  That Jesus would rise again to rule and reign for all eternity.

This Christmas season we have the privilege of celebrating one of the greatest acts of power and love ever demonstrated.

Behold the Lamb of God.

 

 

 

I Love You Lord

“I love you, Lord, my strength.”

Psalm 18:1

 

Do you express your love to the Lord?

Do you, through thoughts, words and deeds make it known to Him how much you love Him?

Imagine being in love with someone who never returns or expresses that love to you!

That is what we are sometimes guilty of.

We often find it easier to express that love for Him to others than we do telling Him.

Make it a point as this year ends and a new one begins to do just that.

Put words and actions to that love.

Express it freely and often just as the Lord expresses it to you.

What?

You say you haven’t heard it lately?

Listen and look because I know it is no secret.

I know He is deeply in love with you and I see it lavished on you every day.

So let’s resolve to appreciate His love and to express our love to Him more than we ever have before.

What an exciting year that will make for us!

 

“As you go...”

“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”

Matthew 10:8

 

 

If the church had a “To-Do” list perhaps it would look like Matthew 10:8

Certainly it would make for a very interesting 2016, wouldn’t you say?

In the previous verses Jesus was sending out the twelve.

In verse 7 he tells them:

“As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’”

If we are to see the fulfillment of that verse there is one little thing that caught my eye that is, I believe, a key.

Jesus didn’t say ‘When they come...’

He did say “As you go...”

I am not saying we can never expect visitors to come to the building we worship in and join us.

As a matter off act if we are raising the dead I think we can expect that number to increase.

But Jesus didn’t ever rent a hall and advertise a meeting.

He never said “Come see me and hear what I have to say.”

He did the works of the Father and that drew the crowds.

But it drew them to wherever Jesus went.

You see, He went about doing good.

We call Israel and that region the Holy Land.

Can you imagine the shrine our religion would create if Jesus had fixed Himself in one spot and never moved from there.

We are right to worship Him and not to worship a spot.

We are right to go and bring Him to those who will never darken the doors where we gather.

“As you go...”  

 

Passionate Pursuit

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

John 15:13

 

 

Close your eyes.

Go ahead, close them. You can trust me.

Now with your eyes closed I want you to get a picture in your mind of what you value more than anything else.

Got it?

You can open your eyes now.

Now suppose we could somehow complete this same exercise with God.

Do you know what He would have pictured?

You and me!

That’s right.

He is wild about us.

Some find that hard to believe.

Some refuse to believe it.

Some think it is irreverent to even suggest it.

But His Word tells me otherwise.

He is so in love with each one of us that He gave...

...you know the rest of that verse.

And that is only one of the many verses that speak of His love for His children.

People often speak of a ‘passionate pursuit’ in terms of us seeking God.

But the truth is, He is passionately pursuing you and me.

Let that begin to sink into your spirit.

How great is His love for us!

 

 

 

Praying Your Christmas is Blessed!

 

 

The Day Before...

“We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.”

John 9:4

 

Today is the day before Christmas.

Tomorrow is a day that we celebrate the birth of our savior Jesus Christ.

Many will be busy today with last minute shopping, wrapping and preparation for their time with family and friends.

That got me to thinking about another ‘day before’.

Perhaps soon we will be going on with our lives on the day before His return.

While no one knows the day or the hour except the Father we do know how we are to ‘occupy’ those days until His return.

So, on this day before Christmas here is something to think about –

If this were also the day before His return what would He find you doing?

Would it be a day of prayer for that family member so far away from God?

Would it be a day when the orphan and widow are cared for?

Would it be a day when the prisoner is visited?

Would it be a day when the hungry are fed and the naked clothed?

This is not being written as a guilt trip but rather a challenge and an opportunity for each of us, myself included, to bring a balance to the ‘day before’ that it is indeed not all about us.

In the busyness that today can bring don't forget to look for ways to minister His life to others.

Those opportunities never seem to present themselves on our timetable when we are 'idle' and looking for them.

They most often come when we are busy about our own tasks and deliberately force us to choose between self and others.

Jesus guarded His 'alone' time with the Father but He was also and always ready to minister to others as the Holy Spirit led Him.  

Let the ‘day before’ His return (and every day leading up to it) be as rewarding as the day after He comes back for His church!

“...at night.”

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;

he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

Luke 2:8-11

 

Maybe you are one of those whose job requires you to work at night.

Perhaps you are even scheduled on the job this Christmas day or night.

Police, fire, medical professionals and many others will be on hand to serve us.

Certainly, our military does not have the day off.

To each of you I say thank you!

Even on that night so long ago, God had a particular blessing for those working the night shift.

We are told there were shepherds “...keeping watch over their flocks at night...”

Those workers were not forgotten.

To them God announced, through an angel, the wonderful news of the birth of His Son, their long awaited Messiah.

He hasn’t forgotten about you.

You too may be ‘shepherding’ a flock of patients, soldiers or prisoners at night.

The same Good News delivered so many years ago continues to resonate to all mankind.

The savior grew up.

He died and rose from the dead and will return one day soon.

When He does, every eye will see His appearing.

That includes you.

You thought that while you worked the whole world slept.

Maybe so, but remember that you serve a God who neither slumbers nor sleeps and who is with you throughout the night.

May you be blessed as you serve others this holiday!

 

Being His Voice

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,

just as in fact you are doing.”

I Thessalonians 5:11

 

 

This can be a crazy, hectic time of year.

Yes, so many people love the holidays but the 25^th of December and the 1^st of January can be here and gone in a moment.

I was reminded today of several people – some friends who have moved out of state this year, another was a church family member who recently was stationed in Europe and still another is an old neighbor pushing well into his eighties who lives half his time in western New York and half in Florida.

So I want to challenge you to slow down long enough to tell someone else who may need to hear it that you appreciate them.

Maybe they are racing along through the season and just missing the opportunity to connect with old friends or loved ones.

Jesus took the time this week to remind me that He loves me.

With all the distractions, it came at just the right moment

(funny how He knew exactly when to remind me!).

We can forget or doubt that love when the busyness keeps us distracted.

You can be those words and that voice of Jesus to someone else today.

Slow down and bless them.

They need to hear Him and He delights in using you to bring that message.

What are you waiting for?

Have you texted, posted or called them yet?

As you take the time to encourage others that same encouragement will come back to you!

Listen for Love

“...God is love.”

I John 4:7

 

 

Listen for love.

What an odd statement.

How do we listen for love?

We probably have all heard the words, looking for love,

But listening for love; what does that mean?

The Bible tells us: “Be still and know that I am God.”

In that stillness we listen for His voice.

God is love.

As He speaks to us He is speaking love!

Whether His words are words of affirmation, revelation of correction to us they are always and also words of love.

They are the only words He speaks.

You cannot separate God and His words.

You cannot separate God and love.

His words, no matter how harsh they may seem at the moment, are words of love.

Perhaps one of the most neglected forms of worship we can give to God, and one when put into practice honors Him greatly, is just to be still in His presence and listen for His voice.

Listen for love!

 

Yours to Discover

Today's blog is contributed by David Trotta:

For if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver
and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2:3-5)

I was recently following a car with Ontario, Canada license plates.  On the license plate was the logo “Yours to discover.”

From what I have read, there is much to discover in Ontario, Canada.  It is Canada's second largest province, covering 415,000 square miles - an area larger than France and Spain combined.

Ontario contains 250,000 lakes and 66% of its land (or 274,000 square miles) is classified as forested land.  That’s a lot of area to discover!

The vast knowledge of God is also yours to discover.  Only the depth of His knowledge knows no boundaries.  It’s limitless because He is limitless.

The bible says “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” (Psalm 147:4-5)

Imagine the heart of God being a hidden treasure without end.  You keep searching only to uncover even more priceless and life changing truths with every discovery you make.

But in order to begin to discover the knowledge of God, our hearts must cry out in desperation and we must search with all our heart.  Exploring the knowledge of God is not for the faint of heart or the casual seeker.

The casual seeker will grow weary and be tempted to stop the pursuit.  Such a person will be too easily sidetracked while on the journey.  God’s treasure trove of knowledge cannot be discovered with little effort.  It’s too priceless.  It requires us to set aside the pursuit of lesser things so all our efforts can be focused on obtaining the prize.

Will you strap on your backpack and start your life long journey in search of the knowledge of God? Today, God is saying “I’m yours to discover.”

Rescued

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

    his love endures forever.”

Psalm 107:1

 

 

Has the Lord brought you out?

“Brought me out from what?” you ask.

Has He exchanged the old man with the new creation in Christ Jesus?

Is He purifying your life, setting you free from the slavery of sin?

If the answer is yes then the only response is what the Psalmist declared:

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

    his love endures forever.”

Take more than a ‘peek’ at that Psalm in its’ entirety and you find the testimony of people who had no way out of their circumstances except for the Lord rescuing them.

Verse 17 of Psalm 107 declares:

“Some became fools through their rebellious ways

    and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.”

Have you ever rebelled against God?

Have you known the sting of your own sin?

Verse 19 reveals a turning point –

“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

    and he saved them from their distress.”

In that verse we find recognition that we cannot save ourselves.

Apart from God we are beyond hope.

Not because of Him, but through our own actions.

No wonder the Psalmist declared

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

    his love endures forever.”

Is that your declaration today?

Redeemed!

“So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child,

God has made you also an heir.”

Galatians 4:3-7

 

 

Go back up and read today’s scripture again paying special attention to the words in italics.

Did you catch the change?

Redemption moves us from the ‘we were’ to the ‘you are’!

We are God’s sons.

Don’t race by that statement.

Read it again, study it, meditate on it and let it sink deep into your spirit.

God doesn’t just bring us into the family with a meager role and the status of a second class family member.

We come in as His sons, His child, an heir.

The role of servant is left outside the door of the home.

We come into the family.

We even have a part in the family ‘business’.

We are, as we were told on Sunday – in the business of reconciliation.

We are a redemption center.

Corporately yes, but individually too!

We carry that message of redemption to a world without hope.

We are a redeemed people!

 

 

 

 

Time, Times and Timing

“And the Lord appointed a set time, saying,

To morrow the Lord shall do this thing in the land.”

Exodus 9:5

 

 

Did you ever notice how time in the dentist’s chair seems to pass excruciatingly slow but when we are engaged in something we enjoy time flies?

Time can be a tool in the hands of God that He uses to teach us His ways.

We can learn patience at the hand of God and the hands of the clock.

We can hold steadfastly to His promises through the passage of time.

Like Sarah and Abraham we can look at our amount of time on the earth and conclude that God needs our help in bringing His promises to pass in our lives.

God existed in eternity and He is not constrained by time as we often are.

He is never late for an appointment.

He doesn’t run out of time.

When the Lord appoints a set time, that thing He has purposes comes to pass in that time.

 Have you allowed Him to be Lord over the clock of your life?

Maybe you think He is taking too long or perhaps moving too fast?

Surrender your ‘times’ to Him.

Does He have you in a season which, like the dentists’ chair, seems as if it will never end?

Wait patiently on Him.

Allow His work to be completed in you during this season.

If winter came to this part of Western New York in mid-July we would know something was wrong.

Don’t hurry God along.

He sees what we cannot.

He will bring you through the season so that what needs to happen does so in ‘due season’.

Trust Him with your time.

  

 

 

Amazing Grace

“Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16

 

 

There are many ways to approach the throne of grace.

We can approach with wrong attitudes.

We can approach with fear.

We can approach with pride.

But the correct approach – as scripture teaches us – is with confidence.

Is that self-confidence?

No, not all!

We approach God’s throne of grace confident in the work of our great High Priest Jesus Christ and the work He accomplished.

It is not a confidence in our own works or anything we may think we have done.

All my righteousness (and yours too!) are as filthy rags.

Suffice to say – filthy rags will not gain us entry.

But when we are clothed in Christ...when we have put on Christ...we have a boldness and a confidence to approach God’s throne through His finished work.

The Lords’ work of sanctifying us may not be finished but the work His Father sent Him to the earth to do is complete.

And that completed work of justification makes a way for you and me!

The curtain into the Holy of Holies was torn open from top to bottom.

The access our sin denied us is now gained through the redemptive work of the cross.

No wonder its called amazing grace!

 

Enjoy this song...

https://youtu.be/XFRjr_x-yxU

 

A Place Called Hope

Today's blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

    Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 25:5

Did you know there is a town called New Hope, PA.?

The town of New Hope, like many other towns, has parking meters on its’ city street.

And in order to park on the streets of New Hope, you need to fill the meter with money.  As long as you keep putting money in the meter, you can park there as long as you want.

If you let the New Hope parking meters run out of money, someone is going to write you a ticket, or worse yet, come and tow your vehicle. Nowadays, some cities deploy use of a “wheel boot.”  It’s a contraption that attaches to your vehicle’s tires, so you can’t drive it.  It has proven to be a very effective means to get people to pay their parking fines.

Our lives our much like that.  We need to keep our hope meter full by seeing, thinking, and speaking hope.  When we do, our hearts will stay “parked” on hope.  We will live in a place of confident expectation of the fulfillment of God’s promises.

If we don’t keep our hope meter full, our hearts will be shackled with fear, doubt, and despair and immobilize us in the Kingdom of God.

In all seriousness, when we continually allow God to fill our mind with His truths, being hopeful will become a natural spiritual reflex for us.

Hope will infiltrate every fiber of our being.  It will bubble over in our words and actions.  Others will see the message of hope in us (Christ in us, the hope of glory) and they will want to “park” their hearts on the streets of hope and live in that place of continual trust in God.

Now that’s heaven on earth.  What a beautiful place to dwell.

Unsinkable?

A gentleman by the name of Robert Morgan tells a story that took place on the Sunday after the Titanic sank. It happened in Belfast, where the great ship was built. Naturally, the townspeople were devastated. Men met on the city's streets, grasped each other's hands, burst into tears and parted without speaking a word.

Morgan told about one church that lost 16 men to the icy waters. All were mechanics on the Titanic. On that dark Sunday, the pastor read the Scripture from Mark 4:35-41.

“On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side.'' Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.

But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?'' Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!'' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?'' And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!''

After reading the passage the preacher told his troubled church that only one vessel in all of history had been truly unsinkable: the little boat occupied by the sleeping Savior. And, the preacher added, "The only hearts that can weather the storms are hearts with Jesus inside."

We carry that Jesus and that hope!

We, if you are a believer, need to remember that He is the hope we carry and to tell others of that hope. Those in a hurting, desperate, hopeless world whenever they come asking.

If we are a desperate, hopeless people in our words, our thoughts and how we “view” things then what difference do we have to offer the world when they come to us in despair?

It’s often said that the world came knocking at the door of the church after 911 and left because they did not find life there. May we not mislead or misrepresent. May that life be strong in each of us. May we carry in us a hope that cannot be extinguished by the hopelessness of a world without God because we carry in our hearts the hope of the ages – Jesus Christ. 

Allow hope in God to purify you life.

Allow hope to bring assurance to your faith.

Allow hope to be that firm and secure anchor to your soul.

And allow hope to propel you in your walk and bring the spiritual endurance we all will need to be partakers of the next great move of God!

Thinking Hope

Over the past couple of days we have looked at the need to “See Hope” and “Speak hope” but we also need to “Think Hope”. This is part of the transformative work of the Holy Spirit that makes us ready to be partakers of the next great move of God. How do we do that?

Well one thing for sure is that we are being constantly bombarded with anything but hope through television, newspapers, radio, the internet and all the rest.

Here’s my point. Most of what we are told today does not sow hope into our lives so if those are your sources for ‘seed’ don’t be surprised if you do not reap hope from that steady diet of despair and bad news.

But there is a place where we can feast on ‘hope food” and Good News!     

I Thessalonians 5:6-8 tells us:

“So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.”

Dumb question here – what part of your body do you protect with a helmet?

Your head, your brain, your mind.

So we are to put on the ‘hope of salvation’ like a helmet to protect our mind. Let me call the mind our ‘thought factory’. We need hope to protect our thought life. We need to think hope and not just in a milk toast, bland sort of way but with “…hope of salvation…” as a helmet. Our thought life needs to be immersed in Christ and what He has done for us.

What does the scripture declare? “…Christ in you, the HOPE of glory.

That is a wonderful hope to protect your ‘thought factory with isn’t it?

Listen to this admonition from Philippians 4:8,9

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

What a wonderful thought life we are supposed to have and it is all capped off or protected by the hope of salvation as a helmet.

So how many want that endurance that comes from ‘Seeing hope’, ‘speaking hope’ and ‘thinking hope’ so that you might be His messengers of hope?

Speaking Hope

 

We need to ‘speak’ hope.

Toby Mac has a great song titled Speak Life.

 I want to encourage us today to also Speak Hope.

How do we do that? Listen to what Psalm 35 and verse 28 says:

“My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long.”

We have been learning a lot about our testimony, our words and our declarations. God wants us to recognize the power of what we speak. Not in the name it and claim it way but in those ways that genuinely honor Him and speak of the hope we have through Him.

We know of the events of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2 but let’s take a look at some of the verses not quoted as often.

Beginning with verse 5 and reading through 11:

 5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.

6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

7Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?

8Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia...Cretans and Arabs-we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 

Let me ask you something: What ‘tongue’ do people hear you speak in? Do you declare the wonders of God and the hope of God in the ‘tongue’ and to the people He has given you as an audience?

Maybe you are a young person or have an audience to the young then speak the wonders of God in ‘their’ tongue. Speak His hope.

Maybe you are a business person and have an audience to them. Take the opportunities God has given to speak His wonders to the audience you have in their ‘tongue’.

How many of you know that many of the ‘sub-cultures’ in America have what seems like their very own language or tongue? Speak hope in their tongue to them. God will open those doors and those opportunities to willing, surrendered vessels, or perhaps in this case I should say willing and surrendered tongues.  There are many spheres of influence, tribes, if you will, where you almost need to speak a certain language or tongue to be included in that group. Infiltrate and saturate those tribes, cultures, or groups with a tongue that declares the wonders of God. Speak hope.

You know what – a wonderful thing happens when you declare that hope to others. It more deeply sinks into you and permeates your life with hope.

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Seeing Hope

The man or woman of God needs their eyes fastened on the eternal and not on the things of earth. 

We are told the things we see are temporary but those things we do not see are eternal.

We need to see with spiritual eyes those things not revealed to the man whose hope is in vain things but made plain to those whose hope is in God.

 

We all remember this story I think:  

2 Kings 6:13-17

 13 "Go, find out where he is," the king ordered, "so I can send men and capture him." The report came back: "He is in Dothan."

14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

 15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.

 16 "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

17 And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

And Elisha said: “There’s a hope you can believe in!”

The servant of the man of God was not seeing with the eyes of what we might call ‘God hope’. Instead, he was seeing with what the Psalmist said was ‘vain hope’. He saw the size of the kings army but didn’t’ see the size of the King of King’s army. We need to ‘see hope’. We need to have our eyes always open to the understanding that “Greater is He that is in you then he that is in the world.” That gives us a hope that brings endurance and the ability to not be afraid no matter what we may ‘see’ in the natural.

Hope in God is spiritual stamina strengthening us to endure.   

We need to ‘see’ hope!

You are a Hope Carrier

Today's blog post is contributed by David Trotta. I always look forward to the weekly post from David. It is always a blessing and today's is no exception!

 

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12)

It’s that season again.  No, not the holiday season.  Something much less fun – the flu season.

At the prompting of my doctor, I had my flu shot this year.  I’m told the flu shot can significantly reduce the possibility of catching the flu, so I’ll trade a small prick in the arm to a knock-down-drag-it-out fight with the flu anytime.

There’s another sickness going around the world today.  This sickness attacks the heart.  It’s called hopelessness and it’s running rampant on the earth.

With all the depressing news around us, it’s easy to feel void of hope.

Among other things, threats of terrorism, fears of another financial meltdown, growing unrest and violence in the world, and constant attacks on God’s institution of marriage all chip away at our hope for a bright future.

And the more we focus on the all the negative news, our hearts give in to feelings of fear, worry and despair.  In other words, a sick heart.

Then, to try and cure our sick heart, we look for hope in all the wrong places, which leads to further hopelessness.

But God has the real antidote – His son Jesus.  As we learned earlier this week, He is the only source of true hope.  We can be confident in the fulfillment of all His promises.

And, as Christ followers with Jesus dwelling in us, we are carriers of that antidote.

There are too many sick hearts out there without hope.  They just need a hope carrier (us) to point them to the source of true hope – Jesus.

Lord, fill us with hope so we can extravagantly give it away to a world starving for hope.  Help us to see, think, and speak hope.  Make us contagious so we spread hope wherever we go.

Christ in You – The Hope of Glory

“No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.  We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.”

Psalm 33: 16-20

 

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

Psalm 42:5

 

“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Colossians 1:27

 

 

But enough about vain hope!

Verse 18 of Psalm 33 declares that when our hope is directed to God it is rewarded and fruitful.

As a matter of fact it tells us how.

It says:

          Hope directed to God delivers from death.

          Hope directed to God keeps us alive in famine and I would suggest it                can keep us alive in both natural and spiritual famine.

When we place our hope in Him, God becomes our help and shield.

Listen to how Psalm 20, verses 6-8 expresses the same thought:

 “Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand.

 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

       but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

We need to be prepared for those whose only hope is in some or all of those vain hopes and who will find their hope dashed because it was not placed in God. We need the endurance hope brings and the message of a hope that does not fail. That hope has to be more than words – we know they have heard ‘words of hope’ but we need to introduce them to the

Author of Hope AND carry that hope in us.   

Christ in you – the hope of glory!!!

Which Hope Do You Claim?

“No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.  We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.”

Psalm 33:16-20

 

 

 

Did you catch how this Psalm contrasts hope in God with what it calls ‘vain’ hope?

The Bible clearly tells us that any hope directed to earthly strength is in vain.

The Philistines had a ‘vain’ hope in Goliath. It seemed like a very real hope until a young man whose hope was in the Lord showed up. That changed everything!  There was a vain hope many ship builders around the turn of the last century put in what they called the Unsinkable Titanic.  Those hopes still lie in the deep waters at the bottom of the sea!

That word ‘vain’ in the Hebrew is interesting for the picture it paints for us. It literally means an untruth – a sham. 

When Seven-Up used to promote itself as the un-cola what were they trying to say?

They were declaring to us that they were not a cola.

If something is an untruth what is it not? 

It is not true Truth.

So it is not unreasonable to say that any vain hope, any sham hope is hope that is opposed to Truth. 

Jesus declared Himself to be the Way, The Truth and the Life.

When we stand in vain hope we stand in opposition to true hope found in Jesus Christ!

Which hope will you claim today?