Here’s a great post written by a friend of mine from high school. It offers encouragement to those who are facing difficult circumstances.
Archive for the ‘Hope’ Category
Thoughts on Psalm 91
Posted in Bible, Books of the Bible, Devotional, Hope, In times of difficulty, Psalms, Walking with God, tagged Bible, Comfort, God as our rescuer, hope, Psalm 91, Psalms on September 14, 2011|
Biblical Faith, what is it?
Posted in Bible, Bible Study, Faith, General Epistles, Hebrews, Hope, New Testament, tagged Bible Study, Biblical Faith, Faith, Faith in God, Hebrews 11, hope, New Testament on September 6, 2011|
Faith as it is used in the vernacular is “confidence or trust in a person or thing.” [Dictionary.com] This is far from what the Bible considers faith. In Hebrews 11, Paul defines faith as ” the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” He goes on to add that “by it the elders obtained a good testimony” and “by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” [Hebrews 11:1-3]
Biblical faith can be understood in part by looking at what it is not:
- It is not mere hopefulness
- It is not mere optimism
- It is not merely a hunch
- It is not merely an emotional sentiment
Biblical faith is so much more . . .
- Biblical faith makes the future present
- Biblical faith makes the invisible seen
- Biblical faith can grow
- Biblical faith has God as its object
- Biblical faith has God’s Word as its assurance
- Biblical faith gives evidence for what can’t be seen
- Biblical faith is a gift from God, not based on experience or works
- Biblical faith has a certainty – being sure of what we hope for:
- Forgiveness of sins
- Acceptance into heaven
- Rewards for faithful service
- Living with settled conviction of His promises
- Taking God at His word
- Biblical faith takes hold of the future and lives based on the future now
Do-over!
Posted in 2 Corinthians, Bible, God, Hope, Jesus, New Testament, Relationship with God, salvation, tagged 2 corinthians 5:17, Bible, do-overs, hope, New Creation on June 20, 2011|
How many times in the day or week do you long for a do-over? You just want to turn back in time and make a different choice, say something or just stay silent?
God offers the ultimate do-over in 2 Corinthians 5:17. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
The great thing about this verse is that it is without limitation. Christ has given the ultimate do-over.
- Gone are my mistakes and failures (they no longer define and limit me)
- Gone is the deadness in my heart and conscience (He has given a heart of flesh to replace my heart of stone)
- Gone is the hopelessness of being unable to change despite the harm to myself and others (now I have Holy Spirit power to overcome sin)
- Gone is the futility of thinking (now I have the mind of Christ, wisdom of the ages)
- Now I can have a fresh start (All things are made new)
- Now I have hope for the future (He has gone to prepare a place for me and has promised to return for me)
The time for your do-over is now. Today is the day of salvation. Tomorrow is promised to no man.
WHAT IS SALVATION?
Posted in Bible, Born of the Spirit, Deliverer, Forgiveness, God, Hope, In times of difficulty, Jesus, Knowing God, New Testament, Relationship with God, salvation, the LORD, Uncategorized, tagged Being saved, Bible, Bible Basics, New Testament, salvation on June 11, 2011|
Sometimes as believers, we use terms that only we understand. What some might call “Christianese” Understanding these terms and being able to “translate” them to those who don’t speak our “language” is essential to effectively sharing the gospel. What does it mean to be saved? What happens when we are born again?
The Basics
- Salvation is a gift (John 3:16)
- The only Requirement is belief (John 3:16)
- Jesus is the perfect sacrifice, satisfying all the righteousness requirements of the law (2 Corinthians 5:21)
What happens?
- We’re made alive spiritually (Colossians 2:13; Ephesians 2:1)
- The charges against us are dropped (Colossians 2:14)
- We’re forgiven of all our sins (Ephesians 1:7)
- We’re purified for God to be His own (Titus 2:14)
- We’re made new – a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- Old things are gone; all things are new (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- We’re reconciled to God (restored to right relationship) (2 Corinthians 5:18; Colossians 1:21)
- We’re presented to God holy and blameless (Colossians 1:21-23)
- We receive the Kingdom of God (Luke 12:32)
- We receive lasting inheritance (1 Peter 1:4)
- We have abundant life now (John 10:10)
- We receive everything needed for life and godly living (2 Peter 1:2-11)
- We receive the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8)
- We receive weapons for warfare (Ephesians 6:10-18)
A Word Picture to Illustrate
If they still don’t get the idea, give them a picture: “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18
May the One who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy keep you from stumbling and present you to God as without fault (and only God can do that).
Christmas . . . why?
Posted in Christmas, Hope, Jesus, tagged Christmas, God's love, Why did Jesus come? Why celebrate Christmas? Jesus on December 15, 2010|
Why send a babe to save the world, an infant in a barn?
Why reach eternal, loving hands to lift from earth the base?
Why bridge the gap? Why save one man?
Why send Your son to die?
Why should the almighty, eternal God consider frail man’s fate?
Why offer such a special gift to those who walk away?
Why care even one wit for man, God’s surely seen his heart?
There is nothing he does that satisfies, his heart is wicked dark.
The questions, they go on and on. Why would God do this thing? Why come to earth for those who mock and say You don’t exist?
But Our God, He dwells among us. He is Emmanuel. He came a little baby, lived as man and later died; the perfect sacrifice given, His love can’t be denied.
But why, you reason, would He? What was the goal He sought? It’s that He greatly loved us, so He came, our souls He bought. He came so I might live, child of the risen King. Jesus came to show His face, to set the record straight. Our God He loves us unto death. He’s the vine, the door, the gate. Just knock, He’ll open to you. There’s no reason for you to wait.
This Christmas as you wonder, why a babe so small, so weak? What’s the purpose of His coming, just let the record speak. God came to earth to save us, while we were yet still lost. He healed, He raised, He shed His blood, so we could see His face.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. This is the face (and heart) of God!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
The Lord is my Light and my Salvation . . .
Posted in Devotional, Hope, Psalms, the LORD, tagged Devotional, Psalm 26, Relationship with God on May 3, 2010|
In Psalm 27, the Psalmist says (and we often sing), the LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?
The LORD is my light
- He guides me as a beacon from a lighthouse guides a ship in the night away from the rocks.
- He illuminates my life as candle gives light to a dark room.
- He shows me things in my life like a searchlight reveals things or people hiding in the darkness
- He dispels darkness from my life as light, by its very nature, must.
The LORD is my salvation.
- He is the key to my life and relationship with God.
- He is the key to me having eternal life.
- He is the key to me living the abundant life.
Whom shall I fear? If I have God as my light and my salvation, is there really any other significant area of vulnerability in my life?
I am persuaded as Paul was and as I pray you are, “that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
