A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Thursday,
April 8,
2021
I took this photo in a Lancaster City church that has been closed.
"Our
Living Hope"
Message
summary: The living
hope for the follower of Christ is a result of
God’s great mercy and the new birth He has given
us, grounded in the glorious resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead.
Listen
to this message on your audio player.
"Grace and peace be yours in abundance. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:2-4).
Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany Georgia has produced several movies that provide a witness for Christ. Many of our readers have seen at least one of them. We use them in our counseling ministry and find they really connect.
"Grace and peace be yours in abundance. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:2-4).
Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany Georgia has produced several movies that provide a witness for Christ. Many of our readers have seen at least one of them. We use them in our counseling ministry and find they really connect.
In one
of them, “Courageous”, the story line includes a family that is devastated at the loss of
their young daughter in a car accident. A scene
that especially blesses me is that of the faithful
pastor who comforts the family at the funeral with
these words:"What
can we, as mere men, say to a grieving and
shattered heart? We speak today because we have
a Living Hope. Death is no respecter of persons.
Death is no respecter of youth. Death is a
painful intruder and a pernicious reminder of
our human condition. But I stand before you
today to declare that we have a Living Hope and
that causes us to rejoice greatly. You, see, our
hope today is found in the fact that Jesus is no
longer entombed. He lives. Because He lives, the
grieving, broken heart has hope and reason to
rejoice”.
What an aspiring perspective hope brings to any earthbound disaster or personal loss and what a tremendous spiritual blessing it is to having a living hope! A simple definition of hope is an emotional state, the opposite of despair, that promotes the belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one’s life. But Biblical hope is grounded in the absolute certainty of God's care, not just a wishful thought for a positive outcome that may or may not be true.
Sadly there are scores and scores of people who live day after day without hope. These are the kind of people that Paul wrote of in his letter to the Thessalonian believers. Upon the death of a loved one they were not to "grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Because of Christ they had a living hope.
But
at times even for the believer hopelessness and
despair can take hold of our emotions? It happens
when we take our focus off the Lord and His
promises. The great hymn writer Isaac Watts
provides an interesting description, "Despair
tells us that difficulty is insurmountable."
Living hope for the follower of Christ is a result of God’s great mercy and the new birth He has given us, grounded in the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The apostle Peter wrote these words to encourage believers undergoing various trials and persecutions. Some thirty years after Christ’s resurrection the church entered a time of horrific persecution during Nero’s reign. It was shortly after this that Peter was martyred for his faith.
All
of us who trust in Christ have this living hope.
As we live out our lives we have many of the same
problems as others. But our perspective differs
based on an empty tomb and the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead. Our hope is alive and
our eternal future awaits us, no matter the
present circumstances. Billy Graham
characteristically stated it so simply, "As a
Christian I have hope not just for this life but
for Heaven and the life to come".
Today we need to hold fast to our living hope. Never lose sight of it. Be assured, God will hold us fast. The writer of Hebrews spoke of this hope as "an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:19). As God’s children we have a living hope and an assurance that God will see us through. I encourage you this day to keep the presence of our living hope ever before you! In doing so, I feel certain that you will be encouraged in your circumstance and more importantly strengthened in your faith!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Living hope for the follower of Christ is a result of God’s great mercy and the new birth He has given us, grounded in the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The apostle Peter wrote these words to encourage believers undergoing various trials and persecutions. Some thirty years after Christ’s resurrection the church entered a time of horrific persecution during Nero’s reign. It was shortly after this that Peter was martyred for his faith.
All
of us who trust in Christ have this living hope.
As we live out our lives we have many of the same
problems as others. But our perspective differs
based on an empty tomb and the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead. Our hope is alive and
our eternal future awaits us, no matter the
present circumstances. Billy Graham
characteristically stated it so simply, "As a
Christian I have hope not just for this life but
for Heaven and the life to come".Today we need to hold fast to our living hope. Never lose sight of it. Be assured, God will hold us fast. The writer of Hebrews spoke of this hope as "an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:19). As God’s children we have a living hope and an assurance that God will see us through. I encourage you this day to keep the presence of our living hope ever before you! In doing so, I feel certain that you will be encouraged in your circumstance and more importantly strengthened in your faith!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father,
I want to fix my thoughts upon the living hope I
have in Jesus Christ my Lord. I anchor my soul in
the bedrock of Your Holy Word so that when other
viewpoints counter the truths presented in Your
Word or when it seems my world comes crushing down
my anchor remains firm. When difficulties appear
insurmountable remind me that I serve an
extraordinary God who does not rely on natural
solutions but works in the supernatural realm to
meet every one of my needs. I am not tossed to and
fro by wishful thinking but am firmly grounded in
the living hope of our resurrected Savior and it
is in His name that I pray. Amen. All
this week our messages will be on the resurrection
of Jesus Christ as taught in each of the major
sections of the New Testament.
- Monday's message was from the Gospel accounts.
- Tuesday's message we examined how the resurrection was a core element in apostolic preaching in Acts.
- Wednesday's message and
today's message consider the resurrection
teaching in the epistles.
- Friday we will look at the resurrection teaching in the Book of Revelation.
Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
Hallelujah,
praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There's salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There's salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope
"He Will Hold Me Fast" Video Shane and Shane
He
will hold me fast,
He will hold me fast;
For my Savior loves me so,
He will hold me fast.
He will hold me fast;
For my Savior loves me so,
He will hold me fast.
Finally
today: Some humor
For
many years I have enjoyed Shane and Shane
(which is actually the first names of the
two singers). The Babylon Bee managed to get
two satire stories from them.
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a message to Stephen
& Brooksyne
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Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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