True Hope

This article was posted about three years ago.  It seems helpful for today, so I am posting it again.
Barbara

Thankful for Hope

As we approach the day set aside to give thanks to our God, the Christian has far more for which to be thankful than those who do not know Jesus Christ. Most Christians can say they are thankful for their salvation, their families, their freedoms, and whatever material possessions they may have. Christians can also be thankful for the love of God, a love that is immeasurable and eternal. In His immeasurable love, God has given us more. God has given us hope.

For the Christian, ‘hope’ is not a feeling. Hope itself may produce a feeling that things are going to turn out right, or that we will get something specific, or be able to accomplish some specific task. But hope in itself is not a feeling. Hope for the Christian, is, at least in part, fore-knowledge of events or actions that are going to eventually come to pass. Hope is the encourager, pushing the Christian to leave behind the thoughts and actions of their old life, and go forward into a closer and purer walk with Jesus Christ. Hope is the catalyst that spurs the Christian to forward actions. Thank God for hope.

Here is what the Bible says about hope.

Hope of immortality is confirmed in scripture.
‘And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.’ Acts 24:15

Hope of heavenly rewards
‘For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;‘ Colossians 1:3

Hope of the second coming
‘Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;’ Titus 2:13

Hope that anchors the soul
‘Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;’ Hebrews 6:18

Hope based in the resurrection of Jesus Christ
‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,’
1 Peter 1:3

Hope that abides forever
‘And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity’
1 Corinthians 13:13

Hope that inspires the believer to clean living
‘And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.’
1 John 3:3

Now, where does one gain hope such as this? Where else can a hope that endures through emotional highs and lows be found?

Hope is gained through scripture
‘For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.’ Romans 15:4

If you have already become a Christian, this life changing hope is available to you. You will find it through hiding the words of God in your heart. The more of God’s words and teachings you know, the more hopeful you will become. It really is that simple.

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your savior, then this hope is NOT available to you.
The Bible tells us, ‘But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.’ 1 Corinthians 2:14

The hope available to Christians is clearly not available to the ‘natural man’, which is to say unbelievers.

Seeing that we Christians have such hope through Jesus Christ, should we not pray to be able to direct those without hope to the Giver of Hope? The hope that is in us should make us bold to proclaim salvation to the lost, that they might have hope also.

Hope that makes believers bold
‘But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:’ 1 Peter 3:15

We Christians have hope not based on the world system, which is made up of government, economics, mystery religions, and the society these things produce. Our hope is not of this world. It cannot be crushed or defeated by events occurring in the earthly realm. Our hearts may be broken, but hope in God and His promises will abide.

The hope of the Christian is built on the solid rock of Jesus Christ and His abilities to make good on the promises He has made to us in scripture. (Romans 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.) Hope based on performance by any human being is risky. The thing is, even when someone has the best of intentions in fulfilling a promise, circumstances beyond their control may prevent it. But hope in God is sure. In Psalm 42:5 says, ‘Why are thou cast down, O my soul? And why are thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God” for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.’

Do you find that your hope is faded or even fainted? Maybe I should ask if occasionally it seems your hope has ‘passed out entirely’? It happens to Christians. Their hope seems gone. The problem often lies in taking our eyes off our source of hope, which is God Almighty. We begin to hope in things of the world. We hope a political election will change things, or a new medicine, or a new boss at work, or more education, or less education, whatever the case may be. What really changes things is hope in God. Let your soul hope in God.

Sometimes to continue to hope is hard or close to impossible. Consider Psalm 119:81 which says, ‘My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.’

This poor psalmist said his soul was fainting for the salvation or deliverance he was seeking: but, he refused to see hope as a feeling. Instead he hoped in or relied upon the sure word of God. His hope in God defended him against Satan’s attack. When we despair to see the deliverance of God, we are to go back and encourage ourselves through scripture to continue to hope in God. When the chips are really down, you don’t need the emotionalism of worldly hope to help you get through whatever is going on in your life. You need the hope in God that is greater than ‘how you feel’ at the moment. Thank God He is greater than our feelings.

This is my ‘Thanksgiving Prayer’ for you.

‘Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.’ Romans 15:13

The song for this article is ‘My Hope is Built’. This is a song of encouragement for those, who like the psalmist, are fainting in the flesh, but continue to hope it God.

Barbara Henderson

________________________________________
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
Refrain
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
Refrain
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
Refrain
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Refrain
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/m/y/myhopeis.htm

http://tobarbara.blogspot.com

Who is God? and Who are You?

Who is God? and Who are You?

Who is God?

Almost everyone believes in a higher power.  Problems arise when people have different ideas of who or what god/God is.  The God of the Bible has characteristics and abilities that set Him apart from all other gods. 

God is existing without beginning or end.

God is present. He is with us now.  He has been with us since the beginning.

He was present at creation.  Through creation we can see that God is powerful.  In creation God created the material of which things are made as well as the things of creation.  If anyone today wishes to create something whether great or small, they collect the raw materials and then make whatever it is they want to make.  God alone can create out of nothing. 

God exists in three persons sometimes referred to as the Trinity.  God is also referred to as the ‘Tri-unity’ – one God with three equal parts.

God is present in the conscience of every individual.  Here are 3 verses from the first chapter of Romans, but you really need to read the entire chapter. 

Romans 1:20-22 says:

20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

21. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

God is perpetual – without beginning or end – no one escapes the presence of God – not even for a second

God is personal. He is not willing that any should perish – but that all should come to repentance.  (2 Peter 3:9) 

God is determined and tenacious. He takes the initiative to make Himself known to the individual.  Jesus personally went to see the woman at the well.  Read about her in John chapter 4. 

God makes Himself known to individuals.  Remember 2 Peter 3:9.  Also consider Luke 19:10 which says, ‘For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’  In addition to conscience, God makes Himself known to individuals through His followers today.

People become like the God they worship.  This absolutely does not mean anyone becomes a ‘god’.  It means they conform to the image of their god/God.  It is a process that continues throughout life.  Those who worship a god of rituals become ritualistic.  Those who worship a god of materialism become materialists.  Those who worship a god who murders become murderers.  Christians ought to take seriously Romans 12:2 which instructs us, ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’

God is beyond what a person can imagine.  He cannot be contained in an image – the work of man’s hands.

God, although He is mighty above our capacity to understand, is our helper! 

Psalm 46:1 tells us, ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.’

Psalm 72:12 says, ‘For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that.hath no helper.’  

Hebrews 13:6 says, ‘So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.’

God is worthy.

 2 Samuel 22:4 instructs us, ‘I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’

False gods demand worship, but they are not worthy of it.  They have no power to help.

God is a jealous God.  He requires first allegiance – which means He wants His followers to take His commandments seriously and obey them. 

Matthew 6:24 tells us, ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.’

Exodus 20:1-3

1.  And God spake all these words, saying,

2. I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

What does God require from you?  Deuteronomy 10:12 tells us, ‘And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,’.

Who are You?

What makes you you?

God made you unique, complex, and for a purpose.  Your purpose is both general and specific.

You are unique.  God only made one of you.  You are the only one who can get specific tasks done in a specific way.

You are complex.  You are multifaceted!  You are intricate!  You are so complicated that you may not even know yourself!

God made you personally with a purpose. Your general purpose is to love God and to obey Him.  Every believer is required to live within the boundaries for living set down in the Bible.  Within the boundaries for Godly living, the individual will find specific and unique things he or she will be called on to do.  God equips the individual to do specific tasks by giving gifts!

You are a spiritual being.  You have spiritual gifts!

This is not an in depth study of spiritual gifts.  It is just a reminder that you have them.  Gifts may include preaching, teaching, organization, giving, encouragement, and a tender heart.  Some say there are 7 gifts, others say there are 9 gifts.  Christ displayed all the gifts.  The more like Him you become, the more your life will show all the gifts.  Ultimately, you have them all, but some are more obvious in some people than in others.  A mature Christian will show all the gifts.  Look for your personal inclinations to see your strong areas.  It isn’t important which gift or gifts you seem to have right now.  It is important that you figure out what they are and use them. Also take into consideration that the goal is to become strong in all the gifts.  For instance, someone who has strong organizational skills may not be as tender hearted as someone else.  That person would need to work on the tender heartedness aspect of his/her life.  Look at your inclinations.  Do you want to teach?  Do you love to give?  These are part of your spiritual being. Look for opportunities to use you gifts.  Make them part of how you spend each day.

Another thing to consider is that sometimes a need will arise that requires a gift you don’t seem to have.  If a task is set in front of you that you must do, then God will enable you to do it. 

You are a physical being.

Each individual has abilities and limitations related to their physical body.  This is very obvious in sports.  The 120 pound short guy is not going to be the star on a basketball team. 

You are an emotional being.  You like and dislike certain things.  Actually, you are probably passionate about some things. Be sure to keep you passions confined within the boundaries of Godly living set down for us in the Bible.  Within those boundaries, you are free to follow your heart! Do the things you love to do.  Are you inclined mechanically?  Are you inclined artistically?  Are you a born organizer?  Are you a healer? 

Within your areas of things you like, you will probably have more ability than in other areas.  It is highly doubtful that someone who really wants to care for the sick and injured is going to have much ability when it comes to rebuilding the transmission on an automobile.  Both require training in order to gain the necessary skills.  However, to a born healer medical training is a joy.  If they accidentally enrolled in an automotive repair school how far do you think they would go?

You have a unique personality!  You are extroverted or introverted.  You like being around people or you prefer solitude.  You may be somewhere in the middle.  You may be lighthearted, or serious minded.  You may be a combination of both.  You may be the take charge person in any situation.  You may be the one who is happy following a leader.  You may be the one who does your own thing.  You don’t even notice if you are following someone or if someone is following you. You may take charge in some situations and happily follow along in other situations.  It doesn’t really matter as long as you are doing the things required by God and necessary for your family and work.  It is all part of what makes you you.

You have experience!

Some of it is good and some of it is probably bad.  Your experiences all add to who you are.  Without a doubt, your experiences will make you a better or worse person.  I have observed that the same type of experience can have an opposite effect on people.  For instance, the loss of a child can make a person more tender hearted or bitter.  Financial prosperity or lack of prosperity can make a person humble and generous or haughty and stingy.  The outcome of experience is determined by reliance on the Lord while you are going through that experience. 

You are a sinner!  That’s right.  ‘You ain’t perfect!’  Or we could put it like this, ‘

Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Thankfully we also have 1 John 1:9 which promises, ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’

 We must never forget that we have a sin nature.  It is like the song says, ‘Prone to wander Lord I feel it’. (Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing  http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/c/o/m/e/comethou.htm  ) 

Even identical twins have experiences that make them unique individuals. Whoever you are, like anything that is ‘one of a kind’ you are valuable!  When God made you, He had a place in heaven in mind for just you. 

Acts 2:21

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
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Building up Yourself, Your Family, and Your Country

Has anyone reading this noticed that civilization in general seems to be headed toward political totalitarianism, economic depression, and social injustice for all?

There isn’t a way that this trend can be reversed by any collective means.  It is up to the individual.  I don’t know what the earthly results will be, but the eternal results will be good.  There will probably be many earthly benefits as well.

First - Psalm 33:12 tells us, ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.’

Psalm 127:1 says, ‘Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.’

So obviously the way to blessed as a nation is to have a nation made up of people that chose to worship the God of the Bible in their hearts.  This will show up in their actions.  It has to begin in the hearts of individuals.    

To bring this about Christian Evangelism is the highest calling and of the utmost importance.  Do you want a life that counts for eternity?  Evangelize!  Tell the world that Jesus saves.  Jesus Christ alone can be the mediator between God and man.

Second – It is the individuals who make the difference.  Become an individualist.  That means you think for yourself.  Right thinking begins with a Biblical World View.  Everything should be considered within the framework of what the Bible has to say about it.  There is no other way that leads to any successful outcome in any direction. 

America’s beginning was definitely with people who were individualist Christians.  These Pilgrim Christians viewed the world through the Bible.  They crossed an ocean in a tiny ship, suffered 50% casualties in their first year, and still kept their mind on building a place where they could worship God according to the instructions in the Bible.

Today society places a lot of pressure on people to do certain things in a certain way and to accept what is not acceptable to God.  As a Christian do not let burdens be placed on your back that God Himself has not put there.  Your boundaries are set by God.  The Bible allows and dis-allows certain things.  It is your Christian duty to live within the boundaries set by God alone.  You are also to obey the laws of the land that do not conflict with the laws of God.  Other than these boundaries, you are free to make choices based on personal preference and circumstances.  Let me repeat this – you are free to make choices based on personal preferences and circumstances that do not conflict with how your Christian faith requires you to behave.  Don’t surrender your true freedom of choice regarding how you live and spend your life to the temporary goodwill of current social and political whims.  The boundaries set by God for proper behavior are enough. Speaking in Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says, ‘

‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’

 Third – The ‘get the job done’ mentality is necessary.

Ecclesiastes 9:10a tells us, ‘Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;’

 No matter where you work or what you do, there is absolutely no question that you will come across many who are so afraid of doing more than someone else that they don’t actually do anything.  Forget them.  They are chaff to the wheat.  Take precautions not to be snared by their lazy good for nothing attitudes.  They are the millstones that drag people, families, and nations down.  Your job is to get the job God places in front of you done!  It isn’t to pay attention to others.  This doesn’t mean to set aside the Bible instructions to be kind to others and treat others the way you want to be treated.  It simply means stay focused on getting the job done.

 Remember that working with lazy people doesn’t give a Christian an excuse to join the ranks of the lazy.  Dealing with an adult who has the mindset of a kindergarten student is definitely not easy.  Just do the best you can do every day considering the circumstances. 

Fourth – Be prepared.  You don’t know what the future holds, so it is your duty to be as prepared as possible in every situation.  This means that you do not want to be ignorant of everything outside your chosen profession.   Take the time to learn.  Learn everything.  When an uncommon situation arises consider how to best handle it, and then let your ‘get the job done’ mentality take over.  Honestly, in many instances you will need help.  However there will always be a lot you can get done on your own.  How do you think the pioneers crossed the American planes and the mountain ranges in a wagon or on horseback?  Every single day something unexpected arose.  They did not let these events distract them from reaching their destination or achieving their goals.  Their goal was always to get the job done.  That should be our goal as well.

Recap:

Evangelize – Tell the world that Jesus saves.  God is a loving Father.  He will provide for His own.

Individualize – Be the person God made you to be – not a copy/clone of what the world wants you to be.

Get the job done mentality – Whatever the task in front of you may be – do it with all your might.

Be prepared – learn to do everything!  Be aware of what is going on around you.  Prepare for any and all possibilities.

 To all this add ‘Enjoy life’.  There is joy in a life lived to please God.

 Isaiah 65:14 says, ‘Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.’ 

 Matthew 25:23 says, ‘His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’

 Barbara Henderson

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     Malachi and Ann Jones were raised without any religious training.  Their father believed in nothing, and their mother believed that if you are good enough you get into heaven,  Mal becomes a Christian and marries a Christian woman. Ann connects to a familiar spirit through a Ouiji game board and allows the evil spirit to become her guide in life.  Trouble follows!

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'Oh Worship the King'

A manuscript dating from the time of Christ is found on at an archeological site in Iraq by Elizabeth Newton.  Elizabeth translates the manuscript which was written by four people who lived at the time of Christ and saw Him living and preaching, crucified, buried, and risen again.

 

My book 'Everyday Prepping for Beginners' has received 3 negative reviews because it was written from a Christian World View.  I would appreciate good reviews from my Christian readers.

 

Thank you all very much  - Barbara