Friday, April 26, 2013

Jesus, our Hope


God Gives Hope Notecard 



“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus,
who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become
a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews 6:19-20 (NIV)


“We have this HOPE. . .” The writer of Hebrews says in four words something we can cling to. We have HOPE. It gets us through the difficult times of serious illness of our loved ones, financially tough times, personal doubt, difficult relational problems, and times of deep questioning.

“ . .as an anchor for the soul . . .” An anchor on a boat keeps that vessel in place when its occupants chose to stop at a certain spot. When my husband had a boat, the anchor he used looked homemade. But it did the job well. In the ancient world, the anchor was a symbol of hope.1

“. . . firm and secure.” Those who believe in Jesus Christ also have an anchor. We have the Holy Spirit. This third person of the Godhead, sent to us by Christ Himself, assisting us by interceding for us when we have troublesome circumstances, giving us what we need in order to conquer our fears and hearing our deepest pleas. The Holy Spirit keeps us focused as we go through our days.

“It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. . .” In the Temple there is an area called ‘the Holy of Holies’, located behind the altar. The only person who can enter this area is a chosen high priest—and then only once a year, the Day of Atonement. The high point of a priest’s years of serving the Lord came should he be chosen to enter this very sacred place.

“. . . where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.” Our Lord Jesus was our forerunner.2 One of the meanings of the Greek word for forerunner is likened to a scout entering an unknown area and making it safe for those who follow. “Jesus went into the presence of God to make it safe for us.”3

We do have this hope in response to all we, as individuals and nations, hear and see. We have Jesus.
1. Barclay, William, the Letter to the Hebrews (Revised Edition 1962) Westminster Press page 62
2. Ibid. page 63
3. Ibid. page 63

Graphic from: www.notsoplainjane.com


A link for your enjoyment :On Christ the Solid Rock

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Still Dealing with Heart Heaviness

(Written Monday April 22, 2013)

3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.
 2 Timothy 3:1-9 (NIV)1

This passage reminds me that we will not through our earthly lives without seeing some of these behaviors in our world. A lot of them, we have already seen.

I read somewhere last week that the 8-year-old boy who died in Boston last Monday had a sister who was injured in the bombing. She lost a leg.  Since then, I read where she wanted to be a dancer when she grew up. Today, I discover the fact that she is in first grade.

We have to believe that God will help her and her parents through these issues. I have to believe that God will take care of this innocent little girl and her parents.
When my husband turned on the television this afternoon, the funeral of one of the two women who died was being shown. I couldn’t watch. But, there again, I have to trust God. I have to believe these victims and their families will receive justice.
Father: Please, please help us all as we deal with terrible tragedies that we will face before we will see You. We love You and believe in You. We have this hope that You will give us peace. We will give You praise and glory. In the name of Jesus, I pray. AMEN.

1.Scripture from Bible Gateway. 

Monday, April 22, 2013

“The Hope of Glory”






“I have become its (the church’s)1 servant by the commission 
God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness 

God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— “I have become its (the church’s)1 servant by the commission
the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations,
 but is now disclosed to the saints.  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 1:25-27 (NIV)

The apostle Paul reminds the Colossian believers that God authorized him to take on the duty to present His message to the world.
Paul’s task was to present God’s complete word to the people. The Lord had kept certain parts of the Word hidden from His children. God chose to reveal the mystery to those closest to Jesus (the disciples) and the one of His choosing (Paul). Our heavenly Father designated these men to proclaim to the Gentiles—those who are not Hebrew—the wonderful message of Christ in them, the anticipated outcome of the bliss of heaven.
Because of God’s decision to use Paul in such a mighty way, we can know the Father as our friend and comforter. We can look forward to the day we see God face to face as we enter our eternal home.

 1.) I derived this thought from the context of the verse.

Graphic from depositphotos.com






























































































God Alone

  Jesus and the children at our church's prayer walk.          I will both lie down in peace and sleep;  For You alone, O LORD make ...