pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: hope


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Spilling Out

As we draw near to Christmas and the celebration of the birth of Christ, our sense of hope and joy builds.  As we rest into the knowledge of God’s promises fulfilled through this holy birth, our sense of peace and love grows.  Advent is a season where we live close to God and look toward God’s future blessings.

The covenant relationship that we have with God allows us to live in His blessings.  We seek to be content and happy in our lives.  It is through the confidence in God as provider and in our attitude as thankful recipients of these blessings that we find true contentment and happiness.  Knowing that we are loved and cared for by God makes such a difference in life.

In this holy season God wants to meet all of our needs – physical, spiritual, and emotional.  As our thanks and praises to our creator who blesses us so richly grows, it spills out of our lives and into the lives of those around us.  As we spread the joy, hope, love, and peace, others are in turn blessed as well.

Scripture reference: Isaiah 61: 8-11


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Live Deeply

This season of Advent brings many things to mind – snow for a white Christmas, the star shining bright in the sky, the rough manger in the stable, the smell of animals and hay, the dream of peace and goodwill for all.  It is also a time of memories, built over a lifetime.

The season is a season full of love, joy, hope, and peace – all given and found in Jesus.  God’s steadfast love was poured out for us in the life and teachings of Christ.  The how-to guide Jesus Christ gave us brings these feelings of love, joy, hope, and peace to all the world.

God’s faithfulness that has always been demonstrated remains for us as well.  His faithfulness to Israel through all of her ups and downs is the same faithfulness that helps us through all of our trials as well.  It is through our knowledge of and experiences with God that we know He is faithful.  Because of this we know His promises will endure as well.  In this season of Advent, may we live deeply in love, joy, hope, and peace of Jesus Christ, living as shining children of the light.

Scripture reference: Psalm 85: 8-13


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Do we wait well?

Waiting can be hard.  Christmas is a season that builds anticipation well.  Once the tree goes up in our homes, we know the day is near.  If you use an Advent calendar, you really count down the days.  For some, simply looking at the presents under the tree is almost more than they can take – they want to peek!  No matter when we start our count – November 7, December 1… – we start out knowing that December 25 is a fixed date.  For the secular world, it is all over on December 25.

In Advent the focus is on the same date, but for Christians the purpose is different. We await the gift of Christ.  We celebrate Jesus’ birth not in and of itself, but for His whole life’s impact upon us.  It is in His death and resurrection that we gain victory over our own death and we find the strength to fight against the temptations and sins we face daily.

In Advent, our question is: do we wait well? As we ready ourselves for celebrating Christ’s birth, we also have an eye on His actual return.  That date is unknown.  Yet it is surely coming, one day closed today than it was yesterday.  As we wait, do we share our joy with others?  Do we share our hope?  Do we share our peace?  Do we share our love?  Waiting well involves all of these, plus sharing the greatest gft ever given, the reason for all of these other things we share: Jesus Christ, the savior of the world.

Scripture reference: 2 Peter 3: 8-15a


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Season to Share

I have friends who will record a ball game and do everything they can to avoid hearing the final score.  They do not want to know the outcome so that they can watch the game as if were “live” and enjoy all the ups and downs as the game unfolds.  On course, they do fast forward through the commercials!

In our faith, we know the end story.  We know how all of this will end.  Whether the second coming occurs during our lifetimes or not, once we begin to walk in relationship with Christ, we know where we will spend our eternity.  However, this is not a ‘free pass’ to fast forward to the end.

This knowledge frees us from all worry about death and allows us to live each day with hope, confidence, and a great story to share.  In this season where we look forward to celebrating Jesus Christ’s birth, we must also be keenly aware of the opportunities God gives us to include others on the journey.  Advent is a great season to share the good news.  CHRISTmas is on everyone’s mind.  Today and each day, may we make the most of our chances to bring Christ’s light into people’s lives.

Scripture reference: 2 Peter 3: 8-15a


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Celebrate and Share

John the Baptist seemed to be focused in on one thing: repent of your sins.  Many people came to John to confess their sins and to be baptized with water.  But John also had a much bigger picture in mind.  His mission had much more to do with the “why” of people needing to repent.  John knew Jesus was about to change the world forever and he knew people’s hearts had to be right to accept Christ.

It is fitting to find this scripture and its message at the start of Advent.  In Advent we look forward with anticipation as we say, “Jesus is coming!”  The same feeling to need to be prepared for celebrating Christ’s birth is a part of our waiting.  We need to be at our ‘best’ to welcome into the world this newborn King.  He needs to find us ready.

So John’s message to repent calls out to us too.  In this challenging time of year where the world says to buy more, be busier, live it up, celebrate the presents – John says to slow down, focus in on Christ, repent of sin, prepare for the coming gift of Christ.  This gift comes bearing hope, peace, joy, and love.  He comes bringing justice, forgiveness, and inclusion.  May we be in Advent a vessel that is clean and full of all that Christ has to offer.  May we celebrate the gifts of Christ and share them with a world so in need.

Scripture reference: Mark 1: 1-8


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Joy and Hope

Mark 13 has some apocalyptic writing.  In verses 24-37 Jesus is speaking of the time when He will return in glory.  This type of writing is fascinating to me.  Personally I do not read too much into it.  Some people do and sadly their focus often becomes the doom and gloom aspects and they see only the doubt, fear, and despair.  I prefer just the facts.

First fact – Jesus is returning.  Yeah!  Second fact – there will be signs in the natural world that the time is at hand.  These things will scare some people but others will gaze heavenward with joyous expectation.  Third fact – no one knows the time for Jesus’ return except God the Father.  This fact is the most imminent and the one with the most application for our daily lives.

Because the hour is unknown we are called as Christians to b alert and ready at all times.  We are to live daily with faith, love, and hope always on our hearts, souls, and minds.  These things should flow through and be visible in our daily decisions, choices, and actions.  We are called to love our God and neighbor like they really are the most important things in our lives.  When we live each day for God, we do not live in despair and fear but in joy and hope.  There’s no place I’d rather be!

Scripture reference: Mark 13: 24-37


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Resting Fully

Those who knew Jesus expected him to return very soon after the resurrection.  But Jesus never gave a date or a time – that was (and is) God’s will.  Yet the early believers expected Jesus to return any day.  Part this was probably a longing to see their good friend again.

As people in the early church began to die, some worry arose over the fact that Jesus had not returned.  They didn’t know their loved one’s fates.  But Paul assured them and assures us that final victory over death has been won by Jesus Christ’s resurrection.  Paul assured us that those who have died will rise and return in glory when He returns.  Those alive at the time of His return will then join the great cloud of witness.

As a human we grieve the physical loss.  But as a Christian we rejoice in knowing they have attained their place in heaven’s glory.  We also live each day without fear of death because we too know that our eternity is secure, resting fully with Christ!

Scripture reference: 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18


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Memory and Reassurance

As Israel prepares to cross the Jordan River, they must have felt so much emotion.  This moment is like crossing the Red Sea in  some ways.  God is parting the waters and providing a way across.  In both events they can clearly see God’s power and feel His presence with them.  One chosen by God himself leads them.  Yet these crossings are also different.  At the Red Sea they were fleeing their enemy and were about to enter the wilderness.  At the Jordan they were crossing over to face their enemy at Jericho and they were leaving the wilderness.  Joshua had replaced Moses, but God was clearly with Joshua, just as He had been with Moses.

The connection to and memory of what God has done forms the foundation of their faith and also provides reassurances that He will continue to be present with them.  Our history and experience does the same for us.  To remember that difficult situation that God walked us through or to recall that job that He provided reassures us of His love for us and also gives us a basis of hope for our future.

God is always and always will be.  As we remember what He has done for us, hope and faith are built up in us.  We look forward with confidence, knowing God’s steadfast hand will continue to guide and lead us.  Whether facing a wilderness or preparing to enter a promised land, we can step forward knowing the He will never leave us and that He will never forsake us.  A God that always was, will always be, for He is everlasting.

Scripture reference: Joshua 3: 7-17


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Witness to Our Eternity

God is everlasting.  He always was and always will be.  He was before He created the earth.  God will continue to be long after ‘earth’ is gone and the new heaven is here.  God is the one that binds us together – from Adam and Eve on forward.

While on earth, God is our peace and comfort. our strength and shield, our home.  In Him we live and breathe and have our being.  All of this will continue when our earthly body breathes its last.  God is before, now, and after.

As we live daily, we hold onto this promise.  It makes each day easier to get through and provides our ultimate hope – resurrection from the dead.  Until that day, God is steadfast to us.  His mercies are new every morning and His love never fails.  Surely as that day is coming for all of us, we are to live reflecting the fact that we do not fear death.  We live reflecting the hope and love we find in Christ.  But not all are destined for heaven.  It is our call to be a living witness to our eternity, allowing all the opportunity to come to know Him.  By word, action, and deed, we are to share Christ with all we meet.

Scripture reference: Psalm 90: 1-6 and 13-17


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Our Call Too

God is a god of hope, love, grace, and generosity.  We each receive these things in abundance.  We are called, in turn, to share these gifts with others – to those we know and to the person we meet for the first time.

In the parable at the start of Matthew 20, Jesus is teaching us to offer these things to all.  The landowner pays all of the workers the same amount.  He begins by paying those who started late what he promised those who started early.  They grumble when they only receive what was promised.

We can relate to their complaint!  They think they deserved more.  We see this two ways.  We too often think that if we have been a follower of Christ for a long time we “deserve” more than one new to their faith.  Wrong.  God loves us all equally.  We all equally deserve God’s blessings.  The other way we see this is in judging who is worthy of our love, our time, our help…  This is equally wrong.  We are called to be like Christ.  He set the standard – He loved all, especially those who we think are hard to love.  This is our call – to love all as Christ loved and loves all.