Tag: hope

Against All Hope

If the ups and downs of our lives were pinpoints on a graph, what would yours look like? Would it be one straight line going up? Or would it look like a mountain range with highs and lows? Throughout our lives, we encounter blessings, victories, trials, and hardships. But how are we remaining hopeful even in the lows of life?

Jesus told his disciples in John 16:33 “In this world, you will have trouble but take heart! I have overcome the World.”

So when you’re against all hope when it feels as if the odds are stacked against you. Ask yourself

  1. Will I still believe it anyways?
  2. Will I let anything stop me from believing?
  3. Will I always expect God to answer?

Abraham was “against all hope,” it says in Romans 4:18 “In Hope, he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told.”

Abraham hoped when there was no hope. The hope he had made no human sense, Abraham hoped when the facts were contrary to logic. They were both well past the age of childbearing but “Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age since she considered him faithful who had promised.” – Hebrews 11:11

They didn’t let what was contrary become the roadblock to their promise, they were against all hope but yet they still believed. What is it in your life that you’ve been believing for? Are you hoping against all hope?

Troubled

Psalm 3:1-5

O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.”

But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.

I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill.

I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.”

In this text we read of a story of Absalom, David’s son who has rebelled against God and his own father to overthrow David on his throne in Jerusalem. Terrified as David was, David knew who to call in this troubled time. Even those of David’s closest friends would too forsake him and join the ranks of his son. Many thought that David was to far gone for God’s salvation but little do they know that the presence of trouble doesn’t prove the absence of God.

The presence of trouble doesn’t prove the absence of God.

God is the lifter of not only our heads but everything that involves life. He wants to lift our attitude, our hope, our hearts, our minds, our burdens, our feeble hands and most of all our burdens.

When you feel troubled, who do you call? Your spouse? Your pastor? Maybe a close friend? But remember who the lifter of our souls are and that is the Lord.

He is waiting for you, to call out to Him. He will always answer.

Hebrews 4:15 “For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

A TIME FOR EVERYTHING

From the time that we were knitted in the womb (psalm 139:13-16) to when our life is over, God will have orchestrated every move, every challenge, every part that we had faced. But the most assuring part is that He has a plan for everyone. Not just for salvation (2 Peter 3:9) but He has given us a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

He knows the plans for us, plans for welfare not of evil, to give us a future and a hope.

Solomon tells us that there is a time for everything. No matter what season that we are in, God has also given us provision for that time.

Ecclesiastes 3

3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

WE ALL KNOW WHICH SEASONS WE WOULD LIKE TO BE IN. 

EVERYONE DESIRES TO BE IN THE GOOD AND COMFORTABLE SEASONS, PREFERRING LAUGHING TO MOURNING, LOVING TO HATING, GETTING TO LOSING; BUT WHATEVER SEASON GOD HAS PLACED US IN, WE MUST ALSO RESOLVE TO FAITHFULLY SERVE HIM THERE.

ARE YOU IN A SEASON OF FRUITFULNESS? A SEASON OF TRAGEDY OR GRIEF? KNOW THAT THE LORD IS WITH YOU TO GIVE YOU STRENGTH!

Hope Has a Name Part 2

THE INVITATION OF HOPE

THE CHRISTMAS STORY IS A BEAUTIFUL INVITATION. IT’S AN INVITATION FOR ALL TO COME AND SEE THE HOPE THAT HE HAS FOR ALL THOSE WHO COME TO HIM. IT’S AN INVITATION FOR ALL WHO ARE HURTING, WHO ARE HOPELESS, WHO HAS FEAR, WHO HAS SICKNESS AND WHO DOESN’T HAVE A SAVIOR.

THE NIGHT JESUS WAS BORN, THE HEAVENLY HOSTS WENT TO THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN TO LET A GROUP OF SHEPHERDS KNOW “A SAVIOR HAS BEEN BORN.” THE ANGELS MARVELED THAT CHRIST HAD COME TO RESCUE AND REDEEM, AND THEY LIT UP THE SKIES WITH THE THUNDEROUS PRAISE OF GOD. THAT NIGHT AN INVITATION WENT OUT: GO INTO BETHLEHEM TO SEE THE ONE WHO WILL BRING PEACE TO THE WHOLE EARTH.

LUKE 2:8-20

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 

“Glory to God in the highest,

    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over too Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

THE INVITATION FOR US TODAY IS TO COME ADORE THE ONE WHO BROUGHT OUR HEALING, OUR WHOLENESS, AND OUR PEACE WITH GOD.

COME, ENCOUNTER THE COMPASSION, COMFORT AND KINDNESS OF OUR SAVIOR.

COME, APPROACH WITH HEARTACHE AND BROKENESS WITH OUR WOUNDS AND OUR SCARS.

Hope has a name

Peace has a name

Joy has a name

His name is Jesus, Immanuel, God with us.

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Hope Has a Name Part 1

The Promise of Hope

Even in those moments of testing and trials there is still a hope that carries me through. When everything around me is against me, when I hear those words from the enemy, “Just give up” Theres always a push, there’s always a reminder of a “Cloud of witnesses” that are cheering us on to never give up, to run with endurance the race that is set before me. But without Hope — it wouldn’t be possible.

Romans 15:4 “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

EVER SINCE THE FALL OF MAN, GOD PROMISED THAT A SAVIOR WOULD COME TO BE THE GAP BETWEEN MAN AND GOD, AND “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Cor. 5:21

Hope Was Prophesied

680 YEARS BEFORE CHRIST WAS BORN, ISAIAH HAD PROPHESIED OF THE COMING KING. 

ISAIAH 7:14 

“THEREFORE THE LORD HIMSELF WILL GIVE YOU A SIGN: THE VIRGIN WILL CONCEIVE AND GIVE BIRTH TO A SON, AND WILL CALL HIM IMMANUEL.

Hope Was Coming!

ISAIAH 9:2, 6-7

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.

IMMANUEL = GOD WITH US. WAS THE PROMISE OF HOPE TO COME AND THE PEACE FOREVERMORE.

THIS IS WHERE OUR HOPE IS FOUND, IS IN THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES, JESUS.

What ever promise that God has given you, remember the Hope that lies within Him, for without Him we have nothing and in Him we have our being.

If you can’t fly then run

martin

You are almost their, almost to the top of that mountain and then you realize when you get to the top that it’s a plateau. Whenever we think we have reached the top you look up and still, there is room to grow, another mountain to climb and other devils to fight.

All those struggles along the way, all of those temptations that have tried to keep you away from reaching that mountaintop. The doubts that you believe and the lies that try to enslave us along the way are doing nothing but clouding your vision from seeing how to climb up that mountain. And the fears that ever so easily control our feelings and thoughts that cripple our strength and faith as we move forward in this race.

But as we get closer, the struggles appear to be more and the temptations are stronger, but God knows how much you can handle, He knows you better than yourself. When we refuse to let go of the rock that is helping us climb this mountain that we are holding onto. We focus upward not looking back but the things that are hoped for that are not yet seen. We believe because we know in whom we have believed. I believe for whatever situation that you are in the Lord is giving you the confidence to do what He has called you to do and the peace to walk in victory over every obstacle that you face.

 

Can we fly? No, that would be to easy, can we run? Yes, but pace yourself. Can we walk? Yes, but don’t walk to slow. What about if we crawl? We just have to keep moving forward.

 

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Unfailing Favor

” Seeing that we have such a God to trust to, let us rest upon Him with all our weight; let us resolutely drive out all unbelief, and endeavor to get rid of doubts and fears, which so much mar our comfort; since there is no excuse for fear where God is the foundation of our trust. A loving parent would be sorely grieved if his child could not trust him; and how ungenerous, how unkind is our conduct when we put so little confidence in our heavenly father, who has never failed us, and who never will! We have been in many trials, but we have never yet been cast where we could not find in our God all that we needed.” – Charles Spurgeon

” Lean not on your own understanding…” – Proverbs 3:5,6

~ We will never figure God out to the tee, He is a mystery, an all wonderous being, “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame (confound) the wise; God chose what is
weak in the world to shame the strong.” – 1 Cor. 1:27 (ESV)

As I continue In my ministry, I have ton’s of questions like, “Why did you take me out of Aquinas”, “Why is my ministry on the web?”, & How on earth could I afford to have bought a house, and have gotten my dream car (Chrysler 300C) after buying a brand new car last year and not being upside down? Because of His unfailing favor, that is what you call that. Let’s face it, we all have questions, but He will reassure you that He will never leave you. Just REST IN HIM. Favor follows obedience, obedience follows blessings, that will bless your socks off!

Favor follows us, so undeserving we are, God chooses to bless those that are His. He chose us, so why do we decide not to choose Him as our foundation of trust when our lives become ship wrecked? The only One who can fix us?