Once upon a time I scheduled a Heart Catherization. No heart problems had been found in the echo-cardiogram –EKG had also been fine. Cat-scan had revealed nothing heart wise and stress test was inconclusive. Concerned because of some chest pain when hiking, I persevered through these tests at the request of my appointed Cardiologist. I was sure nothing would become of the current exam. I awoke to the gentle doctor’s straight but assuring face. His message was simple, “there is nothing we can do for you here.” “Stints are not possible; you have two total blockages and one 90%” “What do you suggest?” was my astonished response. “You might consider by-pass surgery.” I hesitated, “how does that happen?” “Hang on for a minute.” The kind doctor left the room. He reappeared, “do you want to go tomorrow?” “yes.” So began my journey defining year in the month of March. Whisked…
Tag: <span>hope</span>
Tribulation works out endurance, and endurance, approvedness. Then comes hope, the assurance of which we are not ashamed. Then love floods the heart? Wait! Peace comes first through justification in Romans chapter 5. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: ” Romans 5:1 “Justified” is Greek aorist participle, indicating an action done prior to the main verb. So before peace came justification. We were declared righteous at the point of salvation. “‘Peace’ means that the war is done, …God has nothing against us.” “This peace with God must not be confused with the peace of God of Philippians 4:7. Which is a subjective peace, whereas ‘peace with God’ is an objective fact — outside of ourselves. Thousands strive for inward peace, never once resting where God is resting — in the finished work of Christ on Calvary. “ All taken from William Newell…
Wishful thinking can be larger than life. Lets begin with one man’s observations about the atheist, the politician, and the diplomat. “The definitely concrete fact that they (the atheist), do not acknowledge God determines their knowledge of God. And the fact that they do not want to admit His existence, later gives them, in plenty, the means of legitimizing their desire. If the wish is ever father to the thought, it is abundantly so here. …how cheaply are thoughts and reasons to be had. …the history of philosophy might well be written as the history of wishes; and the history of history-writing as a history of wishful thinking; and indeed, the history of religions as the history of pious wishes. ” “The art of political and tactical speech in general — alike to the man in the street and for the official spokesman — invariably consists in seeking reasons for…
” In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travelers walked through byways.” Judges 5:6 Matthew Henry makes an observation about what this verse meant: First it meant “No trade. For want of soldiers to protect men of business in their business from the incursions of the enemy, and for want of magistrates to restrain and punish thieves and robbers among them (men of broken fortunes and desperate spirits, that, having no employment, took to rob on the highroad)….” Secondly, “No travelling. Whereas in times when there was some order and government the travellers might be safe in the open roads, and the robbers were forced to lurk in the by-ways, no, on the contrary, the robbers insulted on the open roads without check, and the honest travelers were obliged to sculk and walk through by-ways, in continual…
“I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. ” Revelation 3:8 “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not.” 2Corinthians 4:1 “For who hath despised the day of small things?” Zechariah 4:10 “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” Habakkuk 2:3 “…thou hast kept the word of my patience,” Revelation 3:10 Somehow we get to walk with God alone. Often that walk can be lonely, for God dwells in the thick darkness. I too must acclimate to that darkness, for in that darkness I find true light.…
“For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Galatians 2:19-21 Let’s be honest, the Law excluded us from it’s righteousness, which righteousness is the reward for perfectly following it. That Law could never make those coming with sacrificial offerings perfect, being weak through our fleshly nature. See Hebrews 10:1-3 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. Better Hope? “…(the law)…
1Peter 1:3-5 teaches, “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, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” Friends, our salvation accords with His abundant mercy, pardon not deserved but undeserved by us. Can we imagine this realm of existence? “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.” Psalm 147:11 Hope births in the comfortable confines of mercy, steady as a rock, as secure as resurrection, defying death; mercy rejoices over judgement. Folks, in mercy/resurrection, a conscience freeing world excluding judgement, and an eruption of confidence…
“So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had…
What lacks in a contemporary person who finds themselves outside of Christ? They have no expectation of the daily blessing which Our God has for his children. They have no realistic expectation of Christ’s soon coming return. Hope deferred makes their heart sick. In the story of Ruth chapter 1, Naomi finds herself bereft of husband and two sons. Her comment to her daughters in law goes, ” If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” Ruth 1:12-13 A life without hope is a frightful proposition. Job 14:7 teaches us “For there is hope for a tree, if it be…
God’s handiworks fold up, but He never changes. This we know for sure. “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but you remain; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.” Hebrews 1:10-12 Many, Christians and non, see this folding, and some see it today: Christopher Lasch has made this observation about our day, “the natural limits of human power and freedom… has become inescapable.” “Younger Americans today are perhaps the first generation to be certain that they are and will be ‘worse off’ than their parents.” “…optimism in progress is doomed.” I am convinced the prophets of doom have to be taken seriously. Maurice…