A Living Hope

Good morning to all on this 1st Sunday in June. Ms. Hailie Kong celebrated her 3rd birthday this weekend. Boy, or girl, how time flies. Waine and I are in Hawkinsville this weekend and its a gorgeous weekend  for golfing. We are also on the countdown to host Brooks for 2 weeks. Koichi and his family are celebrating Jason's selection by the Japanese embassy to be hosted in Japan for 2 weeks. All expenses paid. Congratulations, Jason!!

 

I am continuing my journey in 1 Peter 6, verses 1 - 25 " To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 

 

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.  It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at His coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.  For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God.  For, “All people are like grass,  and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the Word that was preached to you." Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

 

Christ died so that we don't have to--isn't that a wonderful inheritance!  When we accept Christ as Savior and accept His sacrifice, we are once and forever covered by His blood so that we can transition into a uninterrupted life with God the Father, once this journey is over. And while on this journey, on this side of Jordan, we have the Living Hope of abundance. God is such a practical God. He provides for all of our needs now and forever. It has been secured because of the sacrifice of Christ. Hallelujah. If you are not living in abundance; if you are living in fear and not enjoying the abundant life that Christ died for then you are wasting your inheritance. And what a waste that is. I am reminded of this daily. Satan is constantly trying to mess with my joy and my struggle daily is to claim the inheritance that is mine. I quickly then go into the "safe" zone of God's Living Hope where I am protected and is able to enjoy the abundance of   life that is min through Christ. When you resist the devil--he truly flees from you because he cannot be in the presence of the Holy God.

 

As I  learn to rely on the Promises of God daily, I am letting go of my fear of being happy and just taking a deep breath and EXHALING--learning to exhale is a marvelous experience!

 

Have a great day and a great week. Now may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.

 

Stephanie