Tuesday, February 8, 2011

There still is Hope!

As I put in the title of this post, I feel compelled to claim that there is still hope. I see that many people are feeling lost and not sure where to turn. I see that there are too many things going on all at once that a person may feel that they are loosing control. I see that some think there is no hope at all. I can assure you there is hope.

I feel that there is a calling on my life to preach the Gospel. The word "gospel" is derived from the Old English word "god-spell," which is translated from the Greek "euangelion" (eu- "good," -angelion "message"). Literally, gospel means "good news." Still feeling that there is no hope?

In a world where bad is almost the norm, we feel as though we have nothing to hang on to. I know, I've been there. We turn on the news and what do we see? Media is almost dominated by shootings and robberies and the like while a story where someone is reaching out the the needy is looked over. The Bible says that the end days will be like "the days before the flood" Matthew 24:36-38. So who do we turn to? What is the "good news then?"

Jesus Christ. Simple as that. He is all the hope this world needs and He is all the hope that you need. One of my favorite verses is John 16:33. Jesus says, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." What a powerful scripture! 

Life is going to happen. And it will happen a lot. I can't say that things will be fantastic all the time. What I can say is that even though we will have our share of hardships, we must endure. We all are running a race (1 Cor. 9:24-27). Even as we run, we will hit bumps in the road and arrive at obstacles. But what sets us apart from others is how we look at these problems and how we (and if we) turn to Christ. The Apostle Paul says in 2 Cor. 12:7-10 that life hit him hard too. He prayed and asked God to remove this thorn in his flesh, but get this: God says "...My strength is made perfect in weakness."  God is the only one that can make you strong when you are weak.

So what can you get from this? God has a plan for you. You will run into hardships, yes, but He doesn't put anything in your path that you cannot overcome! Turn to Jesus because He is the Hope of this world. There is a hope and a path away from discouragement and hopelessness. Rejoice, praise Him, and know that whatever life throws in your path is never too big. If God is for us, who (or what) can be against us, right? 

I really believe that life is the allotted time that God gives us to determine how we are going to spend eternity. How will you spend it?

3 comments:

  1. Powerful stuff. I think that some people may not even know what choices they have. I truly believe that if a person has a relationship with Christ, then he/she can endure the hardships because Christ is carrying that person through it.

    PJ, you remind me so much of your dad. You are a truly awesome son, brother, husband, and dad. We are so blessed to have you in our lives. Love you!! Leola, I am so glad that God chose PJ to be your husband. You too, are an amazing woman. You are a wonderful mother to my granddaughters. I know that you will take care of the family. Just wished you guys were here with us. We miss you.

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  2. Thank you guys! We miss you too.

    Maybe some people don't know what the choices are but I believe that many people do. For those that don't know the choices, there are only two that last an eternity: Heaven or Hell.

    If this message gets beyond those that know about the blog, God brought them here for a reason. The rest is up to Him!

    Love you guys, see you this weekend!

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  3. PJ, that was a very good message. I am so glad that you are in Leola's life.

    Noreen, thanks for your very kind remarks about Leola. She is very special.

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