How well do you hope?

 "How Well Do You Hope...?”

a. From the Greek, elpis, which means "favorable and confident

expectation"

b. A popular definition:  desire plus expectation of the unseen

Romans 8:24-25

“For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”

[Hope is an important aspect of what it means to be a Christian

 1Corinthians 13:13

“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”

  The degree of hope one has reveals much about the

state of their spiritual wellness...]

I. DEGREES OF HOPE

A. THOSE WITH NO HOPE...

1. Such as the Gentiles without God

 Ephesians 2:12

“That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”

2. Who sorrow greatly over the loss of loved ones

 1Thessalonians 4:13

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”

-- Which describes many in the world today

B. THOSE WITH LIVING HOPE...

1. Such as those in Christ

1Peter 1:3-5

“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.”

2. Who have been given good hope by grace

 2Thessalonians 2:16

“Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,”

3. Enabling them to rejoice in hope

 Romans 12:12

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

-- Which ought to describe every Christian today

C. THOSE WITH LITTLE HOPE...

1. Who may actually have reason to hope

2. But rarely think about their hope

3. Because they are weighed down with worldliness and worldly

cares

 Luke 21:34

“And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.”

-- Which sadly describes many Christians today

[Yet just as faith and love are critical to our spiritual well-being, so

also is our hope...]

II. IMPORTANCE OF HOPE

A. FOR MOTIVATION...

1. We have the hope of one day being like Jesus

 1John 3:2

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

2. This hope serves to motivate one to purify oneself

 1John 3:3

“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

-- Without a vibrant hope, we have little or no motivation to grow

spiritually

B. FOR STRENGTH...

1. Hope produces patience (endurance)

 1Thessalonians 1:3

“Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;”

2. Hope leads to eagerly waiting for that which is come  

-- Without a vibrant hope, we have little or no strength to

persevere to the end

C. FOR JOY...

1. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God

 Romans 5:2

“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

2. Such joyful hope leads to patience in tribulation

Romans 12:12

“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;”

-- Without a vibrant hope, our Christian lives are joyless,

sometimes filled with despair

[Since hope is so important to our spiritual well-being, what can we do

to increase our hope...?]

III. INCREASING OUR HOPE

A. BY READING THE SCRIPTURES...

1. The Scriptures are intended to produce hope

 Romans 15:4

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

-- Just as faith comes by the Word of God, so hope comes by the

Word of God!

B. BY FOCUSING ON THE GRACE TO COME...

1. Resting our hope fully on the grace to come when Jesus returns

- 1Peter 1:13

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”

2. What is the grace to be brought to us when He comes?

a. The resurrection from the dead

1Corinthians 15:50-58

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.51Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

b. The revealing of our glory together with Christ

 Colossians 3:4

“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”

c. The heavenly city whose builder is God

 Hebrews 11:10

“For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Hebrews 11:16

“But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherewith God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”

d. Which includes a new heavens and new earth

 2Peter 3:13-14

“Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”

e. With access to the water of life and tree of life in the

presence of God

 Revelation 22:1-5

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 5And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”

-- Rest our hope fully on the grace to come by contemplating it

often!

**If you would like to give your heart to Jesus today, repeat these words below:

'Dear Heavenly Father,i come to in the name of Jesus; Forgive me a sinner and wash me in your precious blood. Make this heart of stone to be made flesh, so that your word may be sown in it. Any addictions that i may have, remove them now in Jesus name! I've accepted Jesus Christ as my savior and believe that He died and rose from the dead! And from this day forward, i commit my life to you and seek for guidance and understanding in your word, as i walk in your path of righteousness, In Jesus name i pray, AMEN!!!'

If you have recited these words and meant them in your heart, you are saved and if the Lord would come today, you will be ready to go to Heaven!! I will keep you all in prayer, to continue to walk in the ways of Jesus Christ our Lord. READ, PRAY, SEEK and TRUST in Him and you will overcome this wicked world! **

I have also provided a link to the Full Gospel Holiness Church below, where you will find sermons from the word of God (no comprising to sin) but the Full truth to the Word of God! You can also view our contact information to email us or call us for prayer. May God bless you!

http://www.fghconline.com/

God's love and promises for His children

John 3:16-18

“16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

**God has proven His love by the sacrifice of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Jesus was crucified for crimes He didn’t commit (He knew of no sin); He carried our sins upon Himself in exchange for us to have life. **

2 Corinthians 5:21

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”

**Jesus came to fulfill the prophecies of God, by walking among the people and speaking of the kingdom of God. Many came to hear of the words spoken of by Jesus Christ, in which he said His words came from our Father in heaven.

God stated in Leviticus 26:12 that he would walk among the people, and He did just that through Jesus Christ our Lord. **

Leviticus 26:12

“And I will walk among you, and will be your God and ye shall be my people.”

**Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s promises, as we are given the opportunity every day to receive salvation and to gain a wonderful relationship with Him. Jesus broke the barrier between God and His children: we just need to take the next step into accepting Him into our hearts.

God gives free will to choose between good and evil; to walk in His ways or to continue to walk in the ways of His enemy; satan. There are those in the world that hate the light (Holy living) of Christ and choose to stay in darkness (sins/worldly living). **

John 3:19-21

“19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

** When hearing the word of God, it is quick and powerful and as a two-edged sword, it discerns our thoughts and intents of the heart. The Word provides the answers we need to living a truly full life in Him, where no drug or alcoholic beverage can fill. **

Hebrews 4:12

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

** Many in the world today are in love with their sinful living and are comfortable with the way things are in their life, that when they hear of God’s truth they are convicted and either do one of two things: 1. Repent and accept Jesus into their heart or 2. Turn away from the truth and continue in their sinful living. The reason for the 2^nd option for most is that every person has something that they possess and hold on to, and when given the ultimatum of letting that object (wealth, significant other, job) go to live a life for Christ, they say it is too unbearable.

Jesus is the perfect fix to your problems, and the only one that can make all things possible in life; we have to let go and trust in Him. **

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come unto me all ye, that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 5:6

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

The antidote for the Heart!!

Matthew 5:6

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

**Are there things you feel in your life that need to be filled? Is there a void that is pushing you more and more each day? That longing and hunger is God touching your heart telling you to seek Him to fill those gaps in your heart. Jesus is what we need to provide us that sufficient strength and happiness. Satan loves to bring confusion and he deceives people into dabbling in drugs, alcohol and hard partying life to fill those needs; but he is a liar! These that I have listed only brings more trouble in your life and will not fill those voids. Have you noticed that these are temporal fixes and you have to get more just to satisfy that addiction? People produce more crimes when participating in these activities; it is very dangerous. The Good news is that we have the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as our savior today, as today is the day of salvation. He will accept you and change you into a new person with a heart so full of contentment and joy. His love never grows old and we shall never hunger again. Satan tries to bring challenges our way to make us stumble, but as we pick ourselves up and look up to Jesus for His hand to help you up, you will grow stronger than you have ever imagined. As we seek Jesus and put Him first we will see ourselves blessed beyond our own expectations, because through Jesus we can do all things. **

Philippians 4:13

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

**As we concentrate on Him and not upon the troubles (stress, temptations, etc)  of this world, we will overcome and give God the glory and be a powerful example unto others in need of Him in their lives. There is nothing in this world that can take the place or even compare to Christ; nothing and no one! He promises that His yoke is easy and His burdens are light and He provides the peace that this world cannot provide. He provides the living water that never runs dry.   **

--Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman at the well--

John 4:7-26

“There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 9Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 10Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 12Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.15The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 16Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. 19The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 25The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.”

What does it mean to "surrender" to Him?

Surrender is defined, to cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority. God has the key to life and all the answers you can ever imagine, and to get anywhere in life successfully for the long run (eternity), we are to accept His Son; Jesus Christ. Jesus loves us very much and wants us to seek Him for direction in life, for He knows the way you should go, for He is the Way, the truth and the Life. For instance, someone that is indecisive of repentance, feel as if they are giving their life up; correction, is you are ‘gaining’ a better one.

Jesus says; (Matthew 5:6- “ Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”)

Those who have addictions that they feel they cannot shake, just know that Jesus reaches out to us saying that He shall give us rest when we have heavy burdens upon our shoulders. All we have to do is look to Him, and accept Him in your life to help you carry the load you have been carrying around for so long. We tend to feel as if we can carry it ourselves, but we find out the hard way that it would only get more difficult down the road.

(Matthew 11:28-30) “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Surrender to Him and you won’t regret it, it will change your Life!

1 Peter 5:7

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Friends may fail, but Jesus prevails

 

 

Friends may fail, but Jesus Prevails

 

 

 

John 15:13-14

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you."

 

**Jesus verifies with man as we read on through the Word of God, that for His friends he had laid down his life for our redemption with God the Father. Jesus loved all people as he spoke the truth, and tells us to love others the same, for it proves of God's love; God is love. **

 

1 John 4:16

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."

 

** Many have been disappointed in life when being rejected of friendship and is left alone because of the way they look and speak, and at times even with so called trusted friends commit betrayal and mistrust. What can be guaranteed by the Word of God is that with Jesus, He will never leave us nor forsake us, even calling us our friends as we follow in His path of righteousness. **

 

Hebrews 13:5

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

 

**We are guaranteed that the Lord will never leave us nor forsake us, even when the going gets tough. As we learn this in our walk with the Lord, we reflect it upon others as well, for this brings to light of God's companionship and love for His children. At times many will say they will walk the extra mile for one another, but in every turn someone is bound to get hurt with disappointment and betrayal. In every rejection, stab, and ridicule of others we still are told to forgive when they ask for forgiveness, and as we forgive, show charity (love) unto them, proving of God's love and mercy for all. Jesus was ridiculed, abandoned by His disciples, and left for an open shame; proving that regardless the severity of His pains He still loved us all and provided a way of life for all who follow him. (He is a wonderful friend of mine) **

 

Matthew 18:21-22

"Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, until seventy times seven."

 

Luke 17:3-4

"Take heed to yourselves: if thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him."

 

** Jesus is a wonderful friend to go through all of what He went through and still loving us anyway. When we say we are alone, Jesus can show you a thing or two about being abandoned by those close to Him through His painful moments on earth, when we feel we have lost our way and don't know where to go in life, He can reveal unto you by taking your hand that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. **

 

Feel Abandoned?

(Listen to Jesus' account of Abandonment)

 

Matthew 26:31

"Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad."

 

Matthew 26:55-56

"In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled."

 

Zechariah 13:7

"Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones."

 

 

Lost your way, and need a compass?

(Follow Jesus)

John 14:6

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Matthew 7:7-8

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receieveth; and he that seekth findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

 



Are you willing to follow Jesus?

Are you willing to follow Jesus?

 

Luke 18:18-30

18And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 19And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. 20Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. 21And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. 22Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 23And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. 24And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! 25For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 26And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? 27And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. 28Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. 29And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, 30Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.

** This man’s wealth made his life comfortable and gave him power and prestige. When Jesus told him to sell everything he owned, he was touching the man’s very basis for security and identity. The man did not understand that he would be even more secure if he followed Jesus than he was with all his wealth. Jesus does not ask all believers to sell everything they have, although this may be his will for some. He does ask us all, however, to get rid of anything that has become more important to us than God. If your basis for security has shifted from God to what you own, it would be better for you to get rid of those possessions. **

Matthew 6:24

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

1 Timothy 6:10

“For the Love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

**Because money represents power, authority, and success, often it is difficult for wealthy people to realize their need and their powerlessness to save themselves. The rich in talent or intelligence suffer the same difficulty. Unless God reaches down into their lives, they will not come to him. Jesus surprised some of his hearers by offering salvation to the poor; he may surprise some people today by offering it to the rich. It is difficult for a self sufficient person to realize his need and come to Jesus, but ‘the things which are impossible with men are possible with God’. **

Here are some of Paul’s guidelines:

1.       Realize that one day riches will all be gone

1Timothy 6:7

“For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”

1 Timothy 6:17

“Change them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;”

2.       Be content with what you have

1Timothy 6:8

“And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”

3.       Love God’s work and people more than money

1Timothy 6:11

“But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”

 

**Don’t dwell on what you have given up; think about what you have gained and give thanks for it. You can never out give God. **