Looking to our Hope

Romans 15:13

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

This morning I made a grave mistake of allowing my time and my mind to be engaged in a documentary of a past President of the United State of America, it was a long list of crimes, sexual encounters, and drugs, and even allegation of murder, whether true or not, it was used by the enemy of my soul to steal my peace.

Each day you and I are bombarded with things in the press whose end game will take from you without giving any hope, joy, or peace, how can we guard our minds?  I’ve often stated that one of my heroes was a very mild and meek little man, who was a professor of Music at the Seminary; his name was T.W. Hunt.  This statement I pray will grab your mind and heart and if needed be a reminder of this truth; “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:16-17)

T. W. who is experiencing glory with our Lord, had this to say in the first chapter of the “Mind of Christ” “Most of us, most of the time, are satisfied if we satisfy the expectations of society and the requirements of God by our outer, visible actions.  God looks on the inner; He said, as early as Samuel’s day, that “man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7) The New Testament takes it a step farther; “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:5-7)

One does not require a high I.Q. to understand the culture, what we see and what we hear is trying to press us into its mold.  So what can a follower of Christ do in order to keep this from happening?

·      Spend time in the word: 2 Timothy 2:15.

·      God has given us the ability to set our minds: Colossians 3:2.

·      Ask for help: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”  (John 14:26)

Hope is from God, for it is clearly written our LORD Jesus Christ is our hope of glory, you and I should not take our eyes off of our Hope, for in Christ we find peace and joy, for Christ in us is the Hope of Glory. 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice