Our Blessed Hope

Greetings!

This message will be mostly scripture (as you'll soon notice). The main point I'm hearing the Lord say deals with "the end times". I believe these are the final days before the end of the age Jesus spoke about. A lot has been written, spoken, perceived, believed, etc., about these times. You probably have your own ideas and maybe, just maybe, you have them all packaged neatly into one of 3 boxes: pre-tribulation rapture, mid-tribulation, or post-tribulation. Maybe you're not quite certain where to hang your "beliefs", but none the less, I'm sure you have some kind of "notion" as to how things are going to pan out in the end.

I'm hearing the Lord speak of a simultaneous move of the Spirit...a time of unprecedented Glory and Power released through the ones who will go to unprecedented extremes for God, as well as a time of unparalleled shaking and even dismay among the "church folk". Dismay sets in when discouragement and frustration have run their course. When we keep looking at our little "box" and then look at the world around us and wonder why things don't match up. People get to looking at WHAT they believe rather than WHO they believe and, little by little, the joy leaves, their own desires begin to crowd out the will of God and they eventually fall away (as in 1 Tim. 4 and 2 Thes. 2). But those WHO KNOW THEIR GOD WILL BE STRONG AND DO EXPLOITS! (Dan.11:32)

Sifting, shaking, glory and power. The problem this kind of thinking brings to the church world is that it doesn't fit too well with our little boxes we've used to store our theology. Too many of us, and for far too long, have built an idol of worship out of our ability to "know the scriptures" and "be correct" in the way we "rightly" divide the truth. We'll even go to battle with our brothers and sisters to make sure we're understood and perceived as having the correct view. We'll build whole denominations (fellowships) around our ability to rightly divide the truth. Now I'm all for interpreting the scriptures accurately; I believe it's very important for each of us to study and be scripture smart. But if God really meant everything each of the different churches believed He meant, God must be one confused being! But God isn't confused; man is and has attempted to use God's name to give their belief substance. But in these last days, God's going to get His message across; without a doubt. The line's being drawn and His truth will prevail!

Think about this...our "Blessed Hope" isn't the EVENT of the coming of the Lord!! Our "Blessed Hope" is Jesus Christ Himself!!! Look at the verses below and let the Lord speak to your heart. Lay aside your religious brain (even if for just a little while) and read these verses as if Jesus was your hope. You see, if we have Jesus as our hope, we find ourselves more ready to live for Him, die for Him, and everything in between. Remember what He said in John 14:3, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." Our HOPE, Jesus, said that wherever He'll be, that's where we'll be. Hallelujah!

So, let's get beyond the "waiting" game and get on with living in the Name! There's Glory and Power to be released through those whose HOPE IS Christ Jesus.

Titus 2:11-14
11. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12. teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13. looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14. who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

1 John 3:1-3
1. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Romans 15:4,12
4. For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
12. ...in Him the Gentiles shall hope.
13. Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 1:18
18. the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling...

Ephesians 2:12
12. that at that time you were without Christ...having no hope and without God in the world.

Colossians 1:27
27. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

1 Thessalonians 5:8,9
8. ...and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ

1 Timothy 1:1
1. ...the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope

Titus 3:7
7. that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Hebrews 6:18,19
18. that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. 19. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,

Hebrews 7:19
19. for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

Hebrews 10:23-25
23. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25. not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

1 Peter 1:3
3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Blessings,
Pastor Jan