Pastor's Message
I listed just a few things that the bible says Jesus accomplished on the cross, for those who would put their trust in Him.
- We have victory over death – death has lost its sting, we have been given eternal life.
- We are new creations in Christ, the old has gone, the new has come.
- We have peace with God, because our sins have been paid for on the cross.
- Gods Holy Spirit lives in us.
- When Jesus rose again He gave spiritual gifts to us.
- The power at work in us is the same power that raised Jesus from death to life.
We could go on and on, we have so much to give thanks for.
1Peter 1 v 3 says “ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”.
Those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ and His victory on the cross have a living hope. Hope in the bible is not used in the same way that people often use it today. People say ”I really hope I am going to be OK” or ”I hope something bad doesn’t happen”; but really they think that it might. The word hope in the bible is much more positive. It means to have expectation; to have confidence in something; to anticipate with pleasure; to trust.
We trust what Jesus has done on the cross for us; we have confidence to believe that He is with us, and that we will ultimately go to be with Him. That is the sort of hope we need in a world that often looks hopeless. Daily we hear of financial problems, terrorist threats, natural disasters, potential climactic melt down. We do not ignore these things, we pray and do what we can, but we need to trust that God’s light still shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 to abide in faith, hope and love. Love is the greatest of these, Paul says, but we still need to abide in faith and hope also. Hope will help us not to be drawn into despair. It will enable us to stay positive, despite our circumstances. It will give us peace in a world that does not seem to have much.
I once heard about a painting competition where the theme was peace. Most of the paintings were of peaceful meadows, beautiful landscapes and country scenes. The painting that won however was of a raging storm. In the centre of the painting was a tree being blown about by the wind. In the tree was a little bird, singing with all its strength and without a care in the world. It was entitled peace in the storm.
That is the sort of peace God wants us to have. Maintaining a living hope in Jesus will help us to stay in that peace.
How can we maintain that living hope? I have listed 3 biblical principles.
1. Persevere in our faith, despite the difficulties.
Paul says in Romans chapter 5 that, as we persevere through tribulations, it ultimately produces a hope, which will not disappoint us. We need to continue in fellowship, reading the bible and in prayer.
2. Set our minds on things above not on the things that are on earth, as Paul says in Colossians 3v2.
We choose to think on things of God and not just on the problems and difficulties of life. Meditate on the word of God. Paul says in Romans 15v4 that through perseverance and the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.
3 Make God our shelter, the one we run to when problems surround us.
When things go wrong, go first to God in prayer. Psalm 91 tells us of the protection of the person who makes God their refuge.
Those things will help to keep God’s living hope alive in us despite our circumstances.
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