HOW DO WE KEEP HOPE ALIVE? NOW!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
WHAT IS THE ENEMY OF BEST? I say good is the enemy of best. Often when we get good at something we will never improve? Me thinks God would like us to get better, then get BEST.
NOW WE MUST KNOW THERE ARE TWO KISSING COUSINS THAT WORK TOGETHER IN HEALTHY CHRISTIANS … FAITH AND HOPE… HOPE BRINGS FAITH, FAITH KEEPS HOPE ALIVE.
Without hope faith dies. With faith we will know ‘LIVING HOPE”
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
*Let us define HOPE: SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN. Faith is a first cousin to hope.
*HOPE: confident expectation, A FEELING OF EXPECTATION, a feeling of trust, desire to see something happen, to want something to happen, faith and hope keep us anchored and committed to achieve our goals. Let us liken hope to the Biblical rainbow, 7 colors. Hope is positive. LIVING HOPE IS BUILT ON THE DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION --- OVERCOMING SUFFERING.
I read that Charles Spurgeon once called 1 Peter chapter 1 “A STRING OF PEARLS, A NECKLACE OF DIAMONDS, A CABINET OF JEWELS, SOMETHING BETTER THAN RICHES…
1 Peter 1:3 (NIV) 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
HOPE MUST CONTINUE--- PERSIST. DON’T STOP! RESUME! TO GO ON.
Psalm 71:14 (NKJV) But I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more.
THERE ARE SEVERAL KINDS OF HOPE… HOPELESSNESS---HOPE BASED ON CIRCUMSTANCES--- Realistic NATURAL HOPE--- Choice of DIVINE HOPE stands on God’s promises --- WE CAN STAND ON WORD OF HOPE --- GROWING OR LIVING HOPE. Our words will keep hope alive. We must hope continually this is linked to praise with my raised voice. Hope must never quit or must never give up.
WHEN THE PREACHER LOOSES HOPE? ELIJAH HAS BEEN VERY FAITHFUL TO THE WORK OF THE LORD. WHY WAS ELIJAH FLEEING? ELIJAD HAD BEEN SO BUSY IN MINISTRY HE NEVER RECHARGED HIS SPIRITUAL BATTERIES. ELIJAH WAS TIRED. HE RAN IN GREAT FEAR FOR HIS LIFE. ELIJAH WAS FRUSTRATED FOR HIMSELF AND FOR GOD.
Elijah obeyed God and taught the truth. When people don’t like the message they don’t like the messenger. AHAB WAS A WEAK KING AND HE FOLLOWED HIS WIFE JEZEBEL’S WORSHIP OF FALSE GODS AND FALSE PROPHETS. Jezebel sponsored 450 false preachers and she hated the one man of God. Elijah tried to correct the sinful choices of Israel. They refused to listen. Elijah feared for his life. Elijah knew Jezebel had an APB out on God’s man, dead or alive. Elijah ran away in great fear to neighboring Judah. Elijah ended up at MT HOREB.
Elijah felt safer at MT HOREB (MT SINAI) as Mt Sinai is where God gave the MOSAIC LAW several hundred years ago. So Eijah fled to Beersheba in southern Judah. Again, Elijah had not been eating right. He was so tired. ELIJAH LOST ALL HOPE.
1 Kings 19:3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
GOD KNEW HIS MAN WAS EXTREMEELY HURT AND FRUSTRATED… GOD KNEW THEY THAT WAIT --- SHALL RENEW.
1 Kings 19:5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
GOD KNEW ELIJAH WAS TIRED AND HAD LOST ALL HOPE. THE PREACHER WAS GIVEN DIVINE PROVISION TO RETORE HIS FAITH AND HOPE. WE MUST KEEP LIVING HOPE ALIVE.
1 Kings 19:6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. 8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
Will we admit we have built our hope on people and things? COME TO JESUS FOR A RENEWAL OF FAITH AND HOPE.
HOPE, LIVING HOPE IS LIKE RECHARING A BATTERY. SPIRITUALLY WE MUST RECHARGE OUR BATTERY.
Psalm 37:7 (KJV) Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Psalm 37:7 (MSG) Quiet down before GOD, be prayerful before him. Don't bother with those who climb the ladder, who elbow their way to the top.
*FIX YOUR HEART, FASTEN SECURELY, TO SETTLE, TO REPAIR--- QUIET YOUR HEART!
PSALMS 37:3 (Passion) Keep trusting in the Lord and do what is right in his eyes. Fix your heart on the promises of God, and you will dwell in the land, feasting on his faithfulness. Find your delight and true pleasure in YAHWEH, and he will give you what you desire the most.
Psalms 37:7 (Passion) Quiet your heart in his presence and wait patiently for Yahweh. And don’t think for a moment that the wicked, in their prosperity, are better off than you.
SADNESS, DEPRESSION, DESPAIR WILL ALWAYS KILL LIVING HOPE. HOPE HAS GREAT PEACE AND JOY.
Romans 12:12 (NKJV) rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
WE HAVE HOPE IN HEALING…
Exodus 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
YESTERDAY’S HOPE IS DEAD… CLAIM GOD’S WORD IS PERSONAL AND FOR YOU… TODAY! GIVE US OUR DAILY BREAD, MONTH OLD BREAD GETS MOLDY.
Psalm 78:7 (NKJV) That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments;
HOW FAR CAN YOU DRIVE A CAR WITH NO WHEELS? DON’T LET THE ENEMY TRICK YOU WITH ONE OF HIS SCHEMES TO DESTROY YOUR FAITH AND HOPE. GOD’S PROMISES ARE T&P , TRIED AND PROVEN…
Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
At best life is challenging, Suffering can never be understood. Life can be crushing and overwhelming. The enemy is out to “steal, kill and destroy” by any subtle trick he can use. KILLING YOUR LIVING HOPE IS A GREAT TOOL IN HIS TOOL BOX.
CONCLUSION:
*LIVING: ALIVE, SOMETHING ALIVE, CAN GROW, DEVELOP, REPRODUCE, SUFFUCIENT TO LIVE ON.
Living hope is thriving on the foundation of the resurrection. We cannot afford to lose our pearls, diamonds and treasures. We need a LIVING, GROWING, THRIVING HOPE THAT WILL KEEP US THROUGH WEAKNESSES, TRIALS AND STORMS. Don’t run, face the giants
Romans 8:24 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?
Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube Wade Hughes)
Pray for me in the battle with cancer and chemo and radiation.
