Time Keeps on Slipping Into the Future and Time in a Bottle

Or what about the music groups Journey and Foreigner?

We have a certain attitude as we move through this journey of life. The attitude is either one of hope or hopelessness.  An attitude of looking at the glass half full or half empty.

Definitions:

Hope – (noun) the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best; (verb) to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence; to believe desire or trust.

Less – (adverb) to a smaller extent, amount or degree; most certainly not; (adjective) smaller in size, amount, degree, lower in consideration, rank, or importance; (noun) something inferior or not as important.

Full – (adjective) completely filled; containing all that can be held; filled to utmost capacity; (adverb) exactly, directly, very; (verb) to make full as by gathering, pleating, or tucking material.

Too often we place our hope in what we can see, things like our spouse, job, government, education, or healthcare.

However, our real hope to gain “fullness” rather than “lessness” is in looking to Jesus.  Colossians 1:27 tells us that the Christ within us is the HOPE of GLORY.  Our hopeFULLNESS is in “Jesus BLOOD and RIGHTEOUSNESS”

(Think of the hymn: “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less”).

HopeLESSNESS is when we look to “chariots and horses… governments and banks (Psalm 20:7)” to be our resource, rescuer, or our savior.

My hope is in King Jesus, and Jesus alone.

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, not yet seen.”

(Hebrews 11:1)

Let us begin to believe what the Bible says, “God is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Let our faith arise to believe and then live as if we believe that God is FAITHFUL to Himself and His word. What He says He will do, will be done!

What promise in God’s word do you need to latch onto and hold on unwavering in hope until you see God moving on your behalf? Once you’ve seen God work in your life it stirs the inner you to have hopeFULNESS in God, not hopeLESSNESS in your circumstances.

In God’s economy Hope equals FAITH and Hopelessness equals FEAR. A Hope filled journey is not one without trouble. Jesus himself said “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!  I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b).

Jesus also said, “…for he (God) makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).

Begin to look at God’s ability to create beauty for ashes in whatever the circumstance you are facing…God alone brings HOPE to the hopeless.

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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What Is Lent?

At its simplest, Lent is a forty-day period that usually ends sometime during the week preceding Easter. It is meant to commemorate the forty days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness, so some Lenten traditions do include self-sacrifice and special acts of charity during this time. Most involve confession and repentance. But for all religious traditions, Lent is a time to prepare for Easter, a time to actively prepare ourselves through Scripture, prayer, and repentance. We know there is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor and His love, but I think the very idea that we can do nothing, that it was all the work of God, sometimes causes us to take it all for granted.

Because we were, through God’s grace, crucified and buried with Christ – with no pain and suffering on our part – it seems easy. And it is:

Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.

Acts 16:31

But if we don’t remember what that gift cost, we can also forget its value. We perhaps forget what sinners we were, how desperate our need was, and how great a sacrifice Jesus made for us, not just in His death, but in His very life here on earth.

But the other part of the story, the reason why Lent has an end, is because we were not only crucified and buried with Jesus, forgiven and made righteous, but we were also resurrected with Him into eternal life.

I Can

Attending this new church forced me to think about Lent. Whatever it was in my mind before or maybe what it is for others, it did not have to be for me. The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the most important events in the history of the world. Believers, hopefully, are always mindful of this, but it is not wrong to spend a little extra time focusing on Jesus, the cross, His love and sacrifice for us that allows us to experience the amazing unearned and unending joy of Easter morning.

By the time you read this, Lent this year will have already begun, but the number of days doesn’t matter. Use whatever time you can to reflect on what a selfless gift Jesus gave us. The reflection, meditation, and prayer of the days of Lent can lead us to appreciate and value even more Christ’s sacrificial death for us.

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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Spending Time With Jesus

If you feel like there’s a lot of noise around you right now, you have to be purposeful to choose to turn down the volume of the world. If you want to be able to hear and discern more clearly the voice of God in your life, you have to root out the distractions that can hijack your attention and time. You have to be literally ruthless to guard and protect your mind. I’ve gotten into a habit before I check my social media, before I check my email, before I check any missed texts from overnight, I try to open the Bible app and go through a Bible study and actually read the Bible.

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Mark 6.31 NIV

Be Interruptible

This could be the bravest thing you do today, or maybe even in a while; but beware, this could open up doors that you can’t even see, which could be scary. It could put you on the edge of a cliff making trust and faith a bigger part of your life. I hope you’re ready. Pray this prayer: “God, if I’m not where you need me to be, I pray that you lead me there.”

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3.5-6 NIV

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Are you ready to have your mind blown? Roughly half of Jesus’ miracles were actually interruptions. Jesus had a plan. Imagine knowing your destination, imagine knowing you would go through life, live 33 years, and die on a cross. That was His destination. He had a timetable, but Jesus was interruptible. I think of my own life: I’m someone who’s very planned. I live by that calendar on my phone- to a T, to a fault, to an extreme. So, it just makes me wonder how often I miss what God is doing because I’m holding on too tightly to my own plans.

Here’s some career advice I saw and I actually agree with it: don’t ever attach yourself to a person, a place, a company, an organization, a project, or a church. Attach yourself to a mission, a calling, or a purpose. That’s how you keep your peace. I experienced that a couple of years back where my place of work became my identity, and when that was gone, it took me months to figure out who I was and where I was going. It turns out, I should have been focused on Jesus the whole time.

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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Trust in God’s Timing

I wonder how you feel about this saying:

“You’ll see why God made you wait.” 

You might feel hurt, you might feel frustration, you might smile and go, “Hey, I’ve been there, done that.” This past weekend, I wrapped up a season in my life associated with an organization that I had been volunteering with for many years, probably almost 10. And I just felt a peace recently from God saying to me, “it’s time to step away.” I don’t want to, and it hurts, but I have to trust Him. And that saying “one day, you’ll see why God made you wait,” I actually am kind of excited and have some anticipation of “what’s next?”

The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? 

Proverbs 20:24 NIV

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Trust in God’s Goodness

There are seasons in your life that will be good times. There’ll be some challenges, some trials. I know it’s difficult during those times- personally, it’s very difficult in the middle of the night, being awake and worrying or stressed out about some stuff. Consider this: it is crazy how a relationship with God can completely change your mood and attitude in an instant. Instead of worry, go to prayer. One worship song, one whispered prayer, one scripture verse can take you from the absolute worst mindset to a place of such peace and joy. There’s nothing like the presence of God. And my prayer for you today is to experience that.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4.6-7 NLT

Trust That God is With You

Today’s a great day to live by faith and not by sight. Sometimes what you see isn’t really the whole story. Faith will fill in all the gaps. I was spending time in the Bible this morning in the book of Luke, and Jesus was talking to the disciples about faith. It got me thinking about how faith is risky. I know sometimes I feel the risk; am I doing the right thing? Trusting God in this decision? Faith looks risky to others, maybe family members who don’t understand what’s going on in your life and how you are making decisions for you and your family. Especially in today’s day and age, where it seems like everyone is looking for proof of things to be true outside of God. 

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now. And don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Matthew 6.34 NLT

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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