"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, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you…" (I Pet.1:3-4)
It’s not new that we live in a hurting and broken world. And moving from the global to the personal realm does not eliminate the problems. We’ve all heard about the tragic domestic violence in communities across the nation. We all know families that are breaking apart and parents who are heartbroken over their rebellious children.
In such a world, there is a desperate need for a message of true hope to overcome the despair and real power to overcome our weakness. Sometimes we feel like the guy who saw some light at the end of the tunnel, but then he realized that it was a train coming at him. That is false hope!
We need true hope.
Think for a moment about the violence that is gripping cities around America. It's an incredibly challenging issue for every citizen, but especially so for God's people, who are called to bring the light of Christ's love into a world caught up in the darkness of Sin.
How can we ignore the continuing news of deaths by violence occurring on a daily basis in war torn areas of the world, in which most are fueled by terrorists. The lives lost to terrorism include our own citizens in uniform, as well as civilians at home in their own communities, hoping to have peace, security, safety, and freedom for themselves and their children.
By the grace of God, there is hope and peace in the face of all these examples of the power of Sin, Death, and Satan in the world. There are Christian brothers and sisters who are going home to heaven with hope in their hearts and a song on their lips. Despite the violent nature of their deaths, they die with a confident faith that Jesus is their Lord and Savior, and has freed them from the power of Sin and Death.
Their faith and hope stands in sharp contrast to those who die in despair, alone and afraid with no hope for eternity because they don't know Jesus' as their Savior. Their end is eternity without Christ, forever lost to the presence of God. It's a terrible end; and a worse eternity. As God's people in Christ each of us is called to share our own hope and peace in Jesus with others so they don't end up in eternal despair.
By faith in Jesus, we have confidence that death can no longer separate us from God. We know, with certainty, that Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection make it possible for us to be at peace with the Father, and to have His forgiveness regardless of the violence and suffering that touches our world every day.
God's Spirit reminds us of the wonder of the resurrection. God's Word gives us the courage to forget our fears, face suffering, and concentrate on sharing God's love and peace in Jesus with others. Christ's resurrection is the assurance that God's promises are true. As the hope of the world, even the most shocking crimes one man can carry out upon another cannot separate us from His love.
What a powerful hope Jesus is for all who face death and violence! What joy and peace God gives as He reminds the world that, while "the sting of death is sin" (See I Corinthians 15:56) and "the wages of sin is death" (See Romans 6:23), Christ has been victorious over both Sin and Death so that in Him there is hope and life.
This is the hope we, as God's children in Christ, live in each day. Let's share it with others, as well!
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On September 4th, Alice and I will be heading out for a year of teaching and ministry to the people of Haiti. It's been awesome to have been blessed with the opportunity to impact your lives through my blog over the last several years. And I pray I will continue to have the opportunity to be a part of your lives in the days ahead.
The power grid there tends to be a bit sporadic, so don't worry if you don't see any recent updates on here. I'll post as often as I can. And I will stop by every now and then to check messages, so please don’t hesitate to comment. I love reading all of your encouraging words. And I hope that you will continue to join with me on Life's Journey. God bless!
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