Archive for the ‘ Hope ’ Category
Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.
2 Corinthians 4:16, HCSB
We confess Christ, believing that He died and rose again to bring us forgiveness of sins and new life. While we await His return, we may still suffer in this life and long for eternity, but the new life begins inside our souls, giving us hope and not merely wishful thinking.
“Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old. Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.”
Isaiah 43:18-19, HCSB
We confess Christ as our Savior, believing that His death and resurrection has washed away our sins, forgetting our shame, and given us hope for eternity with Him.
The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.
2 Corinthians 9:6, CSB
We confess Christ crucified in the flesh that others may believe in Hos death and resurrection for our sins and hope. We give even out of our poverty to draw others to Christ and help each other out of the love of Christ.
But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
2 Thessalonians 3:3, CSB
God told the Prophets that He was coming, and He came born as the person of Jesus of Nazareth who then promised to send the Holy Spirit. After defeating the power of sin, He now empowers us to fight sin and evil by dwelling inside us until His return.
“Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”
Luke 1:31-33, CSB
God told the Prophets that He was coming to save His people, and He did in the person of Jesus of Nazareth through a willing servant. Let us be willing to carry our Lord into the world.
Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
Luke 2:11, CSB
God told the Prophets that God would come to save His people, and He came. No one expected Him to become a human, but He was born, lived, and suffered like us and for us to show His love for us and that He is worthy to be our King.
We all like to talk about the Magi who came from the east to greet the newborn king of Israel. I wonder how many of us think about this star as a prophetic fulfillment.
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1–2, ESV)
We are pretty sure that these “wise men” may have been of the school of practitioners trained originally by Daniel while Israel was in exile. It makes so much sense that they would have been looking for such signs. It does make one wonder why they would think to look for a star?
I wonder if the original Hebrew audience of Matthew would have thought about a previous “wise man” who first spoke of this star.
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
and knows the knowledge of the Most High,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,
falling down with his eyes uncovered:
I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob,
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel (Numbers 24:15–17, ESV)
Some foreigners came to worship a king because of a star they saw rise. A foreign prophet was used by God to prophesy a star that would rise.
The prophecy was made as Israel was approaching the Promised Land. The prophecy was fulfilled when the True Israel was approaching His creation.
The first foreigner joined in trying to kill God’s people. The next foreigners helped avoid the attempt to kill the Son of God (for a time.)
This is a good reminder that Israel struggles (there is a pun here) with knowing who their Lord is, but others see Him for who He is, even of they deny Him.
Let us be wiser than all these, even the wise men from the east and especially those who see truth and deny it.
Let us receive the King of kings who has come to bring us life and peace and is coming again.
Merry Christmas and the Lord’s blessings of eternal life and wisdom on you.
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people”
Luke 2:9-10, CSB
God told the Prophets that He was coming to save His people, and then angels proclaimed it to shepherds when He actually came. The gospel is true and is for all people: find the joy of God and believe that He came as the person Jesus of Nazareth to take away our sins.
Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Luke 2:7, CSB
God told the Prophets God was coming to save His people, yet no one expected Him to come as a human. May we be open to see God moving in unexpected ways yet that align with Scripture, taking care to have gentleness and compassion while leading others to worship our Lord.
And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior”
Luke 1:46-47, CSB
God told the Prophets God was coming to save His people, and Mary also worshiped her Son. We can know Jesus is God with us and worthy of our worship, for He was born to die for our sins.
a simple man of God 