A Ministry of Hope

During this time of political upheaval I felt like we needed some good news.

Responding in meekness.

Jesus showed us how to live out the truth of the Kingdom of Heaven while here on earth and part of it is the blessing of mourning because there is comfort.

Have you ever struggled to trust to God. I have.,

Several years ago I taught a Bible study on heaven. Today I realized that almost everyone who attended that class no longer need a Bible study to know what heaven is like.

Her prayer was that if God could use her weakness to bless her family that she was willing to be weak. I watched God answer her prayer and it was truly beautiful.

During this turbulent time in our nation it seems like a good idea to remember that if your a Christian you are part of the Kingdom of God.

Why does Genesis say, “And there was evening, and morning-the first day “ and not there was morning and evening- the first day?

This is for anyone who like me has prayed, “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

Sadie’s story is a story of hope, a story of strength in weakness. Sadie’s story of simple faith in a mighty God.

Sometimes the pressures of life feel unbearable. When I begin to feel overwhelmed I pray a prayer that I learned from Jeremiah the prophet.

One of the blessings I’ve had in sharing life with my Christian friends is having them teach me the lessons they’ve learned from the difficult times in their lives.

It fills me with a sense of amazement that the God of the universe is listening to my prayers. This sense of amazement is something that I hope to share with my children my grandchildren and anyone who will listen.

What is the choice we can make? We can make the choice to walk in the flesh or in the Spirit.

There is a touch of hope that was passed onto me from generations past. It is the hope that I will see the second coming of Jesus Christ. It is also my hope that I will be able to pass this touch not only to my children but to my grandchildren.

Sometimes I have to tell myself the truth. I have to do this because my mind becomes entangled with negative thoughts like a garden overgrown by weeds.

I’ll never forget the wonder on Jack’s face as he spread out the wing of the hen he was holding to show me it’s beauty.

Grief is real and grief is painful and tears must flow ... but there is hope!

We have been given access to armor that we can put on or fail to put on. Whether we put it on or not it doesn’t change the truth of Ephesians 6. We are in a battle with rulers, against authorities, against the cosmic powers over this darkness. Might I suggest that this battle is best won wearing the armor God had provided?

Do ever feel hopeless and like there is no way out? If so I want to share with you the key to the dungeon of despair.

My grandson will be 18 next month. Jack was only 8 when I began to write “A Ministry of Hope” I decided to share the lessons I’ve learned from being Jack’s grandmother.

A pattern of prayer for overwhelming concerns.

Because of our relationship with a loving God, we can rest secure in good times and in bad; because He remains the same and He lives us.

“According to Hebrew psychology the reigns are the seat of the deepest emotions and affections of man, which God alone can fully know.” (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)

We are told in Ephesians 6:12 “Our struggle is not with flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” But how can an ordinary person find victory over such an extraordinary struggle?

Psalm 8. Reflection of Charles H. Spurgeon on the glory of God.

We are invited to let go of the rope and take hold of the promises of God.

Just you steer the car in the direction that you’re looking your emotions are affected by the things you focus your mind on.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”(Psalm 46:1). I wonder if I sometimes miss the refuge and strength of the day because I’m focused on the worries of tomorrow.

On so many levels we are at a pivotal place in history. Fear of the unknown is a real challenge. I have gone back to the poem “Step by Step” many times since it was given to me as an 18 year old about to leave home for the first time.

Life can be hard; life can be difficult; and sometimes the unknown is terrifying. What is the source of true strength.

When we go through difficult times we are faced with the choice of walking away from God or to live our lives by faith in sacred mystery.

The day dawned, the morning start rose, the demons fled, the angels shouted for joy. but men continued to slumber blanketed by sorrow and disbelief.

The beauty of redemption could only be fully realized after Peter see his desperate need for a redeemer.

What keeps us from hearing what Jesus says.

When Jesus died on the cross He paid the wages for our sins once for all. When He rose from the dead He broke the curse of death.

a often or acts of worship met with obstacles.

Joseph of Arimathea has not converted to what the Sanhedrin did. He had been unable to prevent what was happening; however he did what he could.

What do you do when you encounter sudden and unforeseen grief? How do you respond when the Sovereign Lord allows suffering you cannot comprehend? I believe when we encounter an altering of our stories and the stories of those we love that we are invited to humble our hearts and bend our knees. God alone is the author, but we find our place in the story when by our presence and by encircling those we love with our love. In humble service we do the will of God.

When Jesus died the earth split open and those who had been confined in their tombs were brought to life. I think in a similar way the centurion at the foot of the cross was brought to life as well.

John declared that Jesus lamb of God at the beginning of Jesus’s ministry but we can more fully understand that title as Jesus hung in the cross.

Though the “Psalm of the Cross” we can hear the heart of Jesus cry out from the cross.

“Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.” This was true for Simon when his plans were altered and he became the one chosen to carry Jesus’s cross.

Only in the honor- shame culture of the New testament can we begin to fully appreciate the sufferings of the Messiah.

Every day we need to tell ourselves the gospel that we soar on crimson wings.

In the presence of the lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world, how many will cry, “Give us Barabbas”?

Pilot couldn’t escape judging Jesus’s claims and neither can we.

Those who God permits Satan to shift are never the same. Forever, they will see who they are and who God is in a more clear way.

“For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins” (Hebrews 5:1)

When I was a teenager a priest challenged me by saying that Jesus never claimed to be the Son of God. He told me that Jesus called Himself the Son of Man, not the Son of God. I didn’t know how to respond when I was a teenager but it caused me to seek the answer.