What is HOPE? Hope is not "wishful thinking." It has to be something solid. Something that never fails. Any and every thing in this world WILL fail us because any and every thing in this world will come and go. And we all know this because over and over we have placed our hope in things only to have lost it. The only true hope we have is that of an eternal God with an eternal plan. Yes, we can enjoy life and our loved ones but there is something more to all of this that consumes our daily thoughts and activity.
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Christmas is all about HOPE. Christmas is about the God-child: Jesus, the Messiah (the One who saves); Immanuel (God with us). Jesus IS our HOPE. We have an everlasting hope through Jesus. When we truly understand who Jesus is and why He came to earth 2000 years ago then we can truly understand what HOPE is. THEN we will truly see the full scope and the HOPE of Christmas.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Now that we've shared our Thanksgiving day celebrations, let us remember that giving thanks is an ongoing habit that we should develop. As Christians, our very goal is to understand and know what God's will is. Quite clearly, He says it here in this verse... be joyful always, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you.

If we know that God is sovereign, in control of all things and He is good beyond measure and if we trust Him as we say we do, then we should be able to be joyful and give thanks no matter what comes our way. I'm not saying we should be laughing or happy in the midst of tragedy. I'm also not saying we need to be happy and giving thanks FOR the tragedy. What this is saying is while IN whatever circumstance that comes our way, it is God's will that we trust Him through these situations. As we trust Him, as we reflect on His perfect righteousness, love and goodness we can experience the soothing calm and comfort of resting in the Father's loving arms. As we continue this pattern of turning to Him we develop faith and perseverance through the daily struggles that come our way. In other words we benefit through our struggles because we grow closer to God by learning to trust Him and His goodness.

My hope and prayer is that you will develop the habit of running to the Father whenever going through difficult situations and that you would spend time with Him daily reading His word, hearing from Him and seeing how good, gracious and glorious He is. May our thanks-giving not only be a day to remember but rather part of our daily lifestyle... for this is God's will for us.

As we get older we gain more and more "stuff." It may come through experiences, possessions, or things we see and hear. All of these things feed our desires for something more. It awakens our bored and tedious lifestyle with the flare and exuberance that comes with new ideas, experiences and goals. Our eye gates are constantly allowing things into our minds where we will either reject or approve and retain these new ideas and concepts. Far too often, the world and all it has to offer becomes an unseen force drawing us away from God like gravity. The goal is to stay focused on God and to weigh everything out according to His desires, and we know this by reading His word (the Holy Bible). He should be the one setting the standard for our lives NOT the world and its ever-changing views and desires. We need to remember that all of life will be a pursuit of something more until we learn and see that God alone, the One who created us for a purpose, will fill us and give us the life that we long for; a life of love, contentment, wisdom, exuberance and joy. Seek Him today. Message me if you have questions. 

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." --JESUS (John 10:10)

"Being thankful in the midst of hardship." Is that an oxymoron? Not at all. It's more of a matter of perspective. When we live in a society that is so self-seeking and self-absorbed with an unwavering belief of entitlement, being thankful does not come easy. That's why we need to count our blessings daily. When was the last time you thanked God for your sight? When was the last time you thanked God for the clean air you breathe? When was the last time you thanked God for even getting out of bed or waking up in the morning? Many will not wake up tomorrow. Many will lose their sight as well. Tomorrow is never promised and God does not owe us anything. So really, what are we entitled to?

When riding in a plane we are warned, in case of an emergency that the parent should put the oxygen mask on themselves before they put it on their child. The parents' health is vital to their child's well-being. What good is it if the parent passes out while their child is okay. But the other way around if the child passes out the parent can assist the child. 

The same goes with our walk with God. It is vital for the child's well-being that the parents are first connected to the life-source of Christ. That way they can assist their children. Instead we have parents who are trying to assist their children through life without the life-giving "oxygen" of Christ and everyone ends up falling short. 

Friends I encourage you to put on Christ daily so you can not only save yourselves but then you can assist those around you who are perishing. 

"Remain in me and I will remain in you. Apart from me you can do nothing." -JESUS (John 15)
#bringingJesushome #khcn