schmikey
07-23-2007, 04:40 PM
In these times, people are searching for hope. With the many challenges that life presents, we need to keep having hope. But where do we find a lasting hope that will strengthen us? How can we keep pressing on in hope through the struggles? The world offers hopes, but these hopes just don't last. The Christian's hope is not built on the promises of the world. Christian hope is built upon faith in Jesus Christ. Through faith in Christ, the Christian can keep pressing on in hope.
PRESSING THROUGH DISPAIR
In these troubling times, there are many people who are wrestling with dispair and hopelessness. They feel that there is just no hope or promise to their lives. As they pass through life, they pass through the valley of dispair. The troubles and the setbacks of life, seem to leave them overwhelmed and bitter. It's when these things happen, that people just want to give up. When people are hit by setbacks and failures, it's easy to see why some people just lose hope, and give up.
The journey through life is not always easy. The journey is made all the more difficult because of the three enemies of the Christian faith. The first of these enemies is the devil. He enters into the lives of people and sows the seeds of hopelessness and dispair. What he wants to do is to destroy the hope and the faith of the Christian. He wants to take the Christian's eyes off of Christ. He wants to replace joy with doubt and dispair. The way to fight the devil is to fight him with prayer and the Word. To maintain our hope against the devil's attacks, we must cling in faith, to Jesus Christ.
The second enemy of the Christian's faith is the world. In the world, there are a lot of temptations that can lure a Christian away from Christ. We see in the world, people trying to build their hopes on anything but on Christ. Some will try to build their hopes on their careers, or on wealth. These do not provide any lasting hope. In the world, there is a lot of skepticism towards the hope of the Christian. There are those who attack Christians for having what they consider to be a wasted hope and faith. There are those who have shown much hostility and indifference to the Gospel. This can make it difficult for Christians to keep hope and faith alive. Yet, Christians can cling in faith, to the One who has overcome the world.(John 16:33)
The third enemy of the faith, is the flesh. This is the war with ourselves. Because we live in a sinful world, we still struggle with sin. There are times when doubts will come. This at times, attacks the hope and faith that we
have in Christ. Some people have fallen into the pits of dispair because of the struggles with the flesh. Some have fallen deeper into disapair, through addictions. As we daily struggle with our sins, we should always look to Christ. He is able to pull us up out dispair, and through faith, restore our hope once again.
HOPE FOR THE JOURNEY
God sees the struggles that we face in the journey. He wants us to make it through. He wants us to have hope and a renewed faith. Through faith in the Savior, He supplies us with hope. Jesus, through His death and resurrection, has become the source of all hope, for those who believe. This kind of hope is different than what the world offers. Hope that is built on faith in Christ, is built on a firm foundation. It weather all of the storms of life, and be unshaken. Through His saving work, Christ has won for us salvation and forgiveness. He has opened heaven to all believers. Through faith, we take hold of these gifts, and we press on in hope. We press on in the hope that does not fade away.
HOPE THAT HELPS US TO GO ON
As we make the journey, we'll need help to go on. God gives us both faith and hope so that we can press on. He has given to us the Holy Spirit. Through the Word, He has created faith in our hearts. He keeps us in our faith, and points us to Christ. This gives us strength and hope for the journey.
As we make the journey, may we have the faith and courage to press on in hope. As we do, may we always keep Christ before us. As we walk in faith and hope, others will notice it. When they ask you about it, "Always be ready to give an answer to everyone asks a reason for the hope that is in you.."(1 Peter 3:15) The reason for your hope is found in Christ.
We are on a journey, with eternal life as our goal. Along the way, there will be some setbacks. But we still press on. We are not alone in the journey. All the way, we're holding on to Christ's hand. We're pressing on in faith. We're pressing on in hope.
PRESSING THROUGH DISPAIR
In these troubling times, there are many people who are wrestling with dispair and hopelessness. They feel that there is just no hope or promise to their lives. As they pass through life, they pass through the valley of dispair. The troubles and the setbacks of life, seem to leave them overwhelmed and bitter. It's when these things happen, that people just want to give up. When people are hit by setbacks and failures, it's easy to see why some people just lose hope, and give up.
The journey through life is not always easy. The journey is made all the more difficult because of the three enemies of the Christian faith. The first of these enemies is the devil. He enters into the lives of people and sows the seeds of hopelessness and dispair. What he wants to do is to destroy the hope and the faith of the Christian. He wants to take the Christian's eyes off of Christ. He wants to replace joy with doubt and dispair. The way to fight the devil is to fight him with prayer and the Word. To maintain our hope against the devil's attacks, we must cling in faith, to Jesus Christ.
The second enemy of the Christian's faith is the world. In the world, there are a lot of temptations that can lure a Christian away from Christ. We see in the world, people trying to build their hopes on anything but on Christ. Some will try to build their hopes on their careers, or on wealth. These do not provide any lasting hope. In the world, there is a lot of skepticism towards the hope of the Christian. There are those who attack Christians for having what they consider to be a wasted hope and faith. There are those who have shown much hostility and indifference to the Gospel. This can make it difficult for Christians to keep hope and faith alive. Yet, Christians can cling in faith, to the One who has overcome the world.(John 16:33)
The third enemy of the faith, is the flesh. This is the war with ourselves. Because we live in a sinful world, we still struggle with sin. There are times when doubts will come. This at times, attacks the hope and faith that we
have in Christ. Some people have fallen into the pits of dispair because of the struggles with the flesh. Some have fallen deeper into disapair, through addictions. As we daily struggle with our sins, we should always look to Christ. He is able to pull us up out dispair, and through faith, restore our hope once again.
HOPE FOR THE JOURNEY
God sees the struggles that we face in the journey. He wants us to make it through. He wants us to have hope and a renewed faith. Through faith in the Savior, He supplies us with hope. Jesus, through His death and resurrection, has become the source of all hope, for those who believe. This kind of hope is different than what the world offers. Hope that is built on faith in Christ, is built on a firm foundation. It weather all of the storms of life, and be unshaken. Through His saving work, Christ has won for us salvation and forgiveness. He has opened heaven to all believers. Through faith, we take hold of these gifts, and we press on in hope. We press on in the hope that does not fade away.
HOPE THAT HELPS US TO GO ON
As we make the journey, we'll need help to go on. God gives us both faith and hope so that we can press on. He has given to us the Holy Spirit. Through the Word, He has created faith in our hearts. He keeps us in our faith, and points us to Christ. This gives us strength and hope for the journey.
As we make the journey, may we have the faith and courage to press on in hope. As we do, may we always keep Christ before us. As we walk in faith and hope, others will notice it. When they ask you about it, "Always be ready to give an answer to everyone asks a reason for the hope that is in you.."(1 Peter 3:15) The reason for your hope is found in Christ.
We are on a journey, with eternal life as our goal. Along the way, there will be some setbacks. But we still press on. We are not alone in the journey. All the way, we're holding on to Christ's hand. We're pressing on in faith. We're pressing on in hope.