Category: Uncategorized

A Certain Hope in Uncertain Days: 30 Days of Hope-filled Focus

Day 14: Defending Hope

1 Peter 3:15, “…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

The term translated “defense” in this verse is the Greek apologia which means literally “to talk one’s self off of.”  It was used in the Greek law courts of an attorney who talked his client off from a charge made against him.  The word can also refer to an informal explanation or defense of one’s position and in that sense describes an answer given to the skeptical or derisive inquiries of ill-disposed opponents.  That is the sense of the term’s use in this context.  The same term was used by the Apostle Paul in reference to his address before his Jewish opponents in which he shared his testimony in defending himself (Cf. Acts 22:1).  Christian Apologetics, that field of theology which endeavors to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, derives its name from this term.

Peter’s readers were suffering as a direct result of their faith in Christ.  Their faith was tested as they endured suspicion, derision, accusations and threats.  But in place of fear (Cf. 1 Peter 3:14) they were exhorted in their hearts to “honor Christ the Lord as holy” (1 Peter 3:15).  The antidote for fear is wholehearted submission to the Lord Jesus.  The believer in Christ is to always be ready to make a defense.

The need for a defense regarding one’s faith arises because of the inquisitiveness of unbelievers with respect to a believer’s hope.  The verse presupposes both that a believer possesses such a hope and that his or her hope is visibly evident.  The unbeliever is left to wonder why such a hope exists and how and why it is maintained, especially when there is no apparent earthly reason for its existence.

With respect to our witness before the lost we possess a hope that they do not have.  The unbeliever is one “having no hope and without God in the world” (Cf. Ephesians 2:12).  Life in this trouble-filled world is characterized by much despair.  Who hasn’t had a hope or dream shattered?  The prospect of pending death casts a shadow over all of lost humanity (Cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:13).

But the believer in Christ possesses a living hope that is firmly rooted in the undeniable truth of Christ’s resurrection from the dead (Cf. 1 Peter 1:3).  What is the believer’s reason for hope?  The Risen Savior, the One who has conquered sin and death, resides within his heart (Cf. 1 Peter 1:8-9).  Hope translates the Greek elpis which speaks to the confident expectation regarding some future thing.  Contrary to the common usage of its English counterpart it includes no element of doubt.  We are exhorted to “set (our) hope fully on the grace that will be brought to (us) at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13).  Our hope is to be fully invested in the sure promise of Christ’s pending return (i.e. “the blessed hope;” Titus 2:13).

We are to be people of hope, and in distinctive fashion, because we serve a Risen and Returning Savior. Much in this life is not guaranteed to us. “God hath not promised skies always blue, flower-strewn pathways all our lives through; God hath not promised sun without rain, joy without sorrow, peace without pain. But God hath promised strength for the day, rest for the labor, light for the way, grace for the trials, help from above, unfailing sympathy, undying love.”  Christ has promised to return for us and in that pending reality we have good reason to be of good cheer.  With that promise Christ reassured his troubled disciples (Cf. John 14:1-4).  The believing community is likewise repeatedly exhorted to encourage one another in this very same truth (Cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:18; Hebrews 10:25).  In the Risen and Returning Savior we have good reason to be ever hopeful.

As lights shining amidst the darkness, God’s children are called to be people of hope in this despairing world.  But to be hopeful Christians we need to be heavenly-minded Christians.  If we are to maintain a credible witness before the lost, there is likely a need for less complaining about our circumstances in the “here and now” and more attention to given to the glory that awaits us in the “there and then” (Cf. Colossians 3:14; Philippians 3:19b-21).  God would have us to be people full of hope (Cf. Romans 15:13).  Amy Carmichael put it this way, “Make us thy mountaineers, we would not linger on the lower slope, fill us afresh with hope, O God of hope.”

 

A Certain Hope in Uncertain Days: 30 Days of Hope-filled Focus

Day 13: The Believer’s Hope

1 Tim. 4:10, “Because we have fixed our hope on the living God.”

INTRODUCTION

• “Hope” in the New Testament is almost always from the Greek word “elpis” (Noun) or “elpizo” (Verb). The term refers to a “favorable and confident expectation.” The term, unlike our English counterpart, connotes no degree of uncertainty.
• The following survey of various usages reveals that which should be the object of the believer’s hope:

SURVEY OF NT OCCURENCES OF THE WORD “HOPE”

What our hope is not in…

• The hope of the believer is radically different than that of the unbeliever:

o Eph. 2:12, “Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ…having no hope and without God in the world.”

o 1 Thess. 4:13, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope.”

o 1 Pet. 3:15, “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”

• In this life only:

o 1 Cor. 15:19, “If we had hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”

• In the uncertainty of possessions:

o 1 Tim. 6:17, “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.”

What our hope is in…

• The gospel, salvation:

o Col. 1:23, “If indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard.”

o 1 Thess. 5:8, “But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”

• God, Christ:

o 2 Cor. 1:10, “He on whom we have set our hope.”

o Eph. 1:12, “We who were the first to hope in Christ.”

o 1 Thess. 1:3, “Constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ”

o 1 Tim. 1:1, “Christ Jesus, who is our hope.”

o 1 Tim. 4:10, “Because we have our hope fixed on the living God.”

o 1 Tim. 5:5, “Now she who is a widow indeed, and who has been left alone has fixed her hope on God.”

o 1 Pet. 1:21, “Your faith and your hope are in God.”

• Eternal life:

o Tit. 1:2, “In the hope of eternal life.”

• Heaven:

o Col. 1:5, “Because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.”

o Heb. 6:19-20, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

o Heb. 11:1, 14-16, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen…For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country not their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one.”

• Our inheritance:

o Tit. 3:7, “Having been justified by His grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

o 1 Pet. 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

• Christ’s return:

o Tit. 2:13, “Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.”

o Phil. 3:20, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

o 1 Pet. 1:13, “Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

o 1 John 3:2-3, “Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

• Culmination of God’s transforming work:

o Rom. 5:2-5, “We exult in the hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us.”

o Rom. 8:20-25, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for [our] adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”

o Col. 1:27, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

o Phil. 3:19-21, “…whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

• Reunion of fellow believers in the presence of Christ:

o 1 Thess. 2:19-20, “For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.”

ADJECTIVES USED TO DESCRIBE THIS HOPE

• 2 Thess. 2:15, “Who has…given us good hope by grace.”
• Heb. 7:19, “There is a bringing in of a better hope.”
• Tit. 2:13, “The blessed hope.”
• 1 Pet. 1:3, “A living hope.”

THREE-FOLD PERSPECTIVE OF HOPE IN CHRIST

Three different prepositions are used to describe the relationship of our hope with regards to Christ. The following has been gleaned from the Vine’s Expository Dictionary (p.311-312):

• The preposition eisis rendered “in” in 1 Pet. 3:5, “who hoped in God.” The “hope” referred to here is directed to and centered in the person of God.
• The preposition epiis typically rendered “on” or “upon.” E.g. Rom. 15:12, “Upon Him shall nations hope” (YLT). The “hope” referred to here expresses the ground upon which hope rests.
• The preposition enis rendered “in” or “within.” E.g. 1 Cor. 15:19, “we have hoped in Christ.” According to Vine’s “the preposition expresses that Christ is not simply the ground upon whom, but the sphere and element in whom, the hope is placed.” The form of the verb (perfect participle with the verb to be, lit., “are having hoped”) stresses the character of those who “hope,” more than the action; “hope” characterizes them, showing what sort of persons they are.”

Christ is the sole basis of our hope in every respect. Our hope is in Him (in His person). Our hope rests upon Him (in His work). Our hope is for Him (in His return). Our hope is Him (that we might be in His presence).

FIX YOUR HOPE

Four times in the NT the term “fix” or “fixed” is used to describe how we are to hope in the certain hope that has been established for us as believers:

• 1 Tim. 4:10, “Because we have fixed our hope on the living God.” The words “fixed your hope” translate the Greek “elpizo” (perfect, active, indicative).
• 1 Tim. 5:5, “Now she who is a widow indeed, and who has been left alone has fixed her hope on God.” The words “fixed her hope” translate the Greek “elpizo” (perfect, active, indicative).
• 1 Tim. 6:17, “Instruct those who are rich…not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty or riches, but on God.” The words “fix their hope” translate the Greek “elpizo” (perfect, active, infinitive).
• 1 Pet. 1:13, “Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” The words “fix your hope” translate the Greek “elpizo” (aorist, active, imperative).

The believer is one who has already fixed his hope on the living God. In view of this, he is to take care lest he mistakenly fix his hope on earthly possessions. Ultimately, his hope is to be fixed completely on the grace to be brought to him at the revelation of Christ.

 

A Certain Hope in Uncertain Days: 30 Days of Hope-filled Focus

Day 12: A Great Messenger of Hope

I love Christian biographies.  One of my favorites is that of George Whitefield.  From his dramatic conversion to his final day on earth, his life speaks to how God can work in miraculous fashion to save a man from the depths of despair and then use him in an unexpected and amazing way.  Here’s the story…

Book Review: “George Whitefield, God’s Anointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century,” by Arnold A. Dallimore

This is a wonderful easy-reading biography of one of the most influential Pastors in the 1700s–a man who played a large role in the Great Awakening that transformed the American colonies.

The life of George Whitefield was anything but typical. While at Oxford and attending “The Holy Club” under the influence John Wesley, Whitefield was convinced by a book that he was not born again. Fearful of being eternally lost he determined to find his way. Over a period of months, he fasted, prayed, and humbled himself before God. His studies and his health suffered. He became so weak that a physician confined him to bed for seven weeks. When there was nothing else that he could do, God revealed Himself in grace and granted to Whitefield that which he could not earn. He was born again.

Having first preached some in England, in December of 1737 Whitefield boarded a vessel bound for Georgia to preach the gospel. His visit to Georgia impressed upon him the need to provide for an Orphan house for the numerous orphans of settlers who had died. He returned to England to secure a charter and money for that purpose. His efforts to minister to the orphans continued for the rest of his life.

Because of the nature of his preaching Whitefield was shut out of many churches in England. His preaching was unique, from that found in many of the established churches, in that he spoke of the need to be born again through faith in Christ. He spoke plainly and simply such that the common people could understand. He possessed a voice of unusual clarity. Through the influence of another man he began “Open Air” meetings. During one period he was holding 30 some meetings a week. These meetings drew huge crowds. It was not unusual for him to speak to six or seven thousand and on some occasion’s tens of thousands. On one occasion following his return to America, Benjamin Franklin–a friend of Whitefield’s–measured the distance at which Whitefield’s voice could be heard, and stated, “I computed he might well be heard by more than thirty thousand.”

Though he had been influenced much by John Wesley, doctrinal divisions worked to separate the two. Whitefield favored Predestination, Wesley opposed it and even preached a sermon against Whitefield’s view. Wesley’s evangelistic work was sometimes accompanied by “convulsion-like attacks,” Whitefield expressed his dislike of that. Wesley began to declare his doctrine of “Christian Perfection,” Whitefield argued against it. He summed up his attitude in saying, “Every grace that is in the blessed Jesus is to be transplanted into our hearts; we are to be delivered by the power of sin but not from the indwelling and being of sin in this life. HEREAFTER we are to be preserved blameless, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing.”

In 1740 Whitefield again visited America. He preached repeatedly throughout the thirteen colonies. This period, the Great Awakening, was undoubtedly the richest time of spiritual blessing in the nation’s history. His presence was not without controversy. He wrote a letter condemning the harsh treatment of slaves. In those days it was frequently asked, “Does the Negro have a soul?” and Whitefield gave the first widely heard positive reply that the black man was basically no different than the white man. Notably, his preaching to the blacks also led to the creation of the “Negro Spiritual.” These matters combined with his supposed “un-Anglican” actions led an Anglican leader to attempt to expel him from the ministry.

Whitefield and other Pastors in England determined to take the gospel message to the “Mobs.” These were the “wildest and most brutal of men” unreached by the “Religious Societies” of the day. The Mob responded to preaching of the gospel with fists and clubs and beating of Pastors, but still the ministers of the gospel returned. Whitefield himself experienced some of that kind of treatment. The efforts of Whitefield and others bore fruit over time as many ultimately trusted in Christ for salvation.

He continued his ministry in England, Scotland, and America with fruitfulness. He literally preached himself to death. On one occasion he was warned by a doctor to allow himself a period of rest. His reply? “I intend to preach till I drop.” On September 29, 1770 Whitefield preached a final sermon. It was given with such clearness and eloquence that many hearers stated it was the greatest sermon they had ever heard from him. It was from the text, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith.” One gentleman wrote of the occasion, “Mr. Whitefield rose and stood erect, and his appearance alone was a powerful sermon. He remained several minutes unable to speak, and then said, “I will wait for the gracious assistance of God…” “I go,” he cried, “I go to a rest prepared; my sun has arisen and by aid from Heaven has given light to many. It is now about to set–no, it is about to rise to the zenith of eternal glory. Many may outlive me on earth, but they cannot outlive me in Heaven. Oh thought divine! I shall soon be in a world where time, age, pain, and sorrow are unknown. My body fails, my spirit expands. How willingly would I live to preach Christ! But I die to be with Him!” George Whitefield died the next morning.

George Whitefield preached some 30,000 sermons. He preached to the poor and uneducated and to English aristocrats and American statesmen. He was considered in his day to be “the most brilliant and popular preacher the modern world has ever known.” You will be encouraged and inspired by this book.

 

A Certain Hope in Uncertain Days: 30 Days of Hope-filled Focus

Day 11: Hope for the Hopeless

Romans 5:3-5, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Ernest Gordon was one of many British soldiers captured by the Japanese in the battle for Singapore in WW2.  Ultimately, he and thousands of other captives were taken to Banpong, Thailand.  The Japanese command forced these prisoners into hard—sunrise to sunset—labor in building a 258-mile railway to further the Japanese war effort.  They were mistreated and tortured, fed little, and given no medical attention.  Work was not going fast enough, so workers were beaten.  Many died as a result of torture, beatings, and disease.

Gordon was not a Christian, but during his captivity he saw things that caused him to consider Christ.  One such occasion was when a soldier was determined to save his best friend when he became ill.  He gave up all his own rations, without telling of his sacrifice, for the benefit of his friend.  His sick friend recovered.  He himself later died of starvation.

On another occasion, at the end of a day’s work, a guard declared that a shovel was missing.  In a fit of uncontrollable rage, he yelled, “All die!  All die!”  Just as the guard was to begin shooting the captives, a man stepped forward.  “I did it,” he said.  The Japanese guard slammed the stock of his rifle onto the captive’s head.  The captive sank to the ground, dead.  When the shovels were counted afterwards, they were all there.  The guard had been mistaken.  The captive laid down his life for the sake of the others.

These acts of sacrificial love caused some of the prisoners to think.  One of the captives was a Christian, but Gordon argued against his faith.  He couldn’t understand how God could allow the death of 20 men a day to such ill-treatment.  “Why doesn’t God so something?” he asked.

Another incident spoke again to Gordon’s heart.  Frequently as the prisoners made their way through the local Thai villages, they would come across yellow-robe Buddhist priests.  The philosophy of these priests was non-attachment to the world.  If a prisoner dropped at the side of the road, and was obviously dying, they would purpose to ignore him.  They demonstrated no concern for the plight of the captives.  One day the captives passed through a village where the people, at risk to themselves, gave them food and medicine.  Upon inquiry, it was discovered that the village had been evangelized to Christ through the work of a missionary.  Gordon was forced to again question the ultimate source of such love.

These three instances, amongst others, ultimately were used by God to draw Gordon into a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus.  Other prisoners trusted in Christ as well.  The prisoners began to hold worship services.  They prayed.  They created a Bible-lending library.  They shared their faith with others.  On Christmas day 1943, over 2000 men attended a service.  Though captive in a camp, Jesus worked to set them free to worship–their captivity was transformed by numerous acts of faith and sacrifice.

Years following his rescue and release, Ernest Gordon wrote his great spiritual classic, “Miracle on the River Kwai.”  The book includes this quote, “I know the depths to which men could sink and the heights to which they could rise.  I could speak from the experience of despair, but also of hope; of hatred, but also of love; of man without God, but also of man sustained by God.  God in Christ has shared man’s suffering…even that experience which seems to defeat us all, namely, death.”  The book ends with this sentence, “He comes into our Death House to lead us through it.”

The activity of sacrificial love by the Spirit-led believer flows ultimately from the One who died on Calvary (Cf. 1 John 4:19; Romans 5:5).  Its presence in one’s life gives testimony to the Risen Christ and the greater love He has demonstrated in laying down His life for us (Cf. John 3:16; 1 John 3:16).  That we might replicate His self-sacrificial manner is a mysterious and wonderful work of His grace.  Apart from Him we can do no such thing (Cf. John 15:5), but by His gracious presence His love can indeed flow through us.  What loving word or deed, in obedience, does God have planned for you and me to express this day?  May it be done with a finger pointing towards Calvary!

A Certain Hope in Uncertain Days: 30 Days of Hope-filled Focus

Day 10: More Than Conquerors

Romans 8:37, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

“The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”  That tag line from the old “Wide World of Sports” program is something that is common to our experience—in sports, in politics, in business, in life.

The “victory-defeat” theme is especially relevant to life in the spiritual realm.  A long war against God has raged since the Devil’s rebellion, and on this earth, since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden.  Their sin unleashed a contagion of sin through which we’ve all inherited a sin rebel’s heart.  The world cheers sinners on in the devil’s cause, and the flesh is ever looking, in this world, to satisfy its lusts.

Were it not for Jesus there would be no hope, but He came into this world for the express purpose of delivering sinners (1 Timothy 1:12).  He took on flesh and blood, “that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).  In fact, He has defeated all our foes.  “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19), but Jesus said, “I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).  The flesh is relentless in its pursuit of sin, and we might say with the Apostle Paul, “Wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Romans 8:24).  But then he went on to say, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 8:24-25).

Victory is assured to those who trust in Jesus for salvation.  They are at once delivered from “the domain of darkness and transferred…to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13).  Having been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, they stand before God, from that point forward, clothed in the very righteousness of Christ (Cf. 1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 5:21).  Having been declared righteous by God Himself, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ—the One who is even now interceding–there is no one able to bring a charge against the believer (Cf. Romans 8:33-34).  God being greater than all, there is likewise no one who can work to “snatch” the believer from His hand (John 10:29).

The believer on earth faces many obstacles and threats, some are listed in Romans 8:38-39, though the list by its very nature is intended to be all inclusive: “death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation.”  We are assured in this passage that there is no entity in all creation that can work “to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).

Note that our text doesn’t just say that we will merely conquer, it says that in all these things we are “more than conquerors.”  Its not that we will barely eke out a victory, we will win “going away” and in the context of tremendous challenges.  Ray Stedman explained the matter this way: “If we barely manage to win our way to heaven by the skin of our teeth, we could be said to be a conqueror, but a “more than conqueror” is someone who takes the worst that life can throw at him and uses that to become victorious. “More than conqueror” is one who, by the grace and the gift of God, and in the strength of God within him, actually takes the very things that are designed to destroy him, and they become stepping stones instead of stumbling blocks. That is being “more than conquerors.”

It was years ago when this specific verse came to my mind in a most unlikely setting.  A lady in our church has dealt with a long series of difficult health problems.  A surgery failed to correct a matter and she was barely hanging on to life in the ICU.  Her husband was there with me.  He had been won to Christ years earlier through her prayers and the witness of her life in Christ.  There she was in the ICU.  Tubes ran to and fro from all sorts of IV bottles.  All kinds of electronic instruments were tracking her vitals and such.  She looked very needy and destitute in that hospital bed.  And despite having the best that modern medical care could provide, her prospects—from an earthly perspective—were very dim.  But that was looking at the matter from the wrong perspective.  And that’s where this verse came in.  I said to myself, things are not what they appear.  This beloved sister-in-Christ was not a helpless victim of an ailment that would lead ultimately to her doom, she was a saint, beloved by God, who was on the verge of her greatest victory.  God would bring her safely home and she was soon to be with Jesus in glory.  In a place where there would be no more sin or death or sorrow or pain.

Every believer is a “more than conqueror” in Jesus.  They are that every day, from earth to glory.  They are that “through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).  Praise the Lord!

A Certain Hope in Uncertain Days: 30 Days of Hope-filled Focus

Day 9: Keep Looking Up

Colossians 3:2, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.”

The term translated “set your minds” means “to direct one’s mind to a thing, to seek, to strive for.”  The KJV has it, “Set your affection on the things above.”  The term is in the present tense calling for the ongoing maintenance of this perspective.

The same term is used in Philippians 3:19 in reference to the contrary perspective of the “enemies of the cross of Christ” who have their “minds set on earthly things.”  The believer, on the other hand, is a citizen of heaven and from there awaits “a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: (Philippians 3:20).

God commands us to keep our minds set on the things above.  And we see here that there is a choice.  We can either set our hearts and minds on things above or things that are on the earth.  Those are the two options availed to us.  We should also note that the unbeliever doesn’t have those two choices.  Lacking salvation he has neither the ability nor inclination to set his mind heavenward.  But, by the Spirit, we as believers, do.

In his classic allegory “Pilgrim’s Progress,” John Bunyan wrote of Christian’s visit to a room in which he saw two children.  One, named Patience, was calm and contented; the other, Passion, was ruled by restlessness and impatience.  A bag was brought in and its contents—a hoard of glittering treasures—was emptied near Passion, who seized upon the bright jewels in frenzied pleasure, laughing at empty-handed Patience.  But soon the scene changed, revealing a much-altered Passion.  He had squandered all his treasures, and now he stood clothed in nothing but rags and sunk into gloom.  Patience, however, still maintained an attitude of calm hope.  Interpreter explained to Christian, ‘Passion is like the person who wants to have his fill in pleasure while he lives on earth.  Patience is like the traveler to Zion, who turns his back on worldly pleasures and waits with patience for the unfading joys of heaven’.”  Passion was like Demas, who, being “in love with this present world,” made the tragic decision to desert the Apostle Paul (Cf. 2 Timothy 4:10).

We are not simply given the command—God doesn’t just say “look there.”  He gives us the reason why.  We are to “set our minds on things that are above” because that’s where Christ is and that’s where we are destined to be (Cf. Colossians 3:3-4).  He who loved us and died for us is even now in heaven.  Our hearts lie there with Him.  We yearn to be united with Him in unfettered intimacy.  Paul had his affection set on things above.  He wrote of his desire to be with Christ inasmuch as he viewed that to be “far better” (Philippians 1:23; Cf. 2 Corinthians 5:4).

If we happen upon something that is gruesome or detestable or difficult to look at—we tend to look away.  If, on the other hand, we see something that is beautiful or attractive—it captures and captivates our attention.  Now the world is not beautiful in a spiritual sense (in its sin it is downright ugly).  But if we look to Jesus, what do we see?  We see our glorious Savior and Lord who is altogether perfect and appealing in every way.  We are, in a sense, like a hot-air balloon.  It tends upward and only remains earthbound as long as it is tethered.  Every believer is indwelt by the Spirit.  The Spirit’s work is to glorify the Son by revealing Him to us and in us.  By the Spirit we “tend upward.”  Our earthly bodies alone tie us down.  It is in the Spirit-led contemplation of Christ that our hearts are drawn to that which lies heavenward (Cf. 2 Corinthians 4:18, 5:6-7).  By the Spirit we “groan” in anticipation of the glory of heaven (Cf. Romans 8:23; 2 Corinthians 5:4).

J. C. Ryle once wrote, “Keep on looking unto Jesus. Faith shall soon be changed to sight, and hope to certainty. Looking to Jesus on earth by faith, you shall end with seeing Jesus eye to eye in heaven.  Those eyes of yours shall look on the head that was crowned with thorns, the hands and feet that were pierced with nails, and the side that was pierced with a spear.  You shall find that seeing is the blessed consequence of believing, and that looking at Jesus by faith, ends with seeing Jesus in glory, and living with Jesus for evermore.  When you awake up after His likeness, you shall be satisfied.”

A Certain Hope in Uncertain Days: 30 Days of Hope-filled Focus

Day 8: Encouragement and Hope

Acts 11:23-24, “When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.”

ENCOURAGEMENT, noun  “The act of giving courage, or confidence of success” (Webster’s Dictionary 1828 Edition).

Barnabas was an encourager.  A Jew from Cyprus, his given name was Joseph (Acts 4:36).  But the apostles renamed him, “Barnabas” (i.e. “son of encouragement), which served him as an apt description of him and his ministry to others.

He is first mentioned in the Bible in Acts chapter 4.  Many Jews were dis-located in Jerusalem.  They had traveled there for Pentecost from faraway places.  They remained there after their conversion to Christ and needed help with food and shelter.  The earthly church responded: “There was not a needy person among them for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need” (Acts 4:35).  Likewise, Barnabas “sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money” (Acts 4:37).  Imagine how those early believers must have been encouraged through the loving sacrifice of people like Barnabas.  Barnabas would later serve in a “relief effort” to meet the needs of those suffering through “a great famine” (Acts 11:27-30).

Some of those scattered as a result of the great persecution (Cf. Acts 8:1) preached the gospel in Antioch.  “A great number who believed turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:21).  The church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas there (Cf. Acts 11:22).  And in Antioch Barnabas worked to encourage the new believers “to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose” (Acts 11:23).  He needed help in his ministry, so he “went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch” (Acts 11:25-26).  Together they spent “a whole year” teaching “a great many people” (Acts 11:26).  Together Barnabas and Paul encouraged those believers in the Word of God (Cf. Romans 15:4).

The Christian life is oftentimes compared in Scripture to a race (Cf. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Hebrews 12:1-2; Philippians 3:14).  There is a need to run the race with endurance.  The runner is confronted with many distractions, diversions, and discouragements (Cf. Hebrews 12:1-2).  Imagine the scene.  Christians running side-by-side all headed to the same goal.  But some fall behind and others collapse.  Some are weighed down and others entangled.  Too often fellow runners pay no heed to their struggling companions.  They carelessly run past them, step over them, or even kick them when they are down.  But that’s no way for a Christian to behave.  God would have us instead to lovingly assist and encourage each other along the way.

God would have us all to be like Barnabas.  We all have need of encouragement and God is well-aware of that.  The Holy Spirit is the ultimate encourager.  He is called the “Helper” (Greek “parakletos,” “one called alongside to help”; Cf. John 14:16).  Barnabas’ name, “son of encouragement,” is akin to that given to the Holy Spirit (Cf. Vine’s Expository Dictionary: “it (i.e. paraklesis is akin to parakletos”).  Being filled with the Spirit, Barnabas functioned in his ministry as the “Holy Spirit with hands.”  By the Spirit Barnabas encouraged others such that they were better off in their walk with Christ as a result of his involvement in their lives.

God exhorts His people to encourage one another.  By the Spirit they do (Cf. Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7).  There is a good chance you have someone in your life who is even now desperate for some loving word or deed by which they might be encouraged in their walk with Christ.  There is plenty of encouragement to be had in Him (Cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Hebrews 10:25; 12:1-3).  We all, like Barnabas, are called to point a Spirit-led finger in His direction.   Pray and look for an opportunity to encourage someone today!

 

A Certain Hope in Uncertain Days: 30 Days of Hope-filled Focus

Day 7: I’ll Fly Away

1 Thessalonians 4:17, “Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.  Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 has to do with what is commonly referred to as the “rapture.”  The term “rapture” itself does not appear in the text but is from the Latin Vulgate translation of the Greek harpazo (translated “caught up” in verse 17).  Harpazo means to “catch or snatch away” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary).  The verb is in the future tense and passive voice.  At some point in the future the Lord will come and snatch away from earth all those who belong to Him.  This “rapture” is imminent (i.e. it could happen at any time inasmuch as there is no other event in God’s prophetic timetable that must precede it).

The context of the passage indicates that the believers in Thessalonica had not been informed of this important truth (Cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:13), Paul not previously having had the opportunity to instruct them about it (Cf. 1 Thessalonians 3:10).  Some of their fellow believers had died and those still alive wondered about the status of their loved ones with respect to the Lord’s coming.  Paul’s instruction regarding these matters was to alleviate their concerns.

The passage represents the ultimate basis for the hope of the believer in Christ.  The “blessed hope” is the hope (“confident expectation”) of Christ’s return (Cf. Titus 2:13).  It is that to which we are to “set our hope fully” (Cf. 1 Peter 1:13).  Two separate groups of believers are referred to in the passage, the rapture applies to both.  As the hymn puts it, “I know not when my Lord may come, At night or noonday fair, Nor if I’ll walk the vale with Him, Or ‘meet Him in the air’” (“I Know Whom I Have Believed”).  There are those “church-age” believers who will have died previous to the time of Christ’s return.  They are those who have walked “the vale with Him” (i.e. “those who are asleep;” 1 Thessalonians 4:13).  And there are those who will “meet Him in the air” (i.e. “who are alive” at the time of His return; Cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:17).  A great heavenly reunion of both groups will take place on that day—“so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

It is because of this truth that we as believers do “not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).  That does not mean that we do not grieve.  Jesus Himself wept at the tomb of Lazarus.  Paul was spared from “sorrow upon sorrow” when God showed mercy towards Epaphroditus who was “ill, near to death” (Philippians 1:27).  But there is a difference between the grief of those who possess no hope and the grief of those who do.  In one way or the other the Lord will bring those who belong to Him “safely into his heavenly kingdom” (Cf. 2 Timothy 4:18).  “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us” and “neither death nor life” …” nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).

There is a genuine and abiding reason for hope bound up in the glorious truth represented to us in this passage.  There are troubles and trials in this life, but they quickly fade from view as the assembly of believers takes flight.  As the hymn “I’ll Fly Away” puts it, “Just a few more weary days and then, I’ll fly away, to a land where joys shall never end.”  No longer will they experience death or mourning or crying or pain or tears (Cf. Revelation 21:4).  Face to face with Christ, He will then be “marveled at among all who believed” (2 Thessalonians 1:10; Cf. 1 John 3:2).

“Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).  John Walvoord commented on the comfort we find (and can share) in the expectation of Christ’s coming: “Oh the prospect, the joy of looking forward to the coming of the Lord, and of resting in these precious truths!  There are so many ills of life that nothing can heal except the Lord’s return.  How many loved ones are on the other side and how many problems of this life, incurable diseases, pain, sorrow, difficulties will be made all right. As we face the duties and the challenges and the trials of life, God has given us this blessed hope, this hope of the Lord’s return.  May we take it to our bosoms, may we live in its reality, and may our hearts be refreshed by this precious truth. This hope can be the certain prospect of anyone who will trust in Jesus Christ the Son of God, who loved us and died for us, who shed His blood that we might be saved, and who rose in victory that we might have hope.”

 

 

A Certain Hope in Uncertain Days: 30 Days of Hope-filled Focus

Day 5: Hope for the Hopeless

Romans 10:9, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Jacob DeShazer was born in Salem, Oregon to devout Christian parents of modest means.  He grew up in Madras.  Following graduation from high school he spent several years in various farming type of jobs.  In 1940, as a part of a “peace-time conscription” he joined the Army and for a two-year period received training as an airplane mechanic and bombardier.

After Pearl Harbor plans were undertaken to retaliate by bombing Japan.  General James Doolittle was put in charge of an incredible scheme.  Refitted B25 bombers were to fly off an Aircraft Carrier and make their way over Tokyo.  Jacob DeShazer was on board one of those planes.

After the successful bombing, he and his crewmates parachuted out of the plane over China. He found his way to a village, where he was confronted by soldiers. He didn’t know at first whether they were Chinese or Japanese. It turned out that they were Japanese. He was captured and then repeatedly beaten and tortured. The Japanese intended to put all of the “Raiders” to death, but the emperor granted a reprieve, and only three of the “Raiders” were executed.

DeShazer spent a total of 40 months in various Japanese prison camps. The conditions were deplorable. The men were underfed, over disciplined, and subject to extreme temperatures, solitary confinement, and various diseases. Not all of them survived that ordeal.

At one point in his captivity he was given a Bible—but for only three weeks.  So, there he was, in his little prison cell, in Nanking, China, with nothing but a Bible to read.  The light was dim.  The print was small.  But he devoured the Scriptures.  He read the entire Bible several times.  He read the Prophets six times.  He spent many hours memorizing Scriptures.  Hour after hour he read, and the Holy Spirit opened his heart.

The date was June 8^th, 1944.  He had been reading Romans 10:9, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”  He responded in faith to the truth.  He later wrote, “My heart was filled with joy.  I wouldn’t have traded places with anyone at that time.  Oh, what a great joy it was to know that I was saved, that God had forgiven me of my sins.”

God saved Jacob and God changed him too.  He had read Jesus’ command to love and the description of love given in 1 Corinthians chapter 13.  He knew that he needed to obey Christ’s command, but how?  He began to treat the prison guards with kindness.  He would say “Good morning” to them.  He would ask about their families.  Jacob learned how to love his enemies.

His captivity continued for some time after that, until the men began to see American planes flying overhead. They sensed that the end of the war was coming soon. DeShazer was Spirit-led to pray for peace on the day of Japan’s surrender. He was also determined, as he was being led by the Spirit, to return to Japan as a missionary once the war ended.

Ultimately the war ended, and the captives were brought home. His loving regard for his former captives made the news. As one who harbored no bitterness, the account of his captivity was indeed newsworthy. He was triumphantly greeted by his mother and his sister at home. Many colleges were excited about the possibility of having him study for missions with them, but his sister worked at Seattle Pacific College and that is where he ultimately ended up.

He finished his education at Seattle Pacific in three years, instead of four, despite the fact that he was constantly traveling about for speaking engagements. Many wanted to hear of his story and were blessed by his example and his determination to take the gospel to Japan. After a year at Seattle Pacific he married his wife. Later they had a son. And upon their graduation they left for Japan where they served in missions for many years.

From the biography of his life: “More than a million tracts concerning the Doolittle raider who turned missionary were distributed throughout Japan. The tract in Japanese contained a blank to be signed by those who would accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. Many thousands of these tracts were signed and returned. In view of this, the name DeShazer, was known to many of the Japanese people. So, it was that on December 28, 1948, when DeShazer and his little family arrived at the Yokohama docks crowds were waiting to see them. Many were anxious to know the cause of the change of attitude of a man who had been held for so many months by the Japanese in a solitary cell. They could not understand how one’s heart once filled with animosity could now be overflowing with love for his persecutors.”  (De Shazer: The Doolittle raider who turned missionary; The Light and Life Press (1950), Charles Hoyt Watson)

During the course of his ministry he received many testimonies.  One of the most amazing was that of Mitsuo Fuchida.  He was the commander of the 360 planes that had bombed Pearl Harbor.  God used the tract which spoke of DeShazer’s testimony to speak to Mitsuo.  Within a month of his conversion, Mitsuo Fuchida was privileged to stand side by side on a platform in a large evangelistic meeting in Osaka, where both men gave their testimonies.  4000 people were crowded into the auditorium; 3000 stood outside; 500 professed faith in Christ that day.  Mitsuo himself became a missionary and traveled as far as Europe in sharing the gospel.

I love Jacob DeShazer’s story—it speaks to truths we hold dear.  The Bible is no ordinary book—it is the inspired Word of God.  The Bible is no impotent or docile book—it possesses the power to save and transform lives—even to turn an embittered prisoner of war into a missionary to the people who had held him captive.

 

A Certain Hope in Uncertain Days: 30 Days of Hope-filled Focus

Day 5: The God of Hope

Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

In the novel, “Cat’s Cradle” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., an important book comes to light.  It is entitled, “What Can a Thoughtful Man Hope for Mankind on Earth, Given the Experience of the Past Million Years?”  The chief character in his book is anxious to read it, but when he does, he finds that it doesn’t take long.  The whole book consists of one word, “Nothing.”  Even if man had existed for a million years—which he hasn’t—apart from God’s intervention there would be no legitimate reason or basis for hope (Cf. Ephesians 2:12).

But God would have HIs people to be filled with hope.  Because of Him they have good reason to be even amidst troubling times.  Romans 15:14 constitutes a prayer by the Apostle Paul for the readers of his epistle.  It is a prayer that we might “abound in hope.” Hope, as the term is used in Scripture, refers to a confident expectation in an unseen, future, reality.

Confident expectation regarding the believer’s favorable future is availed to him by the God of hope.  God is both the source and giver of hope.  God Himself—who declares “the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10)—has no need of hope.  He who “works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11), knows already what will come to pass.  Hope is a creature need.  Unlike God, we live and exist in the realm of uncertainty.  We lack the ability on our own to foresee or dictate the future.  Confidence regarding a favorable future must be ministered to us from One who has the power and ability to achieve that which is hoped for.  The God of hope is favorably disposed towards His children and is absolutely trustworthy in all that He has promised (Cf. Romans 15:4).  He is our reason for hope (Cf. Lamentations 3:21-24).

God is able to fill His children with hope.  The Holy Spirit indwells every child of God.  Jesus called Him the Helper (parakletos, lit. “called to one’s side”).  Preeminent amongst His many tasks, is His ministry as Helper, is His work in directing our hearts “Christ-ward” (Cf. John 16:13-14).  It is in Jesus Christ that we find “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.”  It is He who has caused us to be “born again to a living hope” through HIs resurrection (Cf. 1 Peter 1:3).  It is He who constitutes, in His imminent return, the “blessed hope” of the believer (Cf. Titus 2:13).  As the Spirit of God works to apply the Word of God to our hearts (Cf. Romans 15:4), He ministers confident expectation regarding all that which God has prepared for us.

God’s desires that we “abound in hope.”  The word “abound” translates a Greek term meaning “to be abundantly furnished, to abound in a thing” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of OT and NT Words).  It is elsewhere used of the fragments left over after the feeding of the multitude (Cf. John 6:12-13).  In this context the term speaks of an overabundance of confident expectation.  It is in the present tense and therefore pictures God’s saints as continually abounding in Spirit-imparted hope.

J B Phillips paraphrases this prayer of Paul this way, “May the God of Hope fill you with joy and peace in your faith, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, your whole life and outlook may be radiant and alive.”  Is your outlook “radiant and alive?  By the Spirit it can be.  These are troubling times.  “Out in the highways and by-ways of life, many are weary and sad.”  God would have us to “carry the sunshine where darkness is rife.”  He desires for us to be filled with this kind of hope to such an extent that others would see it in us and wonder why we have it (Cf. 1 Peter 3:15).  Because of our relationship with the God of hope we have good reason to abound in hope.