hope – Page 6 – Cross Culture Church

Meditation: September 4

“To whom He was not announced, they shall see; and those who have not heard shall understand.” Romans 15:21

God heals many who may have thought their situation was beyond hope. They might have come with their limited view of what God was able to do, but to be surprised by grace to receive beyond their level of expectation. Salvation has come to the Gentiles to whom it was not announced. There may have been some who would have settled for the crumbs falling from the rich man’s table, but God invited them in to partake of the feast. it is not always intelligent that are enabled to make sense of the God’s mysteries. It may not even be the one who has a history among fellow believers. They may see nor understand the life changing message of Jesus Christ. Yet an impoverished reject in society may rejoice immediately in hearing for the first time what they had heard time and time again. Why one is desperate in seeking the truth, God will open his eyes to see the Kingdom of God and his heart to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom. God has made it available to all but it requires a contrite and humble spirit, We do not possess the ability independent of the Spirit to see and understand such blessed truths as these. When one is broken of his pride he realizes that there is a need much deeper than he alone is able to meet. Then Jesus is introduced and embraced as both Savior and Lord. If one can hear the voice of spiritual reason today and not permit the noise of entertainment or the confusing noise of the world to interfere, God will lead that one to the greatest level of understanding. He will understand and know His God, His purpose, and His destiny!

02 Sep 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: September 2

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“The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness — Israel, when I went to give him rest.” Jeremiah 31:2

The challenges of today will be survived leading to the discovery of grace in a place unfamiliar to us. God has not abandoned His own children. Even when we are chastened, His everlasting love is directed towards us. These things are not allowed to destroy us, but for introspection. It is our responsibility to examine the caliber of our love and devotion towards Him in contrast to the time spent focusing on other things. He draws us to Himself with cords of love. We cannot depend upon what appeared to be the solutions of the past. Only God has the care and the answer that we so desperately need. Cast all of your cares upon Him and lean on Him for assistance. He will take away the reproach of the past. God is about to do wonders in our future. Remember the day of the sword when the enemy of faith appeared to destroy all hope for the future. God rescued us from the hands of the enemy. Now as we go through the wilderness, a lonely and barren place, the same God of our salvation who delivered us then, is with us now! “The planters shall plant again.” “You will eat from your own vineyards on the mountains of Samaria as ordinary food.” Restoration lies ahead of all who put their trust in God.

30 Aug 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: August 30

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“The Lord has made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” Isaiah 52:10

The Lord has crowned His kings and princes throughout the earth. His strength has gone out to both defy the power of the enemy and to undo the enemy’s work. There are those who bear the mark of royalty and are destined for the throne to rule and rein with Him. The Kingdom of God dwells among men! The question the world is asking is where is the mark or seal borne by those that belong to Christ? There appears to be no distinction between them and others; in fact, those who rebel appear to have the advantage over the faithful. The mark that they bear is within their hearts. Their passion for their King and the desire to see Him rule in righteousness separates them from others. They have an undying hope directed towards the future. Their faith is not wrapped up into small packages limiting them to temporary pleasures. They want the whole thing and will not settle for anything less. As Dr. James Stewart puts it speaking of the coming first of the Lord Jesus Christ, not simply of the emergence in Galilee of One whose power matched His pity and whose pity matched His power.” He came on the scene to destroy all the works of the devil and to do and establish the works of God His Father. Those who fully have His mark carry His passion. The time will come when the Lord Himself will manifest His strength among the nations and all eyes shall see it. Things are growing more rebellious today and the hope of many has been shattered by the crises facing the entire world. But the stage is being set for the Light of the world to shine with the backdrop of the darkest of darkness. Salvation will be distinct and sure. It will not be shrouded by the pipe dreams of the ambitious who only wish for themselves the best. True salvation will come manifested in waves of power and glory. He will provide the solutions to resolves our deepest problems.

27 Aug 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: August 27

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To lose heart is to become fainthearted when fear holds its grips upon the soul. It is when discouragement occurs as result of failed hopes and dreams. Things were expected in a certain amount of time; a rescue from a dilemma, but the situation remained the same. Time is beyond our control, but not beyond our management. Each moment must be used as an opportunity to further develop the stature of the soul. Each day, a lesson is learned and applied to our eternal destinies so that even our failures amount to success in God. We are being trained for eternity. God is taking us through a course in life that will increase the measure of our faith in Him alone. The outward man is perishing along with its passions for the external and temporal things. As we grow older we grow wiser in our values. We are now seeking those things which are above where Christ is. All other things are being held loosely in light of their eternal value. The confidence we have in Christ is that life as we have known it to be is not the only chapter in this story. The greatest chapters await us and are yet to be written regardless of how old we may be. Even death cannot stop what God has in store for us but only serves as a passageway into the eternal. The outward man is perishing, but the inward man is being renewed day by day. Now the gospel message is known to be good news to us. We are able to see the goodness of the Lord that surpasses the temporary elements of this world and to see beyond our own feebleness. The time will come when we will be re-clothed or re-suited with a body conducive to the spiritual development of our souls thus possessing the ability to give full expression to what God have placed within our hearts to both be and to do. We do not desire to be naked, but to be clothed in immortality and now we have hope that the God who promises it will deliver.

20 Aug 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: August 20

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“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.”Romans 5:3-4 (KJV)

A price tag cannot be placed upon the lessons learned in and through troubled times. We often know how we should feel and respond, but to be honest, the character of that response may not been developed within us yet. Many call this faith while it is actually dishonesty. David, the Psalmist gave expression to his heart, having various trials, set-backs and disappointments, but asked God to work the right response within him. Our mere words alone will not deliver us, but what we are becoming as result of God s; working on us and in us is the aim. “Tribulation worketh patience and patience worketh experience or character. Eugene Peterson in the Message paraphrase puts it this way; “and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary — we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

It is through our experiences with the Lord that we develop a hope that will not fade when the scorching sun of adversity appear or the dark clouds of disappointments and setbacks obscure our view. There is a hope that continues to rise within us knowing that God is not through with us. Yet in wonder we anticipate in alert expectancy the next move of God as to what He would do next! There is always a tomorrow for the believer who has put his trust in God. The tribulations are leading to something that awaits us beyond the horizon. When the sun rises again, He will enable us to see what we were unable to see in the dark. It can only be seen in the light of His love.

10 Aug 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: August 10

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“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” John 12:32

Jesus spoke of the benefits and advantages of His being Lifted up. It was not the elevation that many seek. It was not a platform of prominence, or the glitter and glamour of celebrity. It was the execution of the intentions of His enemies against Him. If they carry out their agenda, God will use it as a means to draw every people-group to a life of surrender. They would come to the very cross and die with Him.

What the devil intended for evil, God meant for good. His death was His life’s purpose. The dynamics of the death of Jesus Christ is too complex to fully explain. He became sin as a sinless sacrifice for our sins. The message is foolishness to those who consider themselves to be too wise and prudent even to need it, But there are those who sense the weight of sin damning their souls to hell. They are appreciative that the consequences of their fallen nature destined to express itself will not be held to their charge.

The message of the cross causes an explosion among people. Hope for eternal life is signaled to a terminal generation whereas a glimmer of hope reaches their soul. They rush in the direction of the new Light that burst forth before them. “Draw me away,” the Shulamite woman cries out to her Beloved. The power of the Holy Spirit implodes and all kinds of people are drawn in a strange direction of death to their self life with a promise and hope of resurrection. Do you desire the life that is lived after death or the death that denies true life because it is too busy giving expression to its own emptiness trying to just make a living?

08 Aug 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: August 8

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“So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

When we were born, we were given a name and assigned a number. Our last name identifies where were from or the origin of our birth while our first name identifies where we are going, or our future.

A good name is worth more than silver and gold. Our names reflect our character. Expectations are placed upon us as result of being named or branded. We are also classified by number. As a citizen, we are numbered by the Social Security Administration. You are not merely John or Jane Doe, but you have both a name and a number.

God knows us by name and has also given each one of us a number. Each name is different and each number is as well. The request of the Psalmist was, “Lord, teach us….”The instructions requested apply to both name and number. We may say, “Lord teach us to know who we really are,” so that we would not live a presumptuous life. He knows our name and what ought to have been the fullest expression of our name. Our parents may have done the best they could, but there are some things about us that only God can teach us. Then, “Lord, instruct us to number our days.” We need to be made aware that the time allotted us is limited.

None can tell the number of their days. Without the knowledge that time is limited their hopes and dreams may rot on the scrapheap of possibility and potential. Time is too short and life is not long enough to finish what was intended. The Psalmist was aware of the instructions that could only come from God alone. “Teach us to number our days.” The request was, “Lord, teach us to make every day count in doing what ought to be done.” Time is too precious to waste and eternity is too long to reflect with regrets over wasted time. This day is a gift from God. What we do with it matters to Him. When we treasure both name and number, we will gain a heart of wisdom.

04 Aug 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: August 4

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“The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?” Prov 18:14 KJV

Our spirits possess the resilience in order not to sink under the weight of pressure. Once our spirits are awakened to the reality of the Eternal, its communion with the Holy Spirit will convey hope within our souls . The spirit of a man will sustain the infirmity of our body. The wounds and weaknesses of our bodies are sustained as long as our inner man is strengthened. It must be fed the nutrients required of it to increase in strength because its task is greater than we can know. There are many flesh wounds, or exterior circumstances causing the soul to be cast down on occasion, but the hope our hope in the finished work of Jesus Christ causes us to rise above all of them.

But when the spirit is wounded, it is borne down to powerlessness and helpless passivity and there is no other sustaining power to supply its need. It is when the guilt of sin has produced condemnation because what is known of God is violated. The soul is left without an anchor and wanders aimlessly towards things that merely cover up the deep pains now suffered. It requires a personal revival or renewal in order for the spirit to be directed towards its Strength. No one can heal the wounds of the spirit but God. The Spirit knows the things of our spirit.

24 Jun 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: June 24

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“Since the One who saves and those who are saved have a common origin, Jesus doesn’t hesitate to treat them as family.” Hebrews 2:11 (MSG)

We are members of the family of God and the household of faith. Regardless as to when we entered in or whether the member is born or adopted into the family, there is a place reserved for each one. Jesus saved us from the wrath of God. We were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Not only were estranged from the covenant of promise, we had no desire to be otherwise. Jesus saved us from a path even before we possessed the sense or the strength to seek any other path. We sought any option other than the path that led to life. It was the common origin of sin that blinded us to the love of God expressed through His Son. Little wonder why we made the choices that we made then. Our actions were expressions of our family of origin. But God rescued us by adopting us into His family. Now our reorientation is adapt to the character of the One from which we were reborn. It is our passion to proudly reflect the same qualities from which we came. Since we are now treated as family, we wish to display the attributes of the new and not the old. We are now akin to Him and He treats us that way. What a privilege!

20 Jun 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: June 20

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“Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder)” 2 Peter 3:1

Our minds are purified as the result of hearing a pure word. The clutter of a misguided conscience and the pollutants of compromised values are removed and replaced with an understanding of absolutes that can withstand the scrutiny of contemporary questioning. A pure mind is to be treasured above all things. It means that the mind has processed what the heart has embraced. Then one is able to give a reason for the hope that is in them. They can defend the faith and withstand the scrutiny of error. Now that we can receive words of wisdom, we are not to entertain thoughts and ideas that can lead to moral failure. Our minds must remain pure in order for us to receive from God instructions for daily living. There are many things to be added to what we currently know. These are the building blocks that contribute to our becoming a spiritual habitation. They cause us to further set our minds on the things above and not be distracted by things around us and beneath us. We are reminded as to who we are in Christ and with Christ. He is our example and our guide. I write these things to re-mind you of these things. When we rewind, we remember what otherwise would be forgotten. We are on a journey, a mission of hope. We are encouraged through the right message to make it to the end.

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