Advent 2021 Hope – Week 1
A Message of Hope
Missionary Jim White
Hope is not thinking that something might happen, it is the assurance that something will happen! As I look around me, it seems that people are living in “survival mode.” Many of us seem to be just barely making it. I suggest that sometimes it is because we get distracted from what God wants us to be doing.
It’s unhealthy to live like this for an extended period of time. It causes fatigue, ulcers, headaches – a general feeling of being overwhelmed.
I am convinced that God can set us free from bondage to drinking, drugs, etc. You don’t have to just get by.
When surviving becomes your daily focus, you forget about your goals, about your dreams for the future. You only think about how you will get through today.
There are three questions we ask ourselves:
- How did I get here?
- Did I cause at least some of it?
- How do I get out of this place I find myself?
We must first be able to discern whether God has put these “things” into my life or whether it is from Satan. That makes a big difference on how we approach it.
Many times we bring it on ourselves, because we turn from the Lord:
1 Kings 11:3-6 Solomon turned from the Lord and went after other gods.
Numbers 12 Miriam complained against Moses’ leadership.
But God wants us to experience the Abundant Life!
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Ephesians 3:19 …and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
He wants us to overcome all obstacles through faith in Him! We have authority over all evil forces in this world. When people lose hope, they act out of desperation & that leads to chaos. We believers are to live with hope as an example to those in the world without hope!
John 14:12-14 12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I yam going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
You can listen to Jim’s message here:
You can watch the video HERE.