Tag: Blessed hope
Our Blessed Hope
Scripture reading for July 12th: 1st Kings 13-14, 2nd Chronicles 12, Psalm 47, Titus 2
Titus 2: 11-14 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our Blessed Hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works.”
Paul emphasized to Titus, his younger protégé, that God’s grace for salvation was for all the peoples of the earth. God was in Christ redeeming people from all nations from the bondage of sin and was purifying for Himself a people for His own possession. They would belong to the family of God and would share God’s heart and passion for reaching lost souls. The vision of the coming of Jesus Christ would be a source of hope and blessing to His people. This would empower them to live godly lives of witness as they waited for the glorious appearing! The great King is coming soon!
Psalm 47:6-8 “Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your amazing grace towards Jew and Gentile through Jesus Christ. Your goodness has drawn me and many to repentance and faith. I await with eager expectation the “Blessed Hope” of the return of Jesus Christ the King! Lead me today in the good works You have prepared for me that I might bring You glory when You return!
2nd Chronicles 12:5-6 “Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the Lord, ‘You abandoned Me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak.’ Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is righteous.””
People of purity!
Scripture reading for June 25th: Titus 2
Key Scriptures: Titus 2:11-15 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works. Declare these things: exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.”
Paul stressed to Titus that God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone had brought salvation to all men. The grace of God actually trains believers in righteousness and holy character which prepares us for the arrival of Jesus Christ in His glory. Any believer that is still living in sin has not yet obtained grace and will not be ready for Christ’s return. These simple truths were to be declared by Titus rebuking those still living in sin. Jesus Christ, our blessed hope, can return for us at any time and pastors are to be watchful over souls! They will have to give an account of their ministry to the Lord Jesus.
Titus 2:7 “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your example of patience, sound doctrine, and rebuking those who were in need of correction. I pray that the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith will not be watered down in our culture to allow believers to avoid true repentance. Use me to preach sound doctrine with integrity, bringing salvation to the lost.
Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
Amazing Grace!
Scripture reading for July 10th: 1st Kings 13-14, 2nd Chronicles 12, Psalm 47, Titus 2
Key Scriptures: Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.”
Grace from God’s merciful heart appeared to all men in the form of a man, God’s Son, Jesus Christ. This grace, when received, teaches us to renounce all sins and worldly passion and to live holy lives in expectation of the return of Jesus, our ‘Blessed Hope!’ As we are waiting, we are to be joyfully focused on doing the good works Christ has prepared for us. This is amazing grace!
Psalm 47:7-8 “For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.”
Faith confession and prayer: Thank You, Lord for Your amazing grace shown to us in Jesus Christ. I choose to live a holy life, doing the good works You prepared for me and expecting the ‘Blessed Hope!’
2nd Chronicles 12:6 “Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is righteous.”
Grace is our teacher!
Scripture reading for October 9th: Isaiah 35-38, Titus 2
Key Scriptures: Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, and upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our Blessed Hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.”
The hope of Christ’s Church is His return in glory to bring justice to the earth and full redemption for His people. Because of His great sacrifice for us, we are taught and empowered by His grace to live righteous and holy lives and to do the good works with joy that He has called us to do. The final recorded prayer of the Church is “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)
Isaiah 35:8, 10 “And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;” . . .And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and signing shall flee away.”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the grace that is our teacher today. May I live in Your grace and grow in holiness, awaiting Your glorious return and the everlasting joy of life in Your presence. Amen.
Rejoicing in God our Hope!
Scripture reading for June 6th: Psalm 29-33
Key Scriptures: Psalm 33:18-22 “But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and to keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy Name. May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You.”
God’s eyes are always watching everything done on earth. He particularly watches those who fear and honor Him and have put their hope in His love and His promise to deliver them from death. This fact brings great joy to the psalmist as he sings of God’s faithful love. Waiting is with joy and expectation!
Rejoicing in the Blessed Hope: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:11-14)
The Glorious Appearing!
Scripture reading for October 10th: Titus 2
Key Scriptures for over-comers: Titus 2: 11-14 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.”
God’s great grace, extended to all who will repent and believe, has appeared to all men. This grace is the forgiveness of all sin and guilt and a gift of eternal life with an immediate down payment through the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit. This grace teaches us to say “NO!” to ungodliness and worldly passions. We now choose to live life in the newness of God’s Spirit and are ever conscious of the immanent return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our “blessed hope” motivates us to be found pure and holy and doing what He has commanded!
Observations for over-comers: Over-comers live in expectation of the immanent appearing of our glorious God and Savior, Jesus Christ! “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was One like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)
Teach sound doctrine!
Scripture reading for October 9th: Titus 2
Paul gave detailed instructions to Titus concerning his need to teach sound doctrine. Sound doctrine is not just a set of rules or laws on how to live, but it it a decision to obey the Word of God and imitate Jesus Christ, our great Teacher.
“Teach older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the Word of God.” (Titus 2:2-5) Sound doctrine included practical teaching on how to live productively for the Kingdom of God in the social contexts of the day and time. Older men and women were the role-models for the younger. Self-control is mentioned for both men and women. Bringing our bodies under control of our will by the power of the Holy Spirit is sound doctrine! We must not live out of our feeling or passions.
“In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, . . .” (Titus 2:7) Our example is strong teaching of sound doctrine. If our lives as Christians don’t reflect Jesus Christ, we have failed. It is by God’s grace that we can live out His Word. This grace teaches us to say ‘no’ to ungodliness and live self-controlled, upright and lives while we wait for Jesus’ promised return! (Titus 2:11-14)
The hope of the world!
Scripture reading for December 9th: Titus 1-3
What the world needs is hope! Hope keeps us moving forward and expecting something good to happen in the near future. Hope works with faith and love and keeps us in balance spiritually. Without hope, we often despair and give up or give in to the temptations of this life. People who have no hope become depressed. Our God is known as the God of hope! (Romans 15:13)
Paul’s letter to Titus is a letter of encouragement to a pastor who is his son in the faith. He entrusted the churches in Crete to his oversight and wrote to instruct him in church order and pastoral ministry. Some of the instruction concerned the qualifications necessary for church leadership. Character was of the highest concern and it was to be discerned by relationships in the family and community. We become quickly known for how we treat others, especially those close to us. (Titus 1:6-8)
One of the main qualifications was a firm grasp on the Gospel message and word of God. (Titus 1:9) A pastor’s job was to teach each age group in the church body how to respect others and serve them with godly character. If a person claims to know God but behaves otherwise, that person is unfit for service to God. They may be leading others astray and must be soundly rebuked! (Titus 1:13-15)
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:11-14
It is by grace that we are saved and empowered to live a godly life. God’s gift of the Holy Spirit enables us have self-control. Through the Holy Spirit we can know we belong to God and are a part of His family. (Romans 8:15-16) He has given us a blessed hope–His soon appearing to finish the work that He began in us!
The Hope of Glory!
Scripture reading for December 3rd: Colossians 1-4
Jesus Christ is the most important person in the entire universe! He is the firstborn Son of God and is over all creation! (Colossians 1:15) He is the head of all authority in heaven and on earth! He created all things and holds it all together! He existed before everything that was made and is clearly supreme in every way!
Jesus Christ is the head of the church, His body on earth and in heaven. He birthed the church by dying sacrificially on the cross in order to redeem all mankind who would believe on Him. He was also the firstborn from the dead by resurrection! (Colossians 1:19-20) He reconciled us to God the Father, making peace through His own blood shed on the cross! He now lives in us by the Holy Spirit who marks us as belonging to the Father. This truth was a mystery hidden in God before Christ was revealed. Now this mystery has been revealed through the Gospel and is available to Jews and Gentiles alike!
“I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness–the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 2:26-27)
The greatest riches in the universe is Christ Jesus! Having Christ in us brings joy, peace with God, and an unbelievable inheritance! Paul calls this inheritance the “hope of glory”! Hope is a firm expectation of coming good! It is not some vaporous thought that maybe something will happen. Hope doesn’t disappoint us because we know this glory is coming! When we see Him, we shall be like Him in glory! (1st John 3:2-3) This hope causes us to purify our lives and live a righteous life of obedient faith.
Christmas is coming! The best gift anyone could ever receive is “Christ in you, the hope of glory”! Why not pray about sharing Christ with those you love who do not know Him? Pray like Paul in Colossians 4:3-6 that you may have an open door, proclaim the message clearly, and be wise!
Blessed Assurance: My Redeemer lives!
Scripture reading for May 24th: Job 18-19
The attack on Job’s character by his friends continues with Bildad the Shuhite in Job 18. Bildad harshly accused Job of being wicked, evil and not knowing God. (Job 18:21) He told Job of the destruction that awaited him if he didn’t come to his senses and deal with his problem of sin. These statements were very presumptive and went against all that Job had tried to tell him. They certainly did not give Job any comfort and brought further suffering his way. (Job 19:2-3)
As Job was being attacked, it forced him to evaluate his beliefs. He went to God for answers, but God was silent. (Job 19:8) He was opposed by his own friends and even his wife. He looked at his own body, which was skin and bones and knew that he might not be long for this earth.
Job wished that his words would be recorded! He stated his belief that his redeemer lived and that he would see him one day, even if he died. This basic belief in resurrection is what Christ gives each one of His followers! We know that we will suffer and eventually die while in this life, but that isn’t the end! We have a permanent dwelling place with the Lord to look forward to! (2nd Corinthians 5:1-2) To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord! (2nd Corinthians 5:8) There is the “blessed hope” as well, the soon appearing of Jesus Christ for His people! (Titus 2:13) This will be a glorious day for each of us!
If you lack the understanding of a living redeemer and your personal redemption, today is a good day to do something about that. Ask the Lord for mercy and place your trust in Jesus Christ, His Son. Whoever calls on the Lord, will be saved!
“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son as life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.“ 1st John 5:11-13