Tag: Blessed hope
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
Preparing for Christ’s return!
Scripture reading for October 27th: Titus 2:1-15
We remember that Paul told Titus that the Gospel was built on a hope of eternal life. (Titus 1:2-3) Paul knew that Jesus Christ would return at an appointed time in the future. No one knew the day or the hour of His coming, not even Jesus when He was on earth! (Matthew 24:38) For this reason, it was important for each person to prepare for that coming and be personally ready!
“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)
Paul told Titus what to teach the various groups in the church and why they needed to learn the message. Older men must be examples of sound faith and godly living with love and patience. Older women must set a good example when teaching the younger women to love their husbands and children. Failure in godly living would harm the next generation. Young men should set an example of good works and self-control.
Paul told Titus that the grace of God coming through faith should result in a heart change. Each person must now say “No” to their flesh and ask God for help in obedience. The motivation was to be ready for Christ’s return. If we have died and our bodies are in a grave, we will be raised up in a glorified body. If we are alive and waiting, we will be instantly transformed to be like Jesus! We will see Him in His glory with the holy angels. This hope should motivate us to do good works and live in readiness for His return!
As you examine your own life today, are you able to say “No” to ungodliness? Are you doing good works that God has prepared for you and waiting for Christ’s return? Our blessed Hope could come today! We will be blessed if we know Him, are working for Him and living a godly life.
The Blessed Hope!
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)
Titus was an overseer of the church in Crete. Paul gave him basic instruction concerned the qualifications necessary for church leadership. Character was of the highest concern and it was to be discerned by observation of relationships in the family and community. A person’s reputation comes from his daily deeds and attitude. 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 is 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 as if He does not exist, that person is unfit for service to God. In fact, 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. That grace came to us in Jesus Christ, who redeemed us from sin and cleansed us by His own blood. This made possible the Father’s gift of the Holy Spirit to live in us. We have power to say “No” to sin and temptation. Through the Holy Spirit we can know we belong to God and are a part of His family. (Romans 8:15-16) He will soon come again for us! This blessed hope keeps us moving forward, eagerly working while we await His appearing!
Preparing for Christ’s Return!
Scripture reading for October 27th: Titus 2:1-15
We remember that Paul told Titus that the Gospel was built on a hope of eternal life. (Titus 1:2-3) Paul knew that Jesus Christ would return an appointed time in the future. No one knew the day or the hour of His coming, not even Jesus when He was on earth! (Matthew 24:38) For this reason, it was important for each person to prepare for that coming and be personally ready should it happen today!
“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)
Paul told Titus what to teach the various groups in the church and why they needed to learn the message. Older men must be examples of sound faith and godly living with love and patience. Older women must set a good example when teaching the younger women to love their husbands and children. Failure in godly living would harm the next generation. Young men should set an example of good works and self-control.
Paul told Titus that the grace of God coming through faith should result in a heart change. Each person must now say “No” to their flesh and ask God for help in obedience. The motivation was to be ready for Christ’s return. If we have died and our bodies are in a grave, we will be raise up in a glorified body. If we are alive and waiting, we will be instantly transformed to be like Jesus! We will see Him in His glory with the holy angels. This hope should motivate us to do good works and live in readiness for His return!
As you examine your own life today, are you able to say “No” to ungodliness? Are you doing good works that God has prepared for you and waiting for Christ’s return? Our blessed Hope could come today! We will be blessed to be working for Him and living a godly life.
The Blessed Hope
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 hope and 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 basic instruction concerned the qualifications necessary for church leadership in the elders and deacons that he would appoint. Character was of the highest concern and it was to be discerned by observation of relationships in the family and community. A person’s reputation comes from his daily deeds and attitude. 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 is to teach each age group in the church body how to respect others and serve them with godly character. If a person just claims to know God but behaves as if He does not exist, that person is unfit for service to God. In fact, 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. That grace came to us in Jesus Christ, the Son of God! He redeemed us from sin and wickedness and cleansed us by His own blood. God’s gift of the Holy Spirit to live in us helps us have self-control. We can say “No” to sin and temptation. Through the Holy Spirit we can know we belong to God and are a part of His family. (Romans 8:15-16) What a God of hope and encouragement! He has given us a blessed hope–His soon appearing to finish the work that He began in us! This hope keeps us moving forward, eagerly working while we await His appearing!