Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Pet 1:3

There is a common saying, ‘While there’s life, there’s hope.’ You may have witnessed or heard reports of great tragedies and devastation in the lives of others over the past several months. There has been loss of precious loved ones, complete loss of homes and properties in fires, storms, and disasters. Peoples’ lives as they knew, completely changed in a moment. Though tragedy and loss may have knocked them down and crippled them for a moment, many were able to find hope and meaning in Jesus Christ. The scripture passage reminds us that God has “begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” We are new creatures in Christ (2 Cor 5:17) born again to a living hope through the His resurrection. The apostle Paul says the same “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead” (1 Cor 15:19-20). Jesus paid the price for the sin of the world. He died in our place and destroyed “him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb 2:14). Death lost its sting through His resurrection. The child of God does not need to fear death anymore. We have “a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” and the assurance of heaven for all eternity. Even in death, great tragedy, loss, and devastation, there is hope. Physical death is unavoidable, but the word of God promises “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation” (1 Pet 1:4-5). Dear friend, when troubles strike and loss seems to overwhelm you, where is your hope? When times are darkest, where do you turn? Hear the Father say, “be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord” (Ps 31:24). My friend, trust and rely on the word of God to lead you, guide you, strengthen you, and sustain you with a living hope to face life’s darkest moments and “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” (Ps 23:4). Only have hope “according to His abundant mercy.” Father thank You for Your love and the living hope of eternal life through Jesus. Help me to be strong and of good courage, and to walk in Your faithfulness. In the blessed Name of Jesus. Amen.

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 1 Thes 5:8

There is a constant reality that both light and darkness are always around us. The world we live in has both good and evil, right and wrong, and we face these choices every day. We can choose to live in a life of pleasure and passion or live with purpose and hope. The scripture passage instructs us “who are of the day, be sober.” The child of God is of those “who are of the day” and “belong to the day.” We are “light in the Lord” (Eph 5:8) and our purpose to be lights in darkness. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we “have the light of life” (Jn 8:12) and like “a city that is set on an hill cannot be hid” (Mt 5:14), the Spirit of God illuminates the word of God to lead and guide us past the passions of darkness and the pleasure of the world. Living in darkness means living without God and results in “unfruitful works of darkness” (Rom 13:12). The child of God is in a constant battle to stay away from the works of darkness and live according to God’s will. The battle is not always easy. There are times when we struggle and are tempted to use old weapons and tactics to be dishonest, to lie, to lust, or to treat others unjustly. It is in these times we need to arm ourselves by “putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet, the hope of salvation” to fight against sin and darkness. My friend, “the hope of salvation” is the helmet of our armor to deny ourselves temporary sinful pleasures and put temptations in proper perspective. Earthly things pale in comparison with the “eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” that God promises His children (2 Cor 4:17). Dear friend, how do you defend yourself against temptations? Through faith in Jesus Christ, we must grow in both our knowledge of spiritual darkness and our pursuit of the light in God’s word. Allow God to mold and shape us into those who are ridden of any darkness, to become fully known to God, and allow His light to transform our lives into reflections of his Son, Jesus Christ “the hope of salvation.” Father thank You for Your love and the hope of glory. Help me to walk in the light of Your word as You are in the light (1 Jn 1:7) and rejoice always in fellowship with You. In the blessed Name of Jesus. Amen.

I will declare Thy Name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto Thee. Heb 2:12

It was good to be back in the house of the Lord on the Lord’s Day. I pray that you had a wonderful worship and gathering with your local church. There is something special about gathering with the saints for worship. I am often encouraged by the prayers of the saints, the testimonies of praise, and the collection of voices that sing out unto the Lord. It is by God’s marvelous wisdom and His great design to assemble His children to strengthen and encourage us through a common faith and the fellowship of the gospel to remain fervent and faithful to Him. We are part of something awesome and great. The scripture passage remains us for the purpose that we gather and assemble as the saints of God. The Church assembles to “declare Thy Name unto the brethren.” The Church does this through prayers of praise and thanksgiving to God. As we pray, let the Church be mindful to praise God for what He’s done for us, as the people of God. We don’t just rejoice when God does something for us individually, but we praise Him for what He has done for others, as well! Though the gathering of the saints invokes individual worship where “in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto Thee,” it is also a time to praise God for His provision for our church family, our friends, and our community. Christ uses others to mold us into His image. We need one another to fulfill God’s will and we need one another to grow and “walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:5). Dear friend, when we praise God for what He has done, and for what He is doing for others and ourselves, we acknowledge that we are a part of God’s plan for the world. God knows our design, our weaknesses, our weary travels in this life, and He created the Church for the good of His people. The children of God gather to “stir up love and good works” (Heb 10:22) in one another, exhort one another in the faith, and remind one another of the soon return of Jesus Christ “as you see the Day approaching.” My friend, are you troubled and weary? Do you want more from your faith? Gather with your local church where the Name of God is declared and sing praises unto the Name of Jesus. Soon, the good work that God began in you will begin to revive, renew, and grow, and He will continue to work in you “until the day od Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:6). The Father loves His children and desire for each to know Him, grow in Christ, and enjoy His fellowship. Father thank you for Your love and the fellowship of the saints. Remind me and renew me in Your great purpose for my life in the body of Christ. In the blessed Name of Jesus. Amen.