Elpizo - My Hope Is In God
During Elpizo yesterday, Ps Chew Weng's Chee of SIB talked about our Christian hope. The scripture he took us to was from Hebrew 6:19 which was also the memory verse for Boys Brigade. Nic had to memorize this verse and I remember I did not quite understand what it meant. The memory verse just says "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."
Hebrew 6:19
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
When Ps Chew explained it, it was so simple and I wondered what I was cracking my head about. Earlier, Sheri was sharing we are not to just hope in God but to anchor our soul to God. Ps Chew drew a a diagram to describe this. Normally, the boat's anchor is at the bottom of the sea, hooked to a rock so the boat won't float away but when we anchor our soul to God, we throw the anchor upward to heaven and it is hooked onto God. And in heaven, the bible says:
Hebrew 7:25
"Therefore he (Jesus) is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf."
Jesus is always there interceding with God on our behalf in heaven. That is how secure and firm our hope in God is! The reason why we have this confident hope in God is because i ) God said, ii ) God swore and iii ) God sent.
Hebrew 6:16,17
Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.
God not only swore His promise to us, He sent Jesus to die for us so that we can be reconciled to God.
Non believer's hope is based on circumstances. Christian's hope is based on God's promises. Non believer's hope is based on logic. Christian's hope is based on logos (God's words) and God cannot lie.
Hebrew 6:18
"... God did this so that we would be encouraged. God cannot lie when he takes an oath or makes a promise..."
My hope is not based on health food or nutrients that men swear by. Amazingly, Ps Chew said the same thing yesterday. Elpizo - my hope is in God, a confident hope, firm and secure.
I was asking Tina for Sabah Snake Grass during Elpizo and she taught me to just let as many people know that I needed them. By the end of the meet, Joanne came up to me and said her sis just called and asked her if she needed some snake grass. She thought of me to pass the extras to and this morning I just collected a whole bunch from her. We we're both so amazed and thankful to God and how good the timing was. It was not a coincidence but God's hand upon us. When we put our hope in God, we are never left ashamed or disappointed.
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Hi Liz,
ReplyDeleteThe Apostle Paul, in 1 Cor 13:12-13, spoke along this line:
Where we are currently at, in our earthly living, and for Christians, in our earthly phase of the Kingdom living, and despite we are in our Kingdom living, what we see is but a poor reflection as in a mirror, but a time will come, and that is referring to heaven phase of the Kingdom living, everything is going to crystal clear, like one sees another face to face, not like a reflection in a mirror (in those days, quality of mirrors were not as good, don't think in terms of current day mirrors). Currently, we know of things in part, but in that time to come, we will know fully, even as we are fully known to others. Meanwhile, what are we to hold on to, in the storms of earthly life?
Verse 13 said, "Now these three remains: faith, hope, and love. The KJV actually uses the word, "abide". We are to abide in our faith, seeing manifestations of some measure of hope realising before our eyes; abide in hope, holding on to the rope that has the other end anchored on Jesus in Heaven, where home is; and abide in love, experiencing giving and receiving of love (from/to God and Man).
On top of the above, my revelation is that when we abide on all these 3, faith, hope and love, we will attract the grace of God that will aid us in our perseverance in life.
Paul said, in 2 Cor 4:8-9, we are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
... because we can look to , and have the grace of God.
May the grace of God be attracted to you. Anthony Chia