WALKING IT OUT

Sunday, July 25, 2010

HOPE? yes Hope!

There have been many sermons that this little head has drown in, and some sermons simply confused me, yet others left me in tears for the HOPE I heard about but didn't know how to apply.

I have often heard this verse which supposed to promise Hope as the King James Version: "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:"  It goes on to then further describe some complicated non-english stuff.

Many pastors in the current churches just skipped over the "God would make known" section and quote, "Christ in you, the hope of glory". And as well and good any of those sermons may have been, I was lacking the ability to find hope when my life seemed hopeless.

In the New Living Translation of the Bible I have found some help in understanding the text.


Colossians 1:27 "For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory."

WOW... So, IT WAS A SECRET!!! HAHAHAHAHA,  But the secret was in the verse all along.

Christ gives me the assurance of sharing in His glory. And WHAT are the benefits of this seems to be what the first portion of the verse declares, God wanted us to share the riches and glory of Christ. To clarify, my personal position and from what I read in other portions of the bible, this glory is not found in being on American Idol, or finding our bust cast in the local museum, but rather living victoriously.

So, when we temper this verse now with my new understanding, I find this Psalm so much more soothing.


Psalm 71:14

But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

For those people who want to verify that Christ in fact lives in me, you can read the complete teaching in Galations 2 which explains how we die to our own spirit by our own free will and Christ comes to dwell with us.

My point was always that I never knew how to apply the illusive HOPE. Well, I am here to tell you that in hopeless situations I am not always remembering any bible verses. So, when I eventually turn to God in prayer I realize, I am meant to be hopeless when it comes to my own abilities, but when I acknowledge that I have eternal hope and the weapons of this world are temporary.  I tend to look beyond this moment.

I also find hope in looking at people who have lived far worse situations and hopelessness within the bible and found a way to see themselves as victors. Sure, we live in "different times" but do we really?? Corrupt government,  righteous dictators controlling people who believe the righteous approval gets them eternal salvation, murder on the streets, corrupt social systems burdened with steretypes, racism and distain for others, starving people across the globe, whole cities overwhelmed with sinful selfishness, and open disregard for wisdom within the courts: Yes, I would say, the times are much the same with "different" people, but very much the same.

I don't know how to explain the secret to unlocking this Hope within us, but the first step is to make sure you are right with God and that Christ does have room in your life. Have you moved out & let him have your life's direction? Well then, now you have to deal with trusting it. When He is in us, then we are no longer in our will, but his will. He is with you, God himself through the Holy Spirit is directing your path.

So, I take a deep breath, remind my brain (not part of the spirit) that it is not in control of my future, but that the Spirit of the Lord is walking this life with me. I am going to share in the sufferings of Christ, but I will also share in the Love, the Peace, the Security of knowing the grave is not the end. And really, someone - somewhere - has lived worse, yet, God comforted them. I MUST SHARE MY HOPE WITH OTHERS!!!! I need to wear this hope on my sleeve, and most importantly my FACE!

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