All posts tagged: hope
DownLoad a Free Song from Hillsong
Do want to be captivated again by the wonder of Easter? You can start today by downloading and singing along to a new Easter Single. The song is written by Marty Sampson and it “tells a timeless story” If you want to remember anew or reflect on old gospel themes in a different way, than “O praise Him” will help you captivate the wonder of the Easter story. It’s the story of the Cross It’s the story of His resurrection It’s the story of His Love In my estimation – the greatest love story ever told. Download it here for free… http://hillsong.com/worship OR Listen to it below Lyrics: I cast my mind to Calvary Where Jesus bled and died for me I see His wounds, His hands His feet My Saviour on that cursed tree His body bound and drenched in tears They laid Him down in Joseph’s tomb The entrance sealed by heavy stone Messiah still and all alone Then on the third at break of dawn The Son of Heaven rose again O …
Comfort Foods
Comfort, comfort, comfort! Who doesn’t like to be comforted? The problem is we often seek it in all the wrong places. For me, finding comfort in food is my drug of choice when I am seeking comfort in difficult times. For some, it might be alcohol, drugs, or some kind of temporary fix to cause you to forget your pain. Still for others, it is an escape into a world of fantasy, entertainment, the adrenaline of a fast life or a lustful, soulful, sexual experience. In any case, we usually, if not always come away more empty than we went in. But it’s time for you to see and taste of the “sweetest of love, where your heart becomes free and your shame is undone. “ We find those in the comfort that comes only from the Father of all comforts. If you are tempted in any way today, to go looking for comfort in all the wrong places, know that you will never be satisfied. But if you choose to look upon the face …
Joy Is…
Most of my reading and preaching this month has been about Joy. I just completed a three part Christmas Series on Joy at my Church. And you can discover how to increase your joy here. In this post, I want to, at least try to answer the question – “What is Joy?” I made a statement during one of my sermons about joy that left a lot of questions. I could hear the murmuring in the congregation while I tried to explained what I meant. Let me share it with you and you can leave a note about your feelings or thoughts about it: Joy is not affected by afflictions; it’s only affected by sin. Sin decreases joy; affliction increases it. I believe joy is … An indestructible Assurance in who God is and everything He promised. This includes the following: The assurance of his covenant relationship with each and everyone of us. The assurance that comes from the joy of His salvation within us. That he is able to save to the uttermost. That …
Singing with the Enemy
Every day in December – leading into Christmas, I have planned to have or experience joy in every area of my life. As bold and ambitious as that is, I am very hopeful and confident that nothing will derail me from knowing indestructible joy – every day in the month of December – even in difficult times. So here is a story that will help you do just that. I started a 23 days devotional a few days on YouVersion. This post contains the 3rd day notes from “Joy! to the world countdown to Christmas, which was written by Carol McLeod and Just Joy Ministries Here is the story British soldiers were spending Christmas Eve 1914 on a French battlefield during World War I. After four months of fighting, over a million men had perished in the bloody conflict. The bodies of dead soldiers were scattered between the trenches of the opposing armies. It was in the middle of a freezing battlefield in France, that a miracle occurred! British troops watched in amazement as candle-lit trees …
More than Conquerors
I had the privilege of being a part of a missionary work in the West African nation of Ivory Coast, correctly know known as – La Cote D’Ivoire between 1990 and 1994. By the time I signed on, they had planted about 6 or more Churches around Abidjan – capital city. Those days were special: knocking on doors, walking the neighborhoods, holding All Night Prayer meetings and community gathering for fasting and praying. A revival was happening all around us – young and old coming to know Jesus and being filled with the Holy Ghost. These are some of the best days of my life and ministry. The people we ministered to were just like me. They were refugees, displaced, cut off from family, scattered in this foreign land and living among people with a strange tongue. They were often abused, and un-welcomed and mocked in the public square. You would think their pain and sorrow would define them, break them and leave them in despair. You would think their loneliness, loss, and inability to …
The Greatest Chapter in All of Scripture is the greatest chapter of my life
It was the summer of 1991. I was young and had discovered the joy of salvation, the hope of eternal life. There was a fire burning in my heart. I felt like I had been made new. I was born of God. His seed had budded within and I would never be the same. We had completed our baptismal classes. We were baptized. My spiritual father insisted that we memorize Romans 8. Everyone of us had committed the chapter to memory. We stood before the congregation, just before our first communion, and with one voice, one proud, loud and joyful voice, we recited the greatest chapter in the entire bible – Romans 8: The Spirit of Life There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of …
If our hope in Jesus is only for this life, we are the most pitiful and miserable of all men
“If our hope in Jesus is only for this life we are of all people most to be pitied.” 1 Corinthians 15:19 Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is the most important element of our faith. Everything rises and everything falls with or without it. Dismantle it, and Christianity as we know it comes crumbling down. That indeed is not an easy task, however. Christianity has survived all sorts of scrutiny and has stood the test of time. Unfortunately, some Christians are too heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good. But tragically, some are too attached to their earthly goods that they have lost sight of this crucial truth – The Resurrection! At this time of the year, it will do us some good to shine some light on this life changing event. Hopefully, we can refresh our minds and translate the experience into a lifestyle that goes on throughout the year. So, join me today and lets look at His resurrection and what it mean. “If there is no resurrection from the dead” how does that affect our faith …
There is still hope for the Averaged
My aim in this post is not to encourage you to settle for average. I believe we should all be a little curious and adventurous. We should have a very healthy dose of ambition, a competitive spirit and the desire to perfect the gifts and talents we’ve all been given. However, we ought to “not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” In other words Not many of us our going to run like Usain Bolt – the fastest person ever. Not many of us will agree to downsize our fighting men like Gideon did and still defeat mighty armies with a small military force. Not many of us will be the next King Solomon, the wisest man. Not many of us are going to become billionaires like the likes of Buffet, Gates and Zuckerberg. The fact is, not many of us will be as successful and discerning as others are. So, if you fall …
Joy is strength: How can I Increase it?
The joy of The Lord is my strength. Neh. 8:10. What is joy? Webster’s Dictionary defines joy as “a feelings of great happiness” but there is something much richer and deeper from God’s word about the word. This is because joy is more of an “elevated and spiritual kind.” Joy is of God “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17 God is our source of joy. He doesn’t only possess joy, he spreads it abroad. When he releases his joy in us, it moves like the working of his mighty power. A lot of people think that God is this angry, grumpy, always in a bad mood father. Quite frankly, it wouldn’t be a stretch to equate God to a “Happy God.” A few bible interpretors see the word “blessed” in 1 Timothy 1:11 as speaking of a cheerful and delightful God. Joy is God’s will But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in …
Walter Bright 
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