H - stands for Hope

I've been sharing my thoughts guided by an acrostic of the word F-A-I-T-H, and this is the final article. I'm excited that our LTC theme is Journey of Faith, and that we will be building on that with VBS later this year with the help of Scooby Doo.  The acrostic goes like this:
F - Remember the Foundations
A - Take Action
I - Intentionally Invest in the future
T - Trust the trustworthy God
H - Embrace HOPE.

Websters defines hope as an action, "to cherish a desire with anticipation". Paul encouraged the Romans to "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12). It's interesting to me that in the NIV Bible hope isn't mentioned until Ruth, but is replete in the poetic, prophetic, and New Testament Scriptures. The "hope" can encompass our belief in God and that He keeps His promises. Perhaps Peter puts it most in perspective for us (emph. mine):

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5).

It is essential in building faith that we think toward heaven, rather than toward earth. Perhaps that is why Peter told the scattered saints to set their hope fully on Jesus' grace (v13).  I remember a point my friend Jay White made years ago in a study... "for some things, you have to plant a  flag in your brain that tells you to take a different direction." I believe hope is like that. A living hope is a flag we plant - that Jesus died not to make us safe on earth, but to make it possible for us to go to our true hope, heaven. We must help each other have hope. A few concluding thoughts I pray you will consider:

• As strange as it may seem, we are at WAR with an evil creature named Satan (Eph 6). 
• When attacked "big" there are usually some people who will respond "big". However, Satan often attacks in between the activities of life, while we juggle home, church, family, finances, work, and so forth... he wears us out and take away our HOPE. We can't address what we don't acknowledge.
• No matter how things seem, or what anyone says, JESUS WON THE WAR when he rose from the grave (1 Cor 15). Our hope is not founded on our effort or success - it's only because of Jesus.
• For no age group is this an individual sport. A living hope is a daily choice, and it requires connecting with other believers. When we focus on the living hope, our view of worship, Bible classes, and other opportunities to rub elbow with fellow warriors will be attractive to us.

We want to be in the faith construction business. Christ is our only true hope - all other hope will fail. Why not join us on the journey of faith?