- araratchurch
- Jul 19, 2024
- 3 min read
“Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.” The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.””
John 11:11-13, 15 NLT
A while back, the Lord gave me a message on the “Hope Rope.”
You see, because Jesus has already entered into the Holy of Holies, into the inner sanctuary of God, hope in Him assures us that we too, will one day follow Him into that glory.
Jesus is our Anchor. He is already there at the right hand of all power and authority, holding our place for us. Our hope in Him, connects us like a rope, to His finished work.
“God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews 6:17-20 NLT
Holding on to the hope rope, enables us to walk through whatever we must, as we follow after Jesus.
Now, I know denial when I see it. People who seek to “make it through the night,” so to speak, by doing things to divert their attention from their present situation, are using denial as a strategy for survival. Sadly, it’s ultimately a strategy for despair.
Having hope in what God has promised through Jesus Christ, is not denial. Far from it, our hope is based on what faith has already “seen.”
“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”
Hebrews 11:1 NLT
As we see in our opening scripture, when Jesus’ friend, Lazarus, died, Jesus initially told the disciples that Lazarus was “sleeping.” Then He plainly told them that Lazarus was dead.
However, Jesus’ first statement about Lazarus being asleep, was not initial denial of the fact that Lazarus was dead. Indeed, that statement was based on the fact that Jesus knew that He is the resurrection and the life. And as such, Lazarus would be raised!
Child of God, our hope is in Christ. By faith, we believe that we will follow Him all the way into the glory of God. Just as He was sure of His ability as being God, we must be sure of His ability in us. That is to say, we believe we will receive all that God has promised. After all, He has given us His precious Holy Spirit Who will keep our hope renewed, day after day.
Denial brings no permanent relief. Eventually, reality will permeate the smoke and mirrors, and we will be left staring down the barrel of the very thing we feared.
Hope is a permanent solution for navigating this weary land. As we hold on to that rope connecting us to what Christ has already done, we can stay the course until we walk into the glory awaiting.
Christ has already won the victory for us, becoming the Way for us to be where He is. But until then, hope is our rest NOW. And, it will sustain us all the way home.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Jul 18, 2024
- 2 min read
“Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish. The first to speak in court sounds right— until the cross-examination begins.”
Proverbs 18:13, 17 NLT
Politics can be very dirty. One of the most egregious practices employed in political rivalries is that of looking for a “soundbite” to be repeated out of context to convey a different meaning than the person speaking intended. Of course, the purpose of this practice is often to smear the opponent’s character, intentions, beliefs, etc.
Not seeking the truth of a matter, of any matter, by those forming an opinion, particularly a negative or hostile opinion about anyone, can be extremely detrimental.
Among children, there is often the phenomenon our family has come to call the “mumble-scream.”
To explain: Some children learn how to provoke other children without being obvious about it.
The one “mumbling” does something sneakily to the other child, provoking the other child to “scream,” that is, do something obvious, such as hitting them. In this scenario, the “screamer” is often the only one punished.
Now, it’s not surprising that children do such things to each other. But it is very sad, and is often very destructive, when adults engage in such behavior. And make no mistake, it is very displeasing to the Lord.
Going back to our first example (information taken out of context), whether readily believing something without personally seeking out the truth about it, or being the one presenting a half truth, it is wrong.
As well, to be part of a mumble-scream scenario, where there is the deliberate effort to cause someone to react in a negative way, is also wrong.
In our scripture, we see that the proverbial writer makes clear that it is foolish to hear half of a story and pass judgment, or to hear some of the facts without searching out the whole truth.
I will caution you that when we hear something that fits into our own agenda, fits into the narrative we want to believe, it is very tempting to immediately grab onto what’s being presented, accepting it as truth. We might even spread it to other people.
This being a real temptation, let us make sure to seek the whole truth, before accepting anything as truth.
Lazy thinking and hasty conclusions can lead to a world of hurt. And often, that world may be our own.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Jul 17, 2024
- 2 min read
“Then the king jumped to his feet in a rage and went out into the palace garden. Haman, however, stayed behind to plead for his life with Queen Esther, for he knew that the king intended to kill him. In despair he fell on the couch where Queen Esther was reclining, just as the king was returning from the palace garden. The king exclaimed, “Will he even assault the queen right here in the palace, before my very eyes?” And as soon as the king spoke, his attendants covered Haman’s face, signaling his doom. Then Harbona, one of the king’s eunuchs, said, “Haman has set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall in his own courtyard. He intended to use it to impale Mordecai, the man who saved the king from assassination.” “Then impale Haman on it!” the king ordered. So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai, and the king’s anger subsided.”
Esther 7:7-10 NLT
I remember my father warning many times to be careful what you do to the people you pass on your way up; because you will pass them again on your way down; and the tables will be turned.
Of course, this principle is right out of the word of God.
““Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.””
Luke 6:37-38 NIV
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
Luke 6:31 NIV
Now, if this is true concerning reciprocity in terms of how we treat people, imagine the seriousness of planning bad things for other people, or even wishing bad things on other people.
We have referenced many times the story of Haman, who set out to destroy the Jews just to get at one particular Jew, Mordecai. He didn’t realize that the queen was Jewish. After Haman’s deceitful plot was uncovered, he ended up being impaled on the pole he had erected for Mordecai’s execution.
Child of God, God is watching. Let us comport ourselves with mercy and humility. After all, the life we save may be our own.
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
Galatians 6:7 NIV
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!