Thoughts on Christ and His Word

In trying times we all believe things will get better. A brighter day is coming. Our hope is found in believing that better things will come tomorrow. But what do we do when we realize that there is no better tomorrow coming. When we are on the threshold of death and we know that our best days are behind us. Job found himself in this situation. Because of his physical illness he thought that there was no better days coming - the sun was setting on his life. Yet he dug deep into his soul and found HOPE. I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed,yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes — I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:25-27 . Job found faith, hope, and comfort in his final destiny. He no longer expected a better tomorrow, at least not on earth. But his heart longed to see his Redeemer, in his new heavenly body, with his new eyes, in a new place - a

In his blog, marketer Seth Godin wrote about "What marketers actually sell". I think he's right, but only the church can provide complete and Everlasting Hope. He wrote: Not powder or chemicals or rubber or steel or silicon or talk or installations or even sugary water. What marketers sell is hope. The reason is simple: people need more. We run out. We need it replenished. Hope is almost always in short supply. The magical thing about selling hope is that it makes everything else work better, every day get better, every project work better, every relationship feel better. If you can actually deliver on the hope you sell, there will be a line out the door. Hope cures cynicism. Hope increases productivity. Hope needs no justification. As a church leader, I must market the Free, True, and Everlasting Hope found only in Christ Jesus our Lord. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy S

Migrating birds come and go through Atlanta. They have Vision, Hope, and Strategy. According to the Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources " the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), weighing less than a penny, [flies] non-stop over the Gulf of Mexico, a continuous 24-hour flight of about 500 miles." Now that's Vision and Hope! I wouldn't swim 50 feet into the Gulf for fear of not getting back. In his book "Tribes" Seth Godin writes: Hope without a strategy doesn't generate leadership. Leadership comes when your hope and your optimism are matched with a concrete vision of the future and a way to get there. People won't follow you if they don't believe you can get where you say you're going. Leadership isn't just about Vision. Any complainer can voice what would be a better future. Real leaders not only have a Vision, they have a Plan and Strategy on how to get there and then inspire Hope along the way. Like the the Ruby-throated

God is a God of HOPE and MERCY. The prophet Micah anticipated God’s mercy on his life. > But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me…Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. Micah 7:7-8 In Micah 6:8 God says He wants us to “act justly and love mercy”. Acting justly is doing the right thing all the time – acting rightly towards God and man. Loving mercy is not holding grudges against others who have sinned against us. Releasing them from our judgment and punishment and letting God judge the person for “…judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” James 2:13 Today I choose to forgive and release those that have sinned against me. I am ready to receive God’s mercy for my life.