Because of our Hope!

(Colossians 1:5)  “Because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.”

Our Father; “Hallowed be thy name” and great is thy faithfulness. I want to slow down this morning and think on the hallowedness of God in conjunction to His merciful love and how it affects all His children. It is not as if only the top of the class receives the apple from their teacher, He cares for all His children and He is not slack when it comes to His promises; “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6): - If your cry this morning is my Saviour lives and you believe that with all your heart and you confess Jesus Christ as Lord I am also convinced with Paul that our great God will get you home.

Be of good cheer and do not get “lost in translation” with the cares of this life, it is but a small consideration if we reason soberly. To forever be with our “Hallowed” Father. Think on this, but not only that, He is also willing to address us as His sons and in eternity to come He will address us as such. The Lord Jesus the firstborn amongst many brethren. Now if that that doesn’t blow your mind, I am worried for you, as chares of this life would begin to look to choke the life out of you. Stop! Are you amongst that number? How many will actually make it, one may ask? The beloved disciple John witness the number; “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen." (Revelation 7:9-12)

God is faithful and will only ever be true to His promises; all we need do is to believe them with sincerity. Hallowed be His name! The universe quakes when it hears His voice and there is a day coming when heaven and earth as we know it will flee from His presence with a single voice command, hallowed be His name! And yet the very same God is willing to call us His sons, almost unbelievable! But believe it we must! “God’s got an army and in this army I’ve got a part”. We all have a part to play in God’s army if we belong to Him and we have His Sons Spirit, praise the glorious name of Jesus!

It is good to slow down and get perspective, so here it is; “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:9-13)

If this is our standing, all we now need do is hold onto to our Saviour with all our might, believing God’s Word and come what may, confessing Jesus as Lord, with this as our persuasion, that He will get us home, not only the top of the class will make it but even the laggards, so be of good cheer. “The bruised reed He will not break and the smoking flax He will not quench”.

With that said, times of trail must come, it is only through the trial that will prove our allegiance to Him. If our conversion is false and we come to Christ for self-gain as it were, it won’t take long before we fall by the wayside. But if God has called us, and then elected us, be sure of this He will get us home; believe it we must!

Why did they wonder around in the wilderness destitute, in sheep skins seeking a city whose builder and make was God? They understood God’s promise! Do we?

I heard someone once explain eternity like this; “think on a bird that once a week flies to the biggest mountain on earth to sharpen its beak and only once that mountain is no more, then will eternity still be in embryo. Perpetuity, eternal life that has no end, what a thought in itself, but with God as our Father and the Lord Jesus as our brother, what can top that hope. No wonder people were willing to be burnt at the stake. Praise the name of Jesus! I hope you have just got a slight glimpse of what is still to come, so if you head hangs somewhat and your knees feel somewhat wobbly, be of good cheer, our God is for us and not against us and He will get us home, come what may!

Signing off

Tyrone