Peter Tan-Chi - Live In Hope With Joy
Greetings in the wonderful name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Blessed, happy day today! Do you know why? Not only are we worshiping God together all over the world, but I have great news for you all. Praise God for Pastor Ricky! He has been discharged from the hospital and he's recovering very well. Praise God for Pastor Erwin! He is also discharged from the hospital and is recovering very well. Thank you for all your prayers, concerns, and your care! How are you feeling today? Be honest. Do you have these questions in your mind? When will we go back to normalcy? This pandemic has been going on already for over a year. Can this vaccine solve our problem? Will COVID-19 ever be resolved?
I know many of us are concerned, worried because the impact of what's happening today is unprecedented, not only the impact on our health, on the lives of people, but more than that, the impact on the family, the impact on mental health, emotional health, psychological issues. Today, there are many who are experiencing discouragement, despair, and they're experiencing depression. A new word that has become viral; it's called languishing. What is languishing? Languishing describes someone not functioning at full capacity. It dulls motivation. It disrupts your ability to focus. The word languishing, another word for "feeling blah," the idea of no energy, You don't look forward to waking up.
But can I tell you something? According to psychologists, languishing is one step before hopelessness, and hopelessness is the step before suicide. And that's why many people are committing suicide. Question. How do we navigate through tough times? And I praise God, the Bible is full of hope! The word "hope" appears 175 times in the Bible. You see, the opposite of hopelessness is hope. To overcome tough times, you have to understand how to live in hope. The importance of hope, to overcome hopelessness, is highlighted by Dr. Viktor Frankl. He's an Austrian psychiatrist. He was one of those who survived the Holocaust. According to him, prisoners did not continue to live long after hope was lost. In other words, hope is not optional. Hope is foundational to the human existence.
I remember this saying: You can live without food perhaps for 40 days. You can live without water perhaps three, four days. You can live without oxygen perhaps four minutes, more or less. But you cannot live without hope, even for four seconds. Hope is foundational. Today, I'm happy to share with you that we will begin a new series. It is based on the book of 1 Peter. The key verse that I want to begin with is found in 1 Peter 1:3. Notice 1 Peter 1:3 and what it says. The context of 1 Peter has to do with suffering, persecution, tough times. And to encourage the believers, the Apostle Peter wrote the book of 1 Peter. And if you see the theme of the book of 1 Peter, it has to do with dealing with overcoming suffering, talks about living hope, and it talks about the hope of our glory. These are all interwoven in the book of 1 Peter.
I want to begin by focusing on what is the meaning of living hope. According to the Bible, it is God the Father, Notice, Living hope is different from human hope. Our hope is living. Why? Because it is anchored on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Our hope is not fantasy. Our hope is not based on wishful thinking. It is anchored on truth. It is anchored on God. It is anchored on the reality that Jesus died and rose again. Our hope is real. Today's message is entitled: The truth is, many of us are going through tough times. What do you do? Do we deny it? Do we withdraw? Do we run away? The Bible gives us the answer. In tough times, you live in hope. What does it mean? I want to share with you the big picture of the book of 1 Peter 1. It deals with who are the recipients of this living hope. What does it mean, living hope? And how will living hope impact your life?
When the Bible talks about living hope, it is not wishful thinking. It is not dreaming, like when people say, "I hope I win the sweepstakes. I hope I'll marry this person". Biblical hope is different. It is living hope. What does it mean? For example, in Hebrews 11:1, the Bible says You will notice that the Bible tells us Faith is that title deed of our hope. The reason why you have hope is because of your faith in a living Person, none other than Jesus Christ. And the Bible tells us, that hope is the conviction of things not seen. The conviction of things not seen is a certainty. The only difference is you don't experience it yet. You don't see it yet. Romans 8:24-25 tells us, So, Biblical hope is a certainty. It is something that is sure. However, that hope is not yet fully realized. That's what the Bible says: in hope.
Remember, faith and hope are like twins. They are together. Faith, hope, you cannot have faith without hope. You cannot have hope without faith. They go together. And the Bible tells us this hope is not yet seen. And that's why the Bible tells us, you must understand what is living hope, what is Biblical hope. Notice how it will impact your life. you don't see it yet, the promises of God, Notice. It is not wishful thinking. It is not fantasy. It is a certainty that will impact your life. Today's message is entitled: Live in Hope with Joy. Say that with me. In other words, to have living hope, the byproduct is joy. What do we mean? Let's look at 1 Peter 1. The book of 1 Peter was written by none other than Peter. Peter described himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. So, when Peter wrote the book of 1 Peter, there was no doubt as to his authority and that is why he described himself, Unlike the Apostle Paul, who had to defend his apostleship, for Peter, it was given.
So he wrote with authority. Now, who was he addressing? I want to tell you, it is very important. He's addressing believers, followers of Jesus. How did he describe them? Who are Christians according to Peter? Who are the recipients of this living hope? Peter is now writing to people, believers, who he described as aliens. Wow! What does that mean? We are aliens scattered throughout all of these places. This is modern Turkey. Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia. That's how fast the Gospel has spread in the time of the Apostle Peter. What does it mean "aliens"? The Bible describes believers as pilgrims, aliens, or travelers. What does it mean? One of the earliest writings of early Christians described believers as pilgrims. And this is what they wrote down. It is so true. That's why while we live on earth, our citizenship is in heaven. We are just pilgrims. We are just travelers.
I have to remind all followers of Jesus, you are not a permanent resident of this planet Earth. You and I are pilgrims. We are sojourners. I remember this song describing I'm a Pilgrim and I'm a stranger. This world is not our home. We are only passing through. He described God's people as aliens, pilgrims. This is not our home. I want you to know that. Next, he described them as chosen. In the Greek language, the emphasis, believe it or not, is the word "chosen". It appears first in this sentence, we are chosen of God. And then, we are pilgrims. Why is this word "chosen" so important? The word "chosen" comes from this Greek word "eklektos". That's where you have the word "elected, chosen". God is trying to tell us today that you are precious, you are important. God is telling you today, whoever you are, that you are precious.
Some of you may feel that you are a nobody. Perhaps, some of you feel like nobody really cares. But can I tell you something? That word "chosen," that word "elected" is a very strong word. It means you are precious. You are very important. Imagine if there's going to be a drama in the school. They choose who will be the actors. They choose who will be the one playing in the drama. If you want to join a basketball team, a varsity team, what will the coach do? The coach will make selections. But you see, many times, we fail to realize how important we are in the eyes of God. God is saying, you are chosen, you are precious. I'm reminded of a young girl who was teased in her school. You know why? Because her classmates knew she was adopted and they made fun of her. So she went home. Her father looked at her. Her hather said, "What's the problem"? Then she said, "Daddy, is it true I'm adopted? My classmates are making fun of me".
And her father gave an amazing explanation. Her father said, "Most of your classmates are born, Their parents have to raise them up. But my dear, you are special. Of all the millions of children I could have chosen, I chose you. I adopted you. You are special". And that's how the Bible describes us. God adopted us into His family. My friends, I want you to realize that you are precious. You are special. How special are you? I want you to notice the next verse. The Bible tells us, Do you notice how we are chosen? The Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, are all involved in our election, in God's choosing us. What do I mean? You see, the Bible tells us, God chose us according to His foreknowledge. The word "foreknowledge," is a theological word. It's a combination of two Greek words: fore, knowledge, meaning prior. It deals with God's omniscience. God knows everything past, present, future. And God is telling us, "I know everything about you. Before you were even born, I know you already. And after you were born, I know everything. I know all the things you'll be doing. And in spite of that, I chose you".
That's the meaning. God knows everything and He chose us. Wow! What an amazing truth that God loves you so much and He chose you according to His foreknowledge. Next, In other words, the Holy Spirit is involved. Do you realize that you and I will not be able to respond to God apart from His Spirit? You see, God the Father has chosen us, but God the Holy Spirit prompts us. He's at work in our hearts to respond to the Lord. Notice. What is God's plan for us? The word "sanctifying" comes from the word "set apart," from the root word "holy". God wants us to be set apart. God chose us not just for the forgiveness of our sins, but He chose us that we may live a holy life. For what purpose? To obey Jesus. How will you know if you are chosen of God, elected of God? Do you notice what's going to happen to your life?
Sanctifying work of the Spirit, your life will begin to be transformed. You will begin to live for the Lord. For what purpose? To obey. To obey Jesus Christ. And you notice something else? You will now notice that here's the allusion to the Old Testament regarding the sprinkling of blood. You see, the Bible is very clear. The Old Testament is a foreshadowing of what Jesus is going to do for us. So, the Old Testament animal sacrifices, where you get an animal that is unblemished, and then you kill the animal and spread the blood, it has to do with forgiveness of sins. The idea of sprinkling of blood occurs in three different ways in the Old Testament. First, the sprinkling of blood to the people happened in Mount Sinai when God made a covenant with them, when God made a promise for them to be His people.
The next one is when Aaron and his children were to be anointed as priests. There was sprinkling of blood on their ear lobes, on their toes. And lastly, when a leper is cleansed. When a leper is declared as cleansed, the leper is sprinkled with blood. And all of those three are pictures of what Christ will do for us. Because of what Jesus did for us for the forgiveness of our sins, we enter into a new relationship, a new covenant. Second, we are called to be his priests. We are chosen. And lastly, wow, the Bible tells us, we are cleansed through the forgiveness of sins. This is so important so that you will know who are the recipients of this amazing promise of God: living hope. This is a description of God's people. How do you know that you belong to the Lord? Chosen, pilgrims, and born again to a living hope. What do we mean by born again to a living hope?
Let's review. Notice. The foundation of our relationship with God is His mercy. God chose us because of His mercy. God caused us to be born again. Grammatically, it was God who initiated our relationship with Him. This is so comforting, God's mercy. God did not choose me because I deserved it. It's because of His grace. God did not choose me because I'm good. It's His grace. It's His mercy. It's not because of me. It's because of God. And the Bible tells us He caused us to be born again. Notice the word "born again". Many people think born again is a religion. No, the idea of born again is all throughout the Bible. For example, in the Gospel of John 3, The idea is that we need to have God's Spirit, God's renewal in our lives. That's the idea of being born again. Through, notice, The foundation of the Christian life begins with a relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He died and rose again.
The moment we have Jesus Christ in our lives, the moment we have God's Spirit in our lives, the Bible says we have new life. That's the idea of born again. The old things have passed away and new things have come, the new life of Christ in us and through us. So born again is very important. My question to you today is this: Are you aware that you are a pilgrim? You're a traveler. This world is not our home. Are you aware that you are special, chosen by God? And lastly, have you experienced being born again by the power of God's Spirit because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead? Is Jesus Christ in your heart? Notice. What does it mean by living hope? The next verse tells us what are you going to hope for. Let me explain to you. The Bible tells us what is promised when you are born again into the family of God is to obtain an inheritance.
Now, what kind of inheritance? Many of us, I know, you think of inheritance just like in this country where the father passes on money, houses, and wealth to you. But the Bible is describing our inheritance that is so amazing. The words described is all in the negative. You know why? It is so beautiful that words cannot describe it. So what do I mean? It is telling us what it is not. It is imperishable. It is not perishable. It is permanent. Wow! It is undefiled. There's nothing evil in that inheritance you are going to get. And will not fade away. It will always be relevant. It will always be fresh. Let me explain. What does it mean "imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you"? The word "imperishable" has the idea of something permanent. It will not decay.
What kind of inheritance is permanent and will not decay? Everything in this world will eventually decay. A house and lot will decay. Even property, even the most expensive places, because of earthquakes, because of war, it can lose its value. The word "undefiled" has the idea of nothing evil attached to it. The truth is, many, many young people today because of the inheritance from their fathers, they become entitled. They're spoiled. Do you realize that money can defile us? Instead of becoming a better citizen, we become spoiled. The Bible says that the inheritance God has for us is imperishable, undefiled, and it will never fade away. It'll never grow old.
What does that mean? I am reminded of the true story that happened to this amazing family. He's called Czar Nicholas II. He is part of the Romanov family. The Romanov family ruled Russia for 300 years. There were so rich. Now, 70% of the land belonged to this family in Russia. And you must understand that Russia has a big area. In short, this family owned almost 10% of the land in the whole planet Earth. Their wealth was so enormous, by the time they were assassinated, if you compute that into our current Dollar equivalent, this family had billions, over 300 billions of Dollars. Very rich. What happened? You see, nothing is imperishable. Nothing is permanent in this world. Even though they're the most powerful family, in 1917, what is so sad is the entire family was killed. Very sad. And that's why it is important that you understand our inheritance.
The Bible tells us, our inheritance is reserved. Notice, reserved in heaven for you. It is something that is sure. You know why it is sure? The Bible tells us you and I will be so protected that we will be able to experience and receive the inheritance. Do you know that not all inheritance, even though it is reserved for you, you will be able to experience? My friend told me what happened last year. There was this man who flew from the States. He was very rich. He's about to inherit hundreds of millions of Pesos. But when he arrived in the Philippines, he got sick. He was hospitalized. Believe it or not, he was not able to go out of the hospital. In less than a week, he died. This man came to receive his inheritance, but he's not able to do it. The Bible says when it comes to God's people, it's different. The Bible tells us, You are protected by God's power. You are guaranteed to receive your blessing.
Do you know that just because something's reserved, does not always mean you're going to get it? Do you realize that the comfort of this amazing truth: that you are guarded by God to make sure you reserve it? Look at what it says. It is God Himself that will guard you. The Greek word for "protected" is a military term. God is guarding you by His power to make sure you inherit the blessing You see, our inheritance will be fully manifested when you and I meet Jesus again. That's the idea. Our inheritance is also our salvation. It's guaranteed. Someday, you are sure to inherit it. You are sure to enjoy God's amazing inheritance. I am reminded that our inheritance is not always in this world. For example, in the old testament Numbers 18:20 You see, God is telling Aaron and the Levites, "You will not own properties in Israel", why? God is saying, "I am your portion, I am your inheritance".
In 1 Corinthians 2:9, the Bible tells us what our inheritance is going to be. Do you notice the amazing blessings, inheritance that God has in store for us? God is saying what eye has not seen, what ear has not heard, that's why it cannot be put in writings, which have not entered the heart of men, it is beyond your wildest imagination, all that God has prepared for those who love Him, that is why it is so important that you study the Bible. You must know the heart of God. Coming to Jesus will not make you a martyr. Coming to Jesus is the pathway to true blessing. No wonder, the next verse tells us what living hope will do. Now that you know what is this living hope, amazing promise.
Wow, my future inheritance! Salvation, God Himself. How would that help you? Well, it tells you in verse 6 and 7. You know what the Bible is saying? Because of this living hope, because of the certainty of what will happen to you in the future, then he tells us, in the meantime, don't be afraid of trials. Do you notice how we are to respond because of living hope? With joy. You greatly rejoice, not just with joy, greatly rejoice. An amazing compound word. Not just happy, greatly be happy, be joyful. Why? Even though for a little while, whatever problems you and I will have, the Bible tells us, "for a little while". Whatever it is, it is never forever, for a little while. Whatever discomfort you are facing now, whatever tough times you are facing now, I'd like you to know something. Living hope will remind you that the future is far, far better. In the meantime, a little while, if necessary.
The word "necessary," God is not arbitrary. God will not give us challenges, He won't allow tough times for the sake of giving us trials. No, if necessary only, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials. The word "distress" can also be translated as you are grieved. You see, many people think, if you are a Christian, if you are intimate with God, no matter what is that problem, you will not feel grieved, you will not be saddened. That is not true. There are times when we are grieved. There are times when we are distressed. We are all human beings. So, it is normal to be saddened, but you don't stay saddened for a long time. You are saddened by various trials.
Notice, the word literally means different kinds of trials. Some of us are having physical challenges. You are having health problems. For some people, it is relationship problems, your loved ones. It can be a husband. It can be children. It can be family members. It's causing you distress and your temptation is to run away. The Bible says that you must have the right perspective, because of this amazing living hope, the certainty of an amazing future. In the meantime, you must have this perspective. How do you look at trials? So that what's the purpose? What does it mean? Well, the purpose of trials is redemptive. It is not for the sake of suffering. No, no, no. The purpose of trials, the Bible tells us, so that the proof of your faith. Do you notice the proof? That is the Greek word that means to test the genuineness. How do you know if something is true? How do you know if something is counterfeit?
That the proof of your faith. It is so important that our faith be tested. You will only know if your faith is real or not, depending on how you respond to trials. And God's heart is for you to know that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold, which is perishable. Do you notice something? If gold is perishable, even though it is one of the most expensive things in the time of the writings of the Bible, your faith is even more precious. That's what it says. Being more precious than gold, because gold will eventually perish, even though tested by fire. Do you notice the analogy? Gold is refined by fire to remove the impurities. People have often asked, "How do you know if the gold is pure"? In the time of Jesus and in the time of the Apostle Peter, they tell us that they will melt the gold under tremendous pressure, heat until the image of the one refining the gold is seen.
When the reflection of the gold can reflect the image of the man refining the gold, the man will know that the gold is pure. My friend, it's the same picture. Our character is being refined through trials. Do you notice something? Your character is seldom developed during good times? Our character is refined during tough times. And when will that process stop? The Bible says when we become Christlike. So, the purpose of testing and trials is to purify our faith, to refine our character. And the Bible tells us what is the result? Do you notice? It is all about Christ. Our theology must never be man-centered. We are being refined for what purpose? So we become Christlike and we bring honor to Him. We will bring praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. The whole purpose of our life on Earth right now is a preparation.
So that one day, when we meet Jesus, we will be like Him. You see, life on earth is a preparation. It is a testing ground. It's a refinement. So we'll be ready to meet our Savior. Living hope will help you process things clearly so that you will have joy. So, the Bible does us, with this living hope, even when you undergo trials, you'll notice what the Bible tells us. Notice. Sometimes, you have to ask yourself why are you in despair? Why are you disturbed? And what is the solution? Our living hope is living because it is anchored on the living God. It is anchored on Jesus Christ. Our faith, our hope, is not dead hope, it is living. Why? It is centered on God. That is why faith and hope cannot be separated. You see, faith and hope are intertwined. They're interconnected. I'm reminded of an eagle. An eagle has a pair of wings, just like an airplane. Faith and hope. A bird cannot fly with just one wing. Faith and hope, they go together.
And science tells us that the eagles, because of their amazing strength, they're able to fix their wings, left and right fixed together, and they will fly through the storms. You know why? Because faith and hope, they go together. And just like the eagle, if you have faith and hope, centered on the Lord, you will be like the eagle. You will fly above the storms. You will realize that only the eagle can fly over 10,000 feet. They can fly above clouds. Why? Their wings are amazing. They're able to fix it, faith and hope. And as we go to the last verse for this Sunday's message, I want you to notice something. I want you to notice what these verses are saying. Do you know what Peter is saying? I know you have not seen our Lord Jesus Christ, because Peter saw the Lord Jesus before the resurrection and after the resurrection.
Peter is saying, "Yes, you may not have seen Him physically, yet you love Him". The ability to love our Lord is not dependent on our physical eyes. Though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, it's activated by faith, Can you see the importance of faith and hope? Because of your faith and because of your hope, he's saying, you are able to greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible. This is an amazing term. It talks about joy. Greatly rejoice. You see, living hope helps you to have amazing joy, greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible. Words cannot express this. You know what Peter is saying? To the believers that are scattered throughout Turkey, all of you believers, I want you to know that you are able to have joy. And they're experiencing joy. They're experiencing the love of God.
Charles Spurgeon said, "A little faith will bring your soul to heaven. Great faith will bring heaven to your soul". My friend, are you able to have this kind of living hope? Are you able to trust God for His promises? Do you notice how repetitive the Bible is? Faith in God's promises brings hope. And what is our hope? Salvation, future glory. It's a certainty, the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. You will notice gramatically, the Bible says when you encounter trials, in this you greatly rejoice. You see, our message is: Live in Hope with Joy. You know, grammatically, you greatly rejoice. It is in the present tense. Every time you are distressed, every time you have problems, you must greatly rejoice. It is in the continuous tense. You must make it a habit that when you have trials, when you are grieved, you recalibrate your mind, you greatly rejoice.
Make it a habit to be joyful. God wants us to realize that we can greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible, meaning make it a habit. As you go through life, because of this living hope, make it a habit to be joyful. Why? Because of this reality: Jesus is coming again. And one day, we will meet Him. You will experience your inheritance. In case you are confused. You will say, "What do you mean the outcome of your faith, salvation? Isn't it that we already have salvation"? Yes. You already have salvation, but salvation is a big word. The Bible talks about the different tenses of salvation. For example, the Bible tells us the past tense of salvation: saved from the penalty of sin.
Ephesians 2:8: for by grace are you saved through faith. It is something that happened in the past. It's called justification. Past tense. What about present tense salvation? You are now saved from the power of sin. That's present tense. It is found in Philippians 2 where Paul says, "work out your salvation with fear and trembling. It is God who is at work in you". The Bible tells us that the Spirit of God is at work in us to sanctify us. Present tense. The future tense of salvation, it's called the glorification of God's people, when you are taken away from the presence of sin. The Bible says, someday when salvation will have its full expression, not just saved from the penalty of sin, that's past tense, not just being saved right now from the power of sin, but someday, we shall be saved from the very presence of sin, the Bible tells us, when we are in the presence of God, the glorification of God's people, future tense.
So, don't be confused. When you read the Bible, sometimes, it is past tense. Sometimes, it is present tense. And sometimes, it is future tense, because salvation is a big word. It encompasses forgiveness of sin, sanctifying work of God in our lives, which you will learn next week as I preach to you what will happen if you have this living hope, how will this impact your life, and then the future tense, our future glory. Amazing living hope! It's all about God's glory, God's grace, God's promises. As one famous writer used to say, In other words, our suffering becomes lighter when you compare that with Jesus. It is even lighter when you compare that with amazing future glory that God is going to give us. You see, if you will fully understand the future glory that awaits us, temporal difficulties are bearable as long as you are sure that your future is guaranteed.
Amazing future! Anybody can bear temporal setbacks if they are guaranteed an amazing future. This is my burden. What about those people who don't have this hope? How do you encourage people today? Let me share with you, as we close, the problem of people without God. You know, the Bible describes the people of this world as follows. The Bible says in Ephesians 2, The Bible says, without Jesus, there is no hope. How can we tell people who don't know Jesus to have living hope? The Bible says, "no hope without God". I am reminded of this famous atheist philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche. He was the one who said, "God is dead". He's the one who started this philosophy called Nihilism. Nihilism means life has no meaning. Do you notice how it impacted his worldview, his life? According to him, the best of all things is not to be born and not to be, to be nothing.
The second best thing for you is to die soon. My goodness, what is he saying? The best thing that people who do not know the Lord is, the best thing in life, is not to be born, but in case you are born, the next best thing is to die as soon as possible. What a sad philosophy of life. And that, my friend, is the truth. My heart goes out to many of my friends who have died without Jesus. I'm concerned for you because without Jesus, what is your hope? I had dinner with somebody recently and he told me what happened to his life. He said, after being married for nine weeks, His wife suddenly died beside him. When he woke up in the morning, the wife could not breathe anymore. I cannot imagine the pain that my friend went through and he said that it is something that he cannot imagine. He cannot believe it.
In fact, he's asking God, "How can this happen to me? I'm only married nine weeks. I'm only 22 years old and You took away my wife". But he said, the most amazing thing happened. In the grieving process, because of the living hope that he had in Christ, he knew that his wife is in heaven and he told me, he was sharing this with us, how God embrace him, how he experienced the reality of God's peace, of God's embrace, and how God spoke to him. You can continue on. And my friend today is a pastor of a very dynamic, growing church. What happened? I realize that trials and hardships do not automatically make you better. You can either become bitter or better. It depends on your perspective.
However, if your hope is living, you know Jesus, you will see things differently. And this is my prayer for all of us. In Romans 15:13, this is what the Bible tells us. What do you notice something about our God? He is called the God of hope. Only God can fill us with all joy and peace. The God of hope. How? In believing. For what purpose? So that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Do you notice? God wants you to abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is from God. It is by the work of the Holy Spirit. And God is able by His Holy Spirit to give you living hope. Not just living hope, abound in hope, full of joy and full of peace. Somebody wrote this and I wanted to share this with you. We don't know the author. I added certain things, but I hope this will encourage you.
Hope looks for the good in people, instead of harping on the worst in them.
Hope opens doors where despair closes them.
Hope discovers what can be done instead of grumbling about what cannot be done.
Hope draws its power from a deep trust in God.
Hope lights a candle instead of cursing the darkness.
Hope regards problems, small or large, as opportunities.
Hope cherishes no illusions, nor does it yield to cynicism.
Hope is anchored in God.
And let me bless you with this amazing promise. The Bible tells us in Colossians 1:17, I'd like you to appreciate this amazing truth for God's people. You see, our hope is anchored in none other than Jesus Christ. When you have Jesus Christ, you have everything. If you don't have Jesus Christ, you have nothing. My question: Do you have Jesus Christ? Are you able to have this living hope, the hope of glory? Are you living in hope with joy or are you living with discouragement? Are you living with depression or are you living with hope? Are you languishing or are you hopeful? The question is: do you have the living hope? why don't you humble yourself today? And you come to the Lord. You say, "Lord Jesus, I don't think I've been born again. I don't think I have Your Spirit. I don't have the joy. I don't have this hope in me". I will pray for you. Let's pray together.
Lord Jesus Christ, I come before You in humility, knowing that oftentimes, I'm depressed, I'm in despair, I am languishing. Lord, I realize that I've been living for myself based on my own power. Today, I come before you. Help me to have this living hope. I ask You Jesus, right now, to come into my life. I want to experience being born again, and to be born again, Lord Jesus, is to invite You into my life as my Lord and my Savior. By faith, I surrender to You my life. I accept Your gift of forgiveness. I accept Your gift of eternal life. And above all, by faith, I accept Your promise of living hope. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. And amen.