A Reason for Hope

“Well I sure hope so” is an expression of uncertainty.  We have all spoken these words when we were unsure of an outcome.  Our world is full of uncertainty. The politics of our world has us living on the edge.  Is there hope and if there is where can we find it?  The word translated hope in the Bible is not an expression of uncertainty but of expectation.  “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;” 1 Peter 3:15   Read this verse again and put expectation where hope is and you will have it right.  The Word of God gives us reason to live in expectation.  Hope is about the future but the history of God’s faithfulness to His Church gives us reason to live in expectation of our future.  The Word of God is full of promises to the faithful.  These promises are seeds to be planted in our hearts and nurtured in expectation until the day they become a reality. Jfs

1Pe 1:13 ¶ Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 

Book Review

I am just finishing a book by Ravi Zacharias. The title is “WHY JESUS?” The sub title is, “Rediscovering His Truth In An Age of Mass Marketed Spirituality.”   If you are like me, very concerned about the Church today and what many consider the departure from the faith, you will enjoy this book.  It is my observation that long before we rewrite our theology we depart from it in our hearts.  Ravi Zacharias is a thinker and he brings keen insight into the subtle mixture of Eastern religions into the Christian Faith.  Below is an example of his observations:

“The Church has forgotten the teachings of quietness, solitude, and meditation that are part of our Judeo-Christian heritage and provide great strength to the soul.  We have moved from silence to noise.  We have moved from reflection to fast-moving programs.  We have moved from quietness to the inability to remain focused on a thought for even a moment, so that the next item on the program has to begin as soon as the previous one has finished.  There is no time in our services anymore for quietness and contemplation.  We have moved from the progression of thought to a repetition of sounds.  We have stolen the bridge between the head and the heart and gone to one of two extremes: either unable to engage the culture or reflecting the culture.  Every need of the soul is met in the gospel, but like an intoxicated person, we swing between two walls without finding balance.”

To understand how the above statement fits into the message of the book you will have to read it.
I hope you will put this book on your reading list.  jfs