Biblical Hope VERSUS Natural Hope

Category:
What Is Faith? What is Living by Faith?

Biblical Hope

versus

Natural Hope

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In the natural, when somebody is “hoping” for something, there is usually some fear or un-expectancy mixed with it.

I’ve even heard people tag negative, fear statements along with their “hope”, many times.

Some examples of how I hear people “hoping” are:

I sure hope I get this job (and then they say or insinuate:  I never get promotions though;  I probably won’t get this one either);
I sure hope God will do it for me, (and then they say or insinuate:  but He probably won’t; things never work out for me);
I really hope she gets well (and then they say or insinuate:  but it looks like she is dying; the doctors say she is dying);
I hope I can pay my bills this month (and then they say or insinuate:  but I’ve been running negative the past two months, there really is no way out of this for me; I’ll probably have to declare bankruptcy).

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Natural hope, many times, brings disappointment or speaks about disappointment before the “thing” even comes to pass.

We “hope” something good will come to us, or happen to us, but we BELIEVE it won’t really.

We just believe that the same old way that life has always been dealing us “bad hands” will continue.

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.Hope, without faith, fails.  And the Bible says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12).  This is why so many people are bitter and give up “hoping” that anything good will come to them.  They have simply had their hopes dashed too many times.

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BIBLICAL HOPE, however, is “expecting” something to come to pass.

We have the earnest (intense, serious) expectation, that what we hope for, or believe, WILL actually come to pass.

It is being “persuaded” or “knowing full well” that it WILL happen.

The HOPE of Abraham

The Bible shows us how the HOPE that Abraham had was an actual CONFIDENCE that what God Promised WOULD come to pass:

Romans 8:14 – Abraham in HOPE BELIEVED and SO became the father of many nations …

And Paul uses the word HOPE as KNOWING a Promise of God will  come to pass, many other  times in his  letters to the churches, as seen below:

Romans 15:12 – And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, One Who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will HOPE in Him” (The HOPE in Jesus for the born-again Christian, is an ASSURANCE of heaven;  Biblical Hope is an ASSURANCE that what is Promised is actually ours)

Romans 8:23-25 - Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this HOPE we were saved.  But hope that is seen is no hope at all.  Who hopes for what he already has?  But if we HOPE for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Again, every born-again believer is ALREADY walking in Biblical Hope, when it comes to their salvation ….. and this Biblical way of hope, must be extended to ALL the Promises of God. We must trust that all the Promises are True, and then we must wait PATIENTLY for the Promises to come to pass).

Ephesians 1:11-14 – In Him (Jesus) we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him Who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first TO HOPE in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory.  And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having BELIEVED, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of His glory. (Again, Paul uses the word HOPE when he talks about our BELIEVING in Christ.)

Colossians 1:23 - if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the HOPE held out in the gospel (This Scripture also shows that our HOPE is our FAITH in the promise of  heaven as the new home for those who BELIEVE / HOPE in Christ)

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The Bible goes on to tell us how it is our FAITH or BELIEF in the Promise that does bring the Promise to pass:

Hebrews 11:1 states “Faith is the SUBSTANCE of things HOPED for, the evidence of things not seen“.  (Note  that when we mix our FAITH in with our HOPE, then we will be FULLY PERSUADED and CONVINCED that what we hope for WILL COME TO PASS.  Our Faith gives solid evidence … or proof, as other translations state … that the Promise is actually true, and belonging to us,  right now. This is proven in still other Scriptures that Paul writes, when speaking of our HOPE in our salvation.)

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Biblical Hope, therefore, is not a “wishing” something will happen, but a full “KNOWING” something will happen….the Promise is as good as DONE:

1 John 5:14-15  “Now this is the CONFIDENCE that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we KNOW that we HAVE the petitions that we have asked of Him”.

JOY is the Fruit of Biblical Hope

.Biblical Hope will also produce JOY … for when we are “persuaded’ that our prayer IS answered {as 1 John 5:14-15 and Heb 11:1 tells} then we  will  rejoice and be excited that the Promise of God will soon manifest in our lives!

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Romans 12:12  says, “Be JOYFUL in HOPE, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer“.

If you really don’t believe God at His Word  it is impossible to be JOYFUL in HOPE, because our natural, un-renewed minds don’t BELIEVE  that every single Promise made in the Bible is absolutely ours, all the time, in every situation.

The natural, un-renewed mind has been  persuaded by circumstances and past experiences  to believe that “bad things even happen to good people” and God just does not intervene all the time.

The natural, un-renewed mind  has also been persuaded by circumstances and past experiences to believe that  God’s Word is NOT literal in every situation, for God’s “will” trumps God’s Words and Promises.

And if you are over the age of 18 (maybe younger?)  you probably have experienced enough BAD circumstances and disappointments in your life,  to make your HOPE turn a little sour!  

But Biblical Hope WILL produce that joy!  If we CHOOSE to renew our minds to BELIEVE God at His Word, and be  FULLY  PERSUADED and CONVINCED that the Promises are FOR us, RIGHT NOW!

Remember the Scripture which says:  ALL things are possible to him who believes?

Let’s Check Up On Ourselves

Check up on your ‘HOPE’ today.

Is it Biblical Hope?

Is your  hope  mixed with FAITH and producing JOY?

Faith is our substance and our proof that whatever we are hoping for, IS AS GOOD AS DONE.

And that Faith WILL  produce great joy!

Choose to believe God today, remembering that God is NOT a liar,  and being  FULLY  CONVINCED that ALL that God has Promised in His Word is for your life … for ALL of the Promises of God are YES in Christ Jesus,  if we will  ‘hope’ with that intense assurance !  Amen.

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No permission given to reproduce, copy, or distribute FaithSpeaksInc Blog statements and/or teachings without prior written permission. LINKING to this site is permitted.

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Is JOY Set Before You?

Categories:
What Is Faith? What Is Living By Faith?

IS

JOY

SET BEFORE YOU ??

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.Hebrews 12:2 states that we should, “Look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; Who for the JOY that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame …”

.How could Jesus go through such shame, torture, and separation from the Father? Because He looked ahead. He looked past His present circumstances and He saw the victory that was His, which was beyond His present trial.

He knew the trial was temporary and He looked forward at that great glory and great joy which was on the other side of the trial.

He looked ahead and saw what was His prize.

He looked ahead and saw He was soon to be back with the Father.

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This is the message of faith !!

We must always look AHEAD or BEYOND our present trial and see the victory that lies ahead.   We must keep the prize and the outcome in our sight*.

..Are you facing a difficult situation today?
Are you sick and in need of a healing?
Do you need joy to carry you through your trial, as you await God’s Promises to manifest in the natural realm?

Then remember to keep your eyes on the answer.
Keep your eyes on the Promises which call you ‘healed’ and ‘whole’ and ‘victorious’.

Keep your mind meditating on the fact that you HAVE the answer, present tense, and that you are not ‘hoping’ to get your answer {Mark 11:23, Hebrews 11:1}.

See yourself up and running around, as you worship God today. See yourself whole and healed, while you are thanking God for healing you.

See your children worshiping God on their knees, alongside of yourself, as you thank God today for saving your children. Thank Him for saving them and filling them with a knowledge of His ways and of His love, and SEE them worshiping God with you.

See your bank statement in the positive, even after you’ve paid all your bills. And thank God that your bank account has lots of money left over, after you pay your bills, so that you can give generously to the kingdom needs that arise {2 Cor 9}.

Look at the end result in your mind’s eye.
Set your attention on the end result, not the current trial.

Thank God for how beautiful and whole your family looks, as you worship God for fulfilling His Covenant Promises in their lives.

And worship God.

Remember that as God sees you worshiping in secret … alone, in your own room, and not just on Sunday mornings in a church setting … He will reward openly***.

Worship Him today. And tomorrow. And the next day. And then the next.

Thank Him for answering your prayers.

Keep your answer as present tense, in the fore front of your mind.

And worship God for being faithful to His Promises.

This is Faith.
This is how to Live by Faith.
And this will bring great joy to you, while you wait for the answer to actually manifest in the natural realm.

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*Remember our FAITH is our proof, evidence, or assurance that we HAVE what we are believing for:

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”
Hebrews 11:1

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** “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we KNOW that we HAVE the petitions that we desired of Him”
1 John 5:14-15}

“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them”
Mark 11:24

*** “And thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly”
Matthew 6:6

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© 2009  LeeAnn Bell, Faith Speaks Inc
No permission given to reproduced, copy, sell, commercialize or distribute FaithSpeaksInc Blog statements or teachings without prior written permission.  LINKING to this site is permitted.  Thank You.

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Faith versus Feelings

Category:
Quick Thought For The Day

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FAITH versus FEELINGS

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The great man of faith, Smith Wigglesworth, once said:

“I can’t understand God by feelings. I can’t understand the Lord Jesus Christ by feelings. I can only understand God the Father and Jesus Christ by what the Word says about them. God is everything the Word says He is. We need to get acquainted with Him through the Word.”

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Too many people think God has heard their prayers, when they ‘feel good’;

Too many people think God has heard them when they pray really loud, and really long, and get some emotion or feeling. If they don’t get the ‘goosebumps’ or don’t ‘feel good’ when they pray, they think God has not heard them.

But this shows that their faith is based on their feelings and not based on God’s word.

Remember God’s Word says:

“This is the CONFIDENCE we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, HE HEARS US. And if we know that He hears us — whatever we ask — we KNOW that we have what we asked of Him” {1 John 5:14-15 – NIV}

These Words alone should be our confidence that GOD HEARS OUR PRAYERS.

Not our goosebumps..
Not the tears that come, because it was such a wonderful and emotional time with God.
Not our feelings.

If you don’t feel one thing when you pray, you can STILL rest fully assured that God HAS HEARD YOU, if you have prayed in faith, “believing you have received your answer” {Mark 11:24}, and if you have a Promise from God showing that what you have prayed for is actually His will.

You can rest fully assured, that your prayer IS ANSWERED and has accomplished exactly what you prayed about, if you believe God is not a liar and does what He says He will do.

We must get Biblical in our prayer life, and in our daily walk, so that NOTHING can confuse us or make us fall into doubt, unbelief, or hopelessness.

We must  get Biblical in our prayer life, and in our daily walk with God, so that we can STAND, and having done all that we can do, still STAND in faith, nothing wavering, full of confidence and joy and expectation.

Without FAITH it is impossible to please God, so let’s lay our emotions and feelings all aside, and start to walk by FAITH.

FAITHFUL is God, Who Promised, Who also will DO all that He has Promised!  {Hebrews 10:23}.  Amen.

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(c) 2008-2009 — No permission given to reproduce, sell, or distribute FaithSpeaksInc Blog statements and teachings without prior written permission.
Permission is given to LINK to this site.

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