Settled into Hope - Encouragement Café - February 24, 2016

Settled Into Hope

Café Menu for Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Today’s Special is:  True Hope Can Be Found

Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Amy Duncan

Main Ingredient:

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 KJV

Entrée:

A few weeks ago, I lost a friend to the grave.  The day I learned of his death I cried on my drive home.  My heart was broken and I felt I had suffered a great loss.  As I began to pray and tell the Lord of my feelings, I realized why I felt such loss.  Because my friend didn't know the Lord. 

Now I know there are times we lose people to the grave and we shouldn't question their eternal destination, only God truly knows.  However, my friend and his religion didn't acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah.  With this in mind, the loss was much greater and I realized why my heart was so broken. 

You see, my hope is in Jesus Christ and through Him I have eternal life.  Through Jesus, I am promised life eternal and a homecoming compared to no other.  In 1 Thessalonians 4:13 Jesus said,

that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

One of my favorite passages is a little further down in verses 16 and 17.   It says,

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

As I grow older and life changes around me, I am certain through Jesus, I will see my loved ones again on that great homecoming day.  Hallelujah!!!  Thank you Lord!!! 

Take Out:

So my question to you is... where is your hope? 

Are you suffering from great loss in your life, a death, loss of a job, a friend, a marriage, depression, guilt? 

It doesn't matter what the loss or the issue, there is hope and life in Jesus Christ.  Come to Him.  You don't have to clean up first, just come.  Come to Jesus and on that day meet us in the air!

I am a sinner saved by grace…

Dessert:

Today Father, as I grieve for the loss of my friend, I find comfort in the fact that You too grieve for him.  You have watched soul after soul after soul fall prey to the enemy’s lies. 

Thank You, Lord, for opening my ears to Your words, my eyes to Your truths and my heart to Your message.  Thank You for allowing me to understand what truly awaits the ones who choose not to come.  Thank You for the ones who sought me out to share the glorious news of eternal life through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. 

Father forgive us for being selfish with Your message of hope.  Open our eyes to see the people of this world through Your eyes, so that we would move with urgency, carrying Your Banner of Hope, until the whole world hears.  We ask these things in the Sweet Name of Jesus, Amen. 

© 2016 by Amy Duncan.  All rights reserved.

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