Origins of Hope

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into unmerited favor (grace) which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
– Romans 5:2-5

Hope does not disappoint…what is it we hope for? We hope for the day that we may be glorified, perfected, made whole. And why do we have this hope? Because of the love poured into our hearts, shaping us within the very character of Christ. Where does hope begin? Hope is birthed by the fullness of the Holy Spirit given us.

Father, sometimes my hope feels shot…oftentimes I feel like a foolish dreamer, and yet I am found with this bullet riddled hope that you will make all things new. That you can take my nothingness and my death and create something vibrant and alive. I open my hand to you, releasing my wantings, my dreams, my needs, and all that I have…I give to you…that my hope would be found in you…that my hope would be made new. Bring joy to my heart even now. Rapture me with steadfast love.

“I’m giving you my heart and all that is within. I lay it all down for the sake of you my king. I’m giving you my dreams, I’m laying down my rights, I’m giving up my pride for the promise of new life. I surrender all to you.”

The God of Blessings and Cursings

O God of my praise, do not keep silent, for wicked and deceitful mouths have opened against me. They speak to me with a lying tongue. They also surround me with words of hate, and fight me without cause. In return for my love they accuse me, though I am in prayer. So they inflicted evil against me in return for good and hatred in return for my love.
– Psalms 109:1-5

FaithLife notes:
To the biblical authors, curses and blessings were effective because they involved the real power of God. Bringing an effective curse (or blessing) implied that a person speaking was loyal to God and in right standing with God. It also implied that the request was somehow congruent with God’s purposes or God’s justice, as Yahweh stubbornly refused to allow Himself to be manipulated.

The psalmist connects his request for God’s help to God’s love and His good reputation. The psalmist wants God’s help not only for his personal vindication, but also because he wants for God’s character to be displayed.

What a man says or does to the needy (v. 16 & 22) is belittled compared to what God says or does. Likewise what the righteous man says or does is also made small in comparison to the working of God and the word of God. The righteous, instead of taking matters in their own hands, petition themselves before the Lord, the Righteous Judge…He cannot be controlled, cannot be manipulated. It is in humility that man accepts his place before his Maker, and with understanding that he may know His love.

Lord, help me accept that You are God, and I am not. There is not and will not be another God besides You in my heart. Father, I have so little control of my life’s outcome, would You deal justly with me, and crush my adversaries. Draw me closer to Your loyal love. Cause me to grow in love with You.
Amen

Supplements: Seasons of spiritual nutrition

For this reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self control, and self control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. – 2 Peter 1:5-7

This is the pattern of a living fruitful new creation of Christ. Love, the ultimate fruit of faithfulness, comes from seasons of intentional growth. While it is not our doing that we have faith (faith is a gift given by God) we further more use the faith we hold toward the goals of the kingdom.

I’m liking this word “supplement”. It reminds me of taking the vitamins that I lack in my daily nutrition (a poor primitive analogy). It is to be my plan and use of energy to strive toward this goal of perfected love, love eternal in flesh appearing. If I then look for a better analogy, these supplements appear more as waves of seasons. In some ways these overlap each other, or that they are applied in multiple different areas of life. If I gauge where my “season” lies, it would be somewhere between self control and steadfastness. Not to say that I do not live a godly life or focus on lack in brotherly affection (though I do lack) rather this “in-between” season is where my heart lies today. Learning to live in discipline, to stick to my guns, learn what is worth fighting for…and fighting for what is important, holding my ground (steadfast) not based off of opinion, but based off of the truth.
All the more my faith increases, I become more knowledgeable as I live in virtue, my virtue (or character) is made strong when I remain steadfast, not bending to my own compromises because of self control (found first in the tongue) all these encourage a life of godliness, and becoming like God stretches my heart to care for others…Ending up in a life worth living because it’s start and ending page began with the word “Love”.

Lord, walk with me through these seasons. Help me control my desires and remain steadfast in you. I know many trials lie ahead, I want to work on new problems…open my eyes to recognize the patterns of the enemy, and shift my patterns toward your son. I ask for your help, I know I can’t do this myself. Empower me with your Holy Spirit today. Amen

What I do that defines me

You see that faith was active along with his (Abraham’s) works, and faith was completed by his works; and the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham beleived God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” – and he was called a friend of God. – James 2:22,23

ESV notes: “Completed” often means “bring to maturity.” Full-grown and genuine faith is seen in the good deeds it produces.

This is the fruit of faith and the result of the scripture “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

I am made complete in Christ! Maturity in my faith is tested by evidences of the Spirit’s working in what I do. In watching “Batman Begins” the other day, I came to this scene: Batman/Bruce Wayne speaks saying, “It is not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.” While at first I disagreed with his awesome sounding statement…True integrity begins in the heart, true character lies inside…but it must manifest itself externally.

What defines our faith (the great gift God puts inside all of us) is our works…it is what makes faith worth it. For, what if I beleived and made no point of action on what I beleived? My beliefs would be useless thoughts bouncing around in my head. All the more, my maturity is held by the standard of Christ; who, produced the greatest work of all…he gave everything, lived everyday on the missionfield of hearts. He sacrificed his life for mine, that I might give mine too; that another might find him.

Lord help me live this life for others as you did. Engrain in me this mission you have called me to. I thank you for this living, mature, completed work that you have done within me. -Love Bryan

Lacking Faithfulness to be made Faithful

Scripture)
What of some were unfaithful? Does their faithfulness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though everyone were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.”
-Romans 3:1-4

Observation)
God’s faithfulness is not limited by the corruptness and lack of faith of man. Yes, faith gives a better platform for His actions, but even if the whole of Christianity becomes corrupt and full of liars, God will still remain to be as always “the way the truth and the life.” even though the whole church may loose any faith it once had, God remains ever faithful and opens his arms to a nation of strays.

Application)
Many times my life has corrupted itself because of a lack of faith in Him, the one who can pull me out of death and darkness. Even still God remains faithful and teaches my feet to leap over hazardous footing. Even when I have been lied to over and over or even when I have found myself to be a liar, God remains to be the solid truth in the midst of the morally grey.

Prayer)
Lord, shape my life on Your truth. Make me like You and create me to be a new creation of truth. Teach me a new way of living, a life of faithfulness where you find a lack of one. I thank You for sending Your truth down in a flesh and bones body, now I may live a real life because of Your great sacrifice. Love, Bryan