Today, hope and sacred truth are topics. Authentic and godly hope always consist in expectations begun, confirmed, and sustained by divinity. While hope appears within the frameworks of time and space as promoting change, targeting future events, and “forward-looking,” correctly understood, hope pertains to the continuity and full revelation of things eternal and immutable, yet, presently unknown. With this in view, hope is different from imaginings and projections based on confirmed secular knowledge, and the operations of finite human intellect. A fighter at “Yahoo! Answers” using the ID “2017” (Level 7 with 61,162 points, a member since December 25, 2008) posted the following:
What is hope? is it true?
THE GOLDEN ARROW: Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD. They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken? Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD. And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD. Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter: Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it. (Ezekiel 13: 2-11, King James Version, KJV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: Eternal Life From GOD (10/24/2016); The Problem of Faith? (05/22/2016); It Takes The Cross (04/22/2016); About The End Of The World (08/30/2015); A New Year’s Message, 2015: Great Expectations? (01/01/2015); Begotten Unto A Lively Hope? (10/04/2014); Of Sure Hope and Certainty (09/05/2013); Prophetic Demonstrations (10/06/2013)
“2017”, sinners repeatedly confuse “hope” with selfish desire, dreams, fantasy, and wish-fulfillment—things that are carnal, material and social that can be “all in the mind” of an individual. Mature Christian believers should understand hope as an aspect of existing in an ongoing relationship with GOD through the person of Jesus Christ. Crucial are acceptance, respect, trust, and truth. As the new creation through Christ, “born again” believers eventually “grow up again” to acknowledge hope as a spirit substance from the makeup of divinity imparted through baptism that is inseparable from other aspects of Deity revealed in the life and person of the Savior. Included are faith, holiness, joy, longsuffering, lovingkindness, wisdom, and wrath against sin. Along with joy, hope operates as power and strength that eliminate despair and fear during times of hardship and suffering. While all things are possible with GOD, a believer’s hope is “realistic” only when it centers upon the things that are in agreement with divine law and have been proclaimed, promised, prophesied, and revealed. To hope is to anticipate, expect, and look forward to the actualization and fulfillment of things commanded and unfolding through legitimate operations of GOD that will complete sacred projects, conform to pre-set divine patterns, and implement eternal purposes. The Christian has certainty that their hope is sound for it is grounded in divine substance (e.g., breath, life essence, spirit, word). Consider the following from the Scriptures:
(1.) Deuteronomy 29: 29, King James Version (KJV): 29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
(2.) Lamentations 3: 21-24, KJV: 21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22 It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
(3.) Romans 15: 1-7, KJV: 1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. 3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. 4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, (4.) Hebrews 6: 16-20, KJV: 16 For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. 17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: 18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; 20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
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