Hope Has A Name

                                                  HOPE HAS A NAME

Among various seasons of the year, Advent is one of my favorite seasons. The five weeks leading up to Christmas stir varied emotions of joy and anticipation while bringing back several beautiful childhood memories of celebrating Christmas with my family in India. Advent has become more meaningful for me since coming to the USA. What does Advent mean to you?

In recent years there has been a renewed interest and rediscovering of the beautiful tradition of Advent, which began in the 5^th century among many Christian denominations. Karl Barth, the Swiss theologian, exclaimed, "What other time or season can or will the Church ever have but that of Advent!"?[1] This explains its significance and locates us correctly in relation to the first and the second coming of Christ. It reminds us of the past of God's initiatives toward the world in Christ (Christmas) and prepares us for the future of God's coming victory in Christ (the Second coming). It challenges us to live a sacrificial life of love for God and people.

In a sense, the Christian community lives out Advent all the Time. It can well be called the time Between the first and the second coming of Christ in glory to judge the world. The Book of Isaiah contains several compelling and hopeful prophecies pointing to Jesus. At the time of Isaiah's prophecy in Isaiah 9:1-7, Israel went through a dark period of hopelessness. The nation was at war, and people were living in terror. Amid such circumstances, the prophet's words might have brought encouragement and hope to a disillusioned community. 

We live in a world of uncertainty. At our Thanksgiving meal, we were asked to share what we were grateful for and what we wanted God to do for us in 2023. A nine-year-old girl said, "I am thankful to be alive, and I want God to keep me alive." During this Advent, as we ponder the timeless themes, may we find Peace, Joy, Hope, and Comfort in God.

In life, we all go through disappointments, and they are unavoidable. But it is not always easy to deal with them, even if our setbacks are minimal. What causes disappointment? We are disappointed when what we have hoped for does not happen. Our hearts are filled with sadness, anger, frustration, and anxiety. King Solomon observed this phenomenon long ago and said, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life." Prov 13:12.

Before we go further, what is Hope? Hope is an optimistic state of mind based on an expectation of positive outcomes concerning events and circumstances in one's life or the world. It is a feeling of expectation and desire for a sure thing to happen. The scripture defines Hope as an expectation, a longing for something good to happen with an expectation of obtaining it.

We place our Hope on people or the natural forces and resources in the world, but at times it is misplaced because people cannot consistently deliver what we expect of them to do. In contrast, Biblical Hope is rooted in God. Ephesians 3:20, "Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." This verse speaks of God's ability to provide. Will God consistently deliver according to our expectations? How will we respond when God does not answer our prayers?  

I. The providential names of God.

            From the time Abraham was called out of his own country to follow God and go to a foreign land, He saw God's power firsthand. Subsequently, the Israelites have repeatedly seen God fulfilling His promises to them. They named God based on how He worked in their lives.

Here was how Israelites exclaimed about God's trustworthiness. God saw the misery of an Egyptian maid Hagar, beside a spring of water in the wilderness. After that experience, Hagar called God. El Roi means "The God who sees me." (Gen 16:14). After seeing God's provision to spare his son Isaac, Abraham called God Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide (Gen 22:14).

God cured the bitter water in the wilderness so that Israelites could drink and live, so they named Him Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord who heals. (Ex15:26). Then we have a humble shepherd, David, after becoming a great king of Israel called God, Jehovah-Rohi, "The Lord is my Shepherd." (Ps 23:1-3). In each of these incidents, people named God based on how He was involved in their lives. Our faith will be strengthened when we meditate on the names of God.

Isaiah prophesied when Assyria threatened the people of Judah. Isaiah tried to reassure the king of Judah Ahaz, asking only to have faith in God, but Ahaz refused. Later, in 701 B.C., during Hezekiah's reign, Assyria ravaged the Judean countryside, and Jerusalem itself almost fell. During such tumultuous times, Isaiah preached a message of Hope for a repentant Judah.

II. Assurances of Hope in God. (Isaiah 9:1-5)

The first five verses in Isaiah chapter nine offer five essential guarantees of Hope in God, for Judah, and for all those who put their Hope in God. First, the times of darkness and despair will not go on forever. Like the people of Judah, you might go through a dark period. Be encouraged, dark days will not last forever, and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Secondly, people who walk in darkness will see a great light. A light will shine for those who live in a land where death casts its shadow. God becomes the light for those who walk in darkness (sin) and brings life and healing to those experiencing physical and spiritual death.

Thirdly, God will increase resources and enlarge the impact of those who hope in Him. Fourthly, God will break the bondage of sin and set His people free by removing those who oppress them. Fifthly, God will put all wars to an end by finally destroying Satan, the arch-enemy of God's people, which will happen at the end of the age. These promises of Hope are for us today. When faced with doubt or discouragement, put your Hope in God. He will meet your every need. How will God fulfill these promises to those who hope in Him?

III. HOPE HAS A NAME? (Isaiah 9:6-7)

The prophet Isaiah gave them a sign and a name. Vs. 6-7, "For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders." All answers to the despair of the people of Judah were found in a son who would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Who was this son who became Judah's Hope?

Does this Hope have a name? Discovering that is the ongoing theme of Advent. Fast forward to the New Testament Era to find out the name of our Hope. In the Christmas story, we will read these encouraging words of the angel Gabriel to the virgin Mary. "You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus." Luke 1:31. The English name Jesus comes from the unique Hebrew name for God Yeshua, which means salvation.

Hope has a name, and that is Jesus, Yeshua. Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to the temple to dedicate him. Simeon, who had been waiting for the Prophet Isaiah's fulfillment, held Jesus and said, "I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!" Luke 2:31-32

Jesus declared himself the Hope of the whole world, referring to Isaiah's prophecy. "I will put my Spirit upon Him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations… and his name will be the hope of all the world." Matthew 12:21.." On this first Sunday of Advent, Isaiah's prophesied Son, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace is our Hope.

Are you carrying a heavy load of care and guilt? Are you feeling lonely, discouraged, and having seasonal depression? Whatever you may be going through, look to Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, and you will be saved. Let me close with this prayer, "God, the source of Hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident Hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

 

  

  

 

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[1] Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics IV3.1(Edinburgh. & T. Clark, 1961), 322

How Will They Hear?

                                                         HOW WILL THEY HEAR?

Sixty-Six years ago, five young American Missionaries Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming, and Roger Youderian—were attacked and speared by a group of Huaorani warriors. The news of their deaths was broadcast worldwide, and Life magazine covered the event with a photo essay. As a little boy growing up in Portland, Oregon, Jim Elliot listened carefully as visiting, missionaries talked about life on faraway mission fields. He asked them questions and dreamed about being a missionary himself someday. It saddened him that many people in other countries died without knowing about God.

Following the call of the Lord, Jim and Elisabeth, his wife, traveled into the Ecuadorian jungle. On January 8, 1956, while attempting to contact the people of the Auca/Waodani tribe, Jim and four other missionaries were speared to death, slain by those they came to minister to. You can learn more about this story in the film, "Beyond the Gates of Splendor."

In a pamphlet on "Who is calling? McQuilkin notes, "No generation in two thousand years of Church history has produced the task force necessary to reach the World. Is this because God has not called adequate numbers? Or is it because someone is not listening? With the need so vast and laborers so few, why do we not go? Is someone not listening?[1] 

All those five young missionaries listened and obeyed the call of God. After their death, many criticized them, saying that they wasted their lives. But was it a waste? As Jim Elliot famously noted, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

The following year, the two widows, Elizabeth and Marjorie, walked uninvited into the murderers' village to live with the tribe that killed their husbands, eventually winning them to Christ. The lives of those five missionaries challenged many people into Missions.

I. The Biblical understanding of Missions.

Is Missions a ministry of Hope Church, where we hear our missionaries' reports and enjoy an International Potluck lunch once a year? In one-way, Missions should be a priority ministry in every Church. How do we define Missions? Though the word Missions specifically does not exist in the Bible, the concept runs through the pages of the entire scriptures.

Mis­sio Dei is a Latin the­o­log­i­cal term that means " The Mis­sion of God or the sending of God.". It refers to the work of the Church as be­ing part of God's work. Beginning with Abraham, God has called individuals to Go out and bring the rebellious back to God.

Genesis 12:1-3, "The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your native country, your relatives, and your Father's family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you." If Abraham did not obey the call of God, we wouldn't be here today.

Here is God's Mission for the nation of Israel. Isaiah 49:6 "He says, "You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." We have the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20,

"I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

If a missionary is someone sent by God to go to another group of people to tell them about God, then we all are missionaries. John 17:18, "Just as you sent me into the World, I am sending them into the World." Do you need more evidence to know that you are a Missionary?

Missions begin in God's heart, sustained and provided by God, and culminate in God when Revelation 7:9-10. After this, I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar,"Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!" happens.

Until then, every Church and every follower of Christ are called to be involved in Missions. The Apostle Paul carried a tremendous burden for His fellow Jews. His longing and prayer were that the People of Israel be saved. Is there someone in your family or circle of friends not yet saved? Do you want them to get saved? Start praying for them earnestly.

II. How Will They Hear?

Here is how people can get saved, very simple yet complicated. It is simple because all people have to do is call on the Lord's name, and they will be saved. That calling involves confessing that Jesus is the Lord and believing that God raised him from the dead.

Romans 10:14-15, "But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news! How will people hear without someone preaching the good news to them?

A typical modern-day missionary is sent out either by a church or a mission agency to another country to preach the Good News of the Gospel to the unreached. Even today, many, in obedience to the call of God, travel to hostile nations in the 10/40 window to preach the Good News. Hope Church supports some missions and missionaries in that region. Yet you do not have to travel to other countries to preach. You can reach the World from where you are.  

God is bringing people from dangerous countries to the Gospel "(Myanmar, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, India, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam) to the USA. We have a huge mission field right in our backyard. How are we reaching them?

God might call some of you to leave your place and go and reach a specific group of people in another location. When you sense that call, please obey His voice. All of us can be involved in Missions through our generous giving to support those preaching the Gospel in hostile nations. We continue to pray for persecuted Christians around the World.

We also ask God to send workers into His harvest field. Maybe you will become the answer to your own prayers. When that happens, rejoice. God is counting on you to be His messenger of the Good News. We are a small church, yet we support several missions and missionaries. We hope to take on even more missionaries through your generous giving.

Acts 17:30-31 "God overlooked people's ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the World with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead."

In closing, Christian missions are obeying Christ, sharing Christ, and relying on Christ. God sends missionaries through the support of the Church to the unreached. Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. Now He left that task to the Church and His followers. As Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father but by Him. Let us point people to Jesus to experience God's forgiveness and enter His Family. We have a Mission to do, which is to complete the unfinished task of Jesus. Let us get busy. 

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] Excepted from the pamphlet “Who is Calling? An Exploration of the Missionary Call by Robert McQuilkin

Generosity

                                                                 GENEROSITY

John Wesley (1703-1791) knew plenty about economic uncertainty. In his day, Britain experienced rapid urbanization and the beginnings of industrialization. This caused rural economies to collapse and created numerous problems in city centers: overcrowding, disease, crime, unemployment, debt, substance abuse, and even insanity (London established its first asylum in 1781). Meanwhile, a small upper class spent large sums to distance itself, literally and figuratively, from the growing problems. This top five percent of the population controlled nearly one-third of the national income.

Wesley, from lower-middle-class stock himself, consorted mostly with people who worked hard, owned little, and could never be sure of their financial future. But he preached so widely and became so well known that his income eventually reached 1,400 pounds per year, equivalent to more than $160,000 today. Still, he lived simply but comfortably on 30 pounds while giving the rest away. He donated nearly all the 30,000 pounds he earned in his lifetime. He once wrote, "If I leave behind ten pounds, you and all mankind (can) bear witness against me that I have lived and died a thief and a robber."[1] What unmatched Generosity!

For the past several months, we have been feeling the pains of economic inflation, especially at the Gas pump. People are worried about whether they can afford a decent Thanksgiving Lunch this year. These financial hardships are not new; they have always been there. Yet we have incredible examples of people who were generous despite difficulties.

Last week we learned from the Macedonian Churches how eager they were to give toward the needs of the struggling saints in Jerusalem. Today we will see what motivated their giving and learn more about Generosity and its significance in the life of a Christian.

I. The Contagious Generosity.

The word contagious is often used for spreading disease. It could be used (of an emotion, feeling, or attitude) likely to spread to and affect others. For instance, we say, "Her enthusiasm is contagious." In this case, the Generosity of the Corinthian believers was contagious. How so?

Vs. 1-2, I really do not need to write to you about this ministry of giving for the believers in Jerusalem. For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving."

Here Paul was boasting about the offering the Corinthian believers took up for God's people in Jerusalem. We read about it in I Cor 16, how they were to collect a particular portion of each one's earnings and set it aside on the first day of each week. Corinth was a major city in Achaia, the southern region of the Greek Peninsular, whereas Macedonia was in the northern province of Greece. The Generosity of the Corinthians stirred the Macedonians.

Paul wanted to ensure that the Corinthians lived up to his boasting, so he sent out some believers to prepare the promised gift. He wanted that gift to be willing, not a grudgingly given gift. He uses an agricultural metaphor to teach them several principles of Generosity.

II. Generosity begets Generosity. (Vs. 6-9)

Paul wanted the Corinthian believers to remember a farming principle. A farmer knows if he plants only a few seeds, he will only get a small crop. But if he sows generously, he will get a generous crop. The same principle works when it comes to giving toward the needs of the poor and needy. First, each one must decide in our hearts how much to give. Once that decision is made, then give it cheerfully, not grudgingly. Because "God loves a person who gives cheerfully." In other words, put a smiley face when giving, may they be tithes or offerings.

Why should we give cheerfully? Several scriptures suggest that Joy is associated with giving. In the OT, we read that people wholeheartedly and willingly brought their offerings. Here is when King David appealed to the nation of Israel regarding gifts for building God's temple.

First, David himself said, "because of my devotion to the Temple of my God, I am giving all of my own private treasures of gold and silver to help in the construction." Then he challenged the people to follow his example. One by one, people responded generously in bringing offerings to the LORD. It was said, "the people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD, and King David was filled with Joy." I Chron 29.

Do you see how joyful people were in their giving? We give joyfully because we love God and recognize that all we have comes from Him. Listen to King David's Prayer: Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything.

Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion, people are made great and given strength. "O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! 14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! I Chronicles 29:11-14

There is nothing we have that is our own. James 1:17, "Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow." The same unchanging God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, out of His love. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross. Hebrews 12:2

Paul reminded the Corinthians why Jesus joyfully gave up his life. II Cor 8:9, "You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes, he became poor so that by his poverty, he could make you rich." Just ponder on this verse!

If you are a follower of Christ, one sense you are a millionaire! Christ has blessed you with every spiritual blessing. In Christ, we have an inheritance. In Christ, all our needs are met. All these and more we have received freely. Therefore, we are to give freely and generously.

III. The Ministry of Generosity.

            The apostle Paul reminded the Corinthian believers about the ministry of Generosity. Jesus and the Corinthian disciples have shown us how to be generous through their example. One reason why God wants us to be generous is that the poor would be helped.

The Lord has many promises in the Bible for those who give generously to the poor. Here are just a few: If you give to the poor, it is like making a loan to God (Prov 19:17). If you give, you will increase (Prov 11:24). "Honor God with Everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, and your wine vats will brim over." Prov 3:9-10

You might be wondering; I do not have anything to give, do not worry; God will provide you with resources and produce a great harvest of Generosity. II Cor 9:11, "Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous." What are the benefits of our Generosity? First, they will thank God when we give to the people of God who are in need.

Secondly, our Generosity will prove that we are saved and obedient to God. Thirdly, the poor saints who are helped by our generous giving will pray for us with deep affection. Whether we have this spiritual gift of giving or not, we all can be generous with our money, time, and other resources. Like in the Corinthian Church, I see several generous people at Hope Church.

You honor God with your tithes and offerings. You give your time and use your practical skills to serve God in various ministries of Hope Church. In closing, God provides the seed to sow and bread for food. The more we sow, the more we will reap. Let us give cheerfully, not grudgingly. Generosity is an expression of our love and thanksgiving to God.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] Elesha Coffman, editor, Christian History Newsletter (11-30-01)