Hope - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Hope

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you…(Colossians 1:3-6, NASU)

While growing up in the Midwest state of Iowa, and being raised a Roman Catholic, I enjoyed reading biographies of several martyrs. Given the name of Steve, and the surname of Martin, I would read of St. Stephen, the first martyr in Acts, and Saint Martin de Pores of Lima, Peru. There was also Saint Martin of Tours, a bishop in France, who is said to have become “one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints, sometimes venerated as a military saint. He was born in what is now Szombathely, Hungary, spent much of his childhood in Pavia, Italy, and lived most of his adult life in France. He is considered a spiritual bridge across Europe.” (Wikipedia)

Desiring to then become a missionary doctor (for if I would have chosen to be a missionary priest I couldn’t have gotten married!), I read many books on David Livingstone and his adventures and trials in Africa, “the Scottish Christian Congregationalist, pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society, an explorer in Africa, and one of the most popular British heroes of the late-19th-century in the Victorian era.” (Wikipedia)

Inspiration came from men like Eric Liddell, the Scottish Christian whose story is depicted in the movie Chariots of Fire - the famous Olympian who observed the Lord’s Sabbath Day and would not run on that day, but went on and won the gold medal in a later event - who then took his solid rock convictions of trust and hope to the people of China, to share the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus.

Brother Sun, Sister Moon, the 1972 beautiful motion picture of the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, implanted the purpose of leaving the riches of this life behind, in order to pursue the One who has eternal treasures and homes stored up in heaven for us who believe.

These men of God inspired me, along with my teachers at St. Patrick Elementary School in Cedar Falls, Iowa, several of whom were nuns, wonderful women of God.

Given the hope they had in eternal life, and wanting to share that committed belief in the Savior Jesus Christ, they endured, whatever came their way, with the grace and encouragement of the Living God. They held strong when it was hope against hope, darkness against light, attacks of the enemies coming at them in their spirit, soul and body. They held on until the end.

Our hope can be founded on nothing less. The Solid Rock on which we stand, Who alone can and will enable us to stand, when all that surrounds us falls apart, has proven Himself over and over again as the Faithful One, the Guardian of Israel, the Eternal Son whose death, burial and resurrection gives us the historical foundation which cannot be shaken, when all else is being shaken.

“So don't turn a deaf ear to these gracious words. If those who ignored earthly warnings didn't get away with it, what will happen to us if we turn our backs on heavenly warnings? His voice that time shook the earth to its foundations; this time - he's told us this quite plainly - he'll also rock the heavens: "One last shaking, from top to bottom, stem to stern." The phrase "one last shaking" means a thorough housecleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakable essentials stand clear and uncluttered.

Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He's actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself is Fire!” (Hebrews 12:25-29, THE MESSAGE)

  

Hope in the Lord Jesus, Yeshua HaMashiach, will bring you through the shakings that have come, and those that have been prophesied in the Bible, which are yet to come. Put your trust in Him. Keep it there. And keep looking up when it seems that all else is going down.

Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc.

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Now Think On This - in the Year of our Lord 09.04.17 - #312 – “Hope” – Monday, 8:30 am