Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:23-25 NIV

Faithfulness has gone out of style.  In the name of freedom and flexibility, families of the 21^st century maintain active, busy lives that can turn on a moment’s notice.  Schedules were once written in pencil because there was a chance they could be changed.  Today, we rarely make a schedule in the first place and cry out, “What’s the use in making the appointment since there is no chance that I’ll be able to keep it.”  At the chirp of our cellular device, we shift gears and turn in a totally different direction than we had intended.

We might say that the appointments we keep are the ones that are necessary or worth it.  Our changing of all the others then must mean that the majority of the events in our lives are not necessary or worth it.  Ask yourself this question, “How many things that are on my schedule right now am I not willing to change?”

The trend is for our lives to have less meaning because the events and people that make life worthwhile have less and less meaning as time goes on.  American Christians of the 21^st century are, by our actions, a poor example of love, good deeds, and faithfulness.  We are helping those around us to develop meaningless, chaotic lives, filled with emptiness and boredom.

It is not too late for us to make a difference.  A Revival of Hope exists for those who not only show up but are examples of love and good deeds when they get there. Be faithful as the God who saved you is faithful.  Encourage one another by the love that motivates your actions and by your dependability in the things that will last forever.

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Be on guard!  Be alert!  You do not know when that time will come.

Mark 13:32-33 NIV

Love does no harm to its neighbor.  Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.  And do this, understanding the present time.  The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.  The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.  So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Romans 13:10-12 NIV

April 15^th is a day most likely circled on many calendars.  It signifies an annual day of anxiety for many American workers who are hastily attempting to file their taxes at the last minute.  However, to say that April 15^th is the deadline is hardly accurate.  Radio and television advertisements in recent weeks for www.irs.gov have brought attention to a necessary tool…the opportunity to file an extension.  Thousands of accountants schedule hundreds of appointments each year to assist their clients in completing their tax forms and paying any unpaid taxes.  The computer software, “Turbo Tax” is available to brave tax payers who are willing to calculate and complete their paperwork on their own.  Advisors are standing by to help workers using this home office method.  H&R Block advertises that they specialize in finding additional tax savings going back at least three years.  There is a great deal of tax help available and the so-called deadline is, well, not so much of a line after all.

Christians have put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Saviour.  They trust that He will return to take His followers home; just as He promised.  Yet, there most certainly will be a deadline for those willing to believe in God’s only Son, Jesus Christ.  A Revival of Hope is available to those who have prepared for the Lord’s coming and who do not need to file for an extension.

Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die.  But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.

2 Samuel 14:14 NIV

How bad does a friend have to get before you stop calling her your friend?  Or how disgraceful does a son have to become before you give up on him?  All of us have been let down by someone we trusted.  As you and I interact with other sinful humans, we recognize great failures committed all around us.  The headlines expose the teacher who abused his power, the accountant who stole someone else’s life savings, the contractor who promised one thing only to deliver something less.

Your experiences may be less dramatic: the husband who stopped caring, the sister who chose an addiction over your friendship, or the selfish boss who fails to see how hard you work at your job.  Perhaps, you are the guilty party; the one who broke someone else’s heart.  Or maybe you are just the enabler who allowed the gambler to throw her life away.

To error is human; to extend mercy and restoration is of the LORD.

Through Jesus Christ, God has provided a way for sinners to receive mercy.  When we recognize the cost of our selfish rebellion and understand that we are guilty of turning away from a Saviour who loves us, then we are able to appreciate God’s love.

A Revival of Hope is available to us because God did not forget where we were, what we needed, or how bad we had been.  He not only sent His Son to die so that we could live; He is also willing to restore us to a position as an heir in the riches of His kingdom.  As we appreciate His free gift, let us extend His mercy and restoration to others who like us have blown it time and time again.

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.  On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”  When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.  “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them.  “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

Luke 22:39-41 and 45-46 NIV

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus faced incredible pressure from the reality of the fast approaching cross He would endure on Calvary.  In Gethsemane, the will of God the Father is made known to the Son, and what He would endure might be the most difficult night experienced by anyone in all of human history.

Gethsemane was also an incredible challenge for the disciples.  Twice, Jesus told them to pray that they did not fall into temptation.  None the less they eventually fell asleep due to the emotional toil and concern they had for what the Lord was telling them would happen.  It appears that the disciples were burdened because of what Jesus was saying and how He acted.  They did not fear for their own spiritual condition nor choices.  Jesus warned them that they would be tempted to sin and they did not listen to Him.

Jesus most likely is referring to the disciples’ tendency to do their own thing or worry about their own lot in life.  Before Gethsemane, the disciples had recently argued about who among the disciples was the greatest and about who would enjoy the greatest rewards in Heaven.  Peter is famous for his arrogance, yet many of the disciples failed to truly follow Jesus.

In Gethsemane they were worried.  However, they did not pray for the Father’s will to be fulfilled in their lives and instead, they worried that their own ambitions would not be realized.  A Revival of Hope is experienced by those who are willing to follow the Lord Jesus no matter what the circumstances may be.  We should be more concerned about the will of God than the selfish ambitions we dream of ourselves.  Don’t let life make you exhausted with sorrow; let Jesus lift you with His love and His plans for your life.

Serve the LORD with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling.

Psalm 2:11 NIV

I consider myself a contemporary (modern) Christian leader.  I have a wife and two kids, serve the Lord gladly in a moderate-medium sized church, and pay attention to current issues.  I appreciate the lessons from the past and am amused like most everyone else by modern developments in technology.  Some might argue, but I would declare that I am very average for this period in history; contemporary.

Yet, many contemporary Christian leaders consider the notion of spiritual fear and trembling, a thing of the past.  It would seem that most do not want to promote a God whose holiness is higher than that possible by His servants.  If we miss the awesomeness of God, then we miss God entirely.

I am not called to serve the God of my imagination nor that of contemporary Christianity.  I am called to serve the God of the Bible.  The Scriptures have promised that, “Whoever believes in me (Jesus) as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 7:38 NIV)  If we truly believe in and serve the Saviour revealed in the Scriptures, then we will no doubt celebrate him with trembling.  We must serve Him with such respect for His holiness that we are fearful of His power.

A Revival of Hope is experienced by those who aren’t afraid to express the highest respect for the awesomeness of God.  To miss His majesty is to miss Him completely.

I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle…
Romans 15:30 NIV

Today we look back ten years to a time when we were reminded of the great value of having brothers and sisters.  Our brothers and sisters are important to us for many reasons.  We can celebrate together and work alongside one another for a common good.  Likewise, we can band together during times of struggle so that we face challenges collectively instead of in isolation.

The Scriptures teach that a friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity (Proverbs 17:17).  When we face hard times, we come together as brothers and successfully meet the task before us.  As a result of the challenge, we are stronger both as individuals and as partners who are battle tested, ready to join forces when duty calls.

A Revival of Hope is experienced by those who are willing to come together as brothers who have much in common.  A shared vision approached in the strength of unity and love gives testimony to the mighty Savior we serve.  As you think back to 9/11, remember the lessons learned from finding strength to overcome as brothers.  Blessed is the man who finds that he has many friends and is able to face challenges together with them as brothers.

When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
Mark 5:15 NIV

The man described as clothed and thinking clearly in the above Scripture had once been a truly hopeless case.  His family had run out of options for him and sent him to live in the graveyard.  He was no doubt a wild man in appearance and in his own mind; he couldn’t be bound even with chains.

It is easy to believe that he had tormented his family, neighbors, and friends before he began living among the dead.  It is not that they stopped loving him, but instead they simply couldn’t control him or care for him.  Health problems would have only stalled his demise. The man overcame all attempts to bring him under control through captivity. Talking to him would have only made matters worse, not better.

He needed a Saviour.  He learned that there is strength and hope that are available only through Jesus.  When he was a cast-off living in isolation, when he tore his chains and even after he destroyed his appearance, he needed a Saviour.  And Jesus did for Him what only a Saviour can do; He saved him.

A Revival of Hope is available to those who have Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.  It doesn’t matter how hopeless the situation may be, Jesus can make a world of difference.  He still allows us to choose what actions we will take.  But, His love is assured and His grace is sufficient no matter the size of our despair.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”

Philip answered him, “Eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

John 6:5 and 7-9 NIV

In my own strength I have very little and cannot accomplish much.  However, when I yield what God has first given to me back to Him for His glory, then I can accomplish much through Him Who gives me strength.  All congregations of Christian people depend on active members who serve alongside each other for the good of all.  Some serve in the nursery so that moms and dads can get some peace of mind, some serve in Sunday School because they enjoy learning while teaching those that come into their classes, and some serve to do physical projects that bless the lives of others.  Whatever you can do, do it all to the glory of God.

A Revival of Hope is experienced by those who are fully submitted to serving whoever and wherever the LORD leads them.  And as a result of His blessings, we all benefit.

¹If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

²Fulfil  ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

³Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

⁴Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

⁵Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Philippians
2:1-5 KJV

Love, respect, honor, obedience, patience, joy, unity.  All of these are words that we say, read, and occasionally hear.  Yet, they are rarely actions that we practice.  They reflect the mind of Christ and are meant to be lived out in the lives of His followers.

A person who believes in Jesus will become a follower of Christ when they commit to serve Him completely.  As His character becomes engrained in us, we become like Him.  However, this growth will not always remain unless we continue to grow in Christ.  The enemy of God is ready to still our memories and commitments the moment we let our guard down and allow him to ruin our spiritual progress.

A Revival of Hope awaits those who commit to take up their cross and follow after Christ daily.  If we commit to be like He is, then His attitude will be expressed in our daily lives.  The world will reject us the way it rejected Him.   Yet, popularity is no excuse for a luke-warm Christianity that pleases only satan.

There was a man who had two sons.  The younger one said to his father, “Father, give me my share of the estate.”  So he divided his property between them.  Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living…But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; Luke 15:11-13 and 20b NIV

Wounds cause much more than pain.  If neglected they can cause infections that lead to other illnesses and loss of limbs.  There are parasites that attempt to hide down deep in the wound, working and gnawing at the flesh until the pain must be addressed.  Some wounds actually stink; providing a disgusting odor that can be recognized as rotting flesh.  The simplest wound can result in death.

Wounds can be caused by many things; both sharp and dull objects can cause wounds.  Whether a wound results from an accident, is self-inflicted, or brought on by the wicked intention of another person, the toil on the wounded is often physical, emotional, and spiritual.

Not all slices of the finger cause depression.  And not all cuts to the heart leave us hopeless.  Yet, emotional damage hinders our ability to experience the freedom and fullness of God’s amazing gift of grace.

Jesus welcomes the wounded, no matter how ugly the wound.  A Revival of Hope requires an individual to long for something better.  In the midst of despair, Job’s heart yearned to see God.

If you are wounded, Jesus invites you to come to Him and allow Him to address your greatest need.  If you would dare minister to the wounded, you will need patience and perseverance like the prodigal’s father.  Your circumstances may be unique.  However, God’s love is available to all, no matter how depressing the wounds may be.