Category: Hope For The Hopeless

² And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. ³ And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. ⁴ And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. ⁵ And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” ⁶ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ⁷ “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ⁸ And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? ¹⁰ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— ¹¹ “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” ¹² And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” ~ Mark 2:2-12

Let me start by setting the scene for you. Jesus had been gone for a while; you could say He was on a preaching tour throughout Galilee and had just gotten back home to Capernaum. No doubt, all the people in His hometown had heard about all the great things He had done on His tour. Lepers were cleansed. The sick were all healed. The demons were cast out. The oppressed were set free. All kinds of various diseases were all healed.

At the very least, their curiosity was piqued, so much so that there was no more room left in the house, not even at the door. The crowd pressed against the door and then stretched out into the yard. Everyone was straining to hear what Jesus was saying.

In other words, the yard was filled with eager listeners. They probably crowded around the windows, if for nothing else but to hear and hopefully get a quick glimpse of Jesus. Jesus was preaching the word to them. Explaining Scripture like no one else did or no one else could. For Jesus taught with authority, not like the Scribes and Pharisees, but like one having authority.

When suddenly, a group of people entered the scene, trying to barge their way in carrying a man lying on his bedroll, but to no avail. The crowd was just too many. Everyone was bunched up together, hanging on every word Jesus said. There was simply no way to get in. They could not even get close to the door.

Then, one of them had a harebrained idea. Let us climb up on the roof, remove all the tiles, and let him down in front of Jesus. What? Are you mad? Climb up on the roof, tear the tiles off, and dig a hole through the roof big enough to let him down through it on his stretcher? Yes, came the reply. Okay, sounds good to me. Let’s do it.

There was no back-and-forth discussion about who’s gonna fix the roof. Or whose expense it will be to fix the roof. Their only thought was to get their friend in front of the only one who gave them hope. That was Jesus.

See, these friends understood that even when everything seems completely hopeless, there’s always hope in Jesus. If you can just get to Jesus, hope can be found. Why? Because Jesus is the God of possible. What seems impossible, He makes possible. Where there is no way, He makes a way. Therefore, no matter what is going on in your life or your loved ones’ lives, if you can just get to Jesus, you will have hope.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Seek The God of Hope.

¹⁷ For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. ~ Isaiah 65:17

All of this suffering, aches, and pains. The sorrow of death shall not enter into the eternity of those who love God. Why? Because death will be swallowed up with life, and not just life, but abundant, eternal life. It does not matter how much the nations rage, or how its leaders plot and coerce, nothing can change, or disrupt God’s plans for His people, those who call upon His great and mighty Name.

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¹³ And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴ by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ~ Colossians 2:13-14

Ariel signed away her soul to Ursula (the sea witch), not fully realizing all that entailed. By the time her father found out, it was too late. His youngest child, his baby girl, was held captive by the sea witch, and there was nothing he could do to destroy the contract. The contract was valid, and he couldn’t break it no matter how much power he had. So, what does he do? He takes her place. Our relationship with Christ is very similar.

The main difference, though, is that when Christ died, He defeated sin. He took our sin away and defeated what once held our souls captive. He abolished death. We were once slaves to sin, unable to control our flesh. We were once hopeless, but just as the characters in the movie killed Ursula and made the contract null and void, so sin and death have to be overcome and abolished.

Because Christ overcame, through Christ, we are able to overcome as well. There may be generational curses, strongholds, depression, oppression, etc. that plague your life. It may feel overwhelming, but there is hope. Our God has overcome the world. He’s made these contracts null and void. They no longer have any hold on us. It may not happen overnight, but it will happen.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Claim The Abolishment.

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⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Easier said than done. When things go wrong, the first thing we do is to look at our circumstances, and then our understanding of what we see automatically kicks in. But God said, “Do not lean on your own understanding.” Far too often we evaluate our coming and going by what we see.

Today, I took my car in to have it serviced for a factory recall, and they will have to keep it overnight. They gave me a shuttle ride home and said that they would come back tomorrow to pick me up so that I could get my car. We only have one car. When I got home, my wife reminded me that our daughter had to get her packages to the Post Office before 5 pm today. I had totally forgotten that it was absolutely vital that the packages be sent out today before the Post Office closes at 5:30 pm.

We had no way of getting them there unless we took an Uber or something. Then the LORD—it would have to be the LORD—put it in my spirit to get everything ready and ask the postperson to please take it for us since we had a label, and the packages were all packed and ready to go. The problem was that one had to go to FedEx as well, something that never usually happens.

But as the LORD’s fate would have it, a FedEx van drove by at the very same time and stopped two doors down. I ran out and asked the driver if he would please take it since it was packaged with a label and ready to go. He said, “No problem at all.” We gave him the package, along with some water, some chips, and a frozen fruit bar to show our gratitude. Now for the Post Office. We didn’t know whether or not they had come and gone as yet.

About ten minutes later, the postperson drove by, and I asked her the same thing if she would take the package, and she said, “Yes, no problem.” Long story short, everyone was super stressed out because both packages had to be out today, and according to our understanding, there was no way they would be able to go. But the LORD provided what seemed impossible, and within 20 minutes, everything was done. The stress was gone. The joy of the LORD was back, and everyone was happy again.

And to top it all off, about 3 hours later, the service department called and somehow, they worked it out that not only did they start working on my car right away but told me it would be ready in about another two hours. Way enough time for them to come, pick me up, and take me back for me to pick up my car and still have plenty of time to make it to the Post Office if the need was still there.

What am I saying? God not only solved our impossible problem, but He gave us not one but two ways of getting the impossible done. Lean not on your own understanding, but rather, trust the LORD and acknowledge Him and everything you give Him, He will work it out for you.

Father, thank You that You are a good, good Father. Thank You that we can trust You and know with full confidence that You will work the impossible out for us. Teach us how not to be shaken by what we see or to be stressed by what we understand our circumstances to be. For You are a God that does the impossible, deals with the difficult, and brings hope to the hopeless. Thank You, Father, in Jesus’ mighty name, amen.

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² Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. ~ 3 John 2

God’s desire is that you be prosperous and healthy not only spiritually but physically as well. Have you ever heard someone praying for the sick and in their prayer, they say, “LORD, if it is Your will, heal this person;” that always troubled me. Think about it. Why would Jesus pay such a heavy price for our healing but then say, “Just kidding, it really isn’t My will to heal you.” That does not make much sense. If you think about it, that is not a prayer at all, that is really a disclaimer. It is like saying, I’m going to pray for you, but if you don’t get healed, it’s obviously not God’s will for you.

I don’t believe that is the way God operates. He doesn’t dangle a carrot before us. He doesn’t give us false hope. If it doesn’t work, the fault is not with Him; it is with us. All of His promises are yea and amen towards us, His blood-bought, the redeemed. He says what He means, and He means what He says. Peter, quoting the prophet Isaiah, said,

²⁴ He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.

1 Peter 2:24

Peter said it is already done. We have been healed.

If you are experiencing any kind of illness, place your hand on the place and believe as we pray.

Heavenly Father, I believe You sent Your Son Jesus to not only die for my transgressions, but the chastisement that brought me peace was placed on Him, and with His stripes, I am healed. Help me with my unbelief. Teach me to receive all that You have for me. Please help me to receive my healing right now. Thank You, Father, in Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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²⁹ What is left of the oil in the priest’s palm he is to put on the head of the one to be cleansed to make atonement for him before the Lord. ³⁰ He is to then sacrifice one type of what he can afford, either the turtledoves or young pigeons, ³¹ one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, sacrificing what he can afford together with the grain offering. In this way the priest will make atonement before the Lord for the one to be cleansed. ³² This is the law for someone who has a skin disease and cannot afford the cost of his cleansing.  ~ Leviticus 14:29-32^CSB

Imagine sin is a spiritual skin disease. It causes you to be unclean, to be separate from those who are clean, and to only be around those who are unclean. See, not everyone could pay the price to be cleansed from their skin disease under The Law, but God didn’t leave them hopeless. He created a way for them as well. This is the same with sin.

God knew none of us could pay our debt, so He sent His Son, Jesus, born of a virgin without any sin, within Him in order to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He gives us salvation free of charge. Our debt has been canceled, and our future secured; all we have to do is follow Jesus. There’s never a time that God doesn’t give us an opportunity to receive salvation. Today is the day of salvation; tomorrow is promised to no one.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Accept Your Cleansing.

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⁵ Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. ⁶ I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— ⁷ everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” ~ Isaiah 43:5-7^NIV

²⁴ Can plunder be taken from warriors, or captives be rescued from the fierce? ²⁵ But this is what the LORD says: “Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce; I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save. ~ Isaiah 49:24-25^NIV

Wow! What a promise. This is a Last Days prophecy to Israel, but take a look at verse 7. God extended it to:

Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.

Isaiah 43:7

Are you called by God’s Name? Then this promise includes you and your children. We are living in the last days right now. The days just before the great day of Jesus’ return to get His Bride. We don’t have a whole lot of time left to be playing around with salvation. The clock is ticking, and the door will soon slam shut. We need to get our loved ones in, and God has given us a great and mighty promise. He said that no matter where our children have gone if we will only pray and believe and witness to our children and plant those seeds, the Holy Spirit will water, and God will give the increase.

It may seem like the fierce has captured your children, and the dreaded warriors have taken them as plunder, but God said that the captives will be taken from the warriors, and the plunder from the fierce. What has your loved ones held captive? Is it the pursuit of fame? Or the great desire for wealth? Is it apathy? Maybe some sexual deviant immorality has them bound. The captives will be taken from the warriors, and the plunder will be retrieved from the fierce. So do not fear, but believe God, for His promises will never fail.

Are you believing for the salvation of a wayward son? Are you believing for the restoration of a daughter? It doesn’t matter how far they’ve gone, the promise says “To the ends of the earth.” They can’t go that far as to get away from the love of God. They can’t have done as much as to be beyond saving. This is your promise today. So, get a hold of it, claim it, believe it, keep on praying and trusting, the promise is yours.

(As you pray the prayer, insert the name of your loved one).

Father, please bring Your strong conviction on _____ wherever they may be at this moment. Let _____ feel Your love and our love around them. Open _____ spiritual eyes. Let a strong burning desire to reach out right now overtake them. Let a feeling that cannot be ignored or pushed aside overwhelm them. I believe it is Your will that ______ be saved. Let the Blood of Jesus not be poured out for no reason for _____, but let Your light and salvation shine in the heart of _____ right now. Thank You, Father, for saving ____. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for convicting _____. I believe that the same power that raised Jesus from the grave will also raise _____ to spiritual life. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

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⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. ~ Isaiah 55:8^CSB

I remember a little while back; I was having a conversation with someone about the current state of the US. He saw no hope for our country. My response was that so many people have woken up in the last 3 or 4 years that probably would’ve never woken up if it had never happened. His response was, “So?” I could hardly believe it. I was in shock. This wasn’t a nonbeliever. This was a Church-going man trying to lead his family in the way of the LORD. Sadly, this is the temperature of the Church.

Many of us want a revolution. We want the Messiah to break that eastern sky and bring justice to the earth. We want the justice system fixed and evil put in its place, but we really don’t wanna pray for it. We don’t really wanna fast to see it happen. And if we don’t see it happen the way that we want it to go, then we refuse to rejoice in the hope that God gives us. If we’re not careful, we’ll find ourselves in the same boat as the men and women of Jesus’ day and age.

They had the Messiah there with them. God in flesh and bone walked and talked with them, teaching and healing them, but because He didn’t come the way they wanted or bring the kind of deliverance they wanted, they turned their backs on Him. They even went as far as to order His execution at the hands of the Romans.

If we want change and a move of God in our lives and in our nation, we have to pray and fast for a move. Then we have to trust and believe God that the move He makes is for our good and not our evil. That no matter how He sees best to intervene, we will accept it in faith because His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He knows the beginning and the end. He alone can dictate what is best for His people. So, when you look out into the world and see the evil, fast and pray, then stand in faith on promises of God, always rejoicing in each eye opened and every heart changed.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Never Quench Hope.

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⁸ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. ¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. ~ Luke 2:8-12 (KJV 1900)

The birth announcement of the LORD Jesus was to shepherds who were keeping watch over their flock by night. No doubt, these men were watching, waiting, and looking for the promised Messiah. But they did not expect it to happen that night when all of a sudden, an angel appeared saying, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy.” They were told that the Savior of the whole world was born in Bethlehem that very night.

Understand that when you’ve been diligently waiting on the LORD, He will show up at any moment, especially when you least expect it. There was no word from God for 400 years, but God had not forgotten His promise to Israel or to the world.

So, in the fullness of time, Jesus, being the Word of God, became flesh and dwelt among us. He lived and died, and rose again, and ascended into heaven, and one day, He’s coming back for us. Just like He fulfilled the promise of His first coming, He will fulfill the promise of His second coming. Therefore, I urge you to be ready, watch, and pray.

The Shepherds were taken by surprise at His first coming and still got to go see baby Jesus, but those who are taken by surprise at His second coming will be left behind. Therefore, I warn you, stay awake, watch, and pray.

Father, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for the promise of Christmas fulfilled in the birthday of Your Son, Jesus. Help me to stay vigilant and be ready for His return. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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