Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Knowing the Future

Acts 1v11 “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Our final “Statement of Faith” is, “We believe in … The personal and visible return of Jesus Christ to fulfil the purposes of God, who will raise all people to judgment, bring eternal life to the redeemed and eternal condemnation to the lost, and establish a new heaven and new earth.”

This statement determines our purpose and direction. We have said from the start that real belief is reflected in actual practice. So the question is, ‘Do we express this belief in the way we operate as a church?’ As I reflect, I am mindful of the following:

• Firstly, our underlying motivation in all that we do is an eternal one. We are not motivated by present successes or rewards, but the eternal promise of God. This has a huge impact on how we think about things and what concerns us.
• Secondly, our hope for the future is not something that is “airy fairy”, but is rooted in the personal and tangible, the real and the certain. It is not a matter of imagination, but of truth. This is the ultimate reality – the personal and visible return of Jesus!
• Thirdly, we are accountable. At the end, we will all be raised to judgment. We will all stand before Christ to give account. That is worth meditating on. It is both exciting and challenging. This calls for absolute integrity. What will I say? What will he say?
• Finally, we belong to somewhere else. There will be a new creation. It will be an ideal place for us to reside. Perfect in every way. This world is so corrupted and spoilt. There, there will be no more suffering or crying or pain. I live for eternity and I look forward to it!

Lord, guide our thoughts and motivations, so that they would all be set in the reality of what is to come.

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22v20

With love and blessing,

Roland