Dear Hope family,         

Thought for the Week 

Living in Victory! 

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2v14 

Here is the victory of Easter. 

• God has already gained the victory and is right now in victory parade!
• He is leading you and I in this victory parade.
• This victory is that he has overcome the powers of evil and Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth.
• As I come under the authority of Jesus, I also have authority in Christ, over the powers of evil.
• Therefore, “Count yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6v11
• And,“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” Romans 8v28 

As a believer, you are victorious because of Jesus. It is your destiny in Jesus. Count yourself that today. 

With love and blessing, 

Roland 

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week                                                                         

Jesus Lives!

“Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of God the Father, we too may live a new life.”– Romans 6v4

Here is the power of Easter.

• “His incomparably great power for us who believe … is like … that which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead.” Ephesians 1v19-20

• “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2v20
• “The death Jesus died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus … offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life.” Romans 6v10-13

As a believer, Christ lives in you, and he enables you to live a God-honouring life as you offer yourself to God.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Jesus – The Praying King!

“‘I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.”– Luke 22v32

A couple of weeks ago on a Sunday, we were looking at Jesus’ prayer in John 17 for his disciples and for us. There were three key elements to his prayer:

• To protect us from the Evil One so that we remain in God’s family.
• To set us apart from the world so that God can use us.
• To fill us with God’s love so that the world can see we are united.

Here in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus prays specifically for Simon Peter. Jesus prays because he is aware of the situation Simon is about to face. Jesus says, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.” (Luke 22v31). This surely takes us back to the account of Job, where Satan goes to God and asks to be able give Job a lot of trouble with the intent of turning him away from God. Here is the reality: Satan is working to try and get you and I to fall, and Jesus knows it – he is totally aware of what Satan is doing and what he is planning to do. Nothing is a surprise to Jesus.

The nature of Simon Peter’s “sifting” by Satan is to fill him with fear for his life. And so, when asked about his relationship with Jesus, Peter is too scared to admit to people that he is one of the disciples. His fear outplayed his faith. At a human level, this was understandable – it was a very threatening situation. But at a spiritual level, this was Satan at work. And Satan was trying to use Peter’s own concern for his life to bring spiritual ruin.

However, Jesus prayed!! And that would mean that while Peter would fail the test, Peter would not actually lose his faith in Jesus. He would turn back and be kept in God’s family.

So, for you and I. Jesus knows what Satan is planning for you and Jesus is working to protect you. It doesn’t mean that you will not be tempted, but it does mean that Jesus will provide a way out (Hebrews 2v18, 1 Corinthians 10v13). It also means that even when you fall, Jesus provides a way back for you so that you remain in God’s family.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Jesus – Anointed for his burial!

“She [poured this perfume] in preparation for my burial.”’ – John 12v7

In our lead up to Easter, let’s reflect on Jesus’ movement towards the cross. The first is his anointing by Mary at Bethany in John 12.

Jesus was at dinner with Mary, Martha and the newly-raised-from-the-dead Lazarus, when Mary takes some perfume worth a year’s wages and pours it on Jesus’ feet. Judas criticises the terrible waste, but Jesus responds, “She did this in preparation for my burial.” (NLT)

We see here that Jesus had a very clear set of objectives in his mind and it centred around his own death and burial. His purpose was to take my sin on his shoulders and die, condemned, in my place. He was not going to be distracted. Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

Here is a thought … For Mary, Jesus was worth a year’s wages. What is Jesus worth to me?

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Loved and Always Together!

“Because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”’ – Hebrews 13v5

Earlier today, I was reading about God’s unfailing love for his people in Deuteronomy. God recognised that the people of Israel were very fickle. They were so ready to complain, so ready to fall into temptation and there was nothing particularly amazing about them. But God loved them – Why? – simply because he had decided to love them. God says, “I set my heart on you.” When the people did wrong, God looked to bring them back into his love and blessing.

This is so pertinent for you and I today. Maybe you are complaining about the way things are, maybe you have fallen into temptation. But God has said “never will I forsake you.” God has chosen you and he has set his heart on you. You may fail, but He will not. There is only one thing to do today – it is to put our trust in Him. You may feel down, but he will never let you down. As far as he is concerned, you and He are a team!

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Loved and You have a place!

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms;” – John 14v1

So we have now entered the period called “Lent” as we lead up to Easter. Many use Lent as a time to lay aside the things of this world in order reflect more on God’s love for us shown in Jesus. We are continuing our series about the Love of God towards us and today is this familiar verse in John 14.

Do you like to get to somewhere early so that you can make sure you have a good seat? Jesus tells us not to worry with regards to space in the Father’s house. You are guaranteed a place if you belong to Jesus: that is if you have been born again. The verse above continues, “I am going to prepare a place for you.” That is Jesus, who loved you and even died for you, is the one sorting this out for you.

And so, whatever you encounter in this life, do not let your heart be troubled. Is that possible? Jesus says the alternative to a troubled heart is trust in God. So we might ask, how can I gain a deeper trust in God? The secret lies in filling our hearts and minds with his love and faithfulness. Fill them with his faithfulness by reflecting on what impossible things God has done  when people stepped out in faith – listen to people’s testimonies, both in the Bible and outside it. Then fill them with his love by meditating on how much God loves you – yes, if Jesus died for you, he is not now going to let you go!

May God increase your faith and trust in Him!

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Loved and Filled with Love!

“God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” – Romans 5v5

Do you want to be filled with Love? Then the Bible is clear, we are filled with love by the Holy Spirit. And the love he fills us with is the perfect kind of love – it is God’s love.

This love poured out in us, transforms us from within. It transforms our character into the likeness of Christ who was also filled with God’s love.

So let’s ask God today to pour out his love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. My prayer for you today is exactly the same. May God pour out His love in your heart today!

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Loved and Filled with Love!

“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” – Romans 5v5

What does the Holy Spirit do? One thing He does is to pour out love in our hearts. This gives a deep sense of God’s love for you. A deep knowledge that he accepts you. A sense that he has his arms around you and is working in your best interests.

This love poured out in our hearts is also a capacity to love others. Do you find some people difficult to love? By the power of the Holy Spirit within you, he enables you to love them just as Jesus does.

Do you know God’s love in you? Do you see that taking effect in your love for others? If so, then this verse states that you can have absolutely certain hope because the God who is working in you now will continue to work in you right through into eternity.

May God pour out his love in your heart today.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Loved and Given a Fresh Start!

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God.”  – 2 Corinthians 5v17 

Maybe, like me, you have taken a wrong turn when driving. And maybe you have found the road is a cul-de-sac: there is nothing else you can do except turn around and go back to that junction again.

Sometimes we find ourselves in similar situations in life. Only a return to the start will do.

Jesus offers us a completely new start in life. The old is all forgiven and gone. He has put a new Spirit in us. He has set us on a new road – the road to being with God for ever. We are now a road of hope and peace in Christ. He has even changed our hearts so that we desire to follow Jesus rather than our old ways.

This is something both to celebrate and to live out day by day. It is like a homeless person being given somewhere to stay. They no longer live in their old ways on the street, but in the warm, in a home.

May God fill you with joy because of what he has done in you. May He enable you, by his Holy Spirit to live out your new life in Christ.

With love and blessing,

Roland