Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Samuel – Standing out!

1Samuel 2v12,26 “Eli’s sons … had no regard for the LORD … Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favour with the LORD and with men.”

Samuel’s life reminds us of the power of choosing God’s way, even when others don’t. While Eli’s sons lived for themselves—chasing greed and ignoring God—Samuel set his heart on obedience. He didn’t follow the crowd. Instead, he chose to listen to God and serve Him with a willing heart.

That choice was not always easy. Obedience often meant laying aside his own interests. Yet God honoured Samuel for it. Scripture says he “continued to grow in favour with the LORD and with men.” His faithfulness became the foundation of his calling—he would one day anoint David as king, setting in motion the line that would lead to Jesus.

In the same way, our daily choices to obey God matter more than we may ever realise. Sometimes obedience feels costly or inconvenient, but it is never wasted. God sees, God honours, and God works through it.

May we, like Samuel, be willing to stand firm in God’s ways—even when it goes against the flow. Who knows what blessings and purposes God may bring through your obedience today?

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

How to Grow Spiritually – (1) Go to God in Prayer

Matthew 6v6 “When you pray … pray to your Father.”

Happy New Year!! On Sunday mornings a year ago, we looked at the importance of growing spiritually. Being born again is like crossing a border or going through a gate: having crossed the border, it is only sensible to move into all there is in the Kingdom of God. When we journey physically we need all of (say) a car, fuel and directions to enable us to continue moving, so in our spiritual journey we need to use all of the resources we have been given. The first resource is Prayer.

God made you to have conversation with you. Why? Because conversation is key to a relationship. Jesus came to restore conversation between God and you. He has restored the relationship to one of Father and child. Your Heavenly Father wants to share his love and purpose with you. He wants you to know his care for you day by day. And he also wants you to share the details of your life with Him. God calls us into an intimate relationship with Him. It takes time.

Traditionally the visit of the “Magi” is celebrated this coming Saturday. How much time and energy did they invest in travelling to bring some gifts to Jesus? It may have been a couple of years from when they first saw the star to when they arrived in Bethlehem. They left their families, their homes, their normal business and activities and trekked across the Middle East to see Jesus. For all that time and investment, they didn’t see Jesus do anything for them – they just were present with Him and worshipped Him. What am I prepared to put into the pursuit of Jesus this year? What other things come in front of my time with God?

Two years ago we used “The Prayer Course” to give us tools to use in our prayer life. These are available on this link if you would like to use them. https://prayercourse.org/sessions/

May God lead you in spiritual growth and maturity this year,

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Joy to the World

Luke 2v10 “I bring you good news of great JOY that will be for all the people.”

What is the difference between happiness and joy? Some have suggested that happiness is about sensory pleasure while joy is derived from soul satisfying, emotional well-being. While happiness comes from outside things, joy is about the inner self.

In which case, it  would seem that Jesus didn’t come to make us happy because he promised, “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16v33). But he did come to give that deep inner joy that bubbles up from within even in difficult circumstances. How is this possible?

Our joy is grounded in Jesus who is our Saviour and Lord. He is the one who has loved us and continues to love us. He is the one who brings us to our Father God and through whom we are now children of God. And we know that in Him is ultimate victory. Indeed, Jesus continues, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world,” (John 16v33). As we allow our souls to connect with God and these truths, He satisfies our soul, and our inner being is filled with joy.

I wish you a Happy Christmas, but even more, I wish you a JOYFUL Christmas.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Mary’s shock

Luke 1v29 “Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.”

Mary seems a remarkable young lady.

• First she has the shock of an angel appearing to her. The words of the angel are positive, “Greetings you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” But these positive words do not stop her being surprised and even troubled. It is outside the realm of her experience and she really does not know what the outcome is to be.
• Her second shock is to be told, “You will be with child … and you are to give him the name Jesus.” Afterall, she is only engaged, not married and she has had no sexual activity. There was of course a clue as to how in the description given of her child, “He will be called the Son of the Most High.” Today we look back and can see that this was prophesied in Isaiah 7v11 “The virgin will be with child, she will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means “God is with us”)”, but I doubt this was in the front of Mary’s mind. You can imagine her perplexity as she asks the question, “How will this be since I am a virgin?”
• It may not be so much of a shock, but the angel’s answer must have raised some questions in her mind too, “the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” I think I would still be in question mode. The angel continues to graciously tell her that her elderly relative Elizabeth is pregnant. Maybe this is meant as a sign for Mary that she is able to test by going to visit Elizabeth.

In all this, the angel’s conclusion, “For nothing is impossible with God”, is met by Mary with “I am the Lord’s servant, May it be to me as you have said.”

Let us give thanks to the Lord for Mary’s submissive heart. It also raises the question, “What is the Lord saying to me?” It is good to share our questions and concerns with the Lord, but it is also vital that we submit to his answers.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Jesus Promised

Matthew 1v22 “All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet.”

Do you get those moments of questioning “What if I have got this wrong?”. I love to ponder over the prophecies in the Old Testament and be amazed. What other explanation could there be of such accurate long-range foretelling except that the Bible is truly God speaking to us? That applies to both the prophetic words and prophetic actions of the Old Testament.

Just consider amongst many others:

• Abraham was told by God around 2000BC “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen 12v3): look at the global spread of God’s blessing now.
• Abraham was prepared to offer up his-only-promised-son, Isaac, as a sacrifice and spoke the words, “God himself will provide the lamb” (Gen 22v8): look at Jesus, the provision of “The Lamb of God”.
• David wrote Psalm 22 around 1000BC and included many pertinent lines such as, “They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing”: look at the direct correspondence with Christ’s crucifixion.
• Micah wrote about 700BC “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah … out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5v2): look at the birth of Jesus, the eternal Son, in Bethlehem.
• Isaiah also wrote about 700BC, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and you will call him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7v14): look at Jesus who was born to the virgin Mary.

God’s Word is faithful and true. His promises are always sure.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Jesus Is Coming

Revelation 22v20 “Yes, I am coming soon.”

It is difficult to deny the historic Jesus of the 1st century. And the gospels which record what he did also point to the future. Jesus is going to come back. There’s a lot of uncertainty in our world today. But as a follower of Jesus, this I know, Jesus is Coming Back and he will set things straight!! We therefore do not need to fear.

As Advent begins, let’s look forward to the second coming. There is a lot of speculation about specific elements, but the following are the key things Jesus tells us to keep in mind:

•      He is definitely coming (Rev 22v20) – so be ready
•      We do not know the time, it will be a surprise (Matt 24v36-51) – so be ready
•      It will a definitive moment after which it will be too late to switch to Jesus (Matt 25v1-15) – so be ready
•      He will reward people for how they have used what he has given (Matt 25v14-30) – so be ready
•      He will bringing in a new era, where those who belong to Jesus will rise to be with him and those who are not will be cast out (Matt 25v31-46) – so be ready

The first big question of Advent is not “Am I ready for Christmas?”, but “Am I ready for Christ to come?”  In the parables referred to above, “being ready” means: watch in expectation, pray, be careful to follow Christ, keep being filled with the Holy Spirit, use all God has given you for Him, and serve others.

In God’s grace, may each of us be ready for his coming.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Living in God’s Blessing

Genesis 39v20 “While Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him: he showed him kindness and granted him favour in the eyes of the prison warden.”

Joseph, the favoured son of Jacob (also called Israel) was envied and hated by his brothers, he was sold as a slave, and then in slavery, he was falsely accused and put in prison. Looking at the external circumstances, you’ve got to think God was not showing Joseph much kindness!

However, as always, God was working with the long-term in view. Even in all the frustrations of injustice and false accusation, of being put down and even imprisoned, God was with him. It is not our circumstances that define God’s favour, but knowing his presence. God’s favour was not to be seen in worldly success, but in the facts that Joseph could do a work reliably, he could resist temptation, and he could see God’s hand in what was going on.

We can look back today at the story of Joseph and say, “Ah, but it was all part of the journey of God’s plan and purpose”. But Joseph did not know the end game, he could only go on the relationship he had with God and the prophetic dreams he had as a teenager.

So for us today, our circumstances may not be great – whether in terms of health, finances, relationships or other issues – but that does not mean God has withdrawn his blessing. God is working long-term.

Also, it would seem that Joseph was one to look out for those little blessings – the favour of the prison warden – as signs of God’s kindness. You belong to God and are a worker for him in this world, what little blessings can you turn back in praise to God with a thankful heart. And the blessings that we have in Christ Jesus are not very little at all! (Ephesians 1v3-10)

Spend time today thinking on those “little” blessings.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Living as a Friend of God

James 2v23 “Abraham … was called God’s friend.”

We can easily imagine God as distant and high above us. Well, he is above us, but the Scriptures also tell us that he has people as friends. James writes that Abraham “was called God’s friend”. James is referring to 2 Chronicles 20v7 where Jehoshaphat (one of the later Kings of Judah) prays to God and refers to Abraham with the words, “Abraham your friend.”

Why was Abraham called “God’s friend”? Was it because he was perfect? Certainly not! He made his fair share of mistakes whether telling half-truths about his wife or sleeping with Hagar. Rather, I think it must be firstly because God had chosen him and secondly because the overall direction of Abraham’s life was one of faith and obedience despite the shortcomings.

Friends share time, thoughts and experiences together. Each is evident in God’s friendship with Abraham. God often appeared to Abraham, he visited for food, and told Abraham what he was thinking and planning whether for blessing or judgment. From the other side, Abraham was available to God and shared frankly how he was feeling and his worries and concerns. God was not someone for him to be afraid of, but to share with.

So that brings me to the question, “Am I a friend of God?”. Well if I am a believer, I am chosen just like Abraham was (see for example Ephesians 1v4). If I am allowing time to spend with God and am seeking to obedient to his direction, then it seems reasonable to conclude that God considers me His friend.

Spend time today meditating on the thought that God considers you His friend.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Living in Truth

John 8v32 “the truth will set you free.”

I like to make decisions based on the truth. But often establishing the facts is difficult: I struggle to get to the bottom of truth. A mix of lies, half-truths, gloss, spin and dubious opinions makes the true facts hard to establish.

In fact, establishing truth is a spiritual battle. Jesus says “I am the … Truth”, “I came into the world to testify to the truth”, and “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me” (John 14v6, 18v37). On the other side, Satan is the one who “Deceives” (Revelation 20v8), is “the father of lies” and in whom there is “no truth” (John 8v44).

Jesus faced the reality that people did not believe him because he spoke the truth. “Yet because I tell the truth you do not believe me” (John 8v45), and after his death the Pharisees even called Jesus a deceiver as they said to Pilate, “We remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’” (Matthew 27v63). This again is the devil’s work as he “blinds the hearts of the unbeliever” (2 Cor 4v4), “accuses the brothers” (Revelation 12v10) and causes people to “falsely say all kinds of evil against you” (Matthew 5v11).

As Christians, we are called to the truth. But where and how do we find truth?

• In Jesus – his words are true, his actions are filled with integrity, his love if faithful. If you want the security of truth turn to Jesus. If you want the light of truth for direction, turn to Jesus.
• Hard work – Unfortunately in this world, there are what this world perceives as “many truths”. In reality these are mainly “half-truths” and outright lies. We have to discern what is right and what is wrong, and that is not always easy. There will be areas we will need to remain uncertain.
• Holy Spirit – Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of Truth”, and “He will guide you into all truth” (John 16v13). Does that mean that as a Spirit-filled believer I am always right? Unfortunately, not. We need to bounce things off the community of faith, but ultimately, the Spirit will “remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14v26)

Let’s base our thinking and actions on the truth, for the “truth will set us free”.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Living in Holiness

1 Peter 1v16 “Be holy because I am holy.”

Holiness is not a popular idea today. Many consider it antiquated, fit to be replaced by words such as freedom and love. The word may create images in our minds of a list of “Do not”s .

Did you know that “holy” and related words occur nearly twice as often in the New Testament as in the Old? Far from Jesus doing away with holiness, he brings it in! Hence, he says to his disciples “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees … you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 6v20) The Pharisees were seen as the super-holy people of the day: they had all sorts of rules about right behavior.

Jesus went on to give the “Sermon on the Mount” where Jesus typically takes an Old Testament saying about behavior and applies it to our whole way of thinking. So for example, “If you even lust, you have committed adultery in your heart.” (Matthew 6v28).

This is a disaster for us if we are looking to get into heaven by our own efforts. We cannot. But Jesus has brought us holiness by taking all our unholiness on the cross. He took it all so that we could be set free. And he did this because he loved us. So to receive holiness is to receive freedom from guilt and to receive the most amazing love. Yes, freedom, love and holiness are linked.

But the New Testament goes further, because it says we are now “saints” (literally, “Holy Ones”). Our new identity in Christ is “holy”, and God calls us to live according to that new identity. “Our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with. … count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6v6 & 11.

True holiness begins from within. It begins from a heart set free from sin and filled with God’s love instead. It means that true freedom and true love are not opposites of holiness, but actually lead to holiness. Just as “God is Love” and “God is Holy”, so we as his children are called to be full of both love and holiness.

May the Lord keep you in his paths of righteousness.

With love and blessing,

Roland