Beyond the Broadcast: Our Bold New Season Begins. Watch Now ->
Beyond the Broadcast: Our Bold New Season Begins. Watch Now ->
…hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait foritwith perseverance. Romans 8:24-25
I want to encourage you to take a moment and read the verse above a couple more times. Paul is using logic here to point out to the Roman community of Jesus followers that if we see with our eyes what we hope for, then there is no longer a need for hope. If our hope comes to pass, there is left no reason to hope. Only BEFORE something happens or comes to pass can hope be alive and active. A hopeful life is superior in every way. But hope is only of any consequence if what we desire to occur has not occurred yet.
What is our ultimate hope as followers of Jesus? Our hope is the same as the hope of the prophets of Israel – that the Son of David would come and establish an everlasting kingdom of justice and peace that extends over all (Isaiah 2:1-4, Isaiah 11, Habakkuk 2:9-20, Revelation 19:11-22:5). Jesus said to the disciples that He would come and do just that in the Father’s time (Acts 1:6-7). Paul tells the community of faith in Corinth in his first letter that “[Jesus] must reign until He puts all enemies under His feet” (1 Corinthians 15:25). Jesus will come and make Jerusalem a praise in all the earth (Isaiah 62:7). And because we do not see it yet, we have hope for the day that we will!
As we are waiting, how should we wait? We wait eagerly. We wait with perseverance. Eagerness is the quality of wanting or longing for something very much – with great anticipation, with keen expectancy and with invested interest. We are interested in Jesus’ kingdom being fully present on the earth. We desire His kingdom to come and His will to be done on the earth as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:10). Perseverance is the quality of being persistent in doing or believing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving its success. We do not yet see His kingdom in its fullness – we do hope for it! And we wait with a keen expectancy despite His literal kingdom being delayed and the difficulty in establishing its ultimate success. And yet we hope for that which we do not see eagerly and patiently. With hope we cry, “Come Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)
ACTIVATION:
Ora por dos alcances dirigidos localmente este mes: la congregación Beta Avraham de Etiopía sirviendo a la comunidad judía de Kechene y la primera clínica médica dirigida por los Lemba en Zimbabue.
Únete a nosotros en la oración por Israel y el pueblo judío durante Rosh Hashanah y Yom Kippur. Seis puntos de oración para la revelación, el arrepentimiento y la salvación.
Shelby Saemann tells the story of her middle-of-the-night visitation from Jesus and how it changed her life. “I was terrified but in the safest moment of my life at the same exact time.” Check out her story here and at www.jewishvoice.tv.
Descubre cómo un programa de atención médica en Zimbabue trajo sanación y esperanza. Más de 8,400 personas recibieron atención, 302 profesiones de fe, y ocurrieron sanaciones milagrosas.
Where is Jewish Voice going next? We’re headed to Malawi to bring humanitarian aid in the form of medical, dental, and eye care to a Jewish community and their neighbors of all faiths. We’ll also be praying for and sharing the Gospel with those who come to our voluntary prayer room. Here are ways you can pray day by day for this Medical Outreach.
