Hope

"now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" Hebrews 11:1
"so now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love" 1 Cor 13:13
the word "hope" is used so much in everyday life and its clear from the context in Scripture its not used the same way throughout the Word as we use it in the world. we "hope" it doesn't rain or "hope" we get to sleep in an extra 30 minutes or "hope" we can do or have or see lots of things. but the word used in the New Testament for hope is elpis, this word is used 54 times. This Greek word means "expectation of evil, fear or expectation of good, hope" Strong's concordance goes on to say "in the Christian sense, joyful & confident expectation of eternal salvation" (emphasis mine)
so this word HOPE it has a depth that i want to search out.
the thing i note most is that our hope is in eternal salvation. i often place hope in how God will provide for me or how God will do something. it seems easier to hope in His action for today, but the truth is, His action is what He calls us to hope in. But its the action that is far greater than His providing materials things. He calls us to hope in our salvation through Christ's death and resurrection. We hope in that we will never die. That though we die, we live.
Death no longer has a hold, so what have we to fear. Because if Jesus conquered death and we join with Him in death and resurrection then we too have conquered death. "no, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" Romans 8:37
Paul's writings on God's care and provision for us are founded in the hope that comes in eternal life. That we do not have to guess whether or not we will be saved. We stand in confidence. And that is why Paul can write some crazy stuff. "behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. we put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger... as dying, and behold, we live...as having nothing, yet possessing everything" (emphasis mine). Jesus says that everything we need is eternal life, everything we need is him, because even if we lose our lives we gain. even if we die, we live. so there is nothing we could need except Him.
in a world where people die by the millions everyday because of hunger, war, poverty, violence, disease, and the like it seems insane that Jesus would say that He is all we need. it seems like we need health and food and shelter and protection, but Jesus says that we need him, because even with health, food, shelter, and protection, we are mortal and we will die and that everything in this place will pass. but that He remains, forever.

from "good" to "freedom"

So this is what I've been reading and what I think about it...
I continue to read that a post-modern thinker is less concerned with being good, but would rather be free. This is so important in the way the Gospel is presented. Not only how its presented, but rather looking at what the Gospel is. Many Gospel presentations share about how we are separated from God because we are not good, because we have fallen short of some standard. But a post-modern response is "who says what's good?" "why does that definition or standard have to apply to me?" whether or not these are valid questions does not change the fact that they are asked. I know easily it is said that the standard is set, so to question it doesn't change the fact that it is in place. I totally agree, but you won't reach this generation with a response like that. People will turn and call you small minded. Whether or not they are right, it is the response.
So we are all about reaching people, and in the same way that we learn new languages if we are going to minister the Gospel overseas, we must learn to speak in a way that is understandable to this generation. I DID NOT SAY CHANGE THE GOSPEL. I do not advocate changing who Jesus is or how we are saved or any of those things, but there seems to be room to move toward a message of freedom. Freedom is in the scriptures. Galatians 5:1 says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free" and Isaiah writes and Jesus restates, "The Lord has anointed me...to proclaim liberty to the captives (Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18).
So how are post modern thinkers reached?
Is it necessary to have a desire to be good? or is it about having a desire to know God through Christ Jesus?
I'm just asking some questions, just thinking it through. These thoughts are absolutely subject to change. As I seek the Lord, I pray you would too and we could know God more through asking these questions. And talking about the answers together.

One more question, where do freedom and shalom intersect?

learn a new world

i live in orlando now. and i think i like it. one of the things talked about so much in my community is "learning a new world" its what i was trying to do this summer in asia. but no one told me it was going to be like that here.
i moved around a lot growing up and thought this transition would be as easy as any of those, but i was wrong. before when i left it was always with someone, with the exception of college, where there were tons of new freshman who didn't move with someone. and before i hadn't poured my life into others. its strange to be in a new place, without people you would jump in front of a bus for. i miss my friends, i miss the people who know me. not that i don't love getting to know new people, because i do.
i have to rely on the Spirit and that's just what i am going to have to do. everything is new and different. i'm glad that i don't have to learn a new language in order to survive here, but everything else is totally new.
i like new though. i can do new.

its just weird to still see the old. still talk to people who are doing the things i would be doing if i lived in muncie. and thanks to facebook, i even know what people are doing on the weekends. i get invited to see shows at the living room and i'm a little bummed that i don't get to go. but the Lord has me here, and i said i would go. so i'm going. praise the Lord that He allows me to go on His behalf to the ends. only by His grace.

new blog

i got a new blog. i thought it was time. i'm in a new place with new people doing a new job. i figure a new blog is just what i need.