What do we mean by Hope? It’s certainly not that ‘hopey changey’ thing we were promised in 2008!
We could simply say ‘Jesus is our Hope’, but to really understand Hope, it is also necessary to understand two other doctrines:
In the Bible we read that when Hebrews got into terrible debt that they could not repay, they were sometimes forced to sell themselves into slavery. The only way they could get out again was if someone redeemed them, by paying their debt.
In the same way, through our sinful lives, we are slaves to the Devil, headed for judgment and eternal separation from God, and we can’t get out of that slavery by ourselves.
But the Good News is that Jesus paid the price to redeem us, by living a sin-less life and allowing Himself to be sacrificed on the cross, on our behalf.
So, how do we accept that redemption? Acts 2:38 – “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Repentance means turning away from our sins, and putting our hope (our trust, our faith) in Him. David repented from his sins, and he wrote:
Psalm 25:5 – “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”
What did Jesus say? Matthew 28:19-20 – “…go and make disciples… baptizing them…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Determining to obey God’s commands instead of leading a sinful life is repentance. It’s the combination of redemption and repentance that brings hope. And in these last days, this message is the most needed and the most urgent it has ever been.
Isaiah 40:31 – “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Those that have accepted redemption and repented.)
Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Romans 15:4 – “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
Later that same chapter, Paul calls God “The God of Hope”:
Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
We sometimes sing ‘Open the Eyes of my heart, Lord’. That comes from Ephesians 1:18-19 – “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”
Titus 3:7 – “so that, having been justified by His (God’s) grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”
1 Peter 1:3-4 – “3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.”
Our radio station network is called the Voice of Hope. We want to bring Hope to those who have not heard, in the Americas, in Africa, in the Middle East, and if God grants, in India and China too, by explaining the good news of redemption and the need for repentance.
Shortwave radio coverage is vast and available according to our listed frequencies and broadcast schedule. We also stream our broadcasts 24/7 accessible by our "Listen Now" button on our website.
