Jesus Our Hope

by Jack Zavada

"We have lasting hope through the salvation we have in Christ ... Hope means that even when it looks like it's all over, it's not all over yet. That's why the Bible says we can rejoice even in our tribulations. God is working in our hard times to produce proven character and hope in us."
-Dr. Tony Evans, Totally Saved

"May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you." Psalm 33-22(NIV)


For millions of people, the Christmas season means nothing more than parties, gifts, decorations, and time off work. For Christians, however, this time of year is a happy reminder of the hope we have because of Jesus Christ.

Before Jesus came, God seemed distant, hidden in the Holy of Holies in the temple, accessible only to the high priest. Worshipers wondered whether their sacrifices were acceptable. They doubted their salvation.

Christ means hope—to the person out of work, to the struggling single mother, to the dying believer. Even if you're just slogging your way through the disappointments of life, if you have Jesus, you have hope. And he is not a false hope, a childish fairy tale that we wish will have a happy ending. When Christ rose from the dead, that ended the argument. Period. Our hope in him is solid and it is real.

Christmas is a renewal of that hope. It reconfirms it for us if our vision has grown dim. It was settled long ago, so we don't have to doubt any more. Jesus is the fulfillment of our hope, our deepest longings come true.

O Sapo e a Rosa

Era uma vez uma rosa muito bonita, que se sentia envaidecida ao saber que era a mais linda do jardim. Mas começou a perceber que as pessoas somente a observavam de longe.

Certo dia deu-se conta de que, ao seu lado, estava sempre um grande sapo, e esta era a razão pela qual ninguém se aproximava dela. Indignada diante da descoberta, ordenou ao sapo que se afastasse dela imediatamente. O sapo, muito humildemente, disse:

- Está bem, se é assim que tu queres...

Algum tempo depois o sapo passou por onde estava a rosa, e surpreendeu-se ao vê-la murcha, sem folhas nem pétalas. Penalizado, disse a ela:

- Que coisa horrível, o que te aconteceu?

A rosa respondeu:

- É que, desde que te foste embora, as formigas comeram-me dia a dia, e agora nunca voltarei a ser o que era.

O sapo respondeu:

- Quando eu estava por aqui, comia todas as formigas que se aproximavam de ti. Por isso é que eras a mais bonita do jardim...

Muitas vezes desvalorizamos os outros por crermos que somos superiores a eles, mais "bonitos", de mais valor, ou que eles não nos servem para nada. Deus nao fex niguem para "sobrar" neste mundo.

Todos temos que aprender uns com os outros ou a ensinar a eles eninguem deve desvalorizar ninguem. Pode ser que uma dessa pessoas, a quem nao damos valor, nos faca um bem que nem mesmos nos percebemos.

Que Deus nos abencoe e nos ajude a enxergar a "beleza" dos outros. Pense nisso!

Filipenses 2:3 "Nada facais por contenda ou vangloria, mas por humildade. cada um considere os outros superiores a si mesmo."

Blood of the Nile

Exodus 7:14–24

The plague of blood is a powerful testimony to the truth of God’s ownership and management of all creation. The Nile River is Egypt’s greatest natural resource, serving as the source of the land’s natural fertility and prosperity throughout history. By changing the waters of Egypt into blood, God demonstrated his control over the source of Egypt’s economic vitality.

Pastor James E. Mead reflects that [the very] air we breathe, the water we drink, the wonder of life itself, the planet we live on, the universe—we brought none of these things into being. They are gifts we enjoy out of the overflow of God’s love. The love of God, the gift of Jesus Christ, forgiveness of our sins, the call into Christian community, the comfort of the Holy Spirit, eternal life—none came from us, each is a gift to us from God.

To remember that God owns everything prompts a remarkable shift in our view of stewardship. Usually when we think of stewardship (of giving to charitable causes, if you want), we define it as our giving to God or to the church something that belongs to us. But in the Bible, stewardship is just the reverse—our freely using, enjoying, and giving what already belongs to God.
In the words of Generous Giving’s Stewardship Bible Study Notes for this passage:

Just before God gave Moses permission to perform the first plague which turned all the water in Egypt into blood, God reemphasized that the reason he had determined to bring such cataclysmic disaster and violent upheaval upon the land of Egypt was that Pharaoh’s “unyielding” heart had caused him to refuse to let God’s people go (Ex 7:14).

We should exercise caution in drawing too close a parallel between Pharaoh and ourselves because God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Ex 10:1) while he has promised to give us new hearts of flesh (Eze 36:26). Still, it is important for us to recognize that an unyielding heart always brings disaster. This truth applies whether it is Christians or non-Christians who are being unyielding and withholding what belongs to God.

In the end, God cannot be robbed, “For from him and through him and for him are all things” (Ro 11:36) … Everything in creation is at God’s disposal, so the question is whether we will give willingly, with yielding hearts, or whether we will harden our hearts and have our closed hands forced open by the Almighty God. We will either experience the joy of giving generously or, like Pharaoh, be smashed, having everything taken from us. In light of these ultimate ends, everyone should give what he has decided in his heart to give, “not reluctantly or under compulsion” from others but out of love for God’s Son, who became poor so that we might become rich [2Co 9:7].



Think About It

• God wants you to use and enjoy his creation. How can you do that with a proper attitude?
• Is there anything in your life that may alert you that some part of your heart is “unyielding”?
• How does God show us our heart attitudes?

Pray About It
God, reveal to me through your Holy Spirit any attitudes about my possessions that might point to an improper view of what you have entrusted me to manage.

Incident in Newtown, CT

As some of you know, today has been tainted by a shoot-out at the Newtown/Sandyhook Elementary school. Among the deceased are 20 children, 6 adults and the killer.

In this moment of uncertainty, pain and loss, All Nations Baptist Church sends their thoughts and prayer to all of those affected by this tragedy. Very few are able to understand what this type of loss really means. 

In response to this, we would like to invite all of you to a vigil, tomorrow, December 15th, at 6:30pm, at 234 Main Street, Danbury, CT, in order to pray for those touched by this event and to come together as a community at well.