Get Your Hopes Up

Get Your Hopes Up

How many of you grew up being told “don’t get your hopes up”? You had been planning, asking, and or hoping for something you really wanted. Maybe it was a trip to summer camp, or a new bicycle. Maybe you wanted to go to a Christian school or play in the band. Maybe you just wanted to have more time with your dad. How often, after expressing your desire for things such as these, were you told, “don’t get your hopes up”?

I was. I was told that many, many times. I believe that these negations proved to play a major role in some of the problems I faced as a young adult. Why do I believe that? It’s because all that I had been dreaming of or hoping for had been smudged out, instantly.

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Proverbs 13:12 (NLT)

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.

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Late in my early thirties, after being married for ten years, having three children, and owning my own business, my life took a serious turn for the worse. I found myself poured into a mold that did not line up with what I had hoped for in life. My life had been deferred down the broad and common road.

Divorce, alcoholism, loss of business, cocaine addiction, crack addiction, homelessness and hopelessness led me straight into an eight month Christian rehab. Christ changed my life during those eight months, and I praise him for that. But that’s not exactly what I am here to talk about today. What I want to talk about are the effects I witnessed as a result of hopes deferred. Mine were quite obvious.

During these eight months I lived in a huge Victorian home with thirty other addicts, victims of abuse, drunkards, criminals, and the like. Sounds like a rough bunch, I know. Many times they would not stay through the entire program and others would come in their place. For many, the call of the world was too great for them to endure. But many others did endure. During this period I got to know, personally, many different types of people, from many different walks of life. And you know what I discovered? Each and every one of them had hidden gifts and talents. They were not addicts. They were people. They were people who's hopes had been deferred.

As I got to know each of them better, and eventually did some one-on-one counseling, I was able to glimpse into a portion of their childhood and recognize a hope once had. That hope, tragically, had been buried deep with layers upon layers of rejection, disappointment, and resentment. Hope deferred.

But as with myself, once these people sat under the Word long enough to realize the amazing love God has for them, and once they understood who they were in Christ, a majority of those childhood hopes were brought back into a foreseeable vision. Hope restored.

In preparing for this little lesson, I searched through the New Living Translation and found 189 verses which contain the word hope. Certainly I am not going to list all of those here. But I have got to tell you how encouraging it was reading through those verses. If you have found some pain buried deep within your heart, perhaps it is directly related to some lost hope. I exhort you to look up some verses that pertain to hope. God’s Word is health and healing to our souls.

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PUT YOUR HOPE IN JESUS

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I could not list each and every verse that spoke to me this morning, but here are a few that I really want to share:

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Psalm 10:17

Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.

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Psalm 25:5
Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me.
All day long I put my hope in you.

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Psalm 42:11
Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!

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Psalm 78:7
So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.

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Proverbs 24:14

In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short.

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Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

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Acts 2:26
No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises!
My body rests in hope.

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Romans 5:5

And this hope will not lead to disappointment.
For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the
Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

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Romans 15:13

I pray that God, the source of hope,
will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him.
Then you will overflow with confident hope
through the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Hebrews 6:19

This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.

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Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm,
for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

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Hebrews 11:1
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen;
it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

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Your parents loved you. And maybe they did tell you not to get your hopes up on occasion. But our parents could not teach us what they did not know.

Jesus not only knows the answer, He is the answer.
And today Jesus has something that he’s been dying to tell you, literally:

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GET YOUR HOPES UP

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I love you brothers and sisters,

Michael

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Life Threw Me a Curve

Life Threw Me a Curve

Standing at the plate of life, I glance out at the stands
The tool to make my fans all cheer, gripped tightly in my hands
The hurler looked me in the eye, ball held as to deceive
I’ll bring my fans straight to their feet, if only I believe

He draws way back, his leg kicked high, anticipation great
I’ll drive this ball straight to the wall, this one’s fast and straight
From the side his arm swung wide, the ball began to swerve
I was thinking fastball, but life threw me a curve

With all my might I swung that bat, to my surprise I missed
Strike one, I heard the umpire yell, while thousands sighed and hissed
That’s only one, I said inside. That will not happen twice
Keep your eye upon that ball, they yelled to me advice

I stepped back up, then tapped my cleats and spit upon the ground
With shame I looked out towards the stands, the crowd without a sound
Once again he drew way back, again his leg kicked high
Thinking low and straight and fast, it curved and slid right by

Strike two, I heard the umpire yell, one more and this game’s through
I backed away, head bowed to pray, Oh Lord, what should I do?
His voice rose up within me, and I clearly heard Him say
Step back up and set your sights, you will not lose today

With Jesus’ words inside me, I stepped back to the plate
I looked that hurler in the eye, my confidence was great
From the side his arm swung wide, the ball began to swerve
Man I need a fastball, but here’s another curve

I waited a bit longer, I loosened up my grip
Anticipation killing me, while biting on my lip
I swung the bat more slowly, my eyes without a blink
I’ll hit this ball straight to that wall as long as I don’t think

Crack! - I heard that sound so loud, the ball it took a flight
Over the wall and then the stands, that ball was out of sight
My fans jumped straight up to their feet, the wave went round and round
The hurler was defeated, his curve had let him down

I trotted through the bases, tipped my hat and waved
They handed me a microphone but all that I could say
was; Jesus was the batter, cause I can't hit the swerve
If you prefer a fastball, let Jesus hit that curve!

By: Michael E. Moore

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Keep Yourself in God’s Love

Keep Yourself in God’s Love

How does the title of this blog strike you? Keep yourself in God’s love. For most of my saved life, I have always prayed that God would continue to pour out His love on me. Sounds like a reasonable prayer. But the point I would like to bring out today is, that we can keep ourselves in God’s love. Meaning, it’s our responsibility. I know, you are probably thinking, “No, not more responsibility!” . Trust me, it’s not that difficult to do.

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GOD DOES NOT WITHHOLD HIS LOVE, EVER

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Look at the following two verses:

1 John 4:8 (New Living Translation)

But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 4:16

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

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GOD IS LOVE

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John 4:24 (New Living Translation)
For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

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AND GOD IS SPIRIT

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God, who is Love, and who is Spirit, is omnipresent. He’s everywhere, all the time. If we are feeling separated from His love, it’s not because he is holding it back. He’s not sitting up on his throne with his arms crossed waiting until you pray just the right words, or pay your tithes, or live a perfectly Holy life.

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GOD IS ALWAYS TRANSMITTING

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God is always transmitting. Think about radio signals. They are surrounding you right this very moment. You cannot see them, and unless your radio is on, you cannot even hear them. But they are there. If you have a radio, and you go turn it on, and it is tuned into a station, you will hear whatever the station is broadcasting. Now did they start broadcasting at the moment you turned on the radio? Of course not. They were broadcasting the entire time. It is your responsibility to turn on your receiver. As soon as you do, you pick up the signal that was there the whole time.

And so it is with God. His love is all around you, and in you, right this very second. If you are not experiencing that love, you might consider changing the station.

So, how, you might ask, do I do that?

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BY PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT

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A controversial topic for many, I know. But I am here today to tell you that it works! There are many, many verses in scripture that relate to this subject. It is not my intention here today to cover all of those topics. I am not even here to debate whether speaking tongues is for today. Praying in tongues is a very powerful way to keep yourself strengthened and in the love of God.

Look at these verses:

1 Corinthians 14:4 (New Living Translation)
A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.

Corinthians 14:14 (New Living Translation)
For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying.

Corinthians 14:39 (New Living Translation)

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking in tongues.

We all want, need, desire, and were created to live in the presence of God’s love. Today, if you have never received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as evidenced by speaking in tongues, I encourage you to receive this amazing gift. Jesus is the baptizer. If you ask him, he will baptize you with the fire. Receive it in the very same way you did your salvation, by faith!

Once you have this awesome gift then you will never have to feel separated from the love of God again. How so? Let’s let the Word speak for itself:

Jude 1:20-21
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith,
praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God,
looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

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I LOVE YOU BROTHERS AND SISTERS, KEEP YOURSELF IN HIS LOVE

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Thank you.

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Thank God for Death

Thank God for Death

How many of you would agree that death can be a blessing? Think about it. Life isn't easy. Life can be very painful. Life, on this earth, is not God's greatest.

How many of you grew up believing that when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, God instantly became angry at them and banned them from the Garden? I did. I still hear that being taught and preached, even today.

Let's go back into the Garden for just a moment and take another look:

Genesis 3:22-24 (New Living Translation)

Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us,
knowing both good and evil.
What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it?
Then they will live forever!” 

So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden,
and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. 
After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

I see this as a complete act of grace, mercy, and kindness.

He did not banish them because they disobeyed him. He banished them because God did not want man to have to live for eternity in a fallen state. At this time, there was no way for them to be born again. Had they been left to partake of the Tree of Life, all men would have lived forever. Can you imagine having to live forever?

Think about those that are born deformed, or with mental illnesses. Think about cruel, rotten people. Think about the Hitler's. Think about the fact that there would never be a way to escape from evil. You would just have to live with it, forever, and ever.

But God was not about to let that happen. He was, and is concerned for mankind. He took immediate action steps to prevent us from having to live for eternity.

It was an act of Grace!

Not only did he get them away from the tree, but he also made certain that it would be guarded, insuring that this tragic event would never happen. He knew that there was a better way coming. He knew that one day his Son would be sent and sacrificed as an atonement for our sin.

Did you also know that God continued to walk and talk with Adam and Eve after this. If you read further along in chapter 4 you see examples of this. God did not remove himself from mankind as an act of punishment for our sin. He didn't do it then, and he certainly doesn't do it today.

Our sins are not being imputed against us. Adam and Eve's sin was prior the the law being given. And hopefully you know that today, we are lo longer bound to the law. God is not counting our sins against us.

Romans 5:13

For until the law sin was in the world:
but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

I have to disagree with people that blame world's tragedies on God. It's just not God's nature to pour out his wrath on us. He poured out all of his wrath on Jesus.

GOD IS NOT ANGRY!

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Hell Is Not That Hot

Hell Is Not That Hot

Pop pills, seek thrills, lusting for the fame
God who? Screw you. Don’t bow to any name.
Snort coke, drink beer, smoke a little pot
Who’s God? Where’s God? Hell is not that hot.

Livin large, me in charge, all about the game
I am great, no debate, don’t believe in shame
Running wild with flower child, Makin’ love, not war
Get high, get by, that’s what life is for.

No hope, need dope, cannot stand the pain
Always high, wanna die, come on acid rain
Snort coke, drink beer, smoke a little pot
Who’s God? Where’s God? Hell is not that hot.

Lifeless, unemployed, livin' on the street
Ruthless, careless, starting to feel heat.
No friends, no ends, beggin' for a meal
Need a hit, can’t get it, gotta cheat and steal.

Locked up, facing time, bouncing off this cell
Cryin out, without a doubt, I’m going straight to hell
20 years, I’m in tears, can’t believe the deal
Need God. Where’s God? God are you for real?

Found the Word, flipped a page, lookin for a verse
Jesus lived, then he died, freed me from the curse
Bowed a knee, cried a plea, searchin' for some love
Somethin' broke, ain’t no joke, presence of a dove

Set free, new me, brand new chance at life
Out of jail, free from hell, givin’ you advice
Seek the Lord, all your heart, no need to understand
Seek Him, serve Him, reach out and take His hand.

No pills, simple thrills, free from guilt and shame
God you came through. Name above all names!
Diet coke, root beer, shrimp boiling in the pot
What a God! An Awesome God! My past he has forgot!

By: Michael E. Moore

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One Thin Dime

One Thin Dime

There comes a time in each mans life when self is not enough.
We wake one day, hopes gone astray, and look upon our stuff.

Unsatisfied, we cry inside, we’ve wasted so much time.
The things we have are meaningless, worth less than one thin dime.

Yesterday we had a dream; we’d make it to the top.
From others we’d gain envy, the cream of all the crop.

But from the top we gain a view of things we’ve never seen.
We see the toes we’ve stepped upon while chasing down this dream.

In looking down upon their frowns the thought to us occurs,
That reflective frown you’re seeing friend, I’m afraid that frown is yours.

Success is not about ourselves, not something to be gained.
For what success can be achieved from causing others pain?

Come down from that high pedestal, down from your high plateau.
Come down and build relationships, the seeds of love to sew.

From seeds of love comes true success, from seeds of love life grows.
You'll find that frown turned upside down, now washing those hurt toes.

I’m thankful for the things I’ve had, from them this lessoned learned;
Material things within this world are destined to be burned.

But love endures forever. Love stands the test of time.
I would not trade one ounce of love for ten million one thin dimes!

By: Michael E. Moore

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The Pain of Jabez

The Pain of Jabez

Pain is deep within my heart, it’s been there quite some time.
I used to try to kill this pain with cocaine, weed, and wine.
But temporary fixes, just leave me high and dry,
I feel the pain that Jabez felt in decades since gone by.

My pain is not within my bones, for there it could be healed,
But yet my pain is deep within, not yet to be revealed.
It is this pain that keeps me sane, paradoxically,
For if I did not feel this pain, I just might not be me.

This pain is not about myself, but ones that I have loved.
I took them all for granted, not gifts from up above.
Now alone I find myself, with heart blood pouring out
It seeps from every thought I think, of this I have no doubt.

I cry to live life over.  I want another chance.
I want to learn to live my life; I want to learn to dance.
To dance with those who’ve loved me; with those that I’ve made cry,
If I could have just one more chance, I'd dance until I die.

But wait! I have an option. There is a special way.
I could turn my heart towards Jesus, kneel down to him and say;
Lord, will you forgive me? Lord, please take me in.
Lord, how I have needed you, please forgive my sin.

The moment that I do this, I will be born again.
He’ll look at me with loving eyes, and tell me I’m his friend.
He’ll show me things I’ve never thought, He’ll teach me about life.
He’ll heal that pain I’m holding, removing all the strife.

Oh Lord, how much I thank you! Oh Lord, you are my King!
My brand new life has now begun, Oh death where is your sting?
And now I live with purpose, not prey to circumstance,
Oh Lord, how much I praise you! May I please have this dance?

By: Michael E. Moore

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