Thursday, December 20, 2007

Advent and hope

Hope helps us endure when all seems hopeless. It is called "an anchor for the soul", set on Jesus and his life and work for us. I see it spring up from my own deadness. Like sprouts seeming to come out of no where, from nothing, and in spite of some things.

As we celebrate Jesus' First Advent, we look forward in hope or anticipation to his Second Advent. This is when all that has begun in Jesus now is completely fulfilled. What a wondrous event that will be!

As we celebrate Jesus' First Advent than, let us look forward to his Second Advent in which our hopes born of faith will be fulfilled.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

ted, my dear brother, what a wonderful post! i am all over that hope thing! i love to celebrate Jesus, our Lord and Savior! wwwoooooooooooohoooooooooo! :-) happy smile! good moment...pass it on.

Anonymous said...

oh dear...my eyes got separated from my nose and smile...
do they still count?!

Ted M. Gossard said...

Yeah, Nancy!

Yes, his Second Advent will be just as great, although they're both distinct and unique. It's really positive, though with the bringing in of shalom/peace is the riddance of all against it.

Anonymous said...

rejoice in the Lord, and live in hope that many will come to Jesus.

i think that even though i personally have people in my life that have not come, that the power lies in rejoicing in Jesus, praising God and praying for our loved ones. i think that i am beginning to learn that a positive outlook and belief in God is better and more powerful than worrying and being fearful for things. and i think that the enemy would have us believe otherwise. rejoice and believe.

love to all
n.

ps. travel home tomorrow is the plan. flying back to oregon to arrive almost midnight.

praise God!

now to get my eyes nose and smile all together...

:-)

Ted M. Gossard said...

Nancy,
Thanks for sharing those good words on hope. I think they are wise and helpful. Our focus does need to be on God and his grace at work in Jesus now, not on all the sorrows and troubles that surround us.

Hope your trip was good for you and yours. I know it's good to get back home.