Hope in Christ Church Video Podcast

I don’t know if you’re aware, but the word “Corona” is Latin for “crown”. It was given this name because when viewed under a microscope it looks like a crown! This weekend we celebrate Jesus coming to earth to wear a thorny crown for us. He took the plague of every evil upon Himself … so that we might be raised from the dead.

And He stands alive in the very air around us right now, ready to raise us up and empower us to overcome every evil thrown our way – from the coronavirus, to the disease of death and sin, to the virus of our own selfishness. He has conquered every evil we face! And He has come to infect us with His powerful new life!

With President Trump encouraging Americans to avoid crowds of ten or more people, we have decided to cancel our Sunday morning worship service for the time being. In its place is a shorter service with songs of worship, prayer, and a devotional message. I encourage you to listen, pray for one another, and continue to reach out to support and encourage one another.

A recent survey of 2,000 Americans found that the average adult will wake up in a bad mood 300 times a year. That means that on average we will only have 65 good mornings all year! Six days every week we will wake up on the wrong side of the bed. And friends, that is not how life in the kingdom of God is meant to be. If we are truly experiencing the life God wants us to have in His kingdom, 365 days a year we will wake up with the attitude that, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” And the people around us will say, “I want what he or she has.”

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Too many professed Christians today live as if God is our servant instead of us being His. Too many professed Christians today live as if the church is their servant instead of us being servants of the church.

Therefore, I think it needs to be said: Ask not what God can do for you – ask what you can do for God. Furthermore: Ask not what your church can do for you – ask what you can do for your church!

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Do you know that the kingdom of heaven is here, now? Every serious Bible scholar will tell you that the primary theme of Jesus’ teaching was the kingdom of heaven. One professor and Christian author I read made the statement that, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” … was Jesus’ first and only real sermon point. Matthew indicates Jesus proclaimed it every time He spoke.” And He didn’t take it back when He ascended; it’s still here.

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We are bombarded by messages and images telling us we have the right to be happy, we deserve to be happy, no one should stand in the way of my happiness. As a result, most people walk down that road pursuing happiness. And if I stay on that road I will never be good, and I’ll never be happy. You would have a hard time finding one single person in the history of humanity who has found happiness by chasing it.

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Once we come to the realization of who we are, the beloved sons and daughter of God, we need to find a way for that to take root in our hearts and minds. If this would happen, we would stop worrying about our day and start it in giddy anticipation of the wonderful gifts our Father is going to bring into our lives. Imagine walking through 2020 listening to the voice of our Heavenly Father saying to us, “I have a gift for you today, and I can’t wait for you to see it!” That is the life Jesus wants us to have. That is life itself. That is life as the precious one of God that each one of us truly is.

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The famous saying in Alcoholics Anonymous is: “I’m not God.” With that, a huge burden lifts off. But we know from experience how hard this is to actually do. Not to agree with; to do. God is still waiting for us to decide to hand the world over to Him.

This one act would completely revolutionize our lives. If we handed the world over to God we would discover the easy yoke of Jesus. And we would finally be able to lie down and sleep at night. We would be set free from our stress. We would see and experience all of the wonderful gifts God has given us today.

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In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gave us both a command: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus made it clear in this and many other passages, that while He wants to give us the gift of salvation, He expects those of us who have accepted His gift to share the Gospel, His “Good News” with others who have yet to take advantage of His eternally generous offer.

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