Rejoice in hope .....

Ro 5:2* through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 5 tells us of many of the blessings we have in Jesus Christ. Not only have we been justified, ( made just in His sight ) but we also have access into the grace of God, and we are actually standing firm in that grace.

But, please notice something else as stated in Rom 5:2. Not just access, not just standing, but also a rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.

Rejoice means to to glory in, or to glory on account of, to boast in. We can rejoice in the glory of God. That is, we have a future and a hope.

Jesus will come back for us one day, and we will be taken with Him to heaven. Our bodies will be glorified together with Him. He will also bring us back in our glorified bodies, and we will reign and rule with him on the earth for 1000 years in His Kingdom.

The entire earth will be filled with the glory of God.

What a future we have, what a hope we have. It's sure, it's stedfast, it's not going to change, there is nothing that can separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus, and no one can take us out of His hand.

We truly can look forward to the future. And the 1000 year reign is just the start. God will forever be revealing to us the riches of His grace in Christ Jesus. On and on it will go, with no end. Eternity with our Lord, grace, upon grace, upon grace.

Father, thank You for the living hope we have in Christ. And, today, would You please help us to have our hope in mind, and would You help us to really rejoice today in what You have in store for us. In Jesus name.

Pastor Bob Grenier.

Senior Pastor

CCVisalia.com

Practical applicational thoughts..

1. Rejoicing is for you if you are a born again Christian

2. The Holy Spirit gives us joy.

3. You can set your mind on the Lord, and think about the hope you have in Him.

4. Joy is a real blessing to our souls and to other people as well.

5. Joy can be found even when we are in difficult times.

6. Remember where you have come from, and where you are going.

7. The Lord has promised to finish the good work He has started in you.

Giving brings blessing to the giver.

Proverbs 22:9 He who has a bountiful eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor.

For the person who has a bountiful eye, or who is a generous giver, there is a promise. It's the promise of being blessed. The scripture goes on to say, "for he gives of his bread to the poor"

God has built into life this principle, that it is more blessed to give then it is to receive.

Ac 20:35* “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Someone else has said, "You can never out-give the Lord"

What are the blessings of being a giver?

1. A personal joy in your own heart.

2. A renewed perspective on the use of our funds and material possessions.

3. A realization that others have needs that we may have once had.

4. A sense that the Lord is pleased with our giving.

5. A real act that is in keeping with how the Lord acted when on earth.

6. A knowledge that treasures are being stored up in heaven.

7. A desire to do more of the same. Be a consistent giver.

I'm sure you could add to the above list.

May God bless us today, and in the days ahead to take His Word to heart, and be generous givers.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia