Where’s the Hope?

 Where’s the Hope? - Nathele Graham - twotug@embarqmail.com “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.” Psalm 31:24. The news is bad. Everything is doom and gloom and depression hangs heavy over the population. The political climate in the United States is ugly. And I get very discouraged when I listen toall the political babbling. A crazy young man who may or may not have been acting alone tried to assassinate Mr. Trump. What do many of the loony liberals say? “I’m sorry he missed”. That’s just cold-hearted. They take a miracle of God and turn it into somethingevil. In speaking of the end of days, Jesus said “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Matthew 24:12. This makes me concerned for the state of America. On the other hand, I see so many video clips asking people why they will vote for the Democrat’s nominee, and their reasoning is absurd. “Becauseshe’s a woman”. Really? She’s not running for president of the PTA, but running for leadership of the United States of America. I’m a woman, but that doesn’t qualify me to be president. Where’s the hope for America if this is the basis of casting votes? Whatwill she do when facing an important meeting with world leaders? I also have doubts that she even knows where our Southern Border is located, nor does she think there’s trouble there. It leaves me scratching my head. The Bible is always the best place to look for answers and encouragement. Names and places change, but the same failures of humanity are always there, as well as the same love of God. Jobwas a man who had many afflictions. Satan was waging war against this man who loved the Lord. All of Job’s children died, he faced horrific health issues, he lost his fortune, and his wife was little or no support in his trials. Nothing seemed worth livingfor, and he desired for God to take his life. He did have some so-called friends who would have been more help if they had stayed home; their advice was not good at all. Job was very depressed. “Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself insorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One. What is my strength, that I should hope? And what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?” Job 6:10-11. The truth that Job would eventually come to realize is that God was his strength, his comfort, and his hope. “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter dayupon the earth: and although after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Job 19:25-26. Job’s hope was found in the Redeemer, and we know His name: Jesus Christ. America, Jesus Christ is our only hope. Christians cannot give up and stop praying. The truth is, when studying prophecy, it seems as if America is missing. Americans tend to think that the world will stop turning without this nation to keep it going. America was once a greatnation, but has turned into a culture that esteems pagan lust and evil. We have fallen so far from God’s grace that I’m amazed we are still a nation. The only hope for any nation, or any individual person, is Jesus Christ. No national leader, whether conservativeor liberal, will ever make a nation great. The greatest human king that ever ruled a nation was King David. What made him great? He was a man after God’s own heart. The Apostle Paul gave a short history of Israel, and told how thepeople desired a king, and God gave them what they deserved: Saul. Saul was a bit crazy. It was David whom God desired for their king, but the people demanded a king immediately and David wasn’t ready. After years of poor leadership and crazy actions, Saulcommitted suicide during a battle. David was ready to be king and led Israel to greatness. “And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man aftermine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.” Acts 13:22. David wasn’t a perfect man, and he committed great sin. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed. When Nathan the prophet confronted him with his sin, David went toGod and humbly repented and asked for mercy. “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightiest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear whenthou judgest.” Psalm 51:3-4. A truly repentant man or woman will be forgiven by God. We learn from the account of Jonah being sent to the city of Nineveh to preach repentance, that that evil and wicked city repented fromthe king to the least of the populace. Their judgment was delayed. Sadly, Nineveh returned to their sin and God sent judgment and they were destroyed. It seems as if it's time for Americans to repent and turn from the sins that are destroying this nation.Abortion and homosexuality are two of the worst things that show our rebellion to God. America is ripe for judgment. Even our churches are full of sin and false teaching. How can we ever find hope in this fallen world? “If my people, which are called by myname, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14. We can’t expect God to continue to turn a blind eye to the sin in this nation. No nation can survive if God isn’t honored. The only nation I can think of that has endured through many attempts to destroy it, is Israel. History shows that they haven’t always honoredGod, and at those times, they have been taken captive and their God-given land was defiled. Prophecy was fulfilled in 1948 when the nation of Israel was re-established. “And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build thewaste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have giventhem, saith the LORD thy God. “Amos 9:14-15. Prophecy gives me hope. No matter how evil the world seems, God is still God. He has foreseen all things and told us in advance so we can be aware of the times in which we live. Israel hasreturned to the land and will not be removed. The attacks on Israel which we are witnessing today are leading up to a very evil time known as the Great Tribulation. We see the various nations named in prophecy aligning for battle and the rise of the Man ofSin (the Anti-Christ). We also see the coming world monetary system…be wary of the World Economic Forum. The technology is being put in place to enable the Mark of the Beast to be implanted in everyone. God foretoldall of this in prophecy. The troubles which are coming are caused by people turning away from God and embracing Satan’s lies. All the people of the world will look to Satan for their hope, but there is no hope in evil. We can only find hope in God. “Now theGod of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” Romans 15:13. God can’t fill you with joy and peace if you don’t turn to Him. That means repent and turn from sin. Without God, there is no hope. There’s a teaching in some churches today that all you have to do is believe in Jesus and you will find His grace with no need to repent and turn from sin. That teaching forgets the factthat repenting means changing your mind. That teaching also ignores many verses that tell of sins that will keep a person from Heaven. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters,nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. We have all sinned, and until we are safe at Home with Jesus we will continue to sin, but when we place our hope in Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven. He is our only Hope. Is it acceptable,then, to profess Christ and hold tightly to sin? No. Jesus told the woman taken in adultery “…Neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more.” John 8:11b. God knows your heart and if you are struggling with certain sins, He will help you overcome them, but don’t embrace sin as your right. In Christ we have hope. We cannot find hope in any human. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” Romans 3:10. There is no hope in a human being, but there is hope only in Jesus Christ. God establishes nations and raises up men to rule. As Christians, we need to pray for whomever is in leadership,but we also must pray for guidance for whom to vote. It may be that God will allow an evil ruler, just as He did with King Saul ruling over Israel. The people of Israel got what they deserved, but when David became king, Israel flourished. We are living insome very troublesome times. If you don’t study prophecy, you cannot understand what’s happening. You will not understand that Christians have a hope that nobody else on this earth has. That is the hope of the Rapture. Some will try to say the rapture is an erroneous belief started in the 1800’s, but that’s wrong. Enoch was the first example of God removing His people from earth prior to His judgment. Today,judgment is coming fast. Only Christians have the hope of escaping the very evil and wicked times coming quickly upon all the earth. “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himselffor us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:13-14. Now, that’s hope. Jesus Christ is our blessed hope. Are you zealous to do good works? If not, why? Time is short and there are many, many people who haven’t heard the Good News of salvation.We need to share our hope with the fallen world around us. We need to make decisions based upon Scripture. Let the Holy Spirit lead you in all things. Share your hope with everybody around you. God bless you all, Nathele Graham twotug@embarqmail.com Recommended prophecy sites: www.raptureready.com www.prophecyupdate.com www.raptureforums.com All original scripture is “theopneustos” God breathed. If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries just drop me an email and let me know. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” Psalm 122:6