Where Is Your Hope?

Where Is Your Hope?

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FrankColemanMinistries.org

Where Is Your Hope?

Where Is Your Hope?

“I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”
(John 5:43-47)

What we believe can be filtered down to “whom your hopes are set.” Jesus, in the passage above, was rebuking the Jewish leaders for not accepting His authority.

Jesus reminded them that they diligently study the scripture (vs. 39) but do so only to justify their own agenda. He tried to direct them take another look and see that the scriptures speak of Him, however, in their blindness, the hope they set before them (the law) will accuse them.

Timothy was encouraged to “study” and rightly divide the Word of truth. (2 Tim. 2:15) We need to receive this encouragement as well. Instead we sit back and allow a select few to study the scriptures for us. We accept whatever they say because they have the “credentials” and/or “authority” OVER us.

These so-called leaders continue to do as the Jewish leaders in Jesus’ day did. They study the scriptures and pull out “nuggets” that justify and solidify control over “their” flock. They refuse to give Jesus pre-eminence over His body. They have even gone so far as to recreate the Levitical priesthood. They have erected temples, established rites and offices to “lord it over” God’s people. They ignore God’s word that tell us that each person, in Christ, is a priest; that where two or more are gathered in His name He is in the midst; that we ALL have gifts given to us by the Spirit.

Man and woman of God, I implore you to get into God’s Word for yourself. Shun the profane and vain babblings coming from many “pulpits” today. Ask God to “. . . give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” (Eph 1:17-23)

Again I ask: Where is your hope? Is it in Christ or in the traditions of men? Only you can decide. ——————————————–

Peace be unto you.
Sincerely,

Min. (Dr.) Franklin D. Coleman, D.D.
Path Of Life Ministries

The Potluck

Dreamtrip 2010

This is what it’s all about!

The Work Of The Lord

Listen to a recent message by Min. Frank Coleman:

READ THIS MESSAGE AS YOU LISTEN:

What would you cite as the greatest problem in congregations today?

Moral problems? Institutional issues? Marriage, divorce, remarriage problems? The list could probably be endless.

One of the greatest problems is a lack of work.

Christians are created in Christ for them. (Eph. 2:10) “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Disciples are to be zealous for them. (Titus 2:14) “who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

I can hear you already; “Now Frank, doesn’t the scripture say it is not of works lest any man should boast? Now you’re gonna stand there and talk to us about works.” Yes, that is what the scripture says but let’s put it in context. Let’s go back to Ephesians – Eph 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

The context has to do with salvation, not working for God.

Many times the Lord’s work is not accomplished because the saints do not possess the proper attitudes to accomplish it.

What are those attitudes?

A Powerful Faith

If one believes nothing, he will do nothing.

If we do not think we can do something, we are not going to try it.

The example of the spies sent by Moses to spy out Canaan. (Num. 13:17ff) When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, “Go up through the Negev and on into the hill country. We all know the story; a land flowing with milk & honey – but – (“We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” Num. 13:33) (Num. 14:11.-12) The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them? I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.” Moses had to come to their defense.

With faith “all things are possible.” (Matt. 17:14-21) When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him.

“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” “O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.“

21 [But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.]

No works = no faith. (Jas. 2:14ff) “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?” Conversely, no faith = no works.

A Joyful Heart (Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always…)

We should not be despondent and down-hearted.

We have so many good things for which to be thankful.

- We are the children of God. (1 John 3:1-3)

- We have all spiritual blessings. (Eph. 1:3)

- We will receive the crown of life. (2 Tim. 4:7-8)

A ContinuaI Reliance on Prayer

The prayer of the righteous avails much. (Jas. 5:16ff; Matt. 21:18-22 – Jesus & the fig tree – moving the mountain)

People who are not interested enough to pray are not interested enough to work.

We know that:

- God answers prayer. (Matt. 7:7-11 – bread for stone, fish for a snake, good gifts)

- Prayer changes things.

We should pray to the one who can change them.

We should pray about things that can be changed.

If God does not see fit to change things, we should pray that our desires may change to conform to His desires.

We must never give up our desire to make things change for the better by our prayers.

A Personal Love

We must have a love for the Lord. (John 14:23-24 – love=obedience; cf. 1 John 5:3 – commandments not burdensome.)

We must possess a love for the brethren. (Heb. 13:1 – as brothers; 1 John 4:20-21 – how can we love god & not our brother?; Heb. 10:24-25 – “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”)

To function collectively there must be love and unity. (1 Cor. 1:10 – no divisions, united in mind & thought; Phil. 2:1-4 – Paul’s wish for the Philippian church)

Some would rather “bite and devour” others. (Gal. 5:15)

We must show a love for the lost.

Consider Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Heaven’s attitude is seen in Luke 15:7 where the religious establishment called themselves rebuking Jesus because He ate with sinners & tax collectors.

If you do not have love you will not care but then it really does not matter. (1 Cor. 13:1-3) You’ll sound like clanging cymbals and your “deep” prophesies are counted for nothing.

A Persistent Effort

Persistency of effort is the secret of success. (Luke 18:1-8 – the widow wearing out the judge) don’t give up!

Application:

- Noah took 120 years to build the ark.

- The example of the apostle Paul. (Phil. 3:12-15 – “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”)

We are to be living a life of service. (Rom. 12:1-2 – present your bodies (reasonable) – be transformed by the renewing of your mind;
1 Cor. 15:58 – “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”)

We must not be discouraged by lack of results.

- The Lord judges, not on results, but on effort.

- We will not be condemned for a lack of results but will be for a lack of effort.

Conclusion

1. Every disciple needs to possess each of these attitudes.
2. If the work of the Lord is going to be accomplished, it will be by those who are loving, joyful, faithful, prayerful and persistent.
3. Do you have what it takes to work for the Lord?