Promise Ignites Hope

By Shari Abbott, Reasons for Hope* Jesus

As we enter into week three of Advent, the festive and the busy activities of the season increase.  And, sadly, they begin to capture our thoughts, our time and even our hearts.

Take a minute to pause and think on the truly important things.  Philippians 4 tells us what those things are: “the things that are true, honest, just, pure and lovely.”  Summed up in one word…think on Jesus.  Jesus is our Promise of Hope!

Our God is faithful in every promise He has given.  God’s promises declare what He will give to us and we are right to expect and trust that we will receive that which God has declared.  When God says He will do something, it is guaranteed to be done.

Because God is outside our time dimension, and He is eternal and present in every moment of time, all the promises that God has made have already been fulfilled.  It’s hard for our finite minds to comprehend this.  We are finite beings trying to understand an infinite God.  But we can understand, know and trust that God is sovereign over all things, omnipresent throughout all time and He has proven Himself to be faithful.  Therefore, we can look forward expecting fulfillment of every promise God has made.  That’s hope!

Looking back at God’s promises that history records already having been fulfilled helps us to remember and trust God’s faithfulness.  May this list of Christmas promises cause you to stand in awe of God and to consider all the promises God has made in his Word–including those that we are yet to receive.  Think on these things as we approach Christmas, and remember and rejoice in God’s promise to rescue man and His faithful fulfillment.  It started in the garden and will be completely fulfilled when all things are made new (Revelation 21:5).

God’s Christmas Promises Ignite Hope

God promised: A Seed from a woman

— Genesis 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

God fulfilled His promise:

— Luke 3:23, 38  And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli…..Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

God promised: A Seed from Abraham

— Genesis 22:18  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

God fulfilled His promise:

— Matthew 1:1  The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

God promised: A Seed through Isaac

— Genesis 21:12  And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

God fulfilled His promise:

— Luke 3:34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham

God promised: Born in Bethlehem, from the tribe of Judah

— Michah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

God fulfilled His promise:

— Matthew 2:1  Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

— Luke 3:33-34  Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda[h], Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham…

God promised: From the Family of Jesse and the house of David

— Isaiah 11:1  And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots

God fulfilled His promise:

— Luke 3:32  Which was the son of Jesse,

— Matthew 1:1  The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

God promised: Born of a virgin

— Isaiah 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

God fulfilled His promise:

— Matthew 1:18  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

— Psalm 2:7  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

— Luke 3:22  And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

— 1 Timothy 3:16  And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

As we await the celebration of Jesus’ birth, reflect on promises that God fulfilled when He sent Jesus to dwell among us and to die for us.  Ponder the perfection in the fulfillment of those promises.  Remember God’s faithfulness in the fulfillment of His promises.

The promise of the Lord Jesus Christ coming to rescue us brought light into the world and ignited HOPE.  Let your HOPE be fueled by His Light.  

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This book contains sayings that we all use often -- and shares the Scripture from which they originate. The book will equip Christians to recognize sayings that originate in the Bible, so they can respond with, “Who said that?” ...and then share the biblical origin and turn the conversation to one of spiritual importance.

Want to Share the Gospel this Christmas

This book can also serve as a type of “tract” for your non-believing family and friends. As they discover the origins of many common sayings, they'll find the last one most convicting. The book closes with a saying that was popularized in the TV comedy, "Seinfeld."

That means “you know, you know, you know.” The book explains the Hebrew saying and tells that: “God knows [yada] you."  Then the most important question is asked, “Do you know [yada] Him?” The question is followed by a gospel message, making this book a simple way to share the gospel with an unsaved, and often uninterested or unwilling-to-listen, friend or family member.   Buy "Who Said That?" PRINT books or eBOOKS!

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 Come now, and let us reason together...

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