House of Hope Online

May 4, 2025

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Last time we discussed the many blessings that accrue to us as believers due to the Resurrection of our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is without sin and who lives and reigns forever.  Jesus is the Lion of Judah, the Root of David, and the Lamb who was slain but has overcome death by the power of the Resurrection.  We saw in the scriptures last time that the same Resurrection power gives healing and eternal life to our mortal bodies and provides an escape from the wrath of God that is to come upon this unbelieving world.  All these things are victories for us that come from Jesus’ victory over death on the Cross.

Today I want to share more about the blessings that come to us as we await the Rapture.  The scriptures are filled with promises of blessings to those who receive Jesus into their hearts.  Today I have just a small sampling to encourage you.

Our keynote scripture today is from the Apostle Paul’s powerful prayer over us in his letter to the Romans.

Paul’s Prayer

Romans 15:

 13 ¶ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (NASB)

There is a lot to mine here from one powerful verse of scripture:

• The God of Hope: It is important to understand we serve a God of Hope.  The Greek word for “hope” in verse 13 means to anticipate with pleasure, to expect with confidence, and to have faith.  Our God is a God of Hope, and He gives us the ability to confidently anticipate and expect.  He gives us our faith.  When you receive the God of Hope, you receive faith and confidence.
• Joy and Peace in Believing: Paul prays the God of Hope will fill us with all joy and peace in believing.  The Greek word for “joy” means exceeding cheerfulness, calm delight, and gladness.  We can all use joy in our spirits today as we navigate the difficulties of this evil world.  The Greek word for “peace” also means prosperity, quietness, and rest.  The word also implies that we are at one with Christ, and this unity is what delivers peace deep into our souls and spirits.  It is a true and lasting peace that the world cannot give us.  If we believe in Jesus alone, and seek and follow the peace of our Lord, we will find wisdom, prosperity, and true joy.
• Abound in Hope: Paul prays that we would abound in hope.  “Abound” means to have in abundance, or to have an excessive amount.  If you abound in hope, you have hope to spare, hope that remains when others are out of hope.  The truth is: you have a hope that ministers to others when the God of Hope is your supplier.
• By the Power of the Holy Spirit: Paul knows we cannot have joy, peace, and abounding hope by our own doing.  It is only by the Holy Spirit that we can have these things.  Jesus said in John 14:27: “…My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you.” 

Paul is praying for joy, peace, hope, and power that we cannot receive from any other source.  These things come only from believing in Jesus.  No marriage or romantic relationship can provide it.  No house, or job, or life circumstance can provide the joy, peace, hope, and power that Paul is praying for.  It is a gifting that he is praying over us, a gifting from the God of Hope.  Receive this blessing into your spirit, in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

The Promise of Perfection

Philippians 1:

 6 [For I am] confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

I love that Paul is confident in this very thing.  He knows without a doubt that God has begun a good work in us and will perfect it in us.  We are still a ball of clay that He is shaping.  If you are as old as I am, you might find it hard to believe that you are still being shaped, but we are.  God is not done with us.  If you have ever thought: “I am too old for this,” knock off that thinking!  Verse 6 says He who began this work will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ. 

Remember last time we talked about our reconstituted bodies, our resurrected bodies, our changed heavenly bodies that will be built to last for eternity.  Paul prophesies that on that day we will be perfected.  In the meantime, Jesus is still working on us and in us.  He is correcting the thoughts we have that are not fruitful.  He is perfecting the good work He began in us for the day of Jesus Christ!

All You Need

Philippians 4:

 19 And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

The Apostle is proclaiming a promise that God will supply all our needs.  This is a simple promise, with a powerful addendum.  He will supply those needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  The expression “riches in glory in Christ Jesus” is profound.  “Riches” means abundant monetary value, and “glory in Christ Jesus” again refers to the second coming of our Lord, when He defeats evil, and rules over the earth.  All wealth in the earth will belong to Him, so when Paul says He will provide all our needs according to His riches in glory, he means that provision will be beyond what we could ever imagine.  There is no limit to His riches in glory, meaning there is no limit to His provision of our needs.

But this abundant provision does not have to wait until the day of Our Lord.  The promise is for today, with one caveat.  Paul proclaims this promise within the context of discussing the generosity of the Philippians in financially supporting Paul’s ministry, even when he was in Thessalonica, which was after he left Macedonia.  Here is the full context:

Philippians 4:

 15 And you yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone;

 16 for even in Thessalonica you sent [a gift] more than once for my needs.

 17 Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.

 18 But I have received everything in full, and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.

 19 And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

 20 ¶ Now to our God and Father [be] the glory forever and ever. Amen.

So, the promise is, if we are faithful in financially supporting the spread of the Gospel, then God shall supply all our needs according to His riches in glory.

The Promise of Power and Love

Ephesians 3:

 4 ¶ For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father,

 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,

 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man;

 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; [and] that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.

 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,

 21 to Him [be] the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Again, this is a very rich passage of scripture.  Paul is praying that God would grant us, again according to the riches of His glory, that we would be strengthened with Holy Spirit power in our inner spirit (verse 16), that Christ would dwell in us through faith (verse 17), and that we would be able to comprehend the depth of His love which surpasses knowledge (verse 19).

Verses 20-21 give glory to the Lord, who is able to do abundantly beyond what we ask or think.  Again, Paul is praising Him for granting us according to His riches in glory!

Closing

Allow these scriptures to soak into your inner spirit, and be blessed with joy, peace, hope, and power!

Let us pray.

Father God, we thank You for the many blessings promised in the scriptures and provided by You in our daily lives.  Thank You for the joy, peace, abounding hope, and power from the Holy Spirit.  Thank You for beginning a good work and perfecting it in us.  Thank You for supplying all our needs according to Your riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  Help us to seek and find ways to support the spread of the Gospel in the earth.  Thank You for strengthening our inner spirits with the power of Your Holy Spirit.  And help us, Lord, to comprehend the love of Jesus and to teach others about His love.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.