Rev. George Ellis
Pastor’s Corner
This message is designed to keep somebody from giving up; to infuse new life into somebody; and energize them to keep moving forward in our Christian faith or just life in general. It is to keep us from throwing in the towel on something, somebody or even God himself. And to keep our eyes focused on the right thing.
Today, HOPE means “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” It is a powerful word. One that all of us are familiar with. And it is the one word that I want all of us to grab hold of and take it with us all week long.
Everybody needs hope … take this away and you take the very life out of an individual. The fact that somebody will take their own life, and we don’t have but one, tells me that they have lost HOPE.
Community friends, everybody wants to live, for life is a gift from God. Everybody reading will be a witness to the fact that life can be uneasy sometimes, but despite that we want to live, and the threat of our lives being taken by death of any kind is not a good thought.
HOPE is “the expectation that something will get better; that something or somebody will change for the better.” Somebody today has HOPE that something that you are praying about, that God will turn it in your favor.
Oh yes, you and I are praying about something or somebody today, and we know what it is — we have something or somebody on our hearts that we are petitioning God about, and we have the HOPE that it will change. That’s what keeps us going. If we didn’t have that we all would give up.
The person who is battling cancer, visiting Cancer Treatment Centers, has HOPE that it will go into remission; that they will recover and live a full life; taking chemotherapy or radiation; if they ever give up HOPE it’s all over. I pray for you today, that you will “Keep HOPE alive!” because “it’s not over ‘til God says it over!”
In the age in which we live, it’s easy to lose HOPE for our children, and that’s what Satan wants us to do. In his mind, if he can kill our children he can kill us! The closest thing to our hearts is our children; they are a part of us; when they don’t do right it affects us. Some do some bad things, but parents, please don’t ever tell your children “there is no HOPE for you!” You kill them when you say that.
Speak life into your children or grandchildren. Tell them, “I see greatness in you” … and you build them up! But that’s why, Christian friends, we need to cover our children and grandchildren in prayer; nothing wrong with anointing them with a little oil, lay hands on them and pray — pray over them before they go to school; pray FOR them because you taught them and they know better. Satan cannot penetrate the power of prayer … don’t give up on them; pray parents and “keep HOPE ALIVE!”
This is a message of HOPE. Take away HOPE in the marriage and the marriage will fall apart; to those struggling with their marriage and you are believing the Lord, don’t listen to those who are telling you about your spouse, “If I was you” …” First of all, they’re not you! You made a vow before God to your husband or wife for better and for worse; “keep HOPE alive!”
Friends, we all need HOPE. The homeless need HOPE; that they won’t always have to live on the streets; and HOPE says that they will get back on their feet again; without that they would give up; everybody reading this needs HOPE. Think about it, if we didn’t have HOPE then we would not have gotten up out of our bed today, and sometimes we don’t feel like it when things get so bad. But we get up anyhow with the HOPE that things will get better.
Unemployment has skyrocketed; some businesses are still closed; some will never open again; people are hurting; they’re broken; some have been in business for a long time but have gone out of business; people are losing money day by day; their HOPE is dwindling.
On Thursday morning, as I was sitting in my study, I heard on the news that some small businesses across the country are starting to lose HOPE … that’s terrible! And then some are not eligible for unemployment benefits; the virus has turned things upside down. It’s a mess! No wonder the suicide rate is up; people are depressed.
But my community friends, they have to have HOPE that somehow, someway, a change is going to come. Friends, we need HOPE when we see the shape that our country is in; Satan is having a field day, but God is in control! In Psalm 31:24, the Psalmist said, “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all you that HOPE in the Lord.”
Let me say here to everybody reading, don’t let nothing or nobody take away your HOPE. My Christian brothers and sisters, we cannot fall victim to our culture’s way of thinking; we are children of the King; we have Jesus Christ as our elder brother; He saved us; redeemed us; we are in His hands; our HOPE is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. He’s alive and well and He’s the same, yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 12:8)!
“Keep HOPE alive” today.
The Rev. George Ellis is the pastor at Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church.