“HOPES”
By Pastor Arnol
I can talk to someone or you can talk to someone for just a few short moments and you can figure that person out pretty quick. Some people will talk about hopes in a human or earthly way; what you have hopes for. Then you have those that will go past that and hopes on beyond, best to say in eternal life, and this real secret is that as long as there is life there is hope. [If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ ie. My thoughts] A true Christian, you know that you have eternal life so that means that there is always hope. How you can figure people out pretty quick is you can ask some people; What is it that you hope for? Will Lord “I hope we don't get stuck. Lord I hope we don't brake down. Lord I hope this bridge doesn't collapse. Then there is the person that says I just started a new business and I hope I make so much money that I don't know what to do with it all. You can tell a lot by people and there hopes. Hope is some you place hope in that is unseen, and you can tell a lot about ones personalty.
The word as it is used in Gods Word in the Greek it means, trust, expediency, that is what you expect, and sometimes that is what you get, okay? In the Hebrew; I Pastor Murray am a stickler for going to the etymology. I want to know why it came to be called that. The Greek prime is desire, and naturally, that is just as natural as it can be. Primes always make common sense. That my be a little childish to some, and I will explain in a little bit about the Hebrew, but, it gives you a better understanding and desire is the very prime of any word used in trust in the Greek language. Hope rather, in the Greek language. In the Hebrew a little bit different, a little more positive I thank, and I just love the etymology of it. It means the same thing expediency but it goes a little further. The etymology is put a rope on it; I mean it literally, it means bind it. Tie that rascal, okay! Get a hold on it and when you are hoping on something, and you got a line on it don't let it get away. Okay. You see what I am trying to say? That is strong hope. Being an old cowboy I understand that; if you rope something you are hoping it does not get away. You have got it. Then what you do with it can be a big problem. I am talking about cattle here OK. Change that entomology to your life OK. When you hope for something put a rope on it, put a line on it. Don't just hope for something aimlessly. Use common sense. If you hope in something; if you hope strong enough that is right neighbor to faith, and you are going to get it if it is for your benefit. There is an old old song. Faith is the keys to the kingdom, but love opens the door. Hope is connected right into these. It is your everyday hope. It is what you live for, it is your planning. It is your outlook and I hope it is always positive, because you are a child of God and He owns everything. You should expect the best. BUT I am going to tell you what, if you want the worst it will come; Let me tell you God will sure give it to you. If you are afraid you are going to get stuck, well guess what? Probably you will because that is what you are thanking about. The human mind is a strange thing. If you get into slick stuff and you feel yourself slipping the mind that is thank about that stuff is going to put the pedal to the metal, and guess what? You're stuck! You just dug your hole and fell into it. Don't did a hole and crawl into it in your life. I mean you get a rope and lasso that thing, and I am speaking literal from the Hebrew etymology for the word HOPE. You hang onto it and you tie it up if it is really good and that is what you want, and God is going to help you IF you have the faith. Remember faith is the key to the kingdom, and He is the King and all of this is His dominion. It is love that lets you in, your love for Him; letting Him know that you love Him and appreciate Him.
OK lets go see what the scriptures have to say in light of all of this. As long as there is life there is Hope; So, be careful how you give up or anything like that. One place where Hope is used here in the Hebrew manuscripts is in the
37th Chapter of Ezekiel. [ My words here, remember pastor is old boy born in OK. served in the Marines during Korea and has lived in AR. For many years. So his way of speaking reflects that] you are all familiar with that; that is where God said Ezekiel, look out there. What do you see? I see a bunch of dead heads. I see a bunch of people that are spiritually deader than a hammer, and it was described as bones. OK. And how did God say to bring life back into these people? Prophesy to them; which means what? Teach to them. That is why teachers are so valuable. They carry a standard; they educate and it is that knowledge that brings people out of that darkness, and into the light. OK. Having said that He also said this very word hope. Which is to say put a rope on it and hang on to it tightly. I don't want to mislead anybody it means to bind it to you. That means let it be a part of you. That way you always want to be careful of what you wish or hope for, because if you really prayed about it, you could get it if it is not going to harm you. God is not going to give them that love Him something that is going to hurt them, ultimately going to tromp them. That is why you never want to go against His will because sometimes you will go ahead and disregard what He dose not give to you, marry it anyway and you are in trouble. Or something. I jest, you know. If your little one, your 5 year old child, wants a rattlesnake; “O Lord give me a rattlesnake” You are probably gonna object, and God is not going to give it to them in the first place, Enough said.