And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:

God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory.

¹In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.

²He existed in the beginning with God.

³God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.

⁴The Word gave life to everything that was created,*
and his life brought light to everyone.

⁵The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.*

Read for yourself from John 1

I love the promises of Jesus in the book of Revelation, Chapters 2 and 3.  Each section is ended with the words, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  followed or preceded by a promise. Consider those promises with me.

Ch 2 verse 7: “To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”

Ch 2 verse 11: “He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”

Ch 2 verse 17: “To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.  And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”

Ch 2 verses 26-28: “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations–‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; As the potter’s vessels, shall be broken to pieces’ –as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star.”

Ch 3 verse 5: “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”

Ch 3 verse 12: “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more.  And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God.  and I will write on him My new name.”

Ch 3 verse 11 also states, “Behold, I come quickly!  Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”

What wonderful promises from our Savior!!  Yes, in this world we will have tribulation, but He has overcome the world and we can overcome whatever challenges enter our lives by His strength in us.  When we do this, we are promised Paradise, food from the tree of life, protection from the second death, hidden manna to eat, a new name, power over the nations, the morning star, sparkling white garments to wear, our name guaranteed in the Book of Life, confessed before God the Father and His angels, life forever in the New Jerusalem, Jesus’ new name given to us, sitting on His throne with the Father.  Wow!  So exciting!!

Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (NIV)

What is it you are hoping for today?

Romans 15:13 in the amplified bible says, “May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.”

Hope defined by men (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English language): 

• verb: to desire (something) with some confidence of fulfillment. To persist in hoping for something against the odds
• noun: A desire supported by some confidence of its fulfillment, a ground for expectation, that which is desired, that in which one places one’s confidence, expectation, confidence

Hope defined by God (The New American Standard Bible):

• verb: Job 13:15, …I will hope in Him. Psalm 38:15, For I hope in Thee, O Lord; Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God. Psalm 71:14, But as for me, I will hope continually. 
• noun: Psalm 71:5, For Thou art my hope; O Lord God, Thou art my confidence from my youth.   Proverbs 13:12, Hope deferred makes the heart sick.  Zechariah 9:12, Return to the stronghold, O prisoners who have the hope; this very day I am declaring that I will restore double to you.

• [our hope is in God]:  Psalm 39:7, And now, Lord, for what do I wait?  My hope is in Thee.  
• [our hope is from God]:  Psalm 62:5, My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him.

Today, put your hope in God.  He will not disappoint you!

While praying this morning for a family who recently lost a loved one, having gone through the funeral services just yesterday, I was reminded of how difficult the day after was for me.  When my husband’s funeral services were over, the friends and family were gone, I was left alone with my children at home, facing an uncertain future and feeling the sting of reality.

Then I remembered Patti.  While the rest of my husband’s siblings were gathering at my in-laws, I was feeling rather down, depleted, and unable to bring myself to drive over there to join them.  Patti was the one who was sensitive to my needs, calling and coming over to spend some time with my children and me. I praise God for Patti and the way God used her to minister to me that day after.

Do you know someone mouring the loss of a loved one?  Have you recently attended a funeral service?  Remember that person on the day after because it just might be their most difficult day.  They might need for you to be their Patti, the one to comfort them, encourage them, love on them, and remind them of God’s love.

Bless you my friend.  May you have a day filled with the power and love of Jesus!

Found this lovely writing about Jesus and wanted to share it with you:

by Holley Gerth via Dayspring e-cards

Jesus

He came not to a throne, but to a manger.

He lived not as a King, but as a servant.

He chose not a kingdom, but a cross.

He gave not just a little, but everything.

“Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us.” ~ Ephesians 5:2 NIV

Jesus says in Revelation 1:17b-18, “…Do not be afraid.  I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!  And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

Keys…how we need them for so many things.  Keys to our car, keys to our home, keys to our desk or filing cabinet in our office, keys to our luggage when we travel.  Keys give us security.  Keys protect our belongings, those things that are important to us.

Keys can also keep us out of places where we are not allowed, or places where we shouldn’t go.  I don’t know about you, but I am glad that Jesus holds the keys of death and Hades and that through faith and trust in Him, we don’t have to worry about going there.

Have you trusted in Jesus?  If not, why not do it today?  It only takes a simple prayer in faith.  You only have to believe that Jesus came, died for your sins, rose again and lives forever more.  Halleluia!