“ . . . Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27
To those who have been around for a while, do you remember where you were and what you were doing at 8:14 AM on the morning of September 11, 2001? Most of us who were around then will likely remember the day, where we were, and what we were doing. It was a day that was forever etched into the fiber and fabric of our minds – a day we will never forget.
It’s hard to believe that 23 years have passed since that fateful day when America came under attack by a group of terrorists intent on destroying the nation of Israel and any other nation that supports Israel. It was an attack that left our nation in shock and disbelief; an attack that left a multitude of people grieving the loss of loved ones and dear friends; an attack that literally changed the way of life in America; and an attack that did something inside the heart and soul of almost every American and at that time, left many in doubt and fear about their safety and freedom.
As we come to the 23rd anniversary of 911, the news media will likely draw attention to this day, but the media will not be saturated with all the horrific images we saw in the days following the actual attack. For many who were young or who have been born since that date, 911 may not mean much to them, but for those of us who did witness the events of 911, the news reports will stir up our memories of that day and cause many of those same feelings that were experienced on the day of the actual attack to resurface.
How should you and I as Christians react on this date? As you remember, the events of 911 had one very positive effect, that of encouraging people to return to churches and pray and seek God. People were seeking something to bring them comfort and reassurance and hope – something the world and its system could not give them. As you also remember, that positive effect was short-lived. As the pain and shock began to ease, so too the urgency of going to church and praying and seeking God began to subside, and sadly, within a few short weeks, it was back to business as usual.
Can I tell you that although we are not living in a day following a horrific disaster, we are living in a day and age where people are again seeking something to bring them comfort and reassurance and hope? They are looking for answers to their questions about how to cope with this crazy world in which they are living, a world that seems to have lost sight of reason and common sense. A world rife with turmoil, unrest, and problems on every hand.
You and I as Christians must be prepared to minister and to witness to those who are searching. We must be prepared to give them an answer of what gives us hope and where they can find the hope we have. That which gives us hope is a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and the hope that is ours through faith in Him. Through His sinless life, His atoning sacrifice for our sins, and the assurance of the resurrection that is ours through His victory over death, hell, sin and the grave, we have hope! Nothing else can give this kind of hope, the hope that they are seeking. Friends, we have Good News, and it’s news too good to keep to ourselves. We must be showing others that there is hope in our world today, and that hope is in Jesus Christ – nowhere else!
Raymond MacKendree in his work, Queens’ Gardens, describes that kind of hope in the following words: “The resurrection of Jesus Christ is our hope today. It is our assurance that we have a living Savior to help us live as we should now, and that when, in the end, we set forth on that last great journey, we shall not travel an uncharted course, but rather we shall go on a planned voyage — life to death to eternal living.”
An anonymous writer has said, “Life with Christ is an endless hope -- life without Christ is a hopeless end.” “ . . . Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col. 1:27) Do you have that hope? Are you sharing that hope with the hopeless?
Please remember to pray daily for revival and spiritual awakening.
Working Together in His Service,
Roy Pr. 3:5-6