True Hope

Pic quote John 5 v 24

As we get closer to Good Friday, I have been thinking a lot about the cross.  In the time of Jesus, the cross was the most brutal form of execution done by the Romans and it was a symbol of death and suffering.  It was the most humiliating and agonizing capital punishment of the time, but Jesus took that rugged cross and transformed it into a symbol of hope!

And I don’t mean hope like you hope to go to Hawaii someday, but you know it might not ever happen.  I am talking the kind of hope that fills your heart when you know that your sins have been forgiven and your soul is saved through the Blood Jesus shed for you on the cross!  It is a hope that is secure by God’s grace through faith in His Son!  A hope that brings joy, peace, and rejoicing!

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we not stand.  And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”

Romans 5:1-2

Hope beyond the grave!

Hope to see loved ones again!

Hope to live in perfect peace in Heaven where there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain!

Hope to start another day!

Jesus defeated the brutality of the cross and turned it into a beautiful symbol of true hope!  That when you believe in Jesus you cross over from death to life and that life is eternal in Heaven forever!  That great salvation is available to everyone on earth by faith in Jesus!  No matter who you are or what you have done, you can turn to the Lord and be saved!

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:9

“for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:13

When I see a cross, it reminds me that Jesus defeated sin and death and I have great hope because of His forgiveness and love!  It reminds me that death does not have the final word, Jesus does!

Have you crossed over from death to life?  If your answer is no, I suggest taking another look at the cross and the true hope Jesus offers you.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

1 Peter 1:3-5

“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

Romans 5:5

Grace and peace to you all!

P.S.

Please pray for Colorado today.  My wife and kids are home today because all of the Denver metro area schools are closed due to a woman traveling here from Florida who made threats regarding shooting kids at our schools.  The FBI and police are on a statewide search for her.  She bought a shotgun yesterday, then disappeared into the Rockies.  They said she is obsessed with the Columbine High School shooting (which happened 20 years ago on 4-20-1999) and she made threats about committing a similar attack on our schools.  She came all the way from Florida to commit violence against our kids during the infamous anniversary of Columbine.

Coloradoans take these threats very seriously.  I was in college when Columbine happened and I still remember all the people on campus who were standing around the campus TVs crying as they watched the footage.  The next year I met a girl who had been in the shooting and she had bullet hole scars on her arms.  Please watch the news about the woman they are looking for and call the FBI if you have any information about her.  Please pray that they find her and pray protection over our kids and schools.  I am glad they closed the schools and I’m glad my wife and kids are home safe.  I will be enjoying spending time with them today.  God bless you all!

News update this afternoon: The young girl from Florida was found deceased at the base of Mount Evans.  We are praying for her family.

 

Author: Ryan Callahan

Hello, and welcome to my site! I am an independent Christian author (One Man's Very Strange Supernatural Life), blogger, and evangelist for Jesus. My main goal with this blog is to help people come to know Jesus, help people understand the Bible, and to minister to a lost and hurting world. This site is about hope, new beginnings, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love! I'm glad you are here, God bless you! Copyright © 2023 Ryan Callahan. All rights reserved.

53 thoughts on “True Hope”

  2. Ryan, I thought of you and your family when I heard the news about the threat to the CO schools. I’m so glad your family is home and safe. As for this woman who has threatened the schools, it occurs to me that she too is in need of the cross of Christ. I do pray that she is found and brought to answer for her crime, but I also pray for her soul to be saved. It’s not too late for her yet. Happy Easter!

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    1. Thank you Valerie! She is most likely in Littleton where I grew up (about 20 minutes west of us). That is where Columbine High School is. I grew up real close to that school. My wife is a teacher and she said the FBI will give an update at 3p.m. MT. God bless!

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  6. Great post, Ryan, particularly this: “When I see a cross, it reminds me that Jesus defeated sin and death and I have great hope because of His forgiveness and love! It reminds me that death does not have the final word, Jesus does!” Amen and amen!

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  8. We live in such a dark times. More than ever, people need the message of hope and redemption comes from the faith in Christ! I will be praying about everyone’s safety in Colorado, and that the Lord will stop this woman in her tracks before any damage is done.

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      2. Me too. I’m so thankful she was not able to hurt or kill any of our kids, but it is sad she did that. Our local law enforcement, Denver FBI, and Miami FBI did a great job communicating with each other and with our school districts. We are really glad they shut down the schools. They did the right thing this time and our kids are safe. God bless!

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Clearly, the Lord was guiding the law enforcement officials with His wisdom and knowledge assigned to this case. I’m grateful to hear that everyone is safe, and to God be the glory for His faithful and providential care for all of His children.

        Liked by 1 person

  10. The story of the cross is a wonderful example of our friend and Savior who loved us so much that He became the Living Sacrifice! What hope that brings to us all! And so sorry to hear of the threats on the Colorado schools! Glad to hear that everyone is safe, sad to hear that the person was found deceased. Prayers for all!

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  14. Pingback: The Mystery Blogger Award 2019 – Something to Stu Over

  15. What a miraculous gift our life is!!! Thank you, Jesus, thank you, God, thank you for our beautiful eternal life!!! Praise God, and we love our Lord Jesus. Amen, Ryan, wonderful post!

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  17. Sorry to hear about the threat to your community at such a sobering time. But God is able to protect and keep you. The cross is indeed a powerful reminder that Jesus has conquered death and the grave. Have a blessed resurrection weekend.

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  20. Yes, it is humbling to meditate on the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It’s the very definition of underserved kindness. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to see Paradise (Luke 23:43) and my deceased loved ones again (John 5:28,29).

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