Chattahoochee Christian Church
From our Pastor
Hope Deferred!
We have all been there...Life presents challenges that rob us of joy and peace. We become weary as we navigate the challenges. Sometimes we put on a "game-face" and hide our struggles. When Jesus was arrested and crucified, the disciples scattered. The Bible indicates that John was the only disciple who was at Golgatha where Jesus was hung on a cross. Imagine the emotions of the disciples when they heard that Jesus had died and was laid in a tomb. The emotions would be obvious: confusion, hopelessness, depression, anger...etc. Some went back to their trades. The disciples witnessed Jesus preaching, teaching, instructing, healing, casting out demons, and feeding thousands with one basket of food. Their hope seemed dashed! But, Jesus rose from death. He defeated death and hell, and He opened the gates of heaven to all who will believe that He is the Son of God and is the way to restoration. When we turn to the book of Acts, we read of the restored hope of the disciples. The disciples became an unstoppable force in spreading Christianity throughout a region of the world where it was illegal, punishable by death, to preach Christianity. Filled with renewed hope, they did it anyway!
Have you experienced things that robbed you of your hope. Acknowledge your true feelings, drop the "game-face", turn to the scriptures, to prayer and to fellow Christians. Trust in Him who will, indeed, restore your hope!
Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
A Thief, Three Crosses, and Salvation
The universal Church of God has people from nearly every walk of life and from many backgrounds. Some Christians come from solid Christian backgrounds with generations of believers. Chattahoochee Christian Church has members who have been a part of the congregation going back decades. Some Christians come from challenging circumstances. When we consider the make-up of the Church, I like to begin at Golgatha. Golgatha was the hill where Jesus Christ was crucified. On either side of Him hung two career criminals. The biblical text tells us that the two thieves mocked Jesus. But, something happened! Suddenly, one of the criminals stopped mocking and began confessing. He suddenly realized that he was on that cross because of his sins. I believe a miracle suddenly occurred when the thief confessed his sins. His spiritual eyes were opened. He no longer saw the man called Jesus of Nazareth, bloodied, beaten, stabbed. The thief saw GOD. He said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when you enter your kingdom." Jesus responded to the thief turned saint, "Truly, this day you will be with me in paradise." I am one of those Christians who was not born into a Christian home, who faced many challenges including becoming a foster child. I witnessed things no child should witness or experience. The wounds of childhood became the flames that led me to abandon faith in my twenties. I have known extreme poverty, alienation from those who cared for me, and worst of all, a period when I rejected God. I live with the scars of those years, and I am not alone. Many people have faced life challenges that have left scars. But, when I hear the whispers from Satan that I am not worthy of salvation, I remind myself of a thief on a cross. He was not worthy either, yet, after confessing his sins, looking to God for hope, Jesus took him to paradise. None are beyond the reach of Christ's eternal love.
Luke 23:42-47