Weekly Update | September 14, 2023
Genuine Hope
Dmitriy Zherebnenkov
“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Rom. 8:24-25)
At the very moment of salvation, every believer is given hope. The hope every Christian has is as sure as their salvation. It’s part of the glorious experience of being born again. How, in God’s providence and provision, do we obtain this hope from day one of our salvation? By faith we embrace the present aspect of our salvation; by hope we embrace the future aspect of our salvation.
In the present time, hope helps us fix our eyes not on present sufferings, but on future glory. Hope is something that gives us meaning and strength for the next step in life. If there is no gospel hope, then there is nothing to hold on to. Evaluate your own heart. What do you hope in? Do you have hope that ties you to future glory?
The end result of this hope is patient waiting. The attitude of eagerness and endurance is the fruit of this hope. When we see future glory with our spiritual eyes, our souls gain excitement and strength to wait with perseverance. We have to admit that we often fail at “waiting” in our lives, and we fall short in “persevering.” Genuine hope is the remedy.
Take a moment to think about your hope. When was the last time this hope changed your reactions, actions, and attitudes in life? Does the hope of your salvation make you eager for the life to come and endure things in life without grumbling?
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Continue supporting the churches working among the people who have suffered from the war in Ukraine: gfchurch.com/ukraine/
- Our dear sister Antonina Khikhol has passed away to be with our Lord Jesus, and we express our condolences to Lilia and Leonid Istrati. The funeral service will take place this Saturday, September 16th, 10 am at 421 Berry Street, Roseville. Come and offer your support to this family.
The Scripture memory text
17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,
Habakkuk 3:17-19
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.
Below are the services and meetings for this weekend:
- Thursday (7:00 PM) – Bible study and prayer meeting
- Sunday services:
- Worship Service in Russian at 9:00 AM
- Worship Service in English at 11:15 AM