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Viewpoint from Brett Crosson 08/07/2016
 Brett Crosson
Minister, Emmanuel Pentecostal Church
Hope
One of the greatest keys to a happy life is hope. Hope produces enthusiasm and a cheerful anticipation of good things to come
When hope is lost all begins to fall apart. People stop pursuing their goals. They abandon their dreams. They forsake their marriages. They relinquish their businesses. They take their lives.
In the world today, it is usually a positive outlook that maintains people’s hope. Often, this positivity is based on the good reputation of a political or financial system, or even on the goodness of people. The premise is: no matter how bad my situation is, it will get better because… life always does!
As fantastic as this positive-ness is, we must never build our hope on the temporal. The temporal can be shaken and destroyed. Only the things that are eternal remain
Christians believe that Jesus is eternally the same. He alone provides true security, real happiness and genuine hope. If your life is built on him, it will never fall apart
Archaeologists have discovered catacombs used by persecuted Christians who hid from the Romans. Some of these Christians died by the sword; others were fed to lions. Interestingly, these Christians carved symbols of their faith onto the catacomb walls. These symbols were a constant reminder of their faith and hope
There was the symbol of a shepherd. Jesus said he was the Good Shepherd; that he would lay down his life for the sheep. David said: Yea, though I walk through the valley … of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou are with me, Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. When their lives seemed to be falling apart, these Christians had hope in a Shepherd who would never abandon them; who would care for them even when they faced death
Then there was the symbol of an anchor. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that our hope is an anchor for our soul, firm and secure. Our anchor, he continues, reaches not to the bottom of the sea but into heaven itself – where Christ has gone and where he is seated at the right hand of God. He is there as our forerunner. He is there as our High Priest. And our anchor is attached to him. Therefore, we are confident that he will take good care of us no matter what life brings our way. And he will carry us to himself when we die. We are totally safe and secure in Him. This is our blessed hope
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