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by Calven CelliersHave you ever had one of those conversations that restlessly lingers in the back of your mind? I had a conversation like that with a member of our congregation some time ago on the topic of hope. He was sharing with me how in his opinion hope was nothing more than wishful thinking, and was therefore something he didn’t assign much weight. That conversation left me feeling frustrated, probably because I didn’t have the answers I perceived I needed to convince my friend otherwise, and from time to time I’ve revisited that conversation in my mind, thinking about and trying to resolve the whole issue for myself.  Recently I read an online article written by author and Bible teacher Clarence Haynes, on the topic of hope, and I thought I’d love to share some of his insights with all of you as we navigate our way through a very trying and difficult time in world history. Perhaps there are many who, like my brother in Christ, have given up on hope. Well, if that’s you, then I pray this blog post might spark renewed hope, because I honestly do believe that one of the greatest gifts God has given us as His children is hope. After all, that is what His promises are designed to do – inspire hope. They give us the ability to look at any situation and to know that regardless of how it may appear God is going to come through. This is the essence of what hope is.Don’t get me wrong, the challenges of life can sometimes seem overwhelming. I know because I have faced those challenges just like any of you have. When these challenges attack, the thing they often come after is your hope. They try to move you from hope to despair, but that doesn’t have to be the case. My desire today is that we may all walk in the victory that comes from hope.The general consensus from all dictionary definitions is that hope is a feeling of expectation, a desire or wish for a certain thing to happen. The biblical definition, however, takes it one step further. Hope is an expectation with certainty that God will do what he has said. Can you see the difference? One is as my brother in Christ said, wishful thinking, but the other is a certainty or guarantee!The author of Hebrews hit this exact nail on the head when he penned the following verse:“1Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1NIV)You cannot have hope unless it is tied together with faith. In essence, you have hope because you have faith and you have faith because you have hope. However, you don’t just have faith in faith or hope in hope, there is no real value in that. What matters most is the object of your faith and hope – that makes all the difference. What separates the basic definition of hope and…

Guest Postby Dave GriffithsThe truth is, we have been experiencing a very difficult and trying time. Here in the retirement village, many of the elderly are stressed, having not seen family for the past sixth months.We see on the news that many have died from this virus in the absence of their families.If ever there was a time to put our trust in God, it is now, and this requires that we know the truth with certainty. So what is the truth? Perhaps a definition could help. The bible teaches that truth is consistent with the mind, will, character, glory and being of God. So, “truth is the self-expression of God”.Jesus said of Himself “I am, the truth” (John 14:6) He is truth incarnate. He said the written Word of God is truth. We cannot separate the written Word of God and the incarnate Word of God (Jesus). God has revealed Himself to humanity through Scripture and through His Son.If people abandon a biblical definition of truth, the inescapable result is that God will give them over to a debased mind to do what they want to do on their own (Romans 1:28). We simply cannot rely on human philosophers, as all of the very best have all utterly failed to account for truth and the origin of human knowledge, apart from God. Fact is, God is the necessary starting point.At Jesus trial the question of truth came out clearly. Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”  Pilate said to Him, “What is the truth?” (John 18:37-38).To know the truth with certainty as Christians, the Gospel message is essential and absolutely clear. It is both simple and clear.“God so loved the world (you and me) that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus) that whosoever (anyone and everyone) who believes in Him, (that is, puts their total faith and trust in Him, will not perish (be destroyed) but will have eternal life (in heaven with Him).   (John 3:16)We have no idea how long this virus will be with us. Many world experts are at a loss. Today is the day of salvation. Make a decision for Christ now, and be certain of your future. Sincerely, Dave.

by Graham MolThis afternoon I took the kids to go get some ice cream after school. We're definitely heading into spring now and according to the weather report it was getting as warm as 30 degrees today! For me getting an ice cream - especially the soft-serve version in a cone - is something I associate with happiness. It probably has to do with the fact that I have so many contented and happy memories associated with having an ice cream. It reminds me of summer days at the beach, at Gold Reef City, or when I was a child and my mom would get us delicious caramel dipped ice creams from the Steers next to the school clothing store after we had endured getting new uniforms for the upcoming term (some things just seem to stick in my memory!)I must admit, while I reflected on happy ice creams and the fact that we are moving into Spring and Summer I was feeling hopeful. The number of positive Covid-19 cases is coming down daily, and the recoveries are going up. The lockdown is loosening up and although things won't ever quite be the same again, a great deal of things are returning to normal. The proverbial phrase, "Hope springs eternal" comes to mind. In looking up the origin of the phrase I found out that it was penned by the great English poet, Alexander Pope in his An Essay on Man.Hope springs eternal in the human breast:Man never is, but always to be blest:The soul, uneasy and confin’d from home,Rests and expatiates in a life to come.Pope observes that us humans have a tendency to be optimistic about the future. Even when we've gone through tough and difficult times, we tend to believe that things will get better. Sometimes this optimism is misplaced or naïve. However, we as Christians always have reason to hope. For us, not only does hope spring eternal but our hope is founded in the eternal. The Apostle Peter expresses this truth as he encourages the believers who have gone through times of suffering:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11)Amen indeed! God BlessGraham