We do care about many things – but what to care about first?…  SO much going on in the world, and the scriptures remind us that it is a broken world – not a world will be fixed but the PEOPLE who will be made whole. Whole only if they remain holy. So, looking at life I think, “What would Jesus do?” Remind you to look for His direction for HOPE (and would help too). HOPE is not in earthly things but in Heavenly Power. Heavenly Power then powers the rest of what we CAN do…

We are not perfect, the world is not perfect, but if we tend to dwell on our non-perfections more than we dwell on the One who is perfect, we will miss out. And Jesus IS perfect…  What would Jesus do? Instead of dwelling on HIMSELF, HE did His Father’s Will. He had to pray hard to not focus on His own needs and temptations, and so do we. How can we keep sharing His message? spread the news of where our HOPE lives. My HOPE lives in Jesus. His Life is Life itself. I hope to remember that for me, sure, but more importantly, I HOPE for the world’s people to know that too. Hope for the people is different than the hope for the world as a whole. The HOPE of the people of the world relies on people following Jesus – I hope someone tells them that – yes, someone has to tell them that!

I was watching the news of thousands of refugees trying to migrate thru central america – wow (we have no idea how our lives compare to the lives of others outside America and even inside America, we are VERY blessed as privileged). Even if we take a wider lens to our news, we find that may still be limited to what is really happening in the outside world. These people, and many refugees, are trying to move ahead – move to safety – move anywhere but where they currently are. Is there anything we can do? These are not easy questions – there are not simple answers – the world is broken and so are our lenses… Tough times… But in all that, I would hope that there is HOPE. I would pray that the people themselves are driven by HOPE. God Bless those people. Also God bless the homeless of our area, the countries without clean water, still dealing with diseases that we have long forgotten about. The plight of the hopeful masses. God bless the workers who bring HOPE.

I visited Ellis Island and the train station to take people to places far and wide – we have nostalgia for this place but it was a rough road over rough seas to get here – and we have pride in our ancestor’s grit and determination.  But really what did drive them to a better future? Their HOPE.

In a pandemic we have fears, distracting circumstances – but we still need to HOPE. And we still need to sacrifice things in our lives to keep delivering HOPE to others…  If we were working in a warzone, we would venture out to spread HOPE. If we are staying inside, we can continue to call out, write out, type out, pray for the outside – send HOPE… And we show care for others by letting them know that someone is paying attention. Everyone HOPES someone is paying attention. Shining LIGHT, we HOPE that they will HOPE.

We can’t solve everything today – in a broken world – we are supposed to remember that God knows these situations – and we petition by prayer. If you don’t know where to start, start with the HOPE. 

“Jesus is a better HOPE, by which we draw near to God”.  Paul wrote to the Hebrews about the old law and the new HOPE. He compared the priesthoods of old and the sacrifices of old and spoke to educate about JESUS and how He fulfilled all these things and He is better than the law – He also IS a new covenant – He IS the HOPE.

Keep spreading the HOPE!

AMEN

From Hebrews 7, 8…

14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better HOPE is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’”  Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.

…

This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.   I will be their God, and they will be my people.