Christmas is the season of hope. But what is hope?
The biblical definition of hope, as it is used in the New Testaments (elpis in the original Greek), is not wishful thinking or even passionate desire. It's confident expectation. The current sermons by my pastor, Tim Smart, along with recent sermons by Bill Johnson, have encouraged me to further explore and consider this concept of hope during this Christmas season.
Another Greek word I love is rhema. It predominantly means the declared of spoken word, It can also be a command, or a matter of business. Within the context of the Bible it usually means a declared word by the Lord, for the Lord or on behalf of the Lord.
Luke 1:37 says "nothing is impossible with God," but the lastest NIV translation says "No word from God will ever fail." Guess what the that word that is translated either thing (as part of nothing) or word is? You got it, It's rhema!.
The literal word for word translation says "For not will be impossible with God every thing/word." The word for impossible here (adoneteo, like the word for Adonis) also means able or capable.
I can think of two different translations for this, equal in both importance and accuracy. First of all, God makes us capable of doing and being absolutely everything that God says we can do and be. Second, when we declare God't truth out loud, we can do so with the confidence that it WILL absolutely happen. I might even go so far as to say it may have already happened, though the physical manifestation of such may not have caught up with the spiritual reality of the rhema. Most notably, God has already won the war against Satan and evil, but we have not yet fully experienced that final victory in every earthly sense.
Just to be clear, this is not a supernatural vending machine, where we insert a spoken desire and God delivers. The key here it to declare according to God's will and desire. The key here is truth. I do not want to forfeit my own inheritance by chasing after things that I was never meant to have.
And I have to claim my inheritance, to use the key in order to unlock more doors of blessing. A million dollars in my bank account (if only I had that) serves no purpose until I begin withdraw it. It's not that God will not give me anything before I ask. But I do believe believe that God reserves certain blessing and favor for those who ask and declare in faith. That's part of of hope (elpis) and proclamation (rhema) combined.
Luke 1:37 is smack dab in the middle of the Christmas story. It's the angel's response to a most likely afraid and a most definitely confused teenage virgin who just got pregnant.
What from earthly eyes looked like the end of her betrothal, her good name, and possibly any expectation of earthly security or stability was really the source of the greatest hope for all time and people.
So in a sense, I guess I'm seeing this verse as the very definition and source of hope. If God says it, or if we declare God's truth, it's done. We don't even need to plead with God for what we want and need once it has been declared (truthful and biblically, not just what we want). The only things left to do are to give thanks and celebrate in anticipation of what is and what will be.
The biblical definition of hope, as it is used in the New Testaments (elpis in the original Greek), is not wishful thinking or even passionate desire. It's confident expectation. The current sermons by my pastor, Tim Smart, along with recent sermons by Bill Johnson, have encouraged me to further explore and consider this concept of hope during this Christmas season.
Another Greek word I love is rhema. It predominantly means the declared of spoken word, It can also be a command, or a matter of business. Within the context of the Bible it usually means a declared word by the Lord, for the Lord or on behalf of the Lord.
Luke 1:37 says "nothing is impossible with God," but the lastest NIV translation says "No word from God will ever fail." Guess what the that word that is translated either thing (as part of nothing) or word is? You got it, It's rhema!.
The literal word for word translation says "For not will be impossible with God every thing/word." The word for impossible here (adoneteo, like the word for Adonis) also means able or capable.
I can think of two different translations for this, equal in both importance and accuracy. First of all, God makes us capable of doing and being absolutely everything that God says we can do and be. Second, when we declare God't truth out loud, we can do so with the confidence that it WILL absolutely happen. I might even go so far as to say it may have already happened, though the physical manifestation of such may not have caught up with the spiritual reality of the rhema. Most notably, God has already won the war against Satan and evil, but we have not yet fully experienced that final victory in every earthly sense.
Just to be clear, this is not a supernatural vending machine, where we insert a spoken desire and God delivers. The key here it to declare according to God's will and desire. The key here is truth. I do not want to forfeit my own inheritance by chasing after things that I was never meant to have.
And I have to claim my inheritance, to use the key in order to unlock more doors of blessing. A million dollars in my bank account (if only I had that) serves no purpose until I begin withdraw it. It's not that God will not give me anything before I ask. But I do believe believe that God reserves certain blessing and favor for those who ask and declare in faith. That's part of of hope (elpis) and proclamation (rhema) combined.
Luke 1:37 is smack dab in the middle of the Christmas story. It's the angel's response to a most likely afraid and a most definitely confused teenage virgin who just got pregnant.
What from earthly eyes looked like the end of her betrothal, her good name, and possibly any expectation of earthly security or stability was really the source of the greatest hope for all time and people.
So in a sense, I guess I'm seeing this verse as the very definition and source of hope. If God says it, or if we declare God's truth, it's done. We don't even need to plead with God for what we want and need once it has been declared (truthful and biblically, not just what we want). The only things left to do are to give thanks and celebrate in anticipation of what is and what will be.
