"For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100:5 NIV

Have you ever seen someone give Christianity a bad name? A quick look over our shoulder at Church History tells us that they are in good company. Throughout the centuries there have been countless atrocities committed in the name of Jesus. The Crusades and the Inquisition are perhaps the most famous, but acts of greed, manipulation, and cruelty continue to go on by those who claim the name of Christ even today.

It's no wonder that some want nothing to do with the church or Christianity. But here's the distinguishing factor: Authentic Christianity is not a religion; it's a relationship with Jesus Christ. In John 14:6 he tells us plainly: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Genuine Christians are not those who attend church every Sunday, but those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. This relationship changes everything. II Cor. 5:17 states: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" True followers will repent of their errors and will be making obvious strides to become more like Christ in their attitudes and behaviors.

We often get confused between God himself, and his followers (or those who claim to be). Even genuine Christ Followers can be guilty of terrible failures. But let's remember that their failures do not reflect the nature of God, only the state of humanity. People fail--but God never fails!

"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 NIV

When we struggle against the odds and the darkness seems to be pressing in, we must turn to the source of all hope: our God and Savior. We are so prone to look to our own abilities, material resources, or other people to give us hope. But no one can truly fill our lives with hope except the very source of it. In everything else, there is the possibility of disappointment.

Life is often unfair, difficult, and full of heartache. It's easy to be despondent, anxious, and worried. But Paul makes it clear that when we turn to God and invite him to walk near to us, when we fully place our trust in him, something changes. There's a definitive connection between possessing hope, and possessing joy and peace. When we allow God to be our source of hope, these will spontaneously result.

Paul goes on to say, "Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." Not just a little hope--but overflow with hope! Not just hope--but confident hope! Hope that is powered by the Holy Spirit!

If you are struggling to cope with life's difficulties, turn to The Source of Hope. Ask him to flood the dark places of your heart with the bright light of hope, joy, and peace. Trust in him to guide your steps and order your life for his glory. Even in loss and hardship, we can still know hope if we remain rooted in The Source.

"No one whose hope is in you, Lord, will ever be put to shame." Psalm 62:5 NIV

So often we are disappointed in life because we are failing to put our hope in the right place. We hope in the economy improving and assuring our job security. We hope in our savings account to give us financial security. We hope in friends and family to help us out in hard times. We hope in our spouses to meet our emotional needs. We hope in... you get the point.

When we place our hope in the Lord, we won't be ashamed. But what does it mean to hope in the Lord? We pray, don't we? We let him know what's happening in our lives and ask for his involvement. Isn't that hoping in the Lord?

As I grow in my relationship of trust with the Lord, I realize that it isn't the same thing at all. I can say all kinds of prayers, but continue to hope in all the wrong places. I can even be confident that God will answer my prayers, and still not have it quite right.

When I truly hope in the Lord, not only am I praying with expectation that God has heard and will answer my prayer, I'm also trusting that the outcome is what he willed. And that what he willed is for the best. Although I may still feel disappointment, it's balanced with the faith that my Provider has a purpose and plan in the situation. If I put my hope in the Lord, then I can also trust him to help me deal with the outcome.

"The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3:25-26 NIV

I once read a book about hope. It made me angry. It focused entirely upon heaven, and if that's my only hope--then someone shoot me now! I firmly believe that we can have hope for the here and now if we have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Here's why:

1.) The presence of the Holy Spirit within us. We are never alone; we are always loved.
2.) The privilege of prayer. We can communicate with the Creator at any time and in any situation.
3.) The promise of blessing. Positive and negative events can draw us closer to God and refine our character, if we let them.
4.) The peace of knowing God is in control.

Whenever something threatens our security and causes pangs of anxiety, we should be able to meet it with squared shoulders and a confident response: "Wait and see what God will do." Imagine the freedom that would be ours if we could truly live with this attitude!

The question is, are we going to respond emotionally or are we going to camp on these truths? Do we trust God to give us the desired outcome, or to use whatever happens to shape our character? Are we going to seek him, and put our hope in him alone?

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him. Are you waiting quietly for his work in your life to be manifested? Trust him. And wait and see what he's going to do for you.

"Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere." Ephesians 6:18 NLT

In Ephesians 6, Paul outlines the attire necessary for a successful Christian life, commonly referred to as "the whole armor of God."

Then he says to pray. I've heard it said that prayer is the "heavy artillary" we have at our disposal in this ongoing spiritual battle. We often overlook the significance of prayer in our daily lives. We are never alone. We have the freedom to turn to the Creator with all manner of requests, petitions, and praises.

We tend to use prayer as a last restort instead of considering it as the essential first response. We want to feel in control, and praying means that we are giving it to God to take care of. And you know what? That's the wisest thing we could ever do! Completely surrender it to him and say: "I will wait and see what God will do about this."

But we shouldn't let our prayers be centered fully on our own lives. Paul reminds us to be persistent in praying for others. When we align our hearts and minds with God, we begin to move away from self-centered thinking and have genuine compassion for others. As we pour ourselves out in prayer for friends, family, and co-workers, we are drawn into even closer unity with our Heavenly Father.

The next time someone shares about a tough situation, tell them you will be praying. Write it down so that you won't forget, and then pray faithfully until it is resolved. Prayer is powerful.

"And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father," Colossians 3:17 NLT

If you claim the name of "Christian," then your life should reflect Christ. Originally this term was use derisively, "Little Christs," by those who were against this new religious sect. But the followers of Jesus took this name and claimed it as their own: those who know him should be little Christs. We should exemplify Christ-like attitudes and behaviors.

What does this look like? Paul tells us we need to "put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don't be greedy... get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don't lie to each other." Instead, "you must clothe yourselsves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience... Forgive anyone who offends you... clothe yourselves in love... let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts... And always be thankful."

Now if you say, "I do that every day," I know you have one more sin to confess before the Lord! None of us live in perfect purity, peacefulness, and gratitude. I know that I don't! But every day is a new opportunity to seek the aid of the Holy Spirit in conforming myself into the image of Christ.

We are his representatives in a world filled with brokenness and pain. We need to shine the light to show the way for those who are in darkness. We have a marvelous hope and joy within us that others need to see.

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." James 1:27 NLT

Has anyone else noticed that our nation is in a bit of a situation? The U.S. has certainly seen better days. I'm of the opinion that the current downward spiral is directly connected to the deterioration of the moral fabric that was woven into our heritage. Are we, the Church, living up to this verse?

We are called to be a light in the darkness; a city on a hill. But I wonder, are we inspiring others with our godly lives or are we blending in with the culture? Does my life reflect Christ so that without words, others know I am one of his followers?

This verse gives us two challenges: the first is to show compassion for those enduring difficult times, especially underprivileged children and women who do not have a husband or family to support them. The second challenge is perhaps the most difficult: to be uncorrupted by the world's value system.

Are we spending enough time in the Word and in growing our relationship with God to know what he expects from us? Just because something is accepted and prevalent in our culture does not make it acceptable in the eyes of God. We are called to be set apart, to be uncorrupted. And if we are living obediently, we will definitely stand out!

Positive change will not come to our nation until the hearts of God's people return to him. Join me in praying for a revival to sweep our land. Let it begin with us.