The BLESSED Hope

What exactly is "the blessed hope?"

Oh, it's not far—fetched from "the blessed assurance".

Both originate in one person: the Person of the LORD, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Lamb of God that took the weight of the sins of the entire world of fallen humans upon Himself. Like a lamb, Prophet Isaiah described His sufferings, pains, beatings, false sentencing in a Kangaroo religious court, to His painful execution on the jagged, Roman cross, painful to watch. There upon that cross, the Lamb of God bled and died. Thereafter, He was buried in the belly of the earth. And on the third day, He rose again — raised by the power of God the Father. GOD did this so that through Jesus Christ, all humans could have a relationship with God while on earth, and continue the same after their times had expired on the earth, in Heaven, His eternal abode! This, in a nutshell, is the blessedness of the assurance "that Jesus Christ has come to save sinners, of which I am chief" as Paul the apostle remarked in one of his letters to his spiritual son, Timothy (1 Timothy 1:15). This is the heart of Father—God Who would want many people to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.

Thus, the blessed assurance is that supernatural knowing that you are now a child of God and belong to Him, eternally.

What of the "blessed hope"?

Apostle Paul described "the blessed hope" as the unfailing hope of the child of God that he/she will see his/her Savior Jesus Christ face to face at the Rapture or after death: "If in this life only, we have hope in Christ Jesus, we are of all men most miserable" (1 Corinthians 15:19).

THE DEFINITION OF THE BLESSED HOPE

Let us read Titus 2:11—14:

"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men,

Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

From the above verses relating to our focused content, there are three important lessons worthy of our notice:

a.) It is the grace of God that brings salvation. Period. Not hard work (even though we all ought to be hardworking). Not good looks — even though we ought to be always presentable and friendly. Not human connections. Not educational attainment. Not your friends. Not your kith and chum! Not your parents' standing in the society. This grace is the benevolent act of the supreme Father—God!

b.) This grace is always teaching us ... In other words, we are constantly updated, informed, connected to, and corrected by the Teacher — the Holy Spirit! I pray and trust that you have not become too big to be corrected by the gentle Great Teacher, the Holy Spirit! And the good Lord does by empowering us to deny ungodliness and lust. Jesus Christ said if the disciple could not deny self, take up his/her cross, and follow him, that person's walk is in vain!

c.) The blessed hope is the holy disciple's anticipatory expectation of His Lord and Savior's appearing in the air: Scripture teaches us that our Lord will return in the air with millions upon millions of His holy angels. "Behold, he cometh with the clouds and every eye shall see him ..." (Revelations 1:7). The King of kings and the Lord of all lords is coming. Nobody will be able to prevent Him. And He's coming for His Bride who is prepared, alert, and awaiting His return. Oh, yes, Maranatha: Come LORD JESUS! (1 Corinthians 16:22).

Now, when our Lord comes, He will come in the 'harpazo'; that is the Greek word for "snatch away", the term theologians call 'Rapture'. The great snatching away will occur "in a twinkle of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed ..." (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

MY QUESTIONS

 My heart is brimming with a lot of questions though I will only ask you, just a few:

a.) Are you ready for 'harpazo'? Many will be caught unawares. Some mouth-professing Christians will discover that they have been left behind! It's going to be tragic because they would have been left behind to the whims and caprices of the "Man of sin" - the AntiChrist's seven years of impossibilities made possible by God. If you think that the politicians are lying now, please do not wait for the coming of the AntiChrist! For he is the Satan embodied in a human body whom you wouldn't be able to fact-check because of the unbelievable powers that God will allow him to possess. Please put your faith in Jesus Christ, now! How do you do that? You say a simple prayer like this, by faith:

"Father, please forgive all my sins and cleanse me by Your Son Jesus' precious blood shed on the cross. In Jesus name!. Amen!!"

b.) Are you living daily expectant of our Savior? If you are running errant to the Holy Scriptures, stop and think. Stop all your running around's. Stop cheating yourself. Stop dragging; dragging yourself through the mud. Stop pleasing men and women. Start pleasing God. The Bible says "If a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Proverbs 16:7).

c.) Are you witnessing about Jesus' second coming to others? Don't keep this GoodNews to yourself, Heaven rejoices at the moment any one sinner repents and is won to the Lord (Luke 15:10).

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Written by Dr. Sammy Joseph. If you've any inquiries about what you've read — or would love to write for us, please, contact us at (+44) 77581-95466 or email: 'pulsepublishinghouse@harvestways.org'

Our book reading suggestion remains: 'GIDEON: Releasing the Potentials within You'. Visit our PULSE Publishing House store at our secure link: https://www.harvestways.org/product-page/gideon-releasing-the-potential-within-you-leadership-series to order this life-changing book. You will also find his teachings at Youtube.com/c/HarvestWays Please subscribe to the channel with a click on the notification bell. WE THANK YOU for your custom

Smelting Generational Chains

If we be Christ Jesus', there certainly will be junctions in our lives where we will acknowledge and realize the need for instructions at life's crossroads, at which we cry out like Prophet Elisha: "Where is the GOD of Elijah?"

At life's crossroads, we find ourselves faced with decisions that shape our future. But we also discover — if we look introspectively — that we possess the power to break the chains that had kept generations preceding us bound for countless ages if we dared raise our eyes towards Heaven, and call for GOD's help!

A Legacy of Burden

Many of us discovered as we grew up that we were surrounded by the familiar obstacles on our progenitors' relay courses. We were told stories, most of which seemed like folklore to our childish ears. But as we grew in stature and maturity, those of us who were blessed to be spiritual early enough began to connect the dots that had littered our parents' and grandparents' paths: Their realms of unspeakable abuse, torments, and afflictions were introduced to us albeit, unwittingly.

Some others who had not been fortunate enough had succumbed to the pressure and the pull of the mire and the dirt.

A minority of us had rebelled against their norm. We vowed not to partake in the malady, malarky, and madness. We promised to escape the rowdiness of purpose and intent. We vowed to defend ourselves and our siblings against the Enemy. More importantly, we vowed that our children would never experience such pain as we had endured. Kudos, if that was you! Directly, or indirectly, the legacy of burden had been born and passed onto us.

The Turning Point

Fortunately, Jesus Christ found me at the tender age of 3. Innocent, and soft-hearted, I had watched atop my father's shoulders the reel-to-reel film outreach of Jesus of Nazareth that had played in our church. My turning point occurred when I 'witnessed' Jesus Christ raise Lazarus from the dead!

Uncontrollable hot tears coursed down my rotund cheeks as I whispered in child-like faith and voice: "GOD, make be like that Man!" And surely, something happened to me. I knew it. I was aware: My conscience was present from then onwards until this day!

Growing up, I was always aware of the weight of expectations placed upon me by GOD, firstly, for my immediate family: My siblings and our parents. One weapon of deliverance availed unto me then as now was prayer and fasting! I prayed for us. I talked to GOD about everything and anything that didn't match up with what I read in my Bible. And GOD answered. Then, secondly, for my friends. I prayed for my friends, relations, and family friends. I was very burdened by negative news and developments that whirled around my earshot. Soon, I learned from my parents, the wisdom in shielding children's ears from hearing everything happening in adults' lives. Thirdly, I prayed for strangers. I developed an uncanny aptitude to be genuinely interested in people. Strangers. And that couldn't be divorced from me until today even though in a span of half a century, folks would interpret this quite significantly differently. I am talking about the life changes that occurred to me at the tender ages of between 3 and 6. Never discount "the days of little beginnings", the Bible admonishes us. And dare I add: "NEVER RULE A LITTLE CHILD OUT OF GOD'S CHOICE OF USAGE!"

Unearthing Hidden Truths

Hence, from my youthful days, I recognized my limitations as much as my exploits possibility. A moral and spiritual sense had been born, coupled with the keen, eagle-eyed, watchful eyes of informed parents. Even at that, lapses were soon discovered by us children. However, I didn't as much exploit those opportunities to be as atrocious as my older siblings, for fear of the One Holy GOD Who had called and separated me.

I was a child prophet. Prophecies of renowned prophets and prophetesses ran ahead of me. I was by no means treated preferentially differently to my siblings; though I felt "special" within my scope as a beloved of GOD. He began to unearth deep spiritual dimensions to me as I grew in stature and height.

From a young age, I saw how the struggles of the past generations could cast aspersion(s) on the future generations: The cycles of limited beliefs, financial hardship, and emotional scars; the abuses in various contexts - even more so of the entity called time! The dabbling into the occult and the world of spiritism, the empty religiosity, the callousness of not bereaving one of selfishness etcetera. My parents weren't perfect. Neither was I, raising my children. That's a truth you would also soon discover as realistic if you're yet to!

Between childhood and adulthood, I also unearthed one of the sayings of Solomon to be true: "History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new" (Ecclesiastes 1:9); NLT. That is, if you do NOTHING about it!

One of the issues you must not ignore is retaliatory, vengeful behavior aimed at and or meted at your parents— or whoever raised you, for the damage caused by their negligence, abuse, or crime. That's a quick sure way to fester the seething, brewing pot of generational curses!

Activating the Hidden Truths

There are generational bondages. Generational curses. Generational happenstances — and the like. But there are also generational deliverances and freedom. Generational blessings, generational wealth, and health. But all of the time, spiritual effort plus self-discipline must be engaged to ensure that you deliver the baton of true freedom in Jesus Christ, and excellence in wealth and health patterns to yourself — and your generations.

By breaking the cycle of limitation and embracing the fullness of our potential, we pave the way for a brighter and more empowered tomorrow. I pray this disclosure helps you — or someone in your circle!

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This blog was written by Dr. Sammy Joseph. If you've any inquiries about what you have read or would love to write for us, contact us today at 'pulsepublishinghouse@harvestways.org'

(Picture credit: Pulse Publishing House, SJM: Lariat Cowboy Statue by Constance W. Warren 1888-1948; a gift to the city of Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Picture was taken by Sammy Joseph, during the #PrayerWalkMissionUSA)

Our reading suggestion for summer 2024 is 'Overcoming the spirit of Diotrephes'. Visit our PULSE Publishing House store at the secure link: https://www.harvestways.org/product-page/overcoming-the-spirit-of-diotrephes-leadership-series to order your life-changing copies of the title.

You will also find Dr. Joseph's teachings at Youtube.com/c/HarvestWays

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BORN INTO GENERATIONAL WITCHCRAFT; SET FREE BY JESUS! — Stephanie Wilcox | Colorado, USA.

When Jesus Christ found me, I was homeless and growing in sin. I wanted to end my life. Both the sheer pain and the trauma of life led me to cry out to God with all my heart one night as I contemplated suicide. And HE heard my cry!

I was born into generational witchcraft being raised as a spiritist. My family taught me how to practice witchcraft, black magic, etcetera. We would practice every Sunday at our house. We engaged in magic circles; my grandmother was a psychic medium who taught me to do the same!

Spiritism is a wicked and twisted deception of the enemy because sadly, many people don’t have bad intentions in practicing it and they truly believe they are doing something good. I didn’t know any better as a child but later on in life, I would discover that all the problems stemmed from this deep, root issue of the spiritual. I did all I could to distract myself from the empty, dark void I felt inside.

I started smoking weed at age 12 and drinking at age 14. By the time I was 16, I was doing hard drugs. I did LSD, mushrooms, ecstasy, molly, cocaine, Adderall, and even DMT. I was addicted for years.

I was also a victim of sexual abuse. I was raised not just in a demonic-filled home. Still, also the devil had plagued my family with the shackles of drunkenness, sexual immorality, pedophilia, and much darker stuff ... Childhood trauma destroyed my self-image, and my life was a disaster due to my deep hatred of self. This led to endless sin. After doing drugs like crazy, and being promiscuous, I decided to become obsessed with money. Anything to fill the void. Anything to find a sense of identity, a sense of significance. But often, this innocent desire can quickly become self-destructive. I was willing to lie, deceive, sacrifice family time, miss out on special occasions, take advantage of people who trusted me, and step on competitors’ heads to climb higher in my pursuit of success. I became a superficial shell of idolatry, lacking any true meaning or depth inside. My entire life revolved around my image. And an image that I was fabricating at that, trying to invent a person that the world would find acceptable and important.

I always wanted more and more — and more. It was never enough. I would always see other people who had more possessions, more accolades, more admiration from others and I wanted to beat everyone because that’s all my life was about. It was an endless cycle of trying to gain validation from man, and doing this always left me feeling more empty than fulfilled!

JESUS CHRIST MET ME ...

When Jesus Christ met me, that’s when everything changed. The Gospel of Christ crucified and resurrected for my sin, SAVED ME from feeling worthless, drug addiction, suicidal thoughts, money worship, self-idolatry, pride of life, needing validation from man, promiscuity, anger, and bitterness in my heart, narcissistic tendencies, greed, feelings of superiority, entitlement, jealousy, and so much more! And ultimately, HELL! PRAISE JESUS CHRIST! Only JESUS SAVES!

I was at rock bottom: Homeless, drowning in sin, and contemplating ending it all. Born into generational witchcraft, drugs became my escape, numbing the pain of trauma and abuse. I chased after money, seeking validation and significance in all the wrong places.

But Jesus Christ intervened: His love shattered my chains, His grace lifted me from despair. The Gospel transformed me, freeing me from worthlessness, addiction, and self-destruction. Only Jesus could save me from the grip of sin and the emptiness of chasing worldly desires.

2 Corinthians 5:17  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"

This truth became my reality! Jesus made me new, giving me purpose and hope beyond anything I could imagine!

I urge you to trust in Jesus Christ alone. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No matter how broken or lost you feel, His love can redeem and restore you. Surrender and experience the transformative power of finding your identity in Christ and Christ alone!

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Stephanie Wilcox — not her real name — lives in Colorado, USA. We have obtained her permission to reproduce this testimony.

Dr. Sammy Joseph's book reading suggestion for this spring remains: 'You're Not a Mismatch'. Visit our PULSE Publishing House store at the secure QR code to order this life-changing book. You will also find his teachings at Youtube.com/c/HarvestWays Please subscribe to the channel with a click on the notification bell. WE THANK YOU for your custom!