‘When you put hope in the wrong things, we set ourselves up for disappointment’
Why do I sing and acknowledge the birth of Jesus who is my present and future hope?
I am glad you ask bro!
I remember the old hymn that I was taught and have found to be true today, it goes like this:
My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness I dare not trust the sweetest frame But wholly lean on Jesus’ name
This HOPE came many years ago and was told about before he got here. Some call him Jesus and some call him Immanuel (God with us). Here are some facts I found.
- Immanuel brings salvation from sin. What does salvation mean? In the Hebrew language it signifies freedom from what binds or restricts and thus effects deliverance. In the Greek New Testament it means to provide recovery, to rescue, to effect one’s welfare.
In other words MY HOPE transforms a soul from the grips of eternal and present doom
Psalm. 3:8-Salvation belongs to the Lord; Thy blessing be upon Thy people! Selah.
Matthew 1:21..He shall save His people from their sins
- Immanuel comes to reunite all nations with joy. E.g. Germans, Americans, Africans, South Americans, ALL PEOPLE! Hosea 11:1
God established diversity in the church and demonstrated that Salvation was opened to all of mankind without favoritism and racial divide as told to us by Luke a disciple of Jesus
Acts 13: 1-2..Now there were in the church that was at Antioch Certain prophets and teachers.
- Simeon that was called Niger.—The name indicates the complexion of Africa; but nothing more is known of him. The epithet was given to him, probably, to distinguish him from the many others of the same name, possibly, in particular, from Simon of Cyrene. (Acts 11:20.)
- Lucius of Cyrene.—Probably one of the company of “men of Cyprus and Cyrene” (Acts 11:20) who had been among the first evangelists of Antioch. On the ground that Cyrene was famous for its School of Medicine, and was an ancient Greekcity on the North African coast near present-day Shahhat, a town located in north-eastern Libya.
- Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch –Manaen had been raised in royalty with Herod. So we see a man who had been educated by the high courts of the Roman government and was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch (Herod the tetrarch had the title of king (Matthew 14:9).
- And Saul — later be known by his Roman name, Paul, but he is first introduced in Acts by his Jewish name, Saul. Paul, the “Apostle of the Gentiles,” was born in Tarsus, capital city of the Roman province of Cilicia, in southeast Asia Minor. A strict Pharisee who was educated at the feet of Gamaliel, we first find him in Jerusalem, where he was present at and consented to the death of the Christian martyr Stephen.
I thank God for a gospel that is open to all men and NOT exclusive to any human being!