Of all people in the earth we are supposed to be those with a ravishing and remarkable, tangible and tantalizing, radical and in-the-face-of-all-that's-so-screwed-up kind of Hope. That's Hope with a capital 'H.' Not casual hope; not precious hope - a compelling ultimate Hope that is so clearly PRESENT that others can literally smell it on you like a dog can smell fear. (Pause.....What....? Wow!) The clear and present danger we face is the privation of that armed aroma in both church AND culture...as in most of us. Our hope is broke, so... This will be a fight. Don't get glossy-eyed on me now. That's the issue. It's a subtle and substantial veil - woven of confusion, clutter and the thrashi
Enough with vague descriptions of hope. Enough with over-spiritualized language conjuring scenes of an ethereal and eternal singing service in the clouds. We need a reality check as to what the 'regeneration of all things' will look like. Only as that becomes compelling will it rock us enough that people might actually want to know what we've got. I love the look on this dog. Any doubt that he has 'the assurance of things hoped for?' Any doubt that he knows, in his little doggie-knower, that his hope is real and delightful and coming not-anytime-to-soon? Any doubt that every fiber in his being is vibrating in agreement about the object of his hope? Can you feel his certainty and longing?
We've moved into the 5th biblical month, the month of Av: The warning how bad choices flow from bad reports but then the promise of the comfort of the Father. Here are some things to watch: 1. You'll have to say, 'NO!' Either 'No!' to bad reports that take facts and twist them, or... 'No!' to the directive of God to move forward into what He promised you. 2. Say 'Yes! to shake it, stir it, blend it up! Having said, 'No!' to bad reports, actively and aggressively mix His SPECIFIC Promise and your relationship to Him. At the border of the Promised Land, Israel did not get this right. As it was with them, it CAN be with us: Likely that there ARE giants, fortified cities, and issues you also
