Islam is a HUGE threat to the world and also to the Church. It is their goal to take over the world and they are accomplishing this in unbelievable ways. Turkey… a country that was once dominated by Christianity… is now 99.9% Muslim. In fact, Islam has overtaken much of Europe and is on its way to overtake America. Thousands and thousands of churches have now been turned into mosques. The Bible college I graduated from in Michigan is now a Muslim center. Radical Islam is making great strides in their mission to own the world… and they often do it by force, destroying whole cities, neighborhoods, and communities. Hence, the light of Christianity is being snuffed out by darkness around the world.
Now hear me… we should hate Islam but love Muslims. They may be our neighbors or acquaintances, but they need Christ. We should treat them with respect and reach out to them. This is how we are to live biblically. With that said, let’s examine darkness. As we look around us and we become more aware of a darkness that seems to be overtaking the light, it’s really easy to get filled with despair, depression, and hopelessness. Hence, the darkness in the world can easily capture us.
I’m not sure what you’re going through at the moment. Maybe the health challenges, the concern for a prodigal, the financial struggles, or the unanswered questions have taken you into a dark place. Maybe you’re up against huge giants that seem to be winning. Or perhaps you are in the midst of difficult trials or your circumstances just seem to be getting worse rather than better no matter how much you’ve been praying. In fact, dark dreary clouds seem to be your daily companion. I think we can all relate, right? So then the question becomes… What do we need? What can help us in these dark times? One word… HOPE! Hope gives us the ability to have faith and assurance that it will all turn out okay. Hope gives us a way out of the darkness.
Here’s the incredible news: In our key verse, Paul says that hope lives in all of us. The Holy Spirit is our hope, but maybe that hope just needs to be resurrected. Let’s examine three ways that we can resurrect that hope…
Focus on Bible promises! Let the promises of eternal life, a new body, victory, grace, protection, and life awaken your spirit today. Look up verses with promises you need today and write them down and recite them again and again throughout the day.
Worship! Paul says in Colossians 3:16: “Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” Turn on Christian music, close your eyes, and let God invade your spirit as you lift your voice to Him. Speak out loud the character of God, His Name, and His works. Worshiping surely overcomes darkness.
Listen to an encouraging message! Instead of scrolling through social media or listening to the news, turn on your favorite pastor and listen to his latest message, or listen again to last Sunday’s message. The Word of God can surely overcome our hopelessness.
Hope really does change everything!