{"id":939,"date":"2019-12-23T04:12:52","date_gmt":"2019-12-23T04:12:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.glitterandgraceteens.com\/?p=939"},"modified":"2019-12-23T04:12:52","modified_gmt":"2019-12-23T04:12:52","slug":"hope-offers-peace-everlasting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.empoweredjesusgirl.com\/?p=939","title":{"rendered":"Hope offers peace everlasting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.empoweredjesusgirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/hope.jpg?resize=263%2C263&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-940\" width=\"263\" height=\"263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.empoweredjesusgirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/hope.jpg?w=225&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.empoweredjesusgirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/hope.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 263px) 100vw, 263px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As you prepare to celebrate Jesus\u2019 Birthday, I want\nyou to reflect on the hope that God gave us through Jesus Christ. Jesus was,\nand still is, more than just a baby in a manager. Jesus is our Living Hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hope Offers Peace Everlasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Without the birth of Jesus, we would have no hope\nfor eternal life with Him. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Can you imagine living without this hope? Can you\nimagine living without Jesus?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019ve been reading a devotional on the bible app\ncalled, \u201c14-Day Christmas Devotional\u201d by Dale O\u2019Shields. He describes hope in a\nway that I\u2019ve never heard before, <em>\u201cit\ngives us strength for the present and an excitement for the future.\u201d<\/em> The\nexcerpt below shows the vast differences between the hopeful and the hopeless. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cHope\ncan keep us going when everything else is falling apart. Hope is the\nexpectation that even though life might be tough right now, somehow, at some time,\neverything will be fine. Hope comes from the recognition that our past failures\nare not fatal or final. It gives us strength for the present and an excitement\nfor the future. Hope senses that the best is yet to come.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He goes on to show the opposite side of hope by saying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cHopeless\npeople feel like the sun has departed and will never return. They are caught in\nthe grip of a nightmare that seems to never end. Hopeless people have little\nenergy and no enthusiasm.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Which category do you find yourself in today?\nHopeful or hopeless?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Followers of Christ have hope that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>One day, all pain and suffering will\ncome to an end, and they\u2019ll experience peace indescribable when they enter into\ntheir Father\u2019s arms<\/li><li>They will see their loved ones again (that\nwere saved) in heaven <\/li><li>Their struggles on earth are only\ntemporary<\/li><li>Whatever they are going through now,\ngood or bad, has a purpose for God\u2019s glory<\/li><li>God is with them always and gives them\ntheir strength each day<\/li><li>The best is yet to come<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Without knowing Jesus, a person cannot experience\nthe hope that you and I have today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Without having hope, a person will never find true\npeace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Without hope, life becomes meaningless and joy gets\nlost in the monotony of each day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">God gave you the gift of His Son, the gift of hope,\nto share with others. He is a gift that is ok to re-gift over and over again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jesus was, and still is, God\u2019s gift to us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As my pastor put it this morning, a gift is offered\nfirst and accepted second. You are the one that gets to choose if you want to accept\nthe Gift God has given you. When you share the gift of Jesus with others, it is\nup to them if they accept it or not. You just keep sharing, keep showing His\nlove, and keep holding on to the hope that God has blessed you with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">May God bless you and show you His grace every day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Share this with someone today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Birth of Jesus Christ <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Luke\n2:1-20<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>2&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>In those days Caesar\nAugustus&nbsp;issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman\nworld.&nbsp;<strong><sup>2&nbsp;<\/sup><\/strong>(This was the first census that took place\nwhileQuirinius was governor of Syria.)&nbsp;<strong><sup>3&nbsp;<\/sup><\/strong>And\neveryone went to their own town to register.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em><sup>4&nbsp;<\/sup><\/em><\/strong><em>So Joseph also went up from the\ntown of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem&nbsp;the town of David,\nbecause he belonged to the house and line of David.&nbsp;<strong><sup>5&nbsp;<\/sup><\/strong>He\nwent there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him&nbsp;and\nwas expecting a child.&nbsp;<strong><sup>6&nbsp;<\/sup><\/strong>While they were there, the\ntime came for the baby to be born,&nbsp;<strong><sup>7&nbsp;<\/sup><\/strong>and she gave\nbirth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a\nmanger, because there was no guest room available for them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em><sup>8&nbsp;<\/sup><\/em><\/strong><em>And there were shepherds living out\nin the fields nearby, keeping watch over<\/em> their flocks at night.&nbsp;<strong><sup>9&nbsp;<\/sup><\/strong>An\nangel&nbsp;of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around\nthem, and they were terrified.&nbsp;<strong><sup>10&nbsp;<\/sup><\/strong>But the angel\nsaid to them, \u201cDo not be afraid.&nbsp;I bring you good news that will cause\ngreat joy for all the people.&nbsp;<strong><sup>11&nbsp;<\/sup><\/strong>Today in the town\nof David a Savior&nbsp;has been born to you; he is the Messiah,&nbsp;the Lord.&nbsp;<strong><sup>12&nbsp;<\/sup><\/strong>This\nwill be a sign&nbsp;to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in\na manger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><sup>13&nbsp;<\/sup><\/strong>Suddenly a great company of the\nheavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><sup>14&nbsp;<\/sup><\/strong>\u201cGlory to God in the highest\nheaven,<br>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and on earth peace&nbsp;to those on whom his favor\nrests.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><sup>15&nbsp;<\/sup><\/strong>When the angels had left them and\ngone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, \u201cLet\u2019s go to Bethlehem and\nsee this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><sup>16&nbsp;<\/sup><\/strong>So they hurried off and found Mary\nand Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.&nbsp;<strong><sup>17&nbsp;<\/sup><\/strong>When\nthey had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them\nabout this child,&nbsp;<strong><sup>18&nbsp;<\/sup><\/strong>and all who heard it were\namazed at what the shepherds said to them.&nbsp;<strong><sup>19&nbsp;<\/sup><\/strong>But\nMary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.&nbsp;<strong><sup>20&nbsp;<\/sup><\/strong>The\nshepherds returned, glorifying and praising God&nbsp;for all the things they\nhad heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As you prepare to celebrate Jesus\u2019 Birthday, I want you to reflect on the hope that God gave us through Jesus Christ. Jesus was, and still is, more than just a baby in a manager. Jesus is our Living Hope. Hope Offers Peace Everlasting. Without the birth of Jesus, we would have no hope for &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.empoweredjesusgirl.com\/?p=939\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Hope offers peace everlasting<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-weekly-devotions"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.empoweredjesusgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.empoweredjesusgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.empoweredjesusgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.empoweredjesusgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.empoweredjesusgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=939"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.empoweredjesusgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/939\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":942,"href":"https:\/\/www.empoweredjesusgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/939\/revisions\/942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.empoweredjesusgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.empoweredjesusgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.empoweredjesusgirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}