Hope Despite Every Distraction And Diversion (4)

[Zac Loh]

THE HOPE OF GOD

Hope Despite Fear
(Hittites)

Hope Despite Flesh
(Girgashi-tes)

Hope Despite Fame
(Amorites)

Hope Despite Freeze
(Canaanites)

Hope Despite Freedom
(Perizzites)

Hope Despite Friendship
(Hivites)

Hope Despite Fix
(Jebusites)

HOPE DESPITE FREEDOM

PERIZZITES

`Perrizites’ means `a dweller in an unwalled city’. Strong’s Bible Dictionary’s definition for that word is `inhabitants of the open country’.

The devil gives a false liberty, a false freedom. In essence, it is a spirit of waywardness. There are no boundaries here. The devil’s freedom tells us that we can do anything we like - as long as we please ourselves.

Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; (1 Thessalonians 4:1)

In the scripture, we are urged and exhorted to please God. We ought to be so focused and committed to serving God like a disciplined soldier or athlete. If the ordinary soldier or athlete knows how to discipline himself, how much more so for God’s spiritual soldier to discipline himself for God’s kingdom.

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. (2 Timothy 2:3-6)

Serving God requires discipline. It involves some hardship. Not only do we need discipline in our serving, we also need to discipline our lives, because we are God’s vessels.

But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:27)

The devil would like to engulf us with a wayward spirit which is a spirit of the world. Whenever we allow a wayward spirit to lead us; we will be a person who takes flings in the things/issues of the spirit of the world. We will flirt with the spirit of the world …having an attitude of doing only what we like …a false liberty …a false freedom.

We will be unfit to serve Jesus, who is The King of Kings and The Lord of Lords. Serving God is not a child’s play. But that is exactly what the devil wants us to believe. He likes us to just dabble here and there. He likes us to have fun only, and give no real commitment to excel in our serving. He wants us to believe that it is unnecessary to find our calling and gifting. He wants us to serve with a part-time or lax attitude.

Not realizing the hope of our calling in our life, nor strengthening ourselves by putting our anchor in eternity; we will fall prey to the enemy.

Most assurely, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. (John 12:24-26)

Do you see now, why the truth of our blessed eternal hope must be strong within? The hope of God can be so alive in us, to the state of continually anticipating the redemption of our body i.e. the rapture! We will even be on the verge jumping-up spiritually!

And there will be the signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:25-28)

At that time, unbelievers will be in distress, perplexity and fear. But you have a blessed hope!


HOPE DESPITE FRIENDSHIP

HIVITES

Both Smith’s Bible Dictionary and Strong’s Bible Dictionary defined Hivites as `villagers’. It speaks of a close-knit community. One other definition says that the Hebrew word means `those whom one dwells amongst’.

Friendship is a very good thing. But the bond of friendship has the potential to be the devil’s bondage. Especially if it draws us away from God, and takes most of our time from serving God’s plan and purpose.

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. (1 Corinthians 6:12)

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. (1 Corinthians 10:23)

I have personally seen how ties of friendship marginalized a person’s service to God. He/she couldn’t move away from his/her friends. He/she was drawn to that camaraderie/clique …they would be out shopping, chit chatting, hanging-out, golfing, tours & traveling and etc. He/she couldn’t say `no’. His/her heart was there with his/her friends. I have observed Christians entering into romantic relationships with unbelievers.

Worldly friendship can be a tool used by the enemy to hamper us. We must be ready to lose our friends if they hinder us from wholeheartedly serving God.

We are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill, which cannot be hidden. We have to be out there mingling with unbelievers to save souls. Still, we each have to ask ourselves: am I being there to be a soul winner or just to enjoy their company? Am I winning them? Or are they winning me?

You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? (James 4:3-5)


HOPE DESPITE FIX

JEBUSITES

The Jebusites were the original inhabitants of Jerusalem. They were the descendants of Jebus. From Smith’s Bible Dictionary, we read that `Jebus’ means `threshing-floor’. From Strong’s Bible Dictionary, what is gathered from its root meaning, the word means `trodden’ i.e. threshing-floor, to trample.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2; italics mine)

Life in this world is like being in a grind. The devil likes to fix us in. The devil’s strategy is to steer our focus towards our problems i.e. unpaid bills, chronic ailments, disobedient children, irritating encounters, hitches here and there.

How nice for the devil if we are so fixed to our earthly problems until we forget serving God’s eternal purpose. The devil sends us problem after problem, crisis after crisis …just to get our attention!

Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own death, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:59-62)

For a farmer to plow a straight line, he had to keep his view straight ahead, without turning left or right. Otherwise, it would be a winding line. So, dear saints, don’t lose your focus! Fix your eyes on your eternal rewards and honors!

“... Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” (Mark 4:18-20)

God wants us to be fruitful in the saving of souls, and in the using of our gifting.

If we are looking for earthly rewards, then we would not be as effective, compared to those who are willing to forsake everything to be optimal for God’s service.

This is not an extreme view, if you have a view of an everlasting eternity!