Perfect Hope

When God went about creating man, he placed into his heart a message of hope. This core message of hope has kept many people alive is desperate environments and situations. Moses’ hope kept him going through 40 years of tending sheep. David’s hope kept him alive as he ran and hid from his angry king. Even though David had not witnessed God’s redemptive work through Christ, his hope in what was yet to come would not allow his bones to waste away in the ground. Peter and Judas both abandoned Christ, one through denial and the other by betrayal. Peter’s hope, however, rested upon the Lord’s love and redemption while Judas hope in himself led to his death.

We can live without many things and survive. We can even survive without the basics of food, water and shelter for an extended period but we cannot live without hope. Satan is aptly described as someone who steal, kills and destroys. One of his primary targets is to destroy and kill our hope. He doesn’t do this with blatant, loud and obvious techniques. He does this through subtle encouragements for us to misdirect our hope. The prime example is to place hope in yourself and your own abilities. The world we live in admires and esteems individuals who are independent and self-reliant. At some point, however, your abilities will decline and fail you. The 70’s were filled with emotionally dependent depressing songs. One such song was “I can’t live if living is without you.” When we place our entire being or hope in someone else, no matter how great they are, eventually this too will disappoint us. When our hope is disappointed through placing faith in yourself and others then Satan is there to tempt you with the fantasy world. In the delusional fantasy world I can create a world where all my needs are met and no disappointment occurs.

People have asked me how I came up with the name Perfect Hope for the ministry. (Actually, a friend of mine came up with it.) You see every venue and person of this world will eventually disappoint us but there is one source of hope that never disappoints and His name is Jesus. When you place your hope in yourself, others and worldly pleasures most often you are left with burdens of guilt and shame. Jesus came and bore the cost and burden of this guilt and shame so you could experience His love and freedom. If you are ready for real hope that will not disappoint then His arms are open and His Grace is sufficient. There is perfect hope and His name is Jesus.

Jonathan Jones, President of Perfect Hope Ministries