I truly believe that we are in a season of prodigals coming home.  Individuals who have been living in selfish indulgence will be returning to the love of our Father; whether they have been sitting on pews or on a bar stool.  Therefore, I praise God for His redeeming love that is going out to so many of our friends and family members.

In this, there are a few items that must be taken care of within the existing body of the church.  I was sent to Isaiah 58 a couple weeks ago to be reminded that in our churches there are issues that need addressed.  There are some who have been distracted in ministry.  They seek honor and personal glory within ministry in the church.  They love Jesus; they love the Father, but have been distracted from knowing who the Holy Spirit is.  They have become more concerned about obedience to their perceived laws of God, which are the ways of man.  Following Christ has become a series of things you do or do not do; things you say or do not say.  It has become a religion and not a way of life.  They have lost the humility of the love of God and desire others to do what they do.

In Luke 15 we see a small portion of discussion about the son that stayed on the farm.  I see this story as someone who sought obedience to perceived laws for what would be gained personally.  This “obedient” son lost his compassion for his brother because of this distraction.  The one important part of this story that we must understand is that it is a story where Jesus has placed God the Father as the father of both sons.  We must also understand that the “obedient” son who stayed home was working in order to receive an inheritance.  He was seeking to inherit the estate when his father died.  Do we forget that God our Father will never die?  This obedient son was distracted by a personal gain that would never come because the inheritance was already received.  The father said, “My child, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours” (Luke 15:31, NASB).  The inheritance is being with the Father; this is the fullness of life.  The inheritance was already given, but distraction prohibited the son from recognizing what was already placed before him to obtain.

The inheritance of the Kingdom of God has already been given as Jesus stated in Luke 17:21.  This is what Jesus promised in John 14.  We as the church need to understand this as there are some in our churches who are preaching legalism, seeking a later inheritance for personal gain.  Receive the inheritance now in being one with the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, in the humility of love.  May our churches have a spirit of repentance flow through them so we can truly love each other as Jesus instructed us in John 15. 

I ask you to pray the prayer I pray often, “God search my heart to see if I am being obedient to the ways of man or to Your ways; whether I am seeking approval of man or of You.  If I am seeking even a small portion of Your glory, God, please convict me so that I may repent.”  Then wait patiently for His answer and act upon what you hear.  If these within our churches do not repent, then my only prayer is that these returning prodigals meet the Father before they run into the other son.

This I speak for His glory alone.    

I again have to ask you, how is your hope?  Do you have hope?  Is your hope increasing?  There is so much to say about hope.  Colossians 1:27 states, “to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (NASB).  The hope of glory, Christ in you, is what God wants to make known to all.  This is then our hope, to let out of us what has taken place within us, which is His glory.  The greatest miracle of all is the receiving of His forgiveness, His love, His fullness, life everlasting.

In stating this, it is not difficult for us to lose hope.  It is easy to be distracted and lose hope.  It was the distraction of Martha noted in Luke 10:40 that caused her to not have hope of her brother receiving life again in John 11:21-27, and expressed clearly in verse 39.  Martha had faith; she believed, but had no hope.  We can let ministries distract us like it distracted Martha.  When one is focused on Jesus alone and His glory, we have an increase in hope; this is where the greater ministry is accomplished for the glory of the One alone.  We then have a Mary; a true worshiper who worships in spirit and in truth.  Learn from the early church.  It required men of righteousness in order to minister by waiting on tables (Acts 6:3).  These were men of hope and we must have this same hope as we serve, starting on our knees.

Delayed answer to prayer can also cause us to fall into hopelessness, or hope deferred.  An example can be Abraham, the man of faith, who was promised a son and many descendants in Genesis 15.  Though Abraham believed and had faith (Gen. 15:6), he and Sarah lacked hope that it would be accomplished.  The result was that Abraham and Sarah acted in the flesh to accomplish the fulfillment of a promise by the giving of Hagar to Abraham, and an Ishmael was conceived (Gen. 16).  There was no glory in this result for God.  In fact, the act of flesh resulted in an opposition to the promise.  In order for God to receive all the glory in fulfilling the promise, He had to wait until the time that it was beyond possible for the flesh to achieve the promise.    

It is also safe to say that fear may have stolen our hope.  We have faith in Jesus Christ that He can do anything (John 14:14), but we lack the hope that He will act on our behalf.  We believe in faith that He heals, but our lack of hope prohibits the supernatural from taking effect.  We struggle even asking for His touch because we worry that the desired answer will not come and thus hurt our faith.  So in fear we choose not to seek His touch, as one with no hope. 

God is in the miracle making business for one purpose alone, and that is for Him to receive all the glory.  So if you are running low on hope right now, first fall to your knees.  Ask Him to search you, and listen.  If you have been distracted, then repent and receive hope.  If you have been seeking to fulfill a promise of God by your own means, then repent and receive hope of God fulfilling His promise.  If fear has consumed your hope, then choose to give your fear to God and let His peace come upon you to increase your hope.  You are His beloved, through whom He wishes to glorify Himself!  Let this renewed hope combine with your faith to be released for His glory alone.   

I desire to live a Faith-Full life in hope, for His glory alone.