Hope
Hope—world’s definition—to cherish a desire with expectation of fulfillment; Example—I hope you stay well.
“When tragedy strikes, as it will; when suffering comes, as it will; when you’re wrestling with pain, as you will; and when you make the choice to run into his arms, here’s what you’re going to discover; peace to deal with the present, courage to deal with our future, and the incredible hope of eternal life with God in heaven.” Strobel, Lee; Mark Mittleberg, The Case for Christ Daily Moment of Truth. Zondervan, 2016.
Hello Friend,
Mike restored radios for many, many years, but the Psalmist tells us that only God can restore a soul. David, the author of Psalm 23 tells us that God takes care of us and protects us in so many ways.
When we had no hope…
Years ago, before starting Retro Radio Restoration in 2002, we went through a major time of great uncertainty. I was full of anxiety and fear. During this turbulent time in our family, God provided us with the means to come out of the trouble far better than we’d thought possible. This was because friends took the time to share God’s love specifically for us, and how he cared so much for us that he actually wanted us to give our troubles to him precisely because he cared for us.
...we turned to Jesus, not church
Although we attended church for years, we never realized just how much Jesus cared for each of us and our family, and the power He gave to us to overcome tribulations. Romans 5:3-5 tells us, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” (NLT)
and overcame our wrong thinking by prayer, reading the Bible, increasing our faith,
Perhaps you are thinking as we once did, “What are you—crazy? I can’t rejoice because these problems are blinding me from seeing anything else!” Yet, that’s the point. The point is learning to rely on and trust in God.
Jesus came to earth to conquer sin—that elephant in the room, sin, is in our very DNA and as such extends to imperfect institutions created by or involving humans from churches to governments. People want to have a world without evil or injustice, but it will only happen when Jesus returns with the saints to rule and reign. God the creator is perfect and loves us--beings created in his own image. Because of our sin, however, we cannot come into His presence, but Jesus, fully God and fully man, came to earth to atone for each and every one of our sins by His blood shed on the cross. When we invite Jesus and the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we change inside so that we become more like Him. Our spirit is reborn, enabling us to worship him in spirit and in truth. Jesus’s death on the cross was far from the end, however. It is by His undeniable, historically verified resurrection that we also receive the hope of glory, enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit which promises us to have a resurrection like His. Furthermore, as a part of the hope we have, there will be a new heaven and earth without sin or sorrow.
and regularly attending a Bible-based church with a pastor and congregation who love Jesus and the Word.
Friend, don’t wait another day. Invite Jesus and the Holy Spirit into your heart. Repent of anything that comes between you and Him, and receive His salvation and power (Ephesians 6:10 “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”) over things the world and the enemy throws at us. He loves each and every one of us, no matter what we’ve done. Salvation from Jesus is a free gift of God, the best bargain you will ever find! Know that this is not religion—far from it. Religion is all about ritual. Once you invite Him into your heart, develop a personal relationship with Him. Find out more about Jesus by reading the Bible. At one time, Mike and I rarely read the Bible. Now we make it a daily practice to read a devotional, read the Bible, discuss what was read, and most importantly, pray together. Far from being a book of hatred and old, antiquated myths, the Bible is a book of light and life, indeed the best book I have ever read, and as a former teacher of reading, I have read many books! Pray to Him, for he does hear us when we pray. He is the creator God—all things were created by him. Faith in Him casts out fear and love is made perfect in Him. If with all your heart you truly seek Him, you shall very surely find Him, or is it the other way around, i.e. he finds you in the most meaningful facet of your life.
Finally, be blessed in your journey, and contact us if you have any questions. Know this, we once walked a different path of arrogance, being wise in our own eyes, which is a recipe for disaster that could have cost us a great deal. Sadly, it is the path endorsed by the world. We will not return to that path. We have witnessed the victory He alone put in our lives many, many times. He knew what we needed far more than we did, and we owe Him a great deal.
Don’t waste another minute without hope. Invite Jesus in your heart today! Call us and let us know if you make that choice or if you need prayer.
With the love of Jesus,
Mike and Christine Frenchek