Hope is Big

Our spirit is growing younger as our bodies tend to grow older. May I suggest that the reason our spirit is growing younger is because the flame grows brighter. Scripture tells us that the spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord (see Proverbs 20:27). As we grow stronger in spirit the candle grows brighter. With growing strength in the inner man it is not strange that we feel younger. There is vitality and vigor of spirit that is fresh. It is like living water flowing out of our belly. Our spirit is ageless.

Holy Spirit inhabits our spirit at conversion. Holy Spirit continues to commune with our spirit in absolute perfect fellowship. As a result of this, our spirit connects with our soul (emotions, will, intellect…) and our flesh. This enables us to live a spiritual life instead of a carnal one. If our soul (emotions, will, intellect…) and fleshly desires are allowed to control us, we live a life that is not controlled by the Spirit. Scripture encourages us to walk in the Spirit. That is how we avoid fulfilling the desires of the flesh.

What does it look like to be led by the Spirit? Allow me to offer some examples. We will be people of great faith and trust. We will have extravagant love. We will have an abundance of hope. Love, hope and faith must abide in us (see I Corinthians 13:13). As we become strong in spirit, we will capture the pleasures of God that He has purposed for us. We will dream in color. We will have a flow of creativity that will mystify the world. We will not be controlled by circumstances. Our emotions will not imprison us. Our minds will be the home of brilliant intelligence. Wisdom will reign.
　
Real hope can only arise out of our spirit. Our soul is incapable of birthing real hope. For a short time our emotions may hope, but eventually it is deferred by circumstances and our heart becomes sick (see Proverbs 13:12). Therefore, we must become strong in spirit so that our spirits can continually birth new hope. Becoming strong in spirit is a process. Jesus and John the Baptist both went through the process. Scripture records how both became strong in spirit and they increased in wisdom (see Luke 1:80, 2:40). It was a process instead of an instant gift. Jesus chose to live as a man to model for us all the things we could do and what we can become as a man through His grace. Therefore, it was foundational for Him to grow strong in spirit. Jesus never lost hope. Even on the cross He could vision the glory that was set before Him. The glory of having sons and daughters like you and me that would likewise live like Him. There would be those in which persecution could not destroy their hope. There would be those who would become strong in spirit in their generations. Their culture would be changed because of their inner strength. Nothing could come against them to destroy such hope.

There are several ways to nurture the spirit of a man. Scripture as a whole provides the means for a strong inner man. One such menu contains two basic foods. They are milk and meat. The milk can be likened to those things that encourage and comfort us. The meat can be likened to those things that bring us to repentance and change. Sometimes we gravitate to the milk because we like comfort more than change. However, to become strong in spirit we will need both milk and meat. We will always need some milk. Encouragement and comfort are helpful for almost every season of our life. When we are presented with meat we can receive it or ignore it. If we choose to ignore or be offended by a strong word, it is our own loss. Every time we receive strong truth we have the grand opportunity to experience greater depths of freedom. Let’s run to the meat table. Enjoy a glass of milk and slowly digest the choicest of meats.

While in Argentina a few years ago we were invited to one of the finest restaurants in Buenos Aires. Our leaders had reserved the entire facility for a meal. This was our first meal in the country as we began a week of conference and work in the city. Argentina is known for it’s quality beef and it was no surprise that beef was the main course. I have to admit that there has never been anything to compare to the flavor of that beef. As the week progressed we were taught great truths about revival and spiritual warfare. Much of the teaching was new truth for me. I received it just like the beef. It was good and has stayed with me over the years. It was a part of the process of growing in spirit.

Wendy’s had a slogan in the mid 80’s called, “Where’s the beef?”. The lady is given a big hamburger bun with a small beef patty on it. She angrily exclaims, “Where’s the beef?” The phrase was continually repeated in films, television shows, and magazines. It eventually made it’s way to a song of the same title. It became a household phrase. May I suggest that this phrase could be asked of the American Church. We have focused on comfort and have refused much of the proceeding word of God that would lead us to repentance and change. We have the big hamburger buns. We have big buildings, facilities and programs. They have become enormous. Someone has said that the wealth contained in our church buildings alone would wipe out the hunger problem of the world. That is a sobering thought. There is very little meat in the American Church. At the present time we look as ridiculous as the big bun with a little patty on it. The world has a right to laugh at us.

Becoming strong in spirit also depends strongly on our relationship with the Lord. Our intimacy with Him makes us stronger in spirit. Rituals of prayer must give way to continual communion with Him. Quality must be set above quantity. It is not about how much time we spend in prayer as it is about what happens in that time. Then, as we grow, we will not be so concerned about going to prayer as we will desire continual communication with Him. We learn to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17). George McDonald writes in The Curates Awakening, “Then we will hardly think of praying because God dwells in every thought.” That was a radical saying for the late 1800’s. I wonder if it is a strange saying for us now…. over a hundred years later. Are we able to receive strong meat? Are we getting it?

Fellowship also strengthens the spirit of a man. It is well pleasing to the Lord for us to join in fellowship with others. The writer of Hebrews tells us there are three sacrifices that really please the Lord. Praise and good works bring Him pleasure. The third on the list may surprise us. It is fellowship (see Hebrews 13:15, 16). It is in fellowship that we learn what is a strength to others. We often learn where the battle is. A good testimony will inspire us to trust for the same victory or breakthrough. Good fellowship will make the spirit stronger. This will not always happen in meaningless gatherings of habit, but it will surely happen when the Presence of the Lord is in the midst of people that are seeking Him with pure hearts. Iron will sharpen iron. Wisdom will arise. Hope will become wild and reckless. The kingdom of God will advance.
　
The Church has majored on faith and love. It has seemed bored with the subject of hope. However, hope is big. It is especially big as we watch our world seemingly spin around in uncertainty. It is big when the media magnifies hopelessness. When a society is addicted to the negative more than the positive, we need hope to survive. To counteract this atmosphere of hopelessness we must be people of hope. We need to speak and proclaim hope. When we feel hopeless we need to be quiet.

May this generation arise in hope. May it be such a powerful hope that even those that are weak among us are still powerful. Let us build such an atmosphere of hope that all things become possible. I believe that the young and old of this generation must merge as a generation of one vision. The old must, without relent become so strong in spirit, that hope and wisdom are their greatest offerings. Meanwhile, the youth, with their vitality will join with the fathers and mothers, to advance the kingdom of God greater than any generation that has ever lived. With this combination we will balance each others' weaknesses and strengths. Then it shall be said of us that there was not a feeble one amongst us. This is the manifestation of outrageous hope... ageless hope….