Hope Against Hope

Do you sometimes find yourself hoping that your life would suddenly change for the better?

Do you sometimes imagine that some person will come into your life, or you’ll be in exactly the right place at the right time for a great opportunity, and suddenly, the tenor and quality of your life will dramatically improve? If you do, you’re not the only one.

Most people have moments of hoping for a person of influence or a singular event that will change their life. Sometimes this even manifests itself in comical ways: I read somewhere once that a poll was taken from Americans regarding how they were planning for retirement, and almost 21% of them counted winning the lottery as part of their strategy! That is what we call “hoping against hope” – to hope very strongly that something will happen, although you know it’s not likely.

Although sometimes we’re given a reason for real hope.

During the time of Jesus’ ministry, there was a widespread hope that a person, a Messiah, would arrive on the scene and change the lives of the Jewish people for the better. In Matthew, chapter 11, we read an account of John the Baptist who asked Jesus a question regarding this widely held hope of the people. John asked Jesus, “Are you the one we’ve been expecting- or should be wait for someone else?”

In other words, John said, “Are you that person, is this the moment, that will change everything forever- or am I just hoping against hope?”

Jesus’ response to John is powerful:

“The blind receive sight, the handicapped walk, the sick receive healing, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news brought to them.”

YES, John, I AM that person and this is the moment where everything changes.

I am here and it happening right now!

In just a couple days, Easter Sunday will be upon us.

Easter is that time of year where we are reminded that we can align our lives to the person and the event that really did change everything for the better: God raised Jesus from the dead. In that moment, everything changed.

Suddenly, it wasn’t “hoping against hope” to receive God’s healing in the broken areas of our lives, or forgiveness from sin, or power to live this life well, or to receive assurance of life beyond the grave. The resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us a solid basis for our hope.

If you’ve been waiting for a moment that will redefine your life, instill in you a hope for the future and a secure way of living- look no further and wait no longer.

Your moment is here.

Easter! Resurrection Sunday!

This is the right place and the right time for you.

Jesus Christ is that right person.

If you’d like to hear more about how Jesus’ resurrection changes everything, I’d be honored to tell more about that. Please message me on Facebook at Elliott Powell Ministries and let’s start the dialogue!

It’s time to stop hoping against hope and place hope in Jesus.

Happy Easter!

Written by Elliott Powell

About Matt Smith

The Reverend Elliott Powell is the founder and lead minister for EPM (Elliott Powell Ministries) whose mission is to introduce people to the person of Jesus Christ through distinct artistic and evangelistic presentations. He is an ordained Presbyterian minister who has served churches in California, Pennsylvania, and Northern Virginia. He is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Klay Pittman (5th Degree, Lubbock, TX). Being an itinerant person, Elliott trained extensively under Roger and Higan Machado (Pasadena, CA), Rich Latta (Renzo Gracie, Hatfield, PA), Paul Bush (Yamasaki Academy, Leesburg, VA) and Tony Passos (Passos BJJ, Sterling, VA). Elliott is happily married with two children. To learn more about Elliott's ministry, please visit www.epmusicministries.com.