Hope Radio Blog
Posts from our library, Ask the Pastor, Holding on to Reason, and our newest addition: Pondering Hope.
Today we’re giving thanks for YOU! We’re so grateful to be able to shine a light in the WyoBraska region, and we couldn’t do it without God’s continued providence and your prayers and support. From all of us at KCMI, have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!
“Enter [the Lord’s] gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:4-5 NIV
This is a very broad question. What I mean by that is it can have specific answers when it comes to different situations in each person’s life. Since I can’t answer this question for every specific situation, I am going to answer it in a broader sense. In other words, I am going to answer this question by explaining why God even made it possible for bad things to happen in the world, which then allows bad things to happen to each of us.
First I want you to imagine something for me. Imagine you have a robot puppy and this robot puppy tells you all the time that it loves you and it always does what you want it to do. Then imagine you also have a regular puppy and sometimes this puppy doesn’t listen to you and does things to get in trouble like chewing up your shoes but this puppy also loves you, he shows you this by wagging his tail and coming to say hello whenever he sees you. Now think about this, how does your heart feel when the robot puppy tells you he loves you? How does your heart feel when the regular puppy tells you he loves you? Which one feels better?
Well even though a robot puppy would be pretty cool to have, it would definitely make my heart feel happier when a real puppy tells me he loves me. This is because in order for love to be real and to mean anything, we have to have the ability to choose not to love. A robot cannot choose whether or not it loves you, it only does what it is programed, or forced, to do, so that is not real love. The real puppy, however, can decide it doesn’t love you, so when it decides that it does love you, that is really special.
God had the same decision when he created the earth. He could have created a paradise where everyone does exactly what he wants them to do. And then there wouldn’t be any evil, or pain, or suffering, or bad things in the world. But if He did that He wouldn’t be able to have a real relationship with people. God decided to create humans because he wanted to have a relationship with us, to interact with us, to love us, and to hopefully have us love him and love each other
All over the Bible we can see how much value God puts on love. For example, Mark 12:28-31 says this:
Mark 12:28-31 (ESV) And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
So, we know for sure, god’s ultimate goal for you and me is that we love God and love one another. In order for this to be possible, we had to be created with the ability to love. In order to make it possible for us to love; He had to give us the ability and option to not love.
When people choose to not love God and to not love each other they often choose to do things God doesn’t want them to do, which we call sin, and sin hurts people. Sins affect the world around us and cause bad things to happen. For example if someone steals money from a store, then the people who own the store can no longer use the money to buy things they need, which means it is a bad thing that has happened to them.
Genesis 2:4- 3:24 tells the story of the first people God created, Adam and Eve, and the moment that they first chose to sin. That sin destroyed the paradise God had created and caused pain to enter the world. In fact, it was because of that sin that, for the first time ever, an animal had to die in order to make clothes for Adam and Eve. It was the first time death had entered our world and the first time people had felt embarrassment and pain.
Bad things happen because we, as people, cause them to happen. Yes, God could force us to stop doing bad things but then He would also be taking away our ability to choose to do good things, and that would make it impossible for us to ever truly love.
The good news is, even when we do bad things, God still loves us and He refuses to give up on us. God knew when he created Adam and Eve that they would mess up and choose not to show Him love. Yet, He also knew that He could fix the problem if He was willing to die on the cross to pay for our sins. So, despite knowing He would have to suffer and die for us, He still chose to create us. Jesus came down to earth and died on the cross to pay for our sins and fix our relationship with God. This means, even though we mess up we can still have a relationship with God.
Now, you can choose to either pay for your sins yourself, which would mean you don’t get to go to Heaven, or you can choose to accept the payment Jesus made for you. If you choose to accept Jesus’ payment, even though bad stuff may happen on this earth, once you get to Heaven, you will no longer have to deal with any bad things.
Revelations 21:4 (KJV) And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
We can also know that God promises that when we accept Jesus’ payment for our sins as our own nothing can take us away from Him.
Romans 8:35-39 (NLT) Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Life may be painful, but without pain we wouldn’t be able to have good things like love. It is never easy to deal with bad things happening, but when they do, God is here for you, don’t be afraid to turn to Him to ask for help to give you the strength you need to make it through the bad things. He loves you, and He wants to hear from you.
This series of blog posts titled, “Holding on to Reason”, is named after Amanda’s favorite C.S. Lewis quote: “Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.”
“I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In the darkest night
You are close like no other
I've known You as a Father
I've known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God”
“Hallelujah, there will be healing
From this heartbreak we've been feeling
We'll sing in the darkest night
'cause we know that the light will come
And there will be healing, hallelujah”
“Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is life
Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom
Like a river running wild
Like a never-ending fight
Where the spirit of the Lord is”
“Your forgiveness
Is like sweet, sweet honey
On my lips
Like the sound of a symphony
To my ears
Like Holy water on my skin”
“And now I can't seem to remember what I wanted
'Cause nothing seems to matter
Except being with You now
I can't seem to remember what I wanted
'Cause nothing seems to matter
Except how much I matter to You”
In Winterflight, Joseph Bayly imagines an America not too many years in the future. An America that seems perfect on the surface, but whose ethical underpinnings have totally collapsed. An America where abortion is the rule for imperfect fetuses and euthanasia is mandatory at age 75. Jon and Grace Stanton’s allegiance to God is about to be put to the ultimate test in this future society. As they struggle to protect two members of their family from the law of the land, they must rely on each other and their faith as they never have before.
Full of hard-won wisdom and truth, The Road to Grace by Richard Paul Evans is a compelling and inspiring novel about hope, healing, grace, and the meaning of life. Reeling from the sudden loss of his wife, his home, and his business, once-successful advertising executive Alan Christoffersen has left everything he knew behind and set off on an extraordinary cross-country journey. He is walking from Seattle to Key West, carrying only a backpack to the farthest destination on his map. Now almost halfway through his trek, Alan sets out to walk the nearly 1,000 miles between South Dakota and St. Louis, but it’s the people he meets along the way who give the journey its true meaning: a mysterious woman who follows Alan’s walk for close to a hundred miles, the ghost hunter searching graveyards for his wife, and the elderly Polish man who gives Alan a ride and shares a story that Alan will never forget.
In Dark Pursuit by Brandilyn Collins, novelist Darell Brooke is struggling to pick up the pieces after an auto accident derailed his career. Two years later, reclusive and bitter, he only wants one thing - to plot a new novel and regain his reputation. Kaitlan Sering, his twenty two year old granddaughter, is rebuilding her life after struggling with addiction; but in Kaitlan’s town two women have been murdered, and she is about to discover a third. Even worse, she realizes the culprit is her boyfriend, who is also the police chief’s son. Desperate, Kaitlan flees to her estranged grandfather and begs for his help. Surely he’ll devise a plan to trap the murderer… but can Darell’s muddled mind do it?
Wise-cracking Gil Beckman has kept his sense of humor. It’s a good thing too, considering his humbling career move from homicide detective to security guard in a California theme park. Nothing exciting happens on the graveyard shift, at least that’s what he used to think - until a chance discovery in the back of a ride changes his life forever. A heinous crime has been committed, and Gil wants to know why. With few clues and no apparent motive, he sets off on his own fast-paced investigation. So what if the police have already arrested someone? So what if his superiors want him to back off? Gil knows he’s on the right trail. And he won’t stop until he uncovers the guilty party in Suspended Animation by W.E. Davis.
Reporter Christine McKay is captivated and disturbed by the headline “Teenager Murdered in Arizona Desert” in the mystery Sedona Storm by Barbara Scott and Carrie Younce. The death appears to be linked to cult rituals, and similar reports have recently appeared in England and Peru. An authority on the occult and Satanism, Christine’s search for the truth leads her to Sedona, Arizona, a picturesque artist colony and center of New Age activity. With the help of John Delarosa, an artist and former New Ager, she follows a trail of clues that implicate influential members of the community. But Christine, a skeptic and an agnostic, is not prepared for the terrifying evil that surrounds her investigation. As she gets closer to the truth, she places herself in peril, both physically and spiritually. Can Christine uncover the evil forces behind the ritual murders before darkness destroys her very soul?
Every morning Dr. Spencer Reston, dream research scientist on the space station Gotham, woke up exhausted. His head felt like an overripe cantaloupe ready to burst, and he had the nagging feeling something terrible was about to happen. Only later, with all of civilization hanging in the balance, does Spencer find out that he has become a vital link in a cosmic coup masterminded by a mysterious creature known as the Dream Thief. This is science fiction on an epic scale, yet grounded in a Christian worldview. Dream Thief by Stephen R. Lawhead has it all: fast-paced adventure, exotic off-world settings, wonderful character development, cliff-hanging suspense, an epic plot, and an authentic Christian sensibility.
Disgusted with big-city hospital politics, Dr. Lukas Bower has decided to practice emergency medicine in a small town. But in Hannah Alexander’s novel Sacred Trust, Lukas’ ER director vows to send him packing when his no-nonsense style clashes with the local establishment. For Lukas, medicine is more than a vacation - it’s a sacred trust. Everyone who enters his medical world, whether a cardiac patient or a suicidal widower or an obese man struggling for a sense of dignity, deserves the best he has to offer. But no case will ignite his emotions like that of ten year old Tedi, whose father’s alcoholism has put her at tremendous risk. Will Lukas be able to help these struggling patients and keep his job at the same time?
In Fallen Angel by Roger Elwood, a fallen angel named Observer is commissioned by his master to write a chronicle of world events justifying Satan’s single-minded dedication to the destruction of God’s creation. With book and pen in hand, Observer criss-crosses time and space to gain a Satan-side perspective of famous events, places and personalities: The Flood. Auschwitz. The Kennedy Assassination. Muhammed. Michelangelo. Gorbachev. The Middle East. But the more he sees and records, the more appalled Observer becomes with Satan’s unmitigated ruthlessness. He begins to doubt. To question. To wonder if his choice to follow Satan was the right one… and if he can still turn back.
A pair of books by Gregory J. Smith, Captive Planet and Operation Master Planet follows an unlikely hero, Lam Laeo, as he joins rebels from the planet Tsu in their revolt against the oppressive rule of the Dominion. Reluctantly pushed into leadership, Lam is also brought into a dramatic person-to-person confrontation with the Source and Power who truly rules over the galaxies. It’s sci-fi, action, intrigue and romance laced together with powerful truth.
Thank you for joining us in watching this video series from Genesis Apologetics about seven myths you often hear about the Bible, Genesis, and Noah’s flood. If you would like to watch or share the full length compilation of all of the installments in this series, check out the video below!
“By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.”
To answer questions like this it is best to first gather up all the verses which talk about the subject of God sleeping. For example, let’s start with Psalm 121:3-7.
Psalm 121:3-7 (NIV)
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
Those verses clearly claim that God doesn’t sleep. So now we have a bit of a problem because if Genesis 2:2 says that God does sleep, then the Bible would appear to be contradicting itself.
Contradicting, simply means to say one thing is true but then say that the opposite of that thing is also true and when someone contradicts themselves it makes people think that they are either wrong or lying.
Well, two things we know about God are that He knows everything, so that means He can’t be wrong, but also we know He does not lie. So, when we come across two parts of the Bible that seem to contradict themselves we have to think about the possibility that maybe we are misunderstanding something.
One important thing to remember is that words can have multiple meanings. For example: the word “cool” can mean to make something cold, but it can also mean that something is fashionably attractive or impressive.
Now the verses in Psalms are pretty straightforward, verse 4 says, “God will neither slumber nor sleep. So, we probably did not misunderstand those verses. So let’s look at Genesis 2:2 again.
Genesis 2:2 (NIV) By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”
Okay, so it says God rested, now here’s where it gets interesting. Some of you may not know that the Bible wasn’t originally written in English, it was written in Hebrew and Greek. Genesis, specifically, was written in Hebrew. Sometimes the specifics of the meaning of some words can get a little lost in translation. If you are unsure if you understand what a word is meaning, you can look at the original language to make the meaning more clear.
Now if you are like me, you probably do not speak Hebrew, but we live in a very blessed time because there are lots of people who work very hard to make sure the Bible can be understood by everyone in every language and some of them came up with a book called a concordance.
A concordance is an alphabetical list of the words (especially the important ones) present in a text, usually with citations of the passages concerned.
In the concordance we can look at the original Hebrew word that was used for the word “rest” in Genesis 2:2.
I looked this up in Strong’s Concordance and found this:
The Hebrew word we are looking for is a verb. It is spelled shabath and pronounced (shaw-bath'). It means to stop doing what you were doing. In other words Genesis 2:2 is simply saying: God was done creating the world and everything in it, so He stopped creating it. When this verse says God rested it means He stopped the work of creation.
It does not say that God slept.
Now when we take all of this information into consideration; I would have to say that the answer to the question of whether or not Genesis 2:2 is saying that God needs to sleep, is, no. I have not found anything in the Bible that says God needs to sleep.
Now, what does this mean for us today?
It means that we can know that God will never be sleeping when we need Him. You can come to Him at any time of day or night and He is ready and willing to listen.
We can also learn from this that if you ever come across a part of the Bible which you don’t understand, don’t just ignore it. There are tools out there, like the Concordance, which can help you better understand the Bible. And if you need help learning how to use those tools, don’t be afraid to ask someone like your parents or pastor for help.
This series of blog posts titled, “Holding on to Reason”, is named after Amanda’s favorite C.S. Lewis quote: “Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.”
“You are still God
You are still God
When my world shakes
I won’t be afraid
’Cause You are still God”
“Praise the One Who walks beside me through
Mountain high and valley low
My hope is found in this forever Truth
Jesus loves me this I know
Jesus loves me this I know”
“I am on the edge of my seat
And I can feel the wonder rushing over me
You are opening my eyes
You're opening my eyes, Lord
To brand new possibilities”
Come see what’s new at Cross Reference Library in the KCMI studio building (209 East 15th Street in Scottsbluff)! We’re open Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm.
Your ministry is perfectly designed to produce the results you are currently experiencing. If you are satisfied with those results, you don’t need this book. If not, it’s time for a change. Like your own personal trainer, 7 Practices of Effective Ministry by Andy Stanley, Reggie Joiner & Lane Jones is an insightful guide for any leader who yearns for a simpler, more effective approach to ministry. In this book, you’ll find seven strategic principles that, when put into play, will bring focus and clarity to everything you do and turn your ministry into a winning team.
When Mark D. McDonough, MD was a teen, a catastrophic fire claimed the lives of his mother and younger brother; it also left Mark with burns on over 65% of his body. During a long and painful recovery, his faltering faith in God was strengthened by a remarkable near-death experience. Numerous reconstructive surgeries and postoperative rehabilitation motivated him to become a physical therapist, and then a reconstructive surgeon. If you or a loved one has suffered from personal trauma, disease, or loss that has tested your faith and exhausted your emotional resources, you’ll find real hope in this redemptive story, Forged Through Fire.
It's not easy being a teen today. There’s constant pressure to stay connected but fewer guardrails for navigating life. From the internet and social media to interactions with friends, teens are encouraged to pursue what feels good over what is good. But there’s reason for hope: God chose you to be the greatest influencer in the life of your teen. In Raising Successful Teens, Jeffrey Dean gives you the biblical truth and practical advice you need to help your teen thrive today and set a solid foundation for the future.
Hard conversations challenge everyone. Maybe you’re the person who makes every effort to avoid them. Or maybe you dive in enthusiastically, not noticing that your eagerness can damage relationships. Is there a more effective path? A biblical model for navigating touchy talks with the potential for conflict? In The Art of Hard Conversations, Lori Roeleveld’s experience and wisdom will help you have meaningful conversations that rely on the wisdom of the Bible rather than the prevailing culture. Through her motivation, inspiration, and practical, readily applied skills, you’ll learn to have those tricky talks more effectively. Funny and vulnerable personal stories, sound biblical teaching, and sections of tips and assignments guarantee that the principles here will increase your confidence and competence in discussing sensitive topics of every kind. Discover how your next conversation could impact someone’s life forever - or change your own.
We have a lot to worry about - children, jobs, homes, health, finances, and more. The solution isn’t to rid ourselves of the sources of the anxiety, as if we could. Instead we need to recognize that anxiety originates from a spiritual influence and that we can fight back using the God-given weapons of power, love and a sound mind. Sharing her own story of emerging from the battle with anxiety as well as the stories of others, Dr. Michelle Bengtson uses Breaking Anxiety’s Grip to remind you of your identity as a follower of Christ and of the peace He promises you in spite of everything. She provides tools to cope with the crushing emotional burden of anxiety and, more importantly, shows you how to reclaim God’s peace so you can break anxiety’s grip.
In Finding The Bright Side, Fox News personality Shannon Bream engages in a conversation about authenticity, humility, and trusting in God. She shares behind the scenes stories from Washington, D.C., revelations from her time reporting on the Supreme Court, and lessons learned from the most challenging moments of her life - from the time she was fired from her first job and told, “You’re the worst person I’ve ever seen on TV,” to the time she was told “There is no cure.” But through all of this, faith (and a little bit of stubbornness!) has helped Shannon keep hope, find purpose in the pain, and find laughter along the way.
Think Before You Look by Daniel Henderson provides a useful and timeless approach to avoiding the temptations of pornography before it is too late. The content springs from the author’s experiences working with thousands of men and counseling many about the painful issues revolving around the porn industry. Each brief chapter explains the practical rationale and biblical basis for steering clear of pornography’s clutches. The chapters are succinct and sometimes humorous, though meaty enough to offer solid biblical equipping for the battle. Its approach leads to a fast-paced read that avoids academic and clinical terminology, yet is designed to further your personal study or a group Bible study. This book promises to help those drowning and warn others who are considering the shadowy water.
Sarah Laughed breathes life into the legends of the Biblical matriarchs, as Vanessa L. Ochs, PH.D. fills in the gaps in their stories and makes their trials, tribulations, and triumphs relevant for women today. Intimate, familiar, and wise, the heroines you’ll find here are revealed to be uplifting role models, from Eve’s rebellious taste of wisdom to the righteous anger of Job’s wife. By embracing the gifts of these ancient women, you’ll discover exhilarating ways to embrace your own personal gifts and gain fresh insight on your life.
Bestselling author Stormie Omartian addresses the deeper issues of marriage, such as communication breakdown, misplaced priorities, infidelity, and the challenge of children in Only Prayer Can Change Your Marriage. It’s hard to change yourself, and you can’t change your spouse. But by His power working through our prayers, God can change you both. When you invite the Lord to rule in your marriage, He will transform both of your lives in ways you never thought possible. Whether you are a husband or a wife, if you want your marriage to be strong and protected, this book is for you. Your marriage can last a lifetime - seek God in prayer, pray specifically as He leads you, and watch a miracle take place in your heart, your spouse, and your relationship.
“Lord, I want to be whole”. These words are the hearty-cry of many Christians who, in spite of their relationship with the Lord, find themselves dealing with overwhelming anger, guilt, depression, and perhaps the nagging feeling that something inside them is just not right. In Lord, I Want To Be Whole, Stormie Omartian shares the principles she learned during her struggle for real and lasting peace. She outlines seven solidly biblical steps to wholeness, based on the power of prayer and Scripture to change your life. Stormie doesn’t give you a formula for a quick fix, though. Instead, she offers a positive approach that is both spiritual and practical. Her advice and encouragement will help you find and keep wholeness in all areas of your life.
Genesis Apologetics has created a series of videos discussing and debunking seven myths you often hear about the Bible, Genesis, and Noah’s flood. Watch the next part of this series below, and come back to the Hope Radio blog next week for the final installment in this series about the truth of God’s Word!
“Take me from where I've been
Into something new
I'm giving up control
I need a breakthrough
All of my dreams and fears
Are crashing into You
You're waking up my hope
You are my breakthrough
Come breakthrough”
“You take me as I am
You came into my life
You make me whole again
Like I was part of the plan
And you take me as I am
Just as I am”
“Praise the Father, praise the Son
Praise the Spirit, three in one
God of glory, Majesty
Praise forever to the King of Kings”
“Almost home
Brother it won't be long
Soon all your burdens will be gone
With all your strength
Sister run wild run free
Hold up your head
Keep pressing on
We are almost home”
“I’m dreaming of paradise
I’m ready for the after life
Tell me is this over yet
Cause I know what happens next”
