Jesus is our Mega-hope

During my internship, Robert perscribed that I should spend some time focusing on our hope in the resurrection to combat some things that were coming up in my heart. Well let me tell you, it's everywhere in the Bible! I had never noticed it before, but God really wanted to make sure we knew about how much hope we have in Him. God is a "man" of His word, He never lies, and He is always kind. Jesus didn't come to earth, pay our penalty of death, just so we can "get through" or "survive" or be a little bit happier. He came to give us a hope that will withstand every pressure of life, and all the rage of the devil who has come to steal kill and destroy all life in us. So what is that life? It's our hope in Jesus. Our hope is not in just holding on long enough till we die. Our hope is that Jesus is real, and He is really coming back for us. Getting to heaven isn't our hope, our hope is that we get to spend eternity with Jesus. That will be heavenly.

Well I've finally been able to get all the verses typed up. I've found 84 so far, and I suspect there are a whole lot more. They're in no particular order, just the order I found them in. These are mostly from the New Testament, but several are from the Old Testament as well. I found that in nearly every New Testament letter, our hope is a main point the author makes, and I suspect that as I gain greater understanding of the hope that Jesus has brought into, I'll see it played out even in the other letters I didn't see at first.

Writing out each verse took over 8 pages in a word document, so I'll spare you that, but I'll list out the address of all the verses I've found so far. If there's one that you particularly like, and you don't see it on the list, post it in a comment on the bottom! I trust that this will be as encouraging to you as it has been to me. I'll leave you with one that could maybe be considered the banner over this whole project;

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

1. Acts 24:15

2. Daniel 12:2-3

3. Isaiah 26:19

4. Proverbs 24:14

5. 1 Corinthians 15:20-28

6. 1 Corinthians 15:29-58

7. Isaiah 33:24

8. 2 Corinthians 5:6-10

9. Isaiah 35:10

10. Isaiah 51:6

11. Isaiah 54:10

12. Isaiah 55:3

13. Isaiah 63:7

14. 1 Corinthians 15:12-58

15. Hebrews 6:1-2

16. Titus 1:1-3

17. 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

18. 1 John 3:2-3

19. 2 John 1:2-3

20. Colossians 3:2-4

21. 2 Timothy 1:1

22. Titus 1:2

23. 2 Timothy 1:12

24. 1 Peter 1:13

25. Ephesians 1:13-14

26. Colossians 1:13-14

27. 1 Timothy 1:16

28. Colossians 1:18-20

29. Jude 1 :20-21

30. 1 Peter 1:21

31. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

32. Philippians 1:21-23

33. Colossians 1:22-23

34. Colossians 1:27

35. 1 John 2:7

36. Hebrews 2:14-15

37. Hebrews 2:14-15

38. 2 Thessalonians 2:16

39. 1 John 2:24-25

40. Hebrews 3:6

41. 2 Peter 3:13

42. Philippians 3:20-21

43. 2 Timothy 4:8

44. 1 Timothy 4:10

45. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

46. 2 Corinthians 4:14

47. 2 Timothy 4:18

48. Matthew 5:4

49. 1 Peter 5:10

50. Hebrews 6:17-20

51. John 6: 22-71

52. John 6:39-40

53. Hebrews 7:18-19

54. Romans 8:11

55. Romans 8:23-25

56. John 8:51

57. Isaiah 9:7

58. Hebrews 9:15

59. 1 Corinthians 9:25

60. Hebrews 9:27-28

61. Hebrews 10:23

62. Hebrews 11:1

63. Hebrews 11:39-40

64. Proverbs 14:32

65. Romans 15:13

66. Acts 17:31

67. Revelation 21:4

68. Psalm 23:6

69. Proverbs 23:17-18

70. 1 Peter 1:3-5

71. Colossians 1:4-5

72. Ephesians 2:4-7

73. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7

74. Isaiah 56:6-7,

75. Galatians 6:7-8,

76. 1 Timothy 4:7-8

77. Isaiah 25:8-9

78. 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10

79. 2 Timothy 1:8-10

80. Hebrews 5:9-10

81. Psalm 16:9-11,

82. Philippians 3:9-11,

83. 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

84. Titus 2:11-14

Be blessed!

pb

playing with my camera

It's been an exciting afternoon. I've been trying to get an interview at the Nordstrom here in Kansas City since I worked then for several months just before moving last summer. I think this job has the best potential to make me the most amount of money in the least amount of time throughout my week, so I can keep pouring my time and energy into school at IHOPU. I've already got the training, I know the company, and i know the money's good. Today I finally got a call from the nice lady who's been helping me out in Human resources to schedule and interview for this Friday. YAY!

I also applied today for a position as a graphic designer within the marketing department of the International House of Prayer. It's a missionary position, 24 hours a week in the prayer room, and 24 hours a week doing graphic work, with a missionary stipend. I have no idea what that means numerically but a job I could work around school, and get paid to love Jesus and spread information about Him in an aesthetically pleasing manner could be awesome on multiple levels. So with a quick polish up of my resume, and a few newer uploads to my website, www.patrickbenbow.com and my resume was off!

Please pray for the Lord's leading in my, and others' decisions. From the very begining of the job search this time around, I was telling God "I only want your best. I don't want to settle." Please be praying that I follow His leading, and that I don't get frustrated and try to "solve" this thing by myself. That turned out horribly for king Saul. (yipe!) He always has the best plans.

While I was looking around my computer for my most recent work, I found these: these are some photos I took while I was back home before school started. I was playing around with my camera settings to take photos at night and I think these turned out better then I could have hoped.

This is a path by a lake near my parent's house.


This is NOT my house, but it looked so beautiful with the Christmas tree lighting up the whole place and the soft reflection on the water.


This is on the campus of Virginia commonwealth University, where I went to school. The building on the left is the dinning hall, and the Church on the right is the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. I never went there for a service, but I've admired the building and the Man it represents for years while living in that city.

pb