Metropolitan Missionaries

March 2008
 

Dear Family and Friends,
 

Hope springs eternal . . . in politics, anyway.  During his acceptance speech at the ’92 Democrat National Convention, Bill Clinton said he “still believe[d] in a place called Hope” (his Arkansas birthplace).  More recently, Barack Obama has written about, and continues to speak about, “the audacity of hope.”  Here’s how a 20-year-old woman in Seattle reacted to Obama’s messianic-like aura of optimism:  “When he was talking about hope, it actually made me cry.  Like it really made sense, like, for the first, like, whoa . . .”  Like, huh?
 

According to Wikipedia, hope is “a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one’s life.  [It] implies a certain amount of despair, wanting, wishing, suffering, or perseverance – i.e., believing that a better or positive outcome is possible even when there is some evidence to the contrary.”  This is the hope of the world, the sort of wishful thinking that inspires Orphan Annie to sing of a brighter day, a better future, in the hope that “the sun’ll come out tomorrow.”  And yet for most people, such hope is nothing more than an elusive dream.  In Greek mythology, hope was personified as Elpis (the Greek word for hope, not to be confused with Elvis).  When Pandora opened her legendary box, she released the evils of greed, vanity, slander, envy, and pining into the world, slamming the lid shut before Elpis could escape.  Thus, evil was allowed to roam unrestrained among mankind, while the one potentially mitigating force, Hope, remained securely locked away inside Pandora’s Box.
 Hope is an integral part of man’s emotional, psychological, and spiritual fabric.   Towns with names such as Hope, New Hope, Good Hope, Spring Hope, and Pleasant Hope dot our country’s landscape.  Organizations like The Hope Institute, Project HOPE, and HOPE Worldwide offer a variety of social services to people in need.  There’s even a “Hope Channel” on cable and satellite TV.  People desperately want hope, need hope, and, in many cases, die without hope.  So who is Elpis, and where is he when you need him?
 

Those who have entered into a relationship with God “live by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).  As Christians, we’re to live our lives according to what we believe to be true as revealed by God in His Word, both written (Scripture) and living (Jesus Christ).  There’s a direct link between faith and hope, as the writer of Hebrews defines faith as “the assurance of things hoped for . . .” (11:1).  This tells us two things about faith:  (1) It assumes the existence of hope as something real and not merely possible; and (2) It is the “assurance” or the guarantee that the object of one’s hope will most certainly be realized.  In other words, we who live by faith (and only we) have an Elpis that is real and that cannot and will not disappoint, unlike the one in Pandora’s Box; in fact, we can claim the object of our hope as if it were already ours, as we “see” it with “eyes of faith,” even though we won’t actually possess it until we go to be with the Lord.  That in which we hope and for which we hope is as real as the God in Whom we trust, and it is ours now just as surely as it will be then.
 

This hope is what sustained the Apostle Paul throughout his ministry.  On three separate occasions, once before the Jewish Sanhedrin (Acts 23:6), once before the Roman governor Felix (Acts 24:15), and once before the Jewish king Agrippa (Acts 26:6-8), he boldly declared his “hope in God” for which all Israel longed, specifically, hope in “the resurrection of the dead.”  This hope of life after death is promised to all those who believe on Him Who “died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and . . . was buried, and . . . was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  By virtue of the fact that “Christ has been raised from the dead,” He serves as “the first fruits,” thereby guaranteeing a much larger resurrection harvest in the future consisting of “those who are asleep” [believers who die in Christ] and “those [living believers] who are Christ’s at His coming “(1 Cor. 15:20-23).  This is the hope of “the redemption of our body” (Rom. 8:23-25), a hope that “does not disappoint” (Rom. 5:5).
 

In addition to resurrection hope (as if that weren’t enough!), God has given us “the hope of His calling” (Eph. 1:18), resulting in our justification and, ultimately, our glorification (Rom. 8:29-30); “the hope of salvation” (1 Thess. 5:8); “the hope of eternal life” (Tit. 1:2; 3:7); and “the hope of glory . . . which is Christ in you” (Rom. 5:2; Col. 1:27).  Of all the marvelous riches of God’s grace that comprise our hope, this is our true Elpis – “Christ Jesus, who is our hope” (1 Tim. 1:1), and our “blessed hope,” which is “the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:13).  This is why, as Peter says in 1 Pet. 1:3, we have “a living hope,” because our ultimate hope resides not in the power of positive thinking nor in some mythical Pandora’s Box, but in the Person of our crucified, resurrected, ascended, and soon-coming Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  This is a Hope no “messiah” on earth, political or otherwise, can ever provide!
 

It is this Hope we proclaim each month to hundreds of boys and girls through Released Time Bible classes.  In Nowata, OK, a portion of The Jesus Film was shown during March Released Time as part of the Easter lesson on the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.  Loetta Landers, who is our RT coordinator in Nowata, noted, “The children were very attentive and responsive.  There were some very good questions, and they left knowing that Easter is about more than the bunny and egg hunts.”  Six girls from the second- and third-grade RT class expressed a desire to trust Christ as their personal Savior and are receiving follow-up visits and instruction.  Pray for their growth in their newfound faith . . . and Hope!
 

In the small southeastern Oklahoma community of Hodgen, 145 children in the first through sixth grades are enrolled in Released Time.  “We have seven faithful volunteers, and two babies!” according to coordinator Laura Krupa.  “Released Time is a huge blessing in the lives of our volunteers.  The children are beginning to know us and trust us.  They are becoming comfortable in our building.  Last week, we got to sign their yearbooks (‘Jesus loves you, and we do too!’).  We are witnessing answered prayer in their lives.  They are so excited to see God work!  One of our volunteers is a grandma who gives lots of hugs.  It’s gotten so that the children go looking for their hugs if she forgets to give them!  It seems we are learning as much, if not more, than the children.  At Christmas, one little boy who was abandoned by his parents and is being raised by his grandparents shared how thrilled he was with his Christmas gift – one five-dollar bill.  How humbling, and what an eye-opener!  It’s such a privilege to serve and minister to the Lord’s little ones.  Released Time is the highlight of our month!”
 

These are reports from just two of the 16 communities in Oklahoma and southwest Missouri in which CBM of the Great Southwest sponsors Released Time.  Loetta and some of her volunteers from Nowata will be joining us for our spring banquet at Faith Bible Church in Edmond on Friday, April 4^th and will be sharing some of God’s blessings this year.  Harold Ball will also share on the happenings in Ponca City.  In addition, our national CBM director, Jerry Traister, will provide us with an update from some of our other areas.  Rep. Sally Kern, our keynote speaker and sponsor of our Released Time legislation this year, will share with us what God’s Word says about the importance of education and what is needed today to improve it.  All this plus a delicious catered meal – on us!  We still have space available if you’d like to join us.  Call (201-6445) or e-mail (cbmgsw@juno.com) today to reserve your spot.  The serving line will open at 6:15 p.m.
 

Last week I attended CBM’s Directors Conference in Townsend, TN.  The committee to which I was assigned added some finishing touches to the Released Time Start-up Manual we’ve been working on for nearly a year.  This comprehensive manual will serve as a blueprint for planning and implementing new RT classes nationwide.  We are also nearing completion of the first three volumes of our character-based (and gospel-saturated) curriculum.  This material has been available, in “rough draft” form, to our teachers for a while, but we’re just about ready to have the final version published and made available for sale.  Pray that the remaining details will be completed quickly, and that the grant funding we’re seeking to pay the printing costs will be approved.
 

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.  On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.
My hope is in the Lord Who gave Himself for me and paid the price of all my sin on Calvary.  For me He died; for me He lives, and everlasting life and light He freely gives.  
Thank you for your faithful prayers and gifts that enable us to share this living Hope through the ministry of Released Time!
                                                                                                                                Grace and Peace,
                                                                                                                                                Scott