What is this Blessed Hope and How Should We Live in Light of It?

The answer to these two questions are central to our mission, and it should have a profound influence on all of our daily choices. It is the message that Terri has brought to various places where she has been invited to speak. In her talks, she helps others to better understand the hope that God holds out to them as well as what they can do to deepen that hope and prepare for its realization.

Our blessed hope encompasses the total fulfillment of God’s plan, including:

• The full manifestation of the glory of Jesus, seen as the one in whom the “whole fulness of deity dwells bodily” (Col. 2:9).
• We will see Jesus “face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12); on that Day “the pure in heart … shall see God” (Matt. 5:8);
• The Church, the Bride of Christ, will be filled with the glory of God (Rev. 21:10).
• The total realization of the Church’s prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”;
• The full visible reign of the King, when true justice and peace shall flourish and those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness …shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6);
• Complete victory over sin, Satan and death.
• The fullness of salvation in the resurrection of the dead, “to put on our heavenly dwelling” (2 Cor. 5:2), no more pain, illness, sickness or death.
• The renewal and restoration of all things (Matt. 19:28; Acts 3:21) in the “new heavens and a new earth” (2 Peter 3:13) when the whole creation will be delivered “from its bondage to decay” and to “obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:21).

What happens when we don’t prepare for its realization? We can become like the foolish virgins who did not bring enough oil for their lamps:

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take extra oil with them; but the prudent ones took oil in flasks with their lamps. Now while the groom was delaying, they all became drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there finally was a shout: ‘Behold, the groom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish virgins said to the prudent ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ However, the prudent ones answered, ‘No, there most certainly would not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the groom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Yet later, the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ Be on the alert then because you do not know the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:1-13)

The Age of the Church is meant to bring as many as possible to the wedding feast of the Lamb. The Holy Spirit has been poured into our hearts as the very Love of God, to kindle our own hearts and set them ablaze so that we would always be ready for Our Lord. He wants to pour out upon us his wisdom about how to live so that the grace of God can overflow in us with the fruits of the Spirit. When our desire is for the Lord, and we live in anticipation for his coming and the full realization of his promises, our hearts burn brightly with the fire of his love! 

But our human tendency is to focus on the here and now, to live for what the world tells us will give us peace, pleasure, security, happiness. Like the foolish virgins, we can put little thought or effort into “filling our lamps with oil” in preparation for what is to come. Had someone spoken to them about being prepared, about the joy of celebrating with the bridegroom, and the loss of being left outside, separated from him because they had not prepared, some of the foolish virgins might well have been ready.

If you would like Terri to speak to your parish, group, or organization about stirring our hope and living in anticipation of the return of the Bridegroom, please contact us for more details.