Pastoral letter/ March 2011

Rom. 15:13 - "may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace...that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit"

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Every week someone around me makes a comment about hope. We view hope in different perspectives and have sometimes a different expectation what the definition of hope really means and yet it is still something we all are searching, finding and losing in our life.

Some time ago my son told me that he hopes to be a Taekwondo black belt. Well he is on his way to accomplish this goal and just last week he became a brown belt which is bringing him closer to his dream. He has made great progress and accomplishments on his way towards black belt, but the very first thing he needed to do before he started is to believe that he can accomplish this goal. Faith is the important sister of hope and without faith there is no hope.

Scripture says that: Gal. 5:5 - "we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness". Our faith in Jesus is the foundation stone of our hope. If there is no faith in Jesus, hope could not be found. After all you can only hope in something you believe in.

Another thing my son has accomplished is to go through training and learn different techniques, which are required to be promoted to a higher belt, alongside knowledge and good school grades.  Now this is just like our life of faith, which produces hope in life. We not only have to believe in it but also “walk” in it, since believing requires walking. Too many Christians I see every day are searching for hope without faith in Jesus. They often use the words “when” and/or “if”. “If I won the lottery” or “when I will have this or this…” then I will do this for God. It is good that faith is not an oriental market place for the exchange of wishes, but a clear offer of our God to a relationship through His Son Jesus Christ. Let’s try to keep it this way.

Praying for your strong hope in Jesus,

Captain Premek Kramerius