HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL: PARADISE LOST AND FOUND

Hope springs eternal in the human breast was written by Alexander Pope in 1733 on an Essay on Man, Epistle 1.

While there is life, there is hope that life will be better for the sick because there is God who answers prayers. Those who believe in technology and science have hopes that since they are advancing by leaps and bounds, likely cures for diseases by the hundreds or maybe thousands of cures may be found sooner or later. The poor in worldly goods is better that the spiritually poor for the Lord delivers in his affliction (Job 36:15).

Psalms 72:12 records: "For He shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper." The spiritually poor will not benefit from the Lord for he had no faith in the Lord and just complains. Hope is likened to a spark when lit can brighten the whole universe when Jesus Christ came into the world as the Son of God to rescue His people from an existence of chaos, unrighteousness, upheavals, murder, licentiousness, strife and hopelessness. Once the flame of hope is lit, the world of wickedness can be redeemed by the faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Romans 5:14, 17, 21

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

In the very beginning at the creation of the world, God created Adam and Eve and advised them they could eat any of the things in the Garden of Eden except the fruit of good and evil. On the day they ate of the fruit, they would surely die. They were disobedient and cast out of Eden. The chaotic world was a result of sin against God and Paradise was lost, hope faded. In the present day, hope can be lost through a variety of reasons, both great or small as perceived by lost souls without any hope of redemption. They are doomed by the perception in their hearts and minds of those weak and helpless.

INFLUENCING FACTORS

• Health
• When people suffer from sickness and see no hope in life, no expectancy of getting better, they lose their hope in life.
• Wealth
• In many cases in the US who live in poverty or suffer great loss of wealth through fraud or feel cheated and see no hope of getting the money back may completely lose hope.
• Loss of loved ones
• Some may feel no hope when their loved ones die suddenly through war, disasters, sickness, or murder. The one who dies may be their only child and consequently. they may grieve more than those who have more children.
• Disappointments in Love, Divorce, Loss of Life
• Some take disappointment in love or divorce very seriously so much so that they are inconsolable that they are out of their minds.
• In Ontario Fred Preston, a 70 year old man who was a former reeve of a small town in Joly Township (near Algonquin Park) shot Vu Pham, a 37 year old OPP officer to death. Preston was wounded critically and died shortly afterwards. A close family member said the wife of the suspect admitted to being unfaithful and he was trying to get her back without success. He was a first class shooter. Why would a good man shoot a police officer when confronted on a country lane? The divorce unhinged him and his mind was in a turmoil and he could not really reason.
• "Man wives get killed after separating from or divorcing their husbands. Of the 45 women killed by their partners in 2008, reports Canada's Juristat, 13 were living apart from their spouses." A long gun claimed life of OPP officer by Antonia Zerbisias (Toronto Star - Friday, March 12, 2010)
• Bad relationships in marriage
• There have been cases when fathers killed their children after they divorced from their wives. Children have been kidnapped by their parents when one party tries to move to another city, or another country. They have no hope in the system, cannot think straight and eventually lose self control.
• Loss of self-control
• Many people feel that they can control their own destinies. When they find out it was not so, they lose their self control and have no hope.

WikiAnswers

"A desert is a landscape or region that receives little precipitation. Deserts are defined as areas with an average annual precipitation of less than 250 millimetres (10 in) per year^,[1][2] or as areas where more water is lost by evaporation than falls as precipitation "

A desert is dry land without water, a wilderness where no plants thrive nor any living creature survives. Man without water cannot also survive with no or little water. A man with insufficient water is dying with thirst. No water means no hope for the human soul.

These are averages of

Babies - 75%

One year of age - drops to 65%

Adult Men - 60%

Adult Women - 55% (because they typically have more fat than men)

The Book of Revelations, Chapter 22 foretold Paradise will be restored with the distinguishing marks of the river of life [v.1]; the tree of life [v.2]; removal of the curse [v.3]; the beatific vision and the divine impress upon saints [v.4]; eternal day and saints' dominion [v.5].

Revelation 22:1

• And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb.

Revelation 22:2

• In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Revelations 22:3

• And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him.

Revelations 22:4

• And they shall see his face; and his servants shall be in their foreheads.

Revelations 22:5

• And there shall be no night there ; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign for ever and ever.

Ephesians 2:12, 13

• That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus ye who someimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

1 Timothy 1:1

• Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope.

1 Corinthians 13:13

• And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Joel 3:16

• The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

Jeremiah 17:7

• Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

It is through faith in Jesus Christ that man can regain his lost status with the Almighty Lord God, who saw the weakness of the mortal soul and in the New Testament decided to rectify the lost cause. God appointed Jesus, His manifestation on earth to redeem us from sin by sacrificing Jesus as His sacrificial Lamb.

MIRACLES

Matthew Mark Luke John

Turned water into wine John 2:1-11

Exorcism in Capernaum Mark 1:21-28, Luke 4:31-37

Caught large number of fish, converted fishermen to "fishers of men Luke 5 1-11

Jesus' name exorcises demons and performs many miracles Matt 7:22; John 2:23;

Cured a leper Matt 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16

Miraculous conversion of a Samaritan woman John 4:28-29;

Healing the Centurion's servant Matt 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10

Cured a royal official's son John 4:46-54

Healing the mother of Peter's wife Matt 8:14-17; Mark 1:29-34; Luke 4:38-41

Drove 7 demons out of Mary Magdalene Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2

Calming the storm Matt 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25

Healed the Gerasene Demoniac Matt 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39

Cured a paralytic at Capernaum Matt 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26

Cured a paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda John 5:1-18

Raised the son of a widow at Nain Luke 7:11-17

Raised Jairus' daughter by saying Talitha koumi! Matt 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56

Healed a woman with a hemorrhage who touched the fringes of his garment⁴⁸Matt 9:20-22; Mark 5:24-34; Luke 8:43-48

Healed two blind men, a mute, and every disease and ailment Matt 9:27-35

Healed a man's withered hand Matt 12:9-13; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11

Healed huge crowds Matt 12:15-21; Mark 3:7-12; Luke 6:17-19

Healed a blind and dumb demoniac Matt 12:22-32; Mark 3:20-30

Fed 5000 Matt 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14

Walked on water Matt 14:22-25; Mark 6:45-51; John 6:15-21

All those who touched the fringes of his garments were cured Matt 14:34-36; Mark 6:53-56

Exorcised a Canaanite (Syro-Phoenician) woman Matt 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30

Healed a deaf-mute by saying Ephphatha! Mark 7:31-37

Healed large numbers of crippled, blind and mute Matt 15:29-31

Fed 4000 Matt 15:32-39; Mark 8:1-10

Restored a man's sight at Bethsaida Mark 8:22-26

Exorcised a possessed boy Matt 17:14-21; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-43

Coin in the fish's mouth Matt 17:24-27

Healed a woman on Sabbath Luke 13:10-17

Raised Lazarus John 11:1-44

Healed a man with dropsy Luke 14:1-6

Healed ten lepers Luke 17:11-19

Healed large crowds in Judea Matt 19:1-2

Healed two blind men Matt 20:29-34

Healed the blind beggar Bartimaeus Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43

Healing the blind at birth John 9

Healed blind and lame at Herod's Temple Matt 21:14

Healed High Priest's servant earLuke 22:49-51

By just one man, Adam. hope was lost for forever, but God in His mercy sent His manifestation, Jesus Christ to earth to sacrifice His blood for our sins and thus redeem us from eternal death.

1 Corinthians 15:45

• And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Romans 5:17

• For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.