A Living Hope

By Dr. W. Ray Strebeck EdD

In this writing, A Living Hope, the author presents a term: insidious persecution. This term is meant to bring pause to the reader regarding the society in which we presently find ourselves and how it can, and so often does, steer us from the path that God has provided for our most beneficial existence in this life on earth.

His purpose is to wake the reader to the knowledge of Satan's intervention in our lives to draw us away from the life that is offered in Christ by many miniscule moves away from the true path. This information is presented with both secular and scriptural references in descriptive manners.

The author also provides references that show the reader how much the Lord--through His Son, Jesus--is open to our return to His love, mercy, and grace into His care and His fold. The true living hope, who is Christ Jesus.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 24, 2022
• ISBN: 9798886163254

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A Living Hope

Dr. W. Ray Strebeck, EdD

ISBN 979-8-88616-324-7 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88616-325-4 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Dr. W. Ray Strebeck, EdD.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Insidious Persecution

A Road Map: The Starting Point

The Road Map: Our Route and Why

The Security of the Route

Our Heavenly Inheritance

A Personal Testimony

About the Author

(Dr. Walter Ray Strebeck, EdD)

Endnotes

Preface

This work belongs to the genre of inspirational literature and treats specific religious and theological themes. In particular, matters about life after death as presented in the Bible and how believers are to perceive and embrace such matters are addressed. It is predicated on the premise that the Bible is the Word of God, divinely inspired, inerrant, and a source of revealed instructions and truths about matters of spiritual significance to all mankind, but particularly to professed believers in Jesus Christ.

Though there are diverse interpretations for some of the cited passages, the eventual conclusions drawn are supported by numerous theologians and Bible scholars—not only by some who are quite modern and prominent but also by many others going all the way back to the original apostles of Jesus.

If the reader accepts these understandings, then what follows will bring a sense of comfort and peace to those who are already professing, practicing Christians. Non-Christians may at first be skeptical, but by reading this work, they may be led to eventually accept Jesus as Savior and Lord—a consequence that will help them also find real meaning and comfort from truths herein presented. It is the prayer of the author that this might be so.

Acknowledgments

I am especially indebted to my wife, Jean, who is a former teacher of English to gifted students, for reviewing, correcting, and helping me edit this manuscript. I am also most appreciative of its review and some improvement suggestions by Dr. Argile Smith (former professor of homiletics, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; more recently vice president for advancement, William Carey University; and now pastor, Parkway Baptist Church, Biloxi, Mississippi). My daughter, Sylvia Strebeck Hughes (medical technologist and master studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and New Orleans Theological Seminary), has also assisted in the editing process.

Chapter 1

Insidious Persecution

Not long ago, I heard my pastor, Dr. Ron McLain, express an interesting concept regarding modern Christianity. It was this: in third world countries and in countries where Christians are being persecuted quite openly, Christianity is growing, sometimes quite literally by leaps and bounds. In America, however, the so-called Christian nation of the world (which may no longer be a correct descriptor), Christianity appears to be on the wane, with only sporadic spots of apparent growth but more generally experiencing diminishing congregations of worshippers as well as a more-frequent complete demise of once-active churches.

As I listened to this assessment, I felt a sense of disappointment, even a sense of personal shame, over the fact that the faith I profess—on which I depend to get me through each day and that I earnestly believe is the best explanation for my existence and my life's roles—could be losing its impact, even in the land where my faith began and still continues to this very day.

What might be the cause for such apostasy—if, in fact, it can be called such? In the words of Jimmy Carter, this condition may be Christian malaise, though I think it is deeper than that. What can Christians (whose faith goes deeper than the mere label) do to change this condition, given that we accept the challenge and charge of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19–20)? I believe we have to go back to the Bible, the inspired word of God, to find our best answer, even though we sometimes view this particular kind of response as almost hopeless, much like how we think of prayer as the response of last resort for someone with a terminal illness.

I know that Rick Warren—drawing his style, in part, from secular corporate leadership programs—has made great inroads into modern religious thought with his purpose-driven plans for Christians, for churches, and for special needs. It is not my intent to undermine these well-developed ideas, many of which are scripturally based and apparently work reasonably well for some congregations. And for congregations that do not completely endorse everything with the label of purpose-driven, it is still quite true that Warren's ideas, especially those derived directly from scripture, have force and meaning that often bear productive fruit in kingdom affairs.

I seriously doubt, however, that any corporate-style program, however well buttressed with scripture, can significantly turn around this