by Charlie Rogers

I can remember being told when I was first came to God that hope was a bad word, that I didn’t need hope, I needed faith. I later found that my way out of something and entering into something else better starts with hope, but it must continue on through other steps to enter into the faith necessary to change things. The Holy Spirit has a role in that hope. We need to look at that process and the steps the Word outlines to take us there.

Rom 5:3, And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. NKJV

In verses 3-5 it says, "and not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance, character, and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts, by the Holy Spirit, who was given to us." The Holy Spirit has a role in that hope.

Remember; be careful how you build on this foundation. There has been a lot of wrong teaching in the body of Christ because scripture has been pulled out of context. I wait a long time sometimes when He gives me something, before I'll ever preach it. I'll meditate on it, and meditate on it, and meditate on it, and pray over it, and pray over it, and ask the Holy Spirit over and over to get it clear in my mind. I want to make sure there's not some piece that I'm leaving out, that He's trying to get across. I've had some passages that it would be a year later when I finally got the revelation on what He is talking about in the Word of God. But... it was worth the wait. It was worth the wait, because then I had the truth, and I didn't have to accept straw in the place of oats.

Let me tell you something. You shouldn't have to accept straw. I've heard some preachers say, "Well, you just need to eat the oats and spit out the straw.” I'm not called to preach straw. The body of Christ doesn't need me to give out straw. I'm called to give out good food. Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me?" Peter said, "You know I do Lord." "Then tend to my sheep. Then feed my sheep." I'm called to feed the sheep. I'm called to feed the flock. Even though sometimes you may not like the food that is shoveled out there before you, but at least it is good food and nourishment to your spiritual body. Sometimes we don't like the feed, but what you ought to refuse is the straw.

So if you take that word “glory”, and begin to look it up, and break it down into the Greek, and meditate on it, what it actually means is to worship. To worship in tribulations. Its what you do in the tribulations that changes things , that produces, not the tribulations itself.This is where meditation comes in, reading verses over, and over, keeping the verses in context with one another. Yielding to the Holy Spirit. Meditating on the Word of God. Meditation will give you something that you can use on your own life and begin to change your life and effect a change on those around you.

Do you know that you're supposed to reproduce? You're not a one man show. You're not a one woman show. You're supposed to reproduce. You're supposed to be producing others. Whatever your call is, you're supposed to be reproducing that call in the body of Christ. Maybe you're a nursery worker; you're supposed to be reproducing anointed nursery workers for the kingdom. Just like I am as an evangelist, a preacher, and teacher (whatever you want to call me). It doesn't matter what your calling is. You're stilled called to do the same things in the Word of God that I'm called to do in the Word of God. You're called. Nobody's an exception. Now you might say, "I don't feel called to the pulpit." That's not the issue. The issue is the Word of God. The principles in the Word of God that will change your life.

So Paul said, "To glory in tribulations", keeping that in mind that he says to worship in tribulations. He says, “knowing that tribulation produces perseverance." That as you walk through these tribulations, you can't stand and worship God not even one day without producing some perseverance. Perseverance means to go after something no matter what may try to stop you. As you stand in these tribulations, instead of these tribulations overtaking you, you maintain dominion over them, producing perseverance in your life.

“And perseverance, character.” Now we're talking about character. We're talking about growing up. We're talking about leaving behind childish things. We're talking about leaving behind this attitude that the Pastor is paid and called to hold my hand all my life. And it's a sad day when you feel like you can trust old sinners, not even born again, better than you can trust Christians. I've seen some that I could trust more than Christians. This is very sad. He said to be a witness unto the world. They are the world, but yet they're being the witness.

Paul said perseverance produces character. You don't have to ask for more tribulation to have character. You don't have to ask for more tribulation to have the perseverance that produces more character. What you’re doing is submitting your soul to worship in combination with the Word of God while you're going through the tribulation, this perseverance is produced in your life, and through that perseverance then you begin to develop the character of God. Rock solid character, that’s the kind of character I am talking about! Where your word is good. You're known by your word. When you make a commitment to the church, or to someone else, they know that it is going to be carried out, because your character has been developed. We're talking about character, not flakiness. Where you're not some person out there that acts like they are out there in the "spirit" all the time, and they are not producing any fruit on their tree. We're talking about character. That you're not lazy. That you've set your hand to what God has called you to do, and where He's called you to work.

Let me tell you something. God didn't call you to get up every morning and say, "I hate going to this job." He didn't call you to a job that you get up every morning and say, “I dread going, and this is never going to end." What you need to do is begin to change the image that's before you. Begin to ask God to change the image, change the direction, and provide something. He didn't put something in your heart for it not to be acted upon. Maybe you're someone that works in an assembly line, but yet you have this desire to work with plants. God put that desire in your heart.

See, we've got this idea about God that if you're not called behind the pulpit to preach, then you must not be called. That's false. Be careful how you build upon this foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, there are many callings in the body of Christ, and in the five fold there are certain callings, Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Teacher, Pastor, Helps and Administrations, Governments.

You might have a calling that all through your life you wanted to deal with plants, raising plants, having a nursery. Through you're life you're a witness unto the world. Well God put that in your heart, but yet you're going to that old assembly line job every day, "Oh God called me and this is my cross to bear." No, I don't think so. What you need to do is begin to change the image and get that image before you of what He called you to do. Own and operate your own nursery. Begin to get that image of the biggest nursery in the world out before you. And even though it may not come, except step by step, at least you've started by getting that image out before you instead of, "Well, I've got to get up and go to work this morning. I sure hate this job."

Now, don't take on any condemnation. There's lot's of people in that position, but are you going to stay that way? Or are you going to begin that trip to change your character? Begin to remove the character flaws, begin to put that image out before you. What has He placed in your heart? You know, I've got one in a church up in Kansas; God has put in their heart to raise and show horses. Through that, they are making money for the gospel. They are financing the gospel. They have helped finance more than one of the trips to Peru. Well they've got horses and donkeys you know, and God can always use a donkey. Ha! Ha! Another partner is a farmer and has used his farm to finance the gospel. What is it that He's placed in your heart?

What is it that you're getting up every morning dreading? Is it so bad that you've got to go to church to get that oppression off your life because you sinned that morning by getting up and complaining, murmuring, and grumbling about the job that you hate to go to? Do you know that when you murmur, complain, and grumble, it doesn't even have to be about the Pastor, you still have sinned? When you've sinned you’ve opened up that door, then that's where that oppression comes in, then you have to come to church on Wednesdays, and make sure that you get there, even if you have to crawl there in order to get that oppression off of you. Then make it till Sunday morning to get the oppression off of you again. So then you end up in that cycle, coming to church to get that oppression off of you, not making any advancement in the kingdom of God. Maybe you need to take a look at the image.

“Do you still like me?"

People spend fifty to sixty years working the same old job that they hate. End up retiring and a year later, dying. If they know God, they go to heaven. They probably went home early and didn't even get to complete their course. Maybe never ever being in the will of God. Murmured and complained for fifty years, if they made it that long. Just because they didn't begin to make the changes necessary in their life.

All I'm saying is let's begin to look at what you're doing. Begin to make the change. It starts with the image that's before you. If you have in this heart of yours to become a building contractor, to build houses, and you're over in Tulsa working in a steel mill instead, you need to get before God and repent, and begin to change that image. Because that desire didn't get into your heart by accident.

I have in my heart to preach to the entire world. I have in my heart to teach things like this to the body of Christ, so they can stop where they’re at and begin to make changes. That's what consumes my life day and night.