The Voice of Hope

The Return of Messiah : Part 1 Joel 2:28-32             Hope is a little word, but it has powerful effects. We sometimes say, “As long as there’s life, there’s hope.” We often use it in the context of physical injuries or serious illness. But I’ve also heard the statement reversed, “As long as there’s hope, there’s life.” Think about that.             In 2020, the world was ravaged by the Covid-19...

A Promise of Restoration: Part 2 Missed Part 1? Listen here! Joel 2:18-27 Another Outcome (that results from God’s promise of restoration) is, The Assurance of Protection             In verse 20 God says, “But I will remove far from you the northern army [literally, northerner] and will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, with his face toward the eastern sea and his back toward the wes...

A Promise of Restoration : Part 1 Joel 2:18-27             Not far from where I live is an old house. I first saw this house more than 40 years ago. It wasn’t in very good shape. The roof was sagging, some windows were broken, and in some places, the stucco was coming off the walls. The yard and grounds weren’t well kept either.             An elderly man lived in that house and his appearance was...

Missed Part 1? Listen here! A Plea For Repentance : Part 2 Joel 2:12-17 The Next STEP (in responding to God’s plea for genuine repentance) is,             Gather the People             These next two verses are very similar to chapter one, verse 14. “Sound the shofar in Zion! Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather all the people.” This was the work of the priests; they were to lead by exa...

A Plea for Repentance : Part 1 Joel 2:12-17             When I was a teenager, my friend and I ran a trapline together. My friend asked permission for us to set traps on the property of one of his relatives. Things were fine until one day when I was checking traps, I noticed a set we hadn’t made. Because all traps needed to contain a tag with the owner’s name and address, checking the trap reveale...

The Day of the Lord Joel 2:1-11             By the grace of God, I have never lived in a part of the world wracked by war. But because I enjoy studying and learning about history, I have read many books and watched many movies about World War II. During that war, both the Axis and Allied powers used saturation bombing as a technique to demoralize the enemy and to destroy manufacturing centers and...

A Call to Lament Joel 1:13-20             “Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; And the living will take it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by a sad countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.”             Those words from...

A Divine Warning Joel 1:1-12             Life is full of dangers. When there are dangers, we usually appreciate being forewarned about them. Some dangers are so obvious, there’s no need for a warning. I don’t need a warning sign at the edge of the cliff. I know enough to stay well back from the edge. I don’t need the warning on my step ladder that reads “Don’t stand on the top step.”             B...

Introduction to the Book of Joel             (Song) A Shelter in the Time of Storm             I don’t know about you, but I am truly grateful for the truth of that song. With all of the turbulence in our world today, what a comfort to have God as our Rock and our Refuge!             Welcome to The Voice of Hope. This program is produced and sponsored on this station by Heralds of Hope. Our missio...

Missed Part 1? Listen here! An Approved Worker II Timothy 2:15-19 During the 1970s, Keith Hernandez was one of baseball’s top players with a lifetime batting average of .300. He won numerous Gold Glove awards for his excellent fielding. He won a batting championship for the highest average, the MVP award in his league, and two World Series titles. Yet with all his accomplishments, he missed out on...

Find Part 2 here! An Approved Worker II Timothy 2:15-19 During the 1970s, Keith Hernandez was one of baseball’s top players with a lifetime batting average of .300. He won numerous Gold Glove awards for his excellent fielding. He won a batting championship for the highest average, the MVP award in his league, and two World Series titles. Yet with all his accomplishments, he missed out on something...

Gospel Theology: Why is Correct Theology Important for Salvation?” II Timothy 3:10 – 4:5             A number of years ago, a strange situation developed on a farm in New Zealand. Without warning, a farmer’s cows began to get sick and die. The illness was a mystery. The farmer had never experienced anything like it before, so he called in the health inspectors. They tested the farm’s water supply...

Gospel Theology: Why is Correct Theology Important for Salvation?” II Timothy 3:10 – 4:5             A number of years ago, a strange situation developed on a farm in New Zealand. Without warning, a farmer’s cows began to get sick and die. The illness was a mystery. The farmer had never experienced anything like it before, so he called in the health inspectors. They tested the farm’s water supply...

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit John 16:7-15 At Heralds of Hope, Inc, we get lots of mail from people around the world. Some who write have questions about the Bible, and about living the Christian life. Some of the most frequent questions we receive are questions about the role and function of the Holy Spirit. Because this subject is so large, there’s no way we can do justice to it in one brief m...

Why do you do business? What is the goal? Tony Hollinger encourages us to serve and improve our communities for God’s glory. This was recorded live at our Strategic Partner Breakfast in Dayton, Virginia, on March 7, 2023. 2023 Breakfast Episodes

The Coming Kingdom Luke 19:11-28             There’s an old Yiddish tale that relates how “Once upon a time, Truth went about the streets as naked as the day he was born. As a result, no one would let him into their homes. Whenever people caught sight of him, they turned away and fled. One day when Truth was sadly wandering about, he came upon Parable. Parable was dressed in splendid clothes of be...

Why do you work? Nathaniel Gingrich encourages us in our service to God and others. This was recorded live at our Strategic Partner Breakfast in Chambersburg, PA, on February 23, 2023. 2023 Breakfast Episodes

Magnificent Motherhood Luke 1:46-56             One of the finest words in any language is the word, mother. Even if your relationship with your mother was less than the best you have an obvious attachment to her because she gave you life. If someone says something unkind about your mother, you will rise to her defense.              Some in our culture promote the idea that motherhood is at best,...

How committed are you? Lyndon Risser challenges us to be an example of generosity and an influence on this generation, to store up eternal treasures. This was recorded live at our Strategic Partner Breakfast in East Earl, PA, on February 21, 2023.

Are You in the Faith? II Corinthians 13:1-14             May I ask you a question? Are you in good health? How do you know? What standard do you use to make that determination? Good health is a tremendous blessing. When you have it, it can easily be taken for granted. In many ways, it is a gift from God, but our lifestyle choices also have a significant impact on our health. When I was a boy, my p...

What is your purpose in life? Dale Savage presents insight on finding God’s purpose in our chosen profession. This was recorded live at our Strategic Partner Breakfast in Myerstown, PA, on February 16, 2023.

The Conundrum of Love II Corinthians 12:11-21             When you hear or see the word love, what thought, what picture comes to your mind? Cute puppies or kittens, rainbows and butterflies, flowers and chocolate, candlelight, and soft music? Or is it something else?                  When you think about love how does it make you feel? Does it make you happy, sad, contented, frustrated, confident...

Delighting in Your Disability II Corinthians 12:1-10             Tharon Drake lost his memory in 2007 at 14 years of age. Every day when he woke up, he was a 2-year-old again. According to Wikipedia, his amnesia was brought on by a reaction to routine childhood vaccinations. Every morning, his father accompanied him to school, and by the time he reached swimming practice later in the day, he was a...

A Fool for God’s Glory II Corinthians 11:16-33 You may have heard this quote: “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.” No one is quite sure of the origin of this statement, but it makes a sharp point, and it agrees with many of Solomon’s observations in the Book of Proverbs. No one likes to be considered a fool, much less have someone call you that...

The Reality of the Resurrection Matthew 28:1-10 When God worked out His plan to bring us hope and peace, at the right time, He sent His Son, Jesus, into the world. Jesus lived a holy life as a man and then died on the cross shedding His blood for our salvation. In that way, God can now forgive our sins because God said without the shedding of blood there is no remission or no forgiveness of sin. S...