Chris Mathis: "Angels of Hope Are Showing Up in Your Crisis"

Angels of Hope Showing Up in Crisis

Last year, one of my best friends and his wife were going through a financial crisis in their business. All of their income stopped due to a major manufacturing issue where their product was being produced, as well as a theft on another shipping order of theirs. They had an entire line of product stolen while it was being shipped to them, which threw their entire business into a downward spiral. This all happened within a couple months of each other.

Not knowing how they would recover from this situation, the stress and uncertainty of the crisis was overwhelming. Bills were pilling up and clients who were waiting on product ate away at all of their cash flow and credit very quickly. It seemed like challenge after challenge with no hope in sight, and all they could do was surrender to the Lord in the process and trust God to the best of their ability. They went from having a million-dollar company down to nothing very quickly.

At the same time of their personal crisis, they were also working with me at our church. They had to walk in encouragement while ministering hope to others, and this eventually became impossible for them due to their circumstance. One day on the verge of a breakdown with no breakthrough in sight, an angel showed up in their home as they were praying and seeking God for answers. The angel was immediately recognized as the entire atmosphere of their home began to shift. In that moment my friend asked the Lord, "What is this?" The Lord replied, "This is My angel of hope." Instantly, they knew that the Lord was restoring hope to their circumstance. Hope flooded their hearts and faith began to grow again.

There are many in the Body of Christ who have gone through trials and situations that have seemed irreversible in this last season, but the Lord is releasing hope angels in this season to stir faith in the children of God. Hope is key in this hour as it always is directly tied to your encouragement. Where hope doesn't exist, encouragement doesn't either.

Barnabas and the Spirit of Hope

In the book of Acts, there was a man whose birth name was Joseph, but he received a new name from his peers due to his ability to encourage others. They named him Barnabas, which means "Son of encouragement." Barnabas was a prophetic leader who assisted Paul on many missions trips and was a leader at the church of Antioch. You can quickly find in his life that he was a person of hope. He had hope that gave him the ability to see in ways that others couldn't see, especially in the lives of other people.

It was Barnabas who first recognized the conversion of Saul into Paul, and stood up for him to the other church leaders when they were extremely skeptical as to whether or not Paul had a true conversion, or if it was just a trap to persecute Christians. Barnabas was able to see Paul and his authenticity because Barnabas was a man of hope, which manifests the ability to always encourage. Barnabas was able to convince the church leaders to welcome Paul into the Church.

In todays context, this would be equivalent to perhaps a terrorist. Imagine a terrorist coming into your church and confessing Christ, but with the past of murdering innocent people in the name of God. Many would most likely have a hard time with that, perhaps wondering if the conversion was real or not. Barnabas was quickly able to release encouragement as a result of his spirit of hope, to convince those around him that this was of the Lord.

Key to the Next Move of God

I am fully convinced that the next move of God is going to come through those that nobody expected. I believe it will come through the outcasts, misfits and ones that wouldn't fit into a modern church setting. The next modern-day apostles who will shake the earth, will be the least expected unless you have hope in your vision and can see with a new lens. You will only be able to recognize them when your heart is like Barnabas'—full of encouragement and hope. If there wasn't a Barnabas, there would have never been a Paul!

Just like my friends who desperately needed hope with their situation, and the Lord was faithful to send an angel of hope to them, I believe that the Lord is releasing hope to the Body of Christ in this hour—for the purpose of encouragement as well as authority. A friend of mine, Dean Briggs, always says, "The person with the most hope in the room always has the most authority in the room." Allow hope to arise in your heart and you will begin to see with encouragement in others, as well as your situation and even nation. This is the key to the next move of God. (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)

Chris Mathis
Chris Mathis Ministries
Email: pc@thesummitchurch.ca
Website: www.chrismathis.ca

Chris Mathis serves as the lead pastor of the Summit Church in Edmonton, Alberta and is the founder of Summit Global, a network of churches that he and his wife oversee throughout the US, Canada and Brazil. Chris and his wife have planted several churches and raised up hundreds of leaders and pastors. Chris has a passion for revival and transformation, and desires to see Jesus receive the reward of His suffering. Chris is the husband to Nikki Mathis, an international worship leader and song writer who leads Summit Sounds Worship Collective, along with Summit Sounds School of Music. They have three children, Micaiah, Judah and Eden.

Chris Mathis Itinerary:

November 17, 2018
Hybrid Church
Edmonton, AB

December 14-16, 2018
Summit Cross City
Cross City, FL

January 19, 2019
Collide Conference
Santa Clara, CA

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