New Hope Church

GO WHERE HE DESIRES YOU TO GO! Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. —Mark 1:38-39             Jesus, among many other reasons, came to preach the good news all over and not just in one place.  This is a good example for us to emulate.  Let us not be rigidly focused only on our immediate area where we live, but let us consider where else our Lord would want us to bring His Word.  Who else other than those in our immediate area does He…

CALLED TO BE FISHERS OF MEN Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him.  And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets.  And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. —Mark 1:16-20             Jesus called His first disciples to Himself. …

FOLLOWING THE LIE OR THE TRUTH While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.  —Matthew 28:11-15 Now the eleven disciples…

MAN’S FEEBLE ACTIONS So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. —Matthew 27:66             Man thinks that denying who Jesus is and thinking that those who believe in Him will manipulate to deceive others are simply wrong.  They can seal tomb and believe that they have accomplished their desires by killing Jesus.  They can seal the tomb and trust that once three days are over they have victory over both Jesus and those who follow Him, but they are dead wrong.             Denying who Jesus is and thinking that the tomb was the end of the story are figments of people’s imagination…

REMORSE’S REMEDY! When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”  “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”  So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. —Matthew 27:3-5             Remorse—- regret, sorrow, guilt, shame— can lead a person down the road to doubt, discouragement, depression, despair, despondency and death— suicide.  There is a hopelessness that seizes a person and they do not see any way out of…

OUR MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD! The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”  “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”  Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”  “He is worthy of death,” they answered.  Then they spit in…

WATCH AND PRAY! Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. —Matthew 26:41           How do we keep from entering temptation?  First we need to be watchful and alert.  “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (I Peter 5:8-9).  So make it a priority to be watchful and to be on your guard.  We are in spiritual warfare and…

THE BETRAYER And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.” —Matthew 26:21-25 Judas would…

SALVATION LEADS ONE TO SERVE “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’” —Matthew 25:34-36             Here are some areas where our Lord expects His people to be involved in.  Are we? I…

THE PACIFICATION BY FEAR If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible. —Leviticus 5:1 The partner of a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.  The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.. —Proverbs 29:24-25 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. —Ephesians 5:11             If we know something that we have seen or learned about and do not bear witness to it then it is sin.  That is a challenging…