New Hope Church

FAITHFULNESS IN THE FACE OF SUFFERING   Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many…

YOU FREELY RECEIVED, NOW FREELY GIVE!  The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and…

JESUS’ POVERTY WAS INTENTIONAL SO WE COULD BE RICH!  For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. —II Corinthians 8:9              The “grace of our Lord Jesus Christ” is awesome!   It is staggering to the mind to think about and try to grasp. Jesus had it all in glory— all that is good, holy, truthful and right. He was in that glorious place where there is no wrong, no conflict and no problems. Yet because of His favor toward us, a favor that we did not…

THE BLESSED AND THE CURSED  Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD…

DON’T LOSE HEART— KEEP THE ETERNAL FOCUS!  So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. —II Corinthians 4:16-18              Don’t lose heart! Keep your focus! Grow in Jesus as you are being renewed day by day in Your inner self. This happens as we spend time with our…

BE INFORMED AND INFORM OTHERS! We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our…

DON’T FEAR DEATH— KEEP GOING & STAY FAITHFUL!  When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. —I Corinthians 15:54-58              Why do you fear death?  As…

OUR GREAT STAR NAMING LORD  He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.  —Psalm 147:4-5              Let’s just think about the number of stars there are.  There are some who say there are 70 billion trillion stars.  Ok… we cannot even begin to wrap our head around that number. How do they come up with such a number?  Who really knows?  Only our Lord knows.  But consider the greatness of just this one act— He has given each one them a name.  This alone is staggering to think about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jqMiS9ngCQ            …

MY HELP AND HOPE!  Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— he remains faithful forever. —Psalm 146:5-6                Do you and I look to the God of Jacob for our help?  If so we are blessed.  Is our hope in the Lord God?  Are we trusting the One who “is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them?”  If so we indeed are blessed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-1fwZtKJSM                Why would we put our hope in anyone or anything else when we can put our hope…

HE SATISFIES AND PRESERVES!  You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. —Psalm 145:16   The LORD preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. —Psalm 145:20              Think of every living creature, every living organism and all living vegetation— all life is satisfied by our Lord’s open hand.  If He were to close His hand and withhold then every living thing would die.  “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26).             I am amazed…