New Hope Church

HAVE MANY COUNSELORS!  Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray. —Proverbs 10:17  Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. —Proverbs 11:14              Are you heeding the instruction of the Lord or are you more concerned with the instruction of men? Do you take time to listen to Him through His Word or are you just listening to what men say?   When He shows you error in your life do you correct it or just go on your way? To reject His reproof will cause you to lead others astray.…

FEAR OF THE LORD  The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. —Proverbs 8:13  Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, A MAN WHO FEARS GOD AND SHUNS EVIL. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.” —Job 2:3               The “fear of the Lord” is to have a proper perspective on Who He is, on who we are and a desire not…

HEART’S FOCUS!  Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life… Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. —Proverbs 4:23, 27             What is your heart’s focus? “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Jesus said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts–murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:19). So where is your heart’s desire today, this moment? “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34). Are you allowing God’s Holy Spirit to direct you or are you…

BE WISE!  The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching. —Proverbs 1:1-8  Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, would…

PUT YOUR TRUST IN THE RIGHT PLACE!  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. —Psalm 1:1-3  Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD…

CHANGE OF HEART, MIND AND DIRECTION!  Then Job answered the LORD and said: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes. —Job 40:1-6  Great is the LORD, and greatly to be…

SEEK GODLY COUNSEL & BEWARE OF UNGODLY COUNSEL!  Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” —Job 38:1-2              Job had said things that were utterly wrong. He spoke as if he had the answers and yet his words, and surely his “friends” words, were darkened counsel spoken without knowledge. Oh how much of this darkened “counsel by words without knowledge” happens today!   People from all strata of life— social, economic, racial, ethnic, political… think they have the answers as they purely give their own “counsel by words without knowledge.” They think they are intelligent, they…

REASONS FOR STORMS  From its chamber comes the whirlwind, and cold from the scattering winds. By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast. He loads the thick cloud with moisture; the clouds scatter his lightning. They turn around and around by his guidance, to accomplish all that he commands them on the face of the habitable world. Whether for correction or for his land or for love, he causes it to happen. —Job 37:9-13              In this passage above we find out why storms come. The whirlwind is a violent storm with wind from the south and then there are the cold winds from the north.…

  SAFE IN HIS HANDS!  Of a truth, God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice. Who gave him charge over the earth, and who laid on him the whole world? If he should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust. —Job 34:12-15  Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul. I cry to you, O LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” —Psalm 142:4-5              My…

  THE “GOOD OLD DAYS”  And Job again took up his discourse, and said: “Oh, that I were as in the months of old…” —Job 29:1-2             How we long for the “good old days” when today is not going well, especially when calamity is upon us. This is how Job was feeling with all that has happened to Him. Oh, the days when— God’s favor was upon Him He walked in the light of God He was in was in his prime He knew the friendship of God He had God’s presence with him His children were still with him He was not in material…