New Hope Church

BEAR FRUIT… EVEN IN OLD AGE!  The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. —Psalm 92:12-15              Those who are living for the Lord are like trees that flourish. They flourish in the presence of our Lord. Because these trees are full of sap and green, they still bear fruit in old age. Is that the type…

THE LORD IS MY REFUGE—- I TRUST HIM & WILL NOT FEAR DEATH! He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,  nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes…

OF LIFE’S BREVITY AND ETERNALITY! Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. —Psalm 90:2 The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. —Psalm 90:10  Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! —Psalm 90:17             God is so far above us. How can we wrap our minds around His eternal existence? He has always…

BE CAREFUL WITH THE EYES! It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. 3 —II Samuel 11:2 Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” Nathan said to David, “You are the man! —II Samuel 12:5-7 Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil…

DELIGHT IN AND DO HIS DESIRES  “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.” —II Samuel 7:3             As a follower of Jesus— Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like…

THE GREATEST BIRTHDAY GIFT O LORD, God of my salvation… —Psalm 88:1             It is March 28th in the Year of our Lord 2021. Wow!   How did 66 years pass by since I was born? In all those years what is the greatest gift I have ever received?   “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).  I remember receiving that gift in February of 1979… just before my 24th birthday.             That is when God became the God of my salvation— salvation from sin and saved to a relationship with Him through Jesus. There…

GOD IS GOOD, FORGIVING, LOVING AND PATIENT For you, O Lord, is good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. —Psalm 86:5-6 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious; slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. —Psalm 86:15              There is none good but God alone (Mark 10:18).   “There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.   All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their…

CHARACTER IS CONNECTED TO YOUR NAME Let not my lord regard this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. —I Samuel 25:25             A person’s character is connected with his name. In the case above Nabal’s name actually means “to be senseless or foolish.” When David sent his servant to receive substance from Nabal, Nabal acted senselessly and foolishly. David’s men had protected Nabal’s servants and livestock. In return Nabal was ungrateful and even railed harshly against David. So his name surely is connected to his character.             We see this same thing in a positive way…

DESIRE’S FOCUS How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. —Psalm 84:1-2 For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you! —Psalm 84:10-12 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNLHdnzFqNI             Oh what better place…

FEAR… Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul. —I Samuel 18:12 But when Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually. —I Samuel 18:28-29             Isn’t it interesting that it was because the Lord was with David that Saul feared David? It was because of the fear of David that Saul tried several times to kill him. Fear can cause people to act in a violent way in reaction to the fear they have.             Think about it— when you fear…