New Hope Church

LOVE GOD’S CHILDREN BY LOVING OBEDIENCE TO GOD  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. —I John 5:2-3  Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it:…

Money Matters!  The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously. —Psalm 37:21  https://www.usdebtclock.org/             If we are a nation that is not paying down our debt, then according to what God says we are a wicked nation.  It matters not what political party one belongs to.  This debt has been added to for decades.  As of late it has roughly doubled every 10 years— https://www.debt.org/faqs/united-states-federal-debt-timeline/             Plain and simply government has not been very faithful with the tax-payers money.  It is easy to be frivolous with someone else’s money, especially when there is corruption, lack of transparency and lack of accountability.  If government leaders were in…

CHILDREN OF GOD!  LOVE BY GOD!  Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. —I John 3:2  Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit…

DESIRING THE PROMISE TO BE FULFILLED!  But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. — II Peter 3:13              Oh glorious day!  We are waiting, hoping, expecting for that day to arrive.  He has promised and He cannot lie (Titus 1:2).  He will fulfill His promise of coming back and making all things new (Revelation 21:1-7).  The heavens and earth will no longer be impacted by sin, sadness and sorrow.  Only righteousness will dwell in the new earth and heavens.  Think about that— only what is right and good and perfect will be in that place.             Is it…

FAITHFUL SERVANTS PUT GOD’S GIFTS TO USE  As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.  —I Peter 4:10-11              Each person who has put their faith in Jesus has received at least one spiritual gift from God.  These gifts are given to be used in our service to one another.  Not all have the same gift or…

UNLIMITED POWER!  Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; or “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you. — I Peter 1:22-25  By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. He gathers…

ORIGINS OF CONFLICT  What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? —James 4:1             What is going on inside you today?  Are you passionate/desirous about the right things or wrong things?  Is there a war going on inside you because of your passions/desires?  Would these passions/desires that are warring inside you cause quarrels and fights with others?  Maybe you should stop right now, pray and see what God has to say about this— “You do not have because you do not ask God” (1:2).  When we do seek God are we seeking with right motives?  Or is…

THE EAR, EYE TONGUE’S INTENTIONS AND DESIRES OF THE HEART  Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. —James 1:22-25  Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive…

FAITH… YOU HAVE IT OR YOU DON’T Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. …  And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. —Hebrews 11:1, 6             Faith is not blind because we are confident in Him who created all things and there is evidence for our Creator all around us— “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are…

FICKLE FEELINGS FADE FOR THE FAITHFUL  But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come…