New Hope Church

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…

OUR BRIEF LIVES, BUT ETERNITY IS AHEAD! Lord, what are human beings that you care for them, mere mortals that you think of them?  They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow. —Psalm 144:4             How true this is!  Our lives are like a single breath— breathe in and exhale.  That is our life— not long lasting at all in this temporary tent we live in (II Corinthians 5:4).  How often I am reminded of this when I talk to young people about Jesus.  I mention how not long ago I was their age and it is hard to believe I am already in my 60’s.…

MY ASSOCIATIONS  I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. —I Corinthians 5:9-11  Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! —Psalm 143:10              Who…

ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP!  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. —I Corinthians 3:6-9  Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work…

PROPER PERSPECTIVE OF SELF  But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.  And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” —I Corinthians 1:27-31  For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus…

HIS WORD BRINGS HOPE  For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. —Romans 15:4-7              What is God teaching you through His Word? His Word was written for that purpose so that we would endure and be encouraged and have…

THE END/NEW BEGINNING IS GETTING CLOSER!  For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. —Romans 13:11  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. —Psalm 139:16             How many more days do you and I have left to live on this planet?  We are nearer to the time when we will see Jesus in glory!  Or, it is also getting closer to His return.  Either way we are getting closer to seeing Him!              He knows the number of our days that we will…

SERVE OUT OF LOVE FOR GOD AND PEOPLE!  Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. —Romans 12:13  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. —Galatians 6:10  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? —James 2:15-16              Are you contributing “to the needs of the saints?”  Do you “seek to show hospitality?”  We are called to do so.  We are to…