New Hope Covenant Church

Principles of Faith Series: See It

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:43:00 +0000

See It

Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. 22 But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

23 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat her to get her back on the road.

24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it. So he beat her again.

26 Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left.

27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff.

28 Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?"

29 Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now."

30 The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?"

"No," he said.

31 Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.

32 The angel of the LORD asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.

33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her."

Num 22:21-33 (NIV)

Believe It - See It - Speak It - Walk It - Recieve It -
Question 1.
What was Balaam suppose to see?

Question 2.
What prevented Balaam from seeing clearly?

Question 3.
What clouds or blinds us from being able to see God will clearly?

Principles of Faith Series: Believe It

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:08:00 +0000

Believe First

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Heb 11:6 (KJV)

By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn't see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God.

8 By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God's call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going.

9 By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise.

10 Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations?the City designed and built by God.

11 By faith, barren Sarah was able to become pregnant, old woman as she was at the time, because she believed the One who made a promise would do what he said.

12 That's how it happened that from one man's dead and shriveled loins there are now people numbering into the millions.

13 Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world.

14 People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. 15 If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted.

16 But they were after a far better country than that?heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them.

Heb 11:7-16 (MSG)

Believe It - See It - Speak It - Walk It - Receive It !

Question 1.

What obstacles or oppressions do we face that may hinder our belief ?

Question 2.

What characteristics did Noah, Abraham and Sara share?

Question 3.

Have you found it hard to believe? Why or Why Not?

Faith In Action

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:37:00 +0000

Faith- belief in, devotion to, or to trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof. Religion belief in and devotion to God. A strongly held set of beliefs or principles

CONFIDENCE, TRUST, RELIANCE, ASSURANCE, CONVICTION

Faith is a belief in something greater than yourself, to take care of yourself, despite yourself.

Faith is mentioned 231 times in the Bible- 2 times in the Old Testament and 229 times in the New Testament.

Faith in Action

1. Believe it !

17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:17 (NKJV)

2. See it !

Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" Mark 9:23-24 (NKJV)

3. Speak it !

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak, 2 Cor 4:13 (NKJV)

4. Walk it !

Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

James 2:17-18 (NKJV)

5. Receive it !

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." 29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?" 31 But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, Who touched Me?' " 32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction." Mark 5:25-34 (NKJV)

Mark 2:4 (NKJV)

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

a. righteous (as justified and vindicated by God)

b. to live, have life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health

c. firmness, fidelity, steadfastness, steadiness

Those that expect to hear from God must withdraw from the world, and get above it, they must raise their attention, fix their thought, study the scriptures, consult experiences and the experienced, continuous in prayer, and setting themselves upon the tower.

Forgive and Forget - Pt.1

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 04:00:00 +0000

"Things Everyone Should Know About Forgiving"
Let?s say that you?ve been hurt. Somebody you counted on let you down. Somebody you trusted betrayed you in your trust. Somebody who promised to take care of you, instead took advantage of you. The hurt goes deep. What makes the pain worse is that you were wronged. You did not have it coming. Nobody deserves to be treated the way you were treated. It was not fair.

One thing is for sure. You cannot change what happened. There is no delete button for the past. You are stuck with it. You cannot forget what happened. You cannot erase it from your mind. It is like a video tape sewed inside your head. And every time it plays its rerun, you feel the pain all over again.

Now you have to make the hard decision. Do you want to spend the rest of your life with a pain that you did not deserve to get in the first place? Or do you want to be rid of it, healed, freed from it, so that you can go on with your life without that painful memory shadowing you?

There is one way to heal yourself. It is not one way among many. It is the only way. God invented it. It did wonders for him and does wonders for us. We call it forgiving. And God tells us to try it for ourselves. "Forgive each other," the Good Book says, "as God in Christ forgave you."

It is so simple. And yet people often misunderstand what forgiving is. And what it isn?t. So I want to share five simple things about forgiving just to clear up some mistaken notions about God?s way of healing unfair pain.

Proverbs 20:3,22

Matthew 5:38?42, 18:21-35

John 20:19-23 (MSG)

¹⁹ Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, "Peace to you." ²⁰ Then he showed them his hands and side. The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were exuberant. ²¹ Jesus repeated his greeting: "Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you." ²² Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. "Receive the Holy Spirit," he said. ²³ "If you forgive someone's sins, they're gone for good. If you don't forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?"

Prov 19:11 (MSG)

¹¹ Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget.

2 Cor 2:6-11 (MSG)

⁶ What the majority of you agreed to as punishment is punishment enough. ⁷ Now is the time to forgive this man and help him back on his feet. If all you do is pour on the guilt, you could very well drown him in it. ⁸ My counsel now is to pour on the love. ⁹ The focus of my letter wasn't on punishing the offender but on getting you to take responsibility for the health of the church.

¹⁰ So if you forgive him, I forgive him. Don't think I'm carrying around a list of personal grudges. The fact is that I'm joining in with your forgiveness, as Christ is with us, guiding us. ¹¹ After all, we don't want to unwittingly give Satan an opening for yet more mischief?we're not oblivious to his sly ways!

Salvation through the Cross.

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 05:45:11 +0000

Who is Jesus?

?For as in Adam [the first man, through whom sin entered the world] all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. So also it is written, ?The first man, Adam, became a living soul.? The last Adam became a life-giving spirit? (1 Corinthians 15:22, 45).

A jew who grew up in Nazareth, learned carpentry from his earthly father, ?grew in wisdom & stature, and in favor with God and man,? (Luke 2:52) and began a ministry throughout Israel at age 30. The cousin of John the Baptist, who proclaimed the coming of the Messiah. Was misunderstood by His family and those of His hometown.

He had human needs to eat, drink, and sleep. Showed human emotions of love, happiness, sadness, and anger? but not fear, hatred, or pride. After ministering, healing, and teaching for three years, was crucified outside Jerusalem during the feast of Passover by the Romans at the demand of Jewish religious leaders.

He knows what we go through. A god-savior could forgive sins, but would not be able to relate to the sinners. A man-savior would be able to relate to humanity, but lack the authority or power to forgive sins or return from the dead. It was necessary that Jesus, the Christ be both.

Why the Cross?

The initial work of the cross (Colossians 2:13-14)

This speaks of Righteousness (in right standing with God). . Because of

Christ and His cross, we are now found ?not guilty. The blood of Jesus

That was shed on the cross is what destroyed the evidence that was designed to accuse us.

The continued work of the cross (Gal. 6:14)

This speaks to the process of sanctification (to be set apart). It is here that we see how the cross symbolizes our death to temptations that the world has to offer us. This crucifixion of our desires must take place every day of our lives.

The finished work of the cross (Hebrews 12:1-2)

This speaks of two things: It speaks of our total deliverance from any

bondage of sin (lying, lust, profanity) that held us in captivity. It also gives us

a picture of peace and joy of Jesus. It is you and I being brought back into relationship with the father as a result of God?s plan of the cross.

Simplicity of Salvation

1 John 1 (NAS)

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Romans 10 (KJV)

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

John 3 (NAS)

16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Complexity of the Cross

Isaiah 25:8 (KJV)

He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth.

Isaiah 53:5 (KJV)

He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.

Gal 3:13 (KJV)

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE ".

Are U SAVED?

Have U Accepted the Finished work?