One Hope Outreach THE HUB Newsletter September 2025

Read the September 2025 issue of THE HUB from One Hope Outreach here.

OH The HUB newsletter September 2025 (2).pdf

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Dear friends and partners:

Thank you for you generous and steadfast giving which enables One Hope Outreach Ministry to continue spreading the gospel through many outlets.

From Here to There:

Have you noticed bumper stickers that say “I’d rather be fishing”, “I’d rather be flying,” etc.? There is a tendency in the makeup of humanity to believe things could always be better doing something or being something other than what is presently at hand. The imagination can project one into a better circumstance or better station in life, over “there.” The belief is that peace and contentment can be found by being over “there” or by doing this or that.

When circumstances or situations can be improved upon, we should strive to change or make things better. Sometime there are things that take time to change or maybe are beyond human ability to change or control.

The apostle Paul was one that found difficult circumstances and situations in his own life and ministry beyond his own ability to change or control. In reflecting upon the many difficulties, he said -“I have learned, whatever be my outward experiences, to be content” Phil 4:11 (WEY). Paul had learned to be content regardless of the situation. The contentment he is talking about is an inner peace, an inner knowing that God was in control of his life. In Acts chapter 16, Paul and his traveling partner, Silas, was arrested, beaten and thrown in prison for preaching the gospel and casting the devil out of a young girl. A most undesirable situation. I am sure he wanted to be somewhere over “there” rather than the “here” situation and circumstance he was in. So, what did he do? The Bible says, “at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God”- not for the terrible “here” situation, because God did not cause it. They prayed and sang in spite of it; “and the prisoners heard them”.

The Bible narrative continues to unfold by saying, “and suddenly there was a great earthquake” that shook the prison doors open. When Paul and Silas’ prayed and praised at midnight; their darkest and most isolated moment; God brought about a change in their difficult “here” and released them to a more desirable “there.”

Learning to be content is not an instantaneous transformation of life but a continual process of completely trusting God in all things big and small. Learning to pray, and praise God in spite of circumstance or situation is a good place to start a change for your life.

Now is the time to trust God and submit all to Him, allowing His peace to master your inner being while He changes the very difficult “here” into a more desirable “there.”

-Marvin Smith