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

One Hope Outreach THE HUB Newsletter August 2025

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

OH The HUB newsletter August 2025.pdf

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Dear friends and partners:

Thank you for your generous support each and every month. Your prayers and financial gifts to this ministry are seed sown into the lives of those who hear the gospel through the various media outlets and the Home Church Group of One Hope Outreach Ministry.

13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? 14 The sower soweth the word. -Mark 4:13-14 (KJV)

The Eden within:

In the Holy Bible’s creation account, God made man in His own likeness and image. Since God is Spirit then man in likeness is also a spirit being. The spirit of man is the heart of man, the innermost part of his existence. In the innermost part of man, “the heart” God has enabled man to receive words that come as seed planted. In Mark’s gospel account (4:14-20 KJV) Jesus likens the heart of man to soil of which seed are sown and the seed sown here are words. In this scripture account some seed fell on hard, rocky soil and didn’t produce anything while other seed fell into good soil which produced abundantly. The seed in this parable was all the same. The determining factor was the condition of the soil or the heart. The hard, rocky soil represents a hard heart that is resistant to truth. The good soil represents a tender and open heart to the truth.

When the seed of gospel truth is received into the heart and acted upon, that seed will then produce a harvest of eternal value both in this life and in the life hereafter.

What about you? Has the soil of your heart been tilled lately? Are you receptive to the life changing message of the Holy Bible? I urge you to open the Bible and read afresh with an open heart to receive. God will meet you there!!

-Marvin Smith

One Hope Outreach THE HUB Newsletter July 2025

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

One Hope Outreach The HUB Newsletter July 2025.pdf

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Dear friends and partners:

I want to thank you for your partnership with One Hope Outreach Ministry. Your prayers and support are having an impact around the world as we proclaim the gospel message of God’s saving grace.

Where you will spend eternity?

Do you know where you will spend eternity? Every person on planet earth will someday die and spend eternity somewhere. When your day comes to depart this life on earth, do you know for sure what your destination will be? According to the Bible, there are two possible choices of eternal existence: Heaven or Hell. Heaven is described as a paradise: a destiny and dwelling place with God for those that are born again. There, all tears are wiped from the eyes and every sorrow and pain is removed; for the former things have passed away (Rev. 21:1-4), and the redeemed enjoy the peaceful presence of God forever. Hell, on the other hand is described as separation from the presence of God, a place of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matt.8:12). A place of pain and anguish, where the soul of man never dies and will languish there in misery for all eternity (Luke 16:19-26, Mark 9:44-48).

The Bible says, “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). All of mankind is born with the moral disease called sin. The inbred sin nature of man keeps him separated from a relationship with a Holy God.

Man, within himself is without remedy for the sin problem. For the rescue of man from the sin dilemma, God provided His own solution. He sent His son Jesus Christ as a redeemer to purchase man unto Himself.

Sin is the reason Jesus came to the earth. Here He was crucified, buried and raised from the dead to effect reconciliation between sinful man and a Holy God. Through His sacrificial death, Jesus paid the ransom for man to be released from the penalty of sin and the dominion of sins. Once that price was paid, the sin problem was taken care of.

Even though God sent Jesus to pay for the sin of man and even though He holds nothing against mankind; any person can still go to Hell. Every man is born a free moral agent and holds the right to choose his own destiny. That is a free choice of every individual. The Bible says, “that no man can see nor enter the kingdom of heaven unless he is born again.” (John 3:3-8)

Jesus’ first message in the gospel of Matthew, was “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). Repentance is a decision that results in a change of mind (a renunciation of and reversal from sin) and a submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

There is no birth into the kingdom of God without hearing the call to salvation ( This article that you are reading is that call) renouncing of one’s sin and turning from sin too Christ the Savior (Acts 3:19).

Salvation, receiving eternal life, or being born again (all synonymous terms) does not come by doing good deeds, living a good moral life or even becoming a member of a church. The Bible says there is only one way to be saved and that is to be born again.

Jesus’ message of repentance and a call to salvation poses an inescapable decision to every person. Will you repent and receive Jesus as Savior and Lord? Settle that single most important question of your life. Pray the following prayer, sincerely, from your heart and receive Jesus as your Savior.

God, I come to you in Jesus’ name. You said in the Bible, “If I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe with the heart that you raised Him from the dead, I will be saved,” For it is believing in my heart that I am made right with God, and it is by confessing with my mouth that I am saved. I believe in my heart that Jesus died for my sins and was raised from the dead. I confess out loud and publicly that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I repent of my sin and will live for Him forever, amen!

-Marvin Smith

[Editor’s note: This article first appeared on One Hope Outreach ministry web page under “prayer request” “Receiving salvation” (by Marvin Smith) and was adapted for January 2025 edition of “The Hub” newsletter] and is again adapted for this July 2025 edition of “The Hub” newsletter.]