One Hope Outreach THE HUB Newsletter August 2024

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

One Hope Outreach THE HUB Newsletter August 2024.pdf

Download PDF • 2.04MB

Dear friends and partners:

Thank you for your prayers and financial support of One Hope Outreach Ministry. It is a great privilege to work together with so many in the harvest fields, as we continue to carry the gospel message of hope to the world.

Have you been born again?

In the gospel account according to the apostle John, Jesus said to a man named Nicodemus; “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3 KJV)

Being born again is the regeneration of the human spirit and this is referred to many times as being saved. Being “saved” means something far more than a recitation of a meaningless prayer. It is more than a verbalization of words or a “confession” of faith. It is more than a symbolic gesture of good intentions and it is more than lip service to what we claim to believe.

The born-again experience is not just an intellectual belief. The characteristics of being born again is the belief of God’s word and then to obey the commands of His word.

We are “saved” from God’s judgment and penalty for sin by God’s gracious gift to us. We receive His gift of salvation by faith---trusting only in Him-- not anything else.

Becoming a Christian is not based on our wise choice of good behavior and exemplary character. We can only be right with God by believing in Jesus Christ as Savior.

A person becomes a Christian through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the agent that brings new life into the one who trusts in Jesus.

Being born again is to be baptized [INTO] Christ. This baptism into Christ is the one baptism that all men must have to be saved. This baptism cleanses from sin and makes one a new creation in Christ Jesus. “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Cor. 5:17 (KJV).

When Jesus was crucified on the cross, He paid the penalty for sin and our debt of sin was paid in full. The sacrifice of His life on the cross was to pay the redemptive price for the salvation of mankind. Jesus was baptized into death and raised to new life.

Before we believed in Christ to be born again or “saved” [baptized into him] our nature was evil. We were held captive to our sin nature.

Baptism into Christ signifies the death and burial of the old way of life, followed by the resurrection to new life with Christ.

The power of sin has been broken and we need no longer to live under its power. Our evil desires, bondage to sin, and love for sin died with Christ.

Our baptism into Christ signifies our cutting off from the kingdom of sin and the control of Satan. We are dead to the power of sin’s dominion and by our union with Christ we are alive in Him.

To be alive in Christ is to have our affections and desires alive to God. And there is no living unto God without living through Christ and there is no living through Christ without the transforming power and dynamic working of the Holy Spirit in the born-again experience.

What about you, have you been born again?

-Marvin Smith

[ Editor’s Note: This article was adapted from the article “Baptized into Christ” which appeared in the August 2023 edition of “The Hub” newsletter]

One Hope Outreach THE HUB Newsletter November 2023

Read the November 2023 issue of THE HUB from One Hope Outreach here.

One Hope Outreach THE HUB Newsletter November 2023.pdf

Download PDF • 2.39MB

Dear friends and partners:

Thanksgiving is a marvelous holiday. Thanksgiving celebration is an American tradition. Thanksgiving became an American tradition after it was declared official by our first president. On October 3, 1789, George Washington issued his Thanksgiving proclamation, designating a day for “the people of the United States a day of public thanks-giving.”

Thanksgiving is not about the greatness of men but rather the generosity and greatness of God. As our first President Washington stated in his proclamation, “that we then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation” and “that we may unite in humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions.”

Our history records a Thanksgiving meal by the Plymouth Colony settlers. This meal was prepared to celebrate a fruitful harvest after a brutal winter of starvation and other hardships that took the lives of about half of their population. This harvest celebration was an acknowledgment of the mercy of God and an instilled resilience to press forward.

As Christians, our heritage of thanksgiving goes back much further than the history of our beloved pilgrim forefathers. The injunction for Christian thanksgiving is as old as mankind. Thanksgiving to God is never out of order and is never outdated, for He has blessed us with many favors too numerous to count.

During this Thanksgiving season, as we remember our historical or cultural roots, let us be sure and thank God, for He is the origin of all our prosperity and blessing of every kind.

Thank you friends and partners of this ministry for your prayers and financial support.

-Marvin Smith

One Hope Outreach THE HUB Newsletter October 2023

Read the October 2023 issue of THE HUB from One Hope Outreach here.

One Hope Outreach THE HUB Newsletter October 2023.pdf

Download PDF • 2.03MB

Dear friends and partners:

You are such a vital part of the work that One Hope Outreach Ministry is called to do. As we work together in the harvest fields of the kingdom, God is counting every prayer and every support as a ministry unto Him.

Mastering your words:

One of the first steps to growing spiritually is learning to master your words.

According to the Bible, (James 3:2) a person that controls his own tongue can bridle his whole body. The tongue used for speaking words is like a rudder on a ship or bit in a horse’s mouth (James 3:3,4). It is a member of our being that has a huge part to play in governing the course of our life.

The apostle Paul says in his letter to the church at Ephesus, let no bad word pass your lips, but only such speech as is good for edification, as occasion may require, words that are gracious and a means of grace to those who hear them. And do not vex God's holy Spirit, by whom you have been sealed for the day of redemption. Drop all bitter feeling and passion and anger and clamoring and insults, together with all malice; be kind to each other, be tenderhearted, be generous to each other as God has been generous to you in Christ. Eph. 4:29-32 (MOFFATT’S)

Words that we speak carry spiritual force and are very powerful for good or bad. On the one hand words can motivate and inspire and on the other hand bring despair and discouragement. As Christians we must clean up our words so that they express the character of Christ likeness.

Jesus said, “the words that we speak come from the heart (Matthew 15:18).” It takes the power of God to clean up the heart and the mouth. The cleaning or mastering our words take our diligent pursuit of God by reading, spending with Him, and meditating His word. The more time spent doing these things the greater strength we will have to take charge of our words.

It is time to begin declaring what God’s word says. Create a new environment for yourself and those around you. Speak words that bring life and give hope. Putting the kindness of God’s word in your mouth will bring you to a higher dimension in your walk with God and with others in your world. So today, begin to master your words, you will like the results.

-Marvin Smith