Daily Dose of Hope
September 18, 2024
Day 4 of Week 25

Scripture: Song of Solomon 7-8; Psalm 127; 2 Thessalonians 2

Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the Bible reading plan for New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida. Just a reminder, tonight is Recharge in the Garage at 6:30pm. This is a wonderful time of worship, fellowship, prayer, and small community. Hope to see you there!

I should also mention that many of your program directors, along with myself, are in Houston this week for the New Room conference. Pray that we experience the Holy Spirit in a powerful way through the speakers and community. Pastor Roberto and Pastora Yamiley are headed to Costa Rica today for the first General Conference of the Global Methodist Church. Please, please pray for them – it’s going to be a long but hopefully very rewarding week for both of them.

We are finishing up the Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs) today. The love dialogue is ending, are you guys upset about this? In these last two chapters, the themes of pure love, passion, commitment, acceptance, protection, and love “as strong as death.” I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts on this book. What do you think about this being included in Scripture? What have been your takeaways from Song of Songs?

Psalm 127 is another psalm of ascent, one of the psalms that the Hebrew pilgrims would sing as they made their way into Jerusalem. I really love the second half of this psalm, which celebrates the blessing of children. The psalmist writes that a person who has many children is like a warrior with many arrows in their quiver. This isn’t to say that it’s better to have lots of children, but more that each and every child is a blessing, unique with their own gifts and purpose.

Our New Testament reading is 2 Thessalonians 2. In chapter one, Paul addresses the issue of persecution. In this chapter, he addresses false teaching. The Thessalonian church was highly concerned by teachers stating that Jesus had already come. To make matters worse, these false teachers were claiming to have Paul's authority in the teaching. Paul tells them not to be "easily unsettled or alarmed," because none of it is true. Jesus will not return until certain things have occurred, a certain event must occur (the rebellion) and a certain man must appear (the man of lawlessness, possibly the antichrist).

The point of this chapter is not to make specific claims about the end of times but rather to prove to the Thessalonians that the day of the Lord, Jesus' second coming, had not yet arrived. It's obvious that Paul wants them to stand firm in the faith and not be so easily deceived. In verse 5, Paul asks them, Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? He is imploring them to remember the truth they were taught and live like mature believers, putting deep roots into truth. I often tell my kids to "remember who and whose they are." In some ways, I feel this is what Paul is telling the Thessalonians. Remember what I have taught you. Remember who you belong to. Don't allow the distractions and untruths of the world to get you off track or lead you astray. Friends, remember who and whose you are.

Blessings,
Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

September 17, 2024

Day 3 of Week 25

Scripture: Song of Solomon 4-6; 2 Thessalonians 1

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan. Let’s get started with today’s Scripture.

In Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs) 4, the text has moved into the marriage. The first three chapters were the courtship but now the marriage is being consummated. The imagery is interesting – how many women enjoy their hair being compared to a flock of goats? As the chapter progresses, it gets more graphic, at least for the Bible. I did a lot of research to determine if Solomon is speaking of himself here in this chapter and it just isn’t clear. If it’s Solomon, I struggle with this. With so many women as wives and concubines, how can he truly know what love is? What does marriage even mean if you have 700 wives? I actually find it more helpful to think of this chapter as the relationship the Lord desires with his people – one that is intimate and committed.

Chapters 5 and 6 seem to portray the trials of separation. Some might even interpret it as the highs and lows of a relationship. Has conflict entered the relationship, has one party pulled away? Most of us understand that in human terms what might that mean in terms of a relationship between God and his people?

Let’s move on to our New Testament Scripture, 2 Thessalonians 1. Similar to 1 Thessalonians, this letter is also written by Paul, Timothy, and Silas, but scholars consider Paul to be the primary author. The letter opens in a similar manner as I Thessalonians, with Paul giving thanks for the Thessalonian church. He is especially grateful for how their faith and love for one another has grown despite persecution. He even says that he boasts about how they have persevered in the midst of such difficulty. He doesn't give specifics about the persecution, but we can guess it was hostility directed at Christians by both gentile nonbelievers and Jews.

This chapter helps us begin to understand Paul's theology on the suffering of believers. First, he alludes to the fact that faithful endurance, perseverance in the face of struggle, makes them very worthy of the Kingdom of God. Certainly, endurance of hardship and persecution was seen as a virtue in early Christianity. What a change a couple thousand years make! At least in Western Christianity, we tend to balk at any kind of discomfort and certainly try to avoid suffering at all costs.

But their suffering does NOT mean that God isn't with them. Paul states that God's judgment is right. Temporary suffering doesn't indicate God's rejection; it may be character building or redeemed in some other way. God won't waste their experience but use it to grow them and the Kingdom. After all, that's what it's all about.

The second element in today's chapter is the concept of God's justice. God is all about just outcomes. He doesn't operate in a willy-nilly fashion but is fair and consistent. According to Paul, God considers it just to punish those who persecute the Thessalonians. This might be surprising to some, as we always focus on God's love. Yes, God is loving but God is also fair. Throughout Scripture, we read about God's righteous judgment. Knowing that God will judge others fairly frees us to simply extend love and grace and not feel the need to distribute our own judgment upon others.

I'll close with Paul's words in Romans 12:19-21, Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

September 15, 2024

Day 1 of Week 25

Scripture: Proverbs 29-31; 1 Thessalonians 4

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional/podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan. Today, we are starting week 25 of consistent Bible reading. That’s pretty good, everyone! Congrats to all of you. Let’s get started with today’s Scripture reading.

Today we are finishing up the book of Proverbs. Chapter 29 is the end of the compilation of Proverbs by King Hezekiah’s men. There are a wide variety of warnings in this chapter, but again its reiterated that sin has consequences. Evil schemes will lead to ruin, foolish thinking is highly dangerous, and we need to exhibit discretion with whom we argue. The last two chapters of the book of Proverbs include wisdom associated with a man named Agur, a king named Lemuel, and a famous description of a godly woman.

The Proverbs 31 woman has become quite a famous passage. Some of you might own a coffee mug with the Scripture. These verses depict a woman who fulfills her God-given purpose and lives with high levels of integrity, wisdom, and complete devotion to God. But don’t let these passages fool you – they aren’t just for women! Every person should strive for these qualities.

Our New Testament passage is I Thessalonians 4. Apparently, the Thessalonians had presented this question to Paul, "What happens to die in Christ?" There must have been some deaths in the church since its founding, which would naturally lead to such a question. Paul reinforces his teaching about the resurrection and Jesus' second coming. He refers to the dead as "those who sleep in death," which is fairly common in both Jewish and Greek writing. But we should note that this doesn't mean the soul is asleep after death. New Testament texts clearly demonstrate that for believers the soul is alive while the body waits for the resurrection of all believers.

Jesus' physical resurrection is the central defining feature of Christianity. It proved his divinity, it clearly demonstrated Jesus' victory over death, it proves that we serve a living God, and it foreshadows our own bodily resurrection when Jesus returns. Because of the resurrection, we can be assured that this earthly life is not all there is; we get to spend eternity with Jesus. I am reminded of Jesus dying on the cross next to the two thieves. One accepts Jesus in his dying hour and Jesus proclaims, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise." Yes, we get to be with Jesus when we die AND yes, we still will get to be part of the future resurrection of believers. Both are sources of great hope and joy. The Thessalonian church needed to hear it and we do too!

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

September 12, 2024

Day 5 of Week 24

Scripture: Proverbs 26-28; I Thessalonians 3

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan. Let’s get started.

Today, I want to mix things up a bit and start with our New Testament passage, I Thessalonians 3. Paul and Silas very much wanted to visit the Thessalonian church and encourage them in their persecution. But over and over again, it didn't work out. They were frustrated and concerned about the welfare of the new believers. While they had previously warned the Thessalonian church that persecution was unavoidable, they still feared for their well-being.

Eventually, they send Timothy to visit them and instruct them in the faith as needed. Timothy brought back good news, as the Thessalonian church was becoming more mature in their faith. Despite their challenges, the new believers were remaining strong in faith and continuing to demonstrate love toward those inside and outside the church. This pleased Paul and Silas very much. They experienced joy knowing that the faith of the Thessalonians remained strong and vibrant. They thanked God for their perseverance and endurance.

The early church had such a different perspective than we do regarding persecution. They saw persecution as inevitable; it was simply something that believers had to endure. It doesn't appear they feared being persecuted either. They knew that as followers of Jesus, their message would be met with opposition. In the Western church of today, we tend to fear persecution and rejection. We hesitate to share the Gospel message because we might offend someone, someone might say something mean to us, or we might get rejected. These seem incredibly minor compared to the persecutions of the Thessalonians or other believers around the world today who risk everything to share the Gospel with others.

I think we need to just let that sit for awhile. Are you fearful of persecution? What are your thoughts?

We will conclude this week with Proverbs, chapter 26-28. Chapter 26 starts with a long list of reasons that fools are not trustworthy and need to be avoided, the chief among them that they can’t stop their folly. They make messes over and over again. The other two chapters speak about the need to avoid evil, walk in humility, and stay focused on being righteous. It appears that Solomon is making the point that to be wise is to be moral. There is no way to be wise without integrity and morality. What are your thoughts on this? Can someone be truly wise without integrity and morality?

More on Sunday, everyone. You get two days off to rest or catch up.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

September 11, 2024

Day 4 of Week 24

Scripture: Proverbs 24-25; Psalm 41; 1 Thessalonians 2

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional/podcast that complements New Hope Church’s daily Bible reading. It’s Wednesday already so that means that tonight is Recharge. If you are local, come join us for a time of worship, prayer, and small community. We start at 6:30pm in the Garage, on the Moon Ave. side of campus.

Our first Old Testament reading is from Proverbs. In chapter 24, Solomon continues his wise sayings. He mentions several times about not being jealous of sinful people, as success is found in wisdom. How do you define success? Do you think of being wise as being successful?

A word about Proverbs 25. Chapters 25-29 contain material collected by later scribes. These men, working under King Hezekiah, collected and copied these from one set of scrolls that recorded Solomon's other wise teachings. Thus, they are connected to Solomon but not directly. There is a lot in this chapter about personal relationships and the idea that too much of a good thing isn’t a good thing. There are warnings against lying and losing control. There is also emphasis on being kind, even when others aren’t. If you were to write some proverbs about how to have healthy personal relationships, what would you include?

In Psalm 41, we have another psalm of David. He mentions being ill in this passage. He is being hunted by his enemies and his name is being slandered. He has been stabbed in the back by a friend. Things aren’t going well at all! This may have been written when David was being pursued by Absalom. He prays for God’s healing and victory over his enemies. He thanks God for being his forever friend. Wow. I love that – how often do we think of God as our forever friend?

Let’s move on to our New Testament reading, I Thessalonians 2. The authors start out chapter two by discussing their motives for preaching the Gospel message. They have pure motives and have no desire to trick people into becoming converts, which must have been an issue in the day. Gaining converts at any cost suggests manipulation and the desire to look successful before others. But their main concern was pleasing God, not people. That does not mean that the Gospel message isn't pleasing to people, because it certainly is, but that wasn't their main reason for sharing it. God had called them to this and they were being obedient.

Unfortunately, throughout the course of history, Christians haven't always had such pure motives in sharing the Gospel. Evangelism has often occurred with a Bible in one hand and a sword in the other. I think Paul, Timothy, and Silas, would be appalled at how far people representing the Christian faith have gone to simply gain converts, without concern for the hearts of people. As twenty-first century believers, we get to stand on the shoulders of those who witnessed well and those who made a terrible mess of it. And yet, we are still called to share the Gospel with others with pure motives. Guided by the Holy Spirit rather than our own prideful motivations, we are called to share the source of our hope. Just as Paul and friends write in this chapter, our core motivation must be to please God. It's great if other people are pleased as well with the message, but that isn't our primary purpose. It's simply all about Jesus.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

September 9, 2024

Day 2 of Week 24

Scripture: Proverbs 19-21; Psalm 40; Romans 16

Happy Monday, everyone, and welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan. Today, we continue in Proverbs, read a psalm, and finish with the book of Romans.

Let’s start with our first Old Testament passage, Proverbs, chapters 19-21. In chapter 19, Solomon seems to focus on the importance of personal integrity. It’s better to be moral and upright and poor than to be wealthy and disrespected. And yet, the proverbs continue, those who are wealthy are the ones who seem to have more friends. But what kind of friends stick with us simply for what we can give them? There is also a variety of wise tidbits about the importance of how we raise our children and the value of following the Lord’s guidance.

Chapters 20 and 21, likewise, have a wide variety of wise words. There are warnings against overindulging in alcohol, against engaging in conflict with authorities, and against dishonest business practices. Solomon implores his readers to use common sense in all they do. Chapter 21 gets at a slightly different theme, specifically how God knows our innermost thoughts. Just doing right is not enough to please God, but we must also exhibit humility and integrity.

Psalm 40 was written by David, possibly during one of his exiles in the wilderness. David speaks of God saving him from the slimy pit and delivering him from danger. How many times has God delivered you from the slimy pit? I can think of several times. Sometimes, I found my way into the pit myself and others times, I was pushed in by others. Regardless, it was always God who pulled me out. God is always our deliverer. He is there on our good days and our bad. I don’t know about you, but that brings me a lot of peace.

The final chapter of Romans has this beautiful section of greetings to the people that Paul has worked with and encountered in his ministry. I love how this was obviously a letter for regular people. This was not a letter intended for religious scholars. Rather, Paul sent it to people he cared about in an effort to help them in their own lives and ministries.

Another interesting note is that out of twenty-six people who are listed as special workers in ministry, nine are women. This is especially impressive because Rome was a male-dominated society and women had little, if any, social and legal standing. But in the church, things were different. There is also a variety when it comes to the names: some of Jewish, some are Latin, and many are Greek. While I'm sure the early church had its issues, it appears to be a diverse mix of men and women, from different cultural and religious backgrounds. Essentially, it was a great picture of the Kingdom of God.

God's Kingdom is universal, with people from all races, cultures, and stations in life. In God's Kingdom, men and women serve alongside each other. It's a place in which every single human life has value and no one is better than another. God's values are actively at work: love, justice, mercy, righteousness, hope, and freedom for the oppressed.

Somewhere in the history of the church, it got off track. The church became less Kingdom-focused and more about growing the institution. It began to resemble the culture around it. Certain people were excluded, corruption crept in, sin invaded. It's hard to read a church history text because it seems so far from the church Paul was trying to establish.

But all is not lost. God's mercies are new every single day! As a church, we can pray and strive to be a better picture of God's Kingdom. In fact, my on-going prayer for New Hope is that we will become a multiplying congregation-multicultural, multiracial, and multigenerational. I pray that we will be the kind of place where people from all walks of life find a place of belonging, a place to be nurtured and loved. I hope you will join me in this prayer.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki