Covenant of Hope Ministries Sunday Sermon originally posted _09_09_2012
Welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries and our sermon or
midweek study. You will normally see us posted on Sunday and Wednesday. I am
Rev. Laura A. Neff. Our ministry was built on the truth of God’s love. It
doesn’t conform to society’s wishes. This ministry shares the Word of God, the
Spirit of Christ Jesus. Those who know me well will recognize that there are
definitive differences in the creation of every sermon from this point forward.
It is God’s will that has brought this to be. We wish only that God’s truth
will be shared within His words as brought to us by the Spirit as it fills my
heart, mind, and soul to be shared with my hands, but with His words alone.
You will find us in the following location: http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
Prayer List: We have many on our prayer list.
Some wish to remain anonymous, and others only wish to have their first names
mentioned. Our prayer list grows or changes every week. This is our current
list.
- Please pray for Elder Cal Jennings who has been suffering
greatly with his health. May the Lord bring his spirits up and help heal him.
- Pray for my parents and youngest brother who would have
lost their dog Shadow just two days ago now. He was a faithful companion for
nearly sixteen years.
- Please pray for relief in the trials and tribulations for
Sister Theresa and myself as we have had a great many over the past year and
more.
- Be thankful for each day we live as we do not know what
tomorrow brings.
- Pray for our nations that the voice of God be heard through
the Spirit.
- Pray for our friends and families that their tomorrows
bring blessings and pray our own be the same.
- Pray for those suffering as a result of the terrors that
have occurred just this past week around this world.
- Pray for our sick and wounded that they may heal.
Prayer: Father in heaven, our prayer today is
to have the Spirit bring clarity to each of our decisions. We thank You for
that gift and the many more You have brought us. May our fears be drawn out of
us. Help us to see the many gifts Your love brings and the unknown locations it
might be found. May our pain and sorrow be eased. May peace be brought from our
hearts and shared with others. May Your gifts of love shine through us toward
others. We pray for the poor, the sick, the sorrowful, the wounded, and the
frightened. We pray for the soldiers, the Samaritans, the children, and the
rest. We pray in thanksgiving for every gift brought us. We pray that every
tomorrow bring good things. For each of these we pray in Your Holy Name,
through our Savior Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so
it shall be.
Opening Song: He Knows ~ Jeremy Camp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsccUg4TDd8
Sermon: We have often spoken of the troubles and how they connect to
wickedness, to evil, to iniquity, and for sin as a whole. The thoughts in this
chapter expand the lessons to be learned in history, in behavior, and so much
more. We see some of that here in our first verse of Psalm
36:4 KJV – He deviseth mischief upon his bed;
he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
There is a phrase change from "mischief upon his bed" to "vanity upon his bed". Now, either one of them as we all know, are, in Scripture at least, equally bad. Granted, there is a time for mischief in life, so long as it doesn't prove harmful. In this verse, it is the harmful version of mischief being spoken of. Vanity is harmful, and not just to the one expressing it, but to those around them. This is shared in the supporting verse here in Micah 2:1 KJV - Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.
Here we are with the word "woe" again. It means sorrow, grief, sadness, and we all have seen these views in life, yet not all of us have created them. It is those who create those woes that are spoken of here. Another supporting verse is found in Isaiah 65:2 KJV - I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts.
The thought is continued even through yet another point of view here in Proverbs 4:16 KJV - For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
In this last case, the Scripture is speaking of resting in peace, sleeping in the goodness of the LORD. Yet, we can return to that ability to rest in peace, all we have to do is learn from our mistakes. We all make them. There is no way we could deny that, and in admitting our mistakes, or just simply learn from them and go on, we see where God would open doors to paths waiting for us through mercy and faith. Let's see what is shared to be in the next verse of Psalm 36:5 KJV - Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
The sentiment is repeated in many ways, in many places. Here are two of those found in Psalm 57:10 KJV - For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
And here as well: Psalm 103:11 KJV - For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
Vanity of vanities, as we remember, mischief made of vanity equals woes in place of blessings. Faith and returning to faith can bring mercy, understanding, and a full realization of the power of love. As we know, love should be unconditional, accepting us as we are, and sharing together what we can be. Now, that's something to think about as we pray in the prayer Jesus taught us saying:
Our Father, which art in
heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will
be done, in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily
bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13)
Closing Song: Lord Have Mercy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuXsk_mV5ls
~ Shalom ~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuXsk_mV5ls
~ Shalom ~
Rev. Laura A. Neff
Elder Calvin Jennings
Covenant of Hope Ministries Main
Site: http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
Scripture Excerpts: The New
Open Bible Study Edition:Copyright © 1990: Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc.
Scripture Excerpts: Holy
Bible: Copyright © 1982: E. E. Gaddy and Associates, Inc.
Scripture Excerpts: Holy
Bible: Copyright © circa 1890-1910: International Bible Press,The John C.
Winston Co.; Philadelphia, PA., USA
Sermon: Rev. Laura A. Neff:
Copyright © 2011 Covenant of Hope Ministries
Covenant of Hope Ministries Main
Site: http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
Our mission for Covenant of Hope Ministries is not to exploit fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all that is created through fear together as the bringers of the light of Jesus found in the midst of darkness.
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