Covenant Of Hope Ministries: Sharing With God the Time Where Giving Up Is Near

Covenant of Hope Ministries Sunday Sermon originally posted_01_20_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

Rev. Laura’s other sites: Facebook & Google+ & Blogspot & Twitter

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.

- Elder Cal Jennings is having even more health issues, specifically his blood pressure. Pray that his medications can be adjusted to where his blood pressure gets regulated. May His love show and bring peace and understanding at long last.

- Sister Theresa is having issues financially, and emotionally. Please give your thoughts toward God blessing her with His welcoming arms 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.

Opening Song: Help Me Lord!

https://youtu.be/5yL1LrFtx2w?list=PL614A115BF39E5936

Sermon: Well, this segment of David’s writings proves to be very interesting, even intriguing. David is experiencing something many of us are, or have experienced. He is experiencing fear, and wants God to hear him. He needs God’s help and attention. Some of us have forgotten how to ask, how to look at what God’s answers might be. That includes me in that number. It doesn’t matter position, what does matter is how we must remember just what it takes to have God help us. First, let us see how David asks for help and we start that here in Psalm 38:16-17 KJV – For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.

For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.

In verse 17, to halt can also be seen as for halting.

David is sharing his worries, his fears, because those against him are preparing and reinforcing their numbers to attack. He is ready to give up, and sad at that fact. Many of us get to this point, where we just don’t know what to do next, and are prepared to just give up. That’s where God comes in, with the power of prayer. Though, we don’t always remember that one. It takes, sometimes, another point of view to see that we need that. We’ve all, most likely, seen that exact consideration at one point or another in our lives. Let us see what David shares next here in Psalm 38:18 KJV – For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.

We’re not perfect, except through God and Jesus. We often will forget to ask God and Jesus for their assistance, and this is what David speaks about. He says, straight out, I’m sorry, I forgot You were here beside me to help me through every trial and tribulation. Well, David wasn’t the first, nor was he the last. And Job shows us an excellent view of hiding our transgressions under a bushel. We see that here in Job 31:33 KJV – If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine inquity in my bosom:

‘As Adam’ could also be seen as ‘After the manner of men’.

Man and the manner of men would, and could indeed be seen as hiding behind the fear of discovery, that fear of discovering sin as it has been laid out. Adam realized too late, that what had happened was conceived by that which was evil, completely and totally. That’s difficult to see, and sometimes we must admit that much. That’s shared here in this next verse of Psalm 32:5 KJV – I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin, Selah.

We all remember the song that has ‘hide it under a bushel, no’. We often don’t realize we are doing just that when it comes to those afterthoughts, that hindsight, which proves that we are imperfect unless through God. The issue is that we must, absolutely must give our transgressions and our trials and tribulations to God. We must admit to those transgressions, those wrongs, and then also hand over our trials and tribulations. If we don’t do both, we’re just hurting ourselves that much more.

Proverbs 28:13 KJV – He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

This proves the point, that if we just open up and admit things that are going on, mercy can be given, and we can receive it, openly. That’s the whole point of David’s plea. He wants to share that transgression, those trials and tribulations, all at once, and bring them out in the open to prove that he is at least trying to ask God for help.

II Corinthians 7:9 KJV – Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

‘Made sorry after a godly manner’ could also be ‘made sorry we must inform you’.

Learning how to give it up, or share our bad days with God, as they should be shared, is not easy, because we get hit on all sides by sin, by iniquity, by transgressions done by others and witnessed by our selves. We then must look in the mirror to see our own transgressions, and witness them, in order to ask mercy of our Father.

Psalm 38:19-20 KJV – But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.

Word change in verse 19 shows “are lively” to also be considered “being lively or are strong”. Our enemies can be strong, but they can be as much from outside forces as from inside. The forces within can be just as dangerous to our spirits and souls as those from outside. This is something often overlooked. The demons, known as troubles, will attack from all directions, even inside us. You remember those troubles, vanity, envy, lust, enmity, wrath, shame and doubt. We can see those, not only in our selves, but in those around us, and they attack at will, usually when we’re least expecting them. Yet, we should fear no harm from these troubles, if we remember as this next verse shares in I Peter 3:13 KJV – And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

The idea is continued here in I John 3:12 KJV – Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.

We always seem to forget, as David does, that God will only forsake us if we don’t remember. He will be there, if we remember that He is, as He was, as He will always be. He can remove our sins, as He already has through the sacrifice of our Savior, it’s just we forget that. God is our salvation. How is this so? He is such, through Jesus Christ our Savior. The promise given to David, who would know this through God, yet, again forgets as shared here in Psalm 38:21-22 KJV – Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me.

Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

There is a word change, again, in verse 22 where it shares ‘to help me’ which could also be seen as ‘for my help’. We need to remember that God is always there to help us. Every one of us, no matter our stature, no matter our experience, and regardless that we forget as much as we remember. Let us learn to remember, to share, to lean on His everlasting arms. Next we will see some very familiar words, they exist due to despair over whatever situation there would be. In this case it would be, in some ways, premonition as to what is to come. It also is a repetition Jesus manages while hanging on the cross. You recall, at the end, Jesus said ‘It is done’. He spoke of Salvation and the ability to reach it due to His sacrifice.

Psalm 22:1, 11 KJV – My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

These are the reasons we should always look toward God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Exodus 15:2 KJV – The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Isaiah 12:2 KJV – Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

Jesus was already known, even as far back as Job, David, and Isaiah, even Moses as well. He may not have been mentioned by name, but knowledge of His existence was felt, even then. Yet, over and over again, we forget that fact. It is fact, not just our thoughts, but pure fact, just as unconditional love is a fact, or we would hardly exist. Now, that’s something to think about as we pray in the prayer Jesus taught us saying:
After this manner therefore pray ye: 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 KJV)

Closing Song: https://youtu.be/T1m5h7d_bcA?list=PL614A115BF39E5936

Rev. Laura A. Neff ~ The Rainbow Minister Facebook & Twitter & Google+ & Blogspot

Calvin Jennings ~ Elder Facebook & Twitter & Blogster

Covenant of Hope Ministries

Main Site: http://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.

Covenant Of Hope Ministries

MESSENGER

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Sharing With God the Time Where Giving Up Is Near

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