MESSENGER

Sunday, May 26, 2013

An Exhortation to the Nations

Covenant of Hope Ministries Sunday Sermon_5_26_2013
Good afternoon, and welcome to this Sunday Sermon for Covenant of Hope Ministries. I am Rev. Laura A. Neff, and the ministry knows me as the Rainbow Minister. You can find us posted on Sundays. These are our locations online only:
Rev. Laura’s Other Sites: Facebook & Twitter & Google+ & Blogspot
Our Main Video Feed: Covenant_of_Hope
We have email and Instant Messenger through Facebook available most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays 10AM to 2PM ET US. We’re still working this out between the two of us as to what will happen, our Elder, Cal Jennings and I. I will be informing you further in regard to changes being made. These changes were made due to health reasons. There will be live sermons, and the sermon length will be shortened dramatically, but we are unsure as to when that might be.
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 has grown from last week. This is our current prayer list for this week.
A friend, Jimmy, has suffered a serious burn on his leg from ankle to knee.  Please pray that he heals well, and soon.
Pray for those lost, injured, or missing after the flood in San Antonio, Texas, the tornadoes that hit the Midwest, and
A friend, Heather, has just gone through major surgery. Please pray that she heals well, and quickly.
A friend Steve for his migraines and for his dog who was hurt enough to have surgery this past week.
Continue to pray for the family of Shane Thrift, his wife, daughter, and unborn baby, after a terrible accident, he was taken off life support. They are friends of my niece.
We have a prayer that comes from Pastor Mary Kemuma Moriango, wife to Pastor Richard Nyaitira. He passed away in December. Sadly, he left wife and five children, two boys and three girls. They need prayers for school fees, food, and shelter for them. Pray for the memory of Pastor Richard, for his family, and his friends.
Continue your prayers for Pastor Eric from our Outreach Ministries for financial situations.
Pray that Elder Cal Jennings would heal at last, don’t just pray, claim that God can heal him, because we know He can do just that through the Spirit which was given through Jesus.
Please pray for success for my youngest brother, that his continued education be beneficial toward a great career.
Pray for my daughter as she prepares for her new career.
Pray for my eldest son who is just beginning his collegiate pursuits, that he would grow in his learning and understanding.
Pray for friends Karen, Christie, her son Calvin, Art, Heather, Chris and his family, Jackie and her father, Debby, Tom, Teresa, Hope, during the start of the year for their issues of many forms.
Pray for Fran who is suffering a lot of pain and other issues.
Pray for my friend Grace as she has had pretty bad migraines. Pray also that her stepson would make the right decisions. They are having a hard time, may we have praise from the LORD.
Pray for my friend Laura who continues to heal.
Pray that observations made in health and in family will lead to the discovery of answers for us. Pray that the Lord will find a way for my family to reach the ability to solutions that are necessary for health, shelter, and more. Praise the LORD more than half of those issues have been solved. There are family members who continue to need prayer. Claim that God knows and will be there.
Pray that pain, which all who we love and care about may suffer, would ease, no matter the type of pain it would be.
Continue your prayers for the continued success for little Phoebe Faire. She is doing very well. Praise the Lord.
Pray for our outreach ministries, and all on their separate prayer lists, no matter where in this world they would be.
Pray for all the members of Covenant of Hope Ministries and all those who they reach out to. May each of the members find grace and peace in His love.
Pray for our leaders, local, state, federal and around the world. That they make good decisions for the many.
May the LORD allow us to claim His truth and His healing hands. May we listen and hear and understand what those things we listen to and hear as well.
Monday is Memorial Day here in the United States. Let us remember that freedom has been fought for by many a brave soul in many ways. We celebrate our soldiers, who fought, win or lose, to protect their fellow citizens, just as Jesus did for all of us. John 15:13 KJV says this: No greater love hath anyone than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Prayer: Father in heaven, we thank You for this day and for these who are here to share it with us. We are thankful and blessed to have You with us through Your Son Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit. We know that You already know every want, and every need. We bring prayers for each of those who are in pain or sorrow both on our list and in our hearts. We bring you prayers for those we know and those we don’t, friend, and enemy, that we find a way to reach toward unconditional love. We pray these prayers in Your Holy Name through Jesus Christ our Savior and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so it shall be.

Sermon: The title of this psalm is An Exhortation to the Nations, *A Psalm for the sons of Korah, also said to be A psalm of the sons of Korah. What does it mean an exhortation? It means to offer a plea. They are pleading, the sons of Korah are pleading or being pled for. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at what is said here in Psalm 47:1-2 KJV – O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.
God is good. He is great. He is mighty. These are worthy of triumphant shouts, of glorifying, of sharing in every point of view. It should be more than one of us. It should be all of us. It is another view of ‘fear not’, just in a more joyful manner. We can see some of that here in Deuteronomy 7:21 KJV – Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.
Don’t be afraid, that’s what these words mean, God is with us. He is mighty, and strong, and works for you, with you, in you. That’s what the beautiful part of this is. He is all of those things, so, fear not.
Nehemiah 1:5 KJV – And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
We often wonder what those commandments are, and if we can keep them. We do if we remember to love one another, not necessarily as the best of friends, but as humans. It is more than just liking or loving someone the way we see either of those. It is respecting each other for who we are. Sparing those who don’t understand is something we must work at. What’s meant by that, you wonder? You can’t make everyone believe and not everyone can do the same for you. God will either be accepted, or rejected, and sometimes would sit somewhere in the middle for people.
Malachi 1:14 KJV – But cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.
The unbelievers, the heathen, a former name for the Gentiles, sacrificing just to sacrifice means nothing, and actually would be seen as corrupt. When you don’t share your faith, with YOURSELF, with all of your heart, then what’s the point of owning it, or sharing it? This is what God means. He wants us to see HIM with every part of our hearts, because it will include mind, spirit, body, and soul. Now, that’s an interesting view of the mind and body experience.
Psalm 47:3 KJV – He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.
Who are the people under us, the nations under us? Those are the ones who choose to be unbelievers, deceivers, you see, like life or death, it is a choice to be good or not to be, to believe or not to believe.
Psalm 18:47 KJV – It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
God takes care of us. He will steer us away from those who would bring us harm, or show them their misdeeds, misconceptions and more. This is something we often don’t know how to do alone. It requires His guidance. That’s one thing we often fail to allow Him to give, or to bring.
Psalm 47:4 KJV – He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.
What inheritance did God choose for us? He chose to give us a choice to follow Him or not to, through a son of David, child of Jacob, a prophet loved by God, and proven in so many ways. Stop and think about it, our inheritance is chosen because HE LOVES US FOR WHO WE ARE. That’s a beautiful thing. It truly is an awe inspiring ideal. Yet, do we see it? Do we recognize it?
I Peter 1:4 KJV – To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.
His inheritance for us is never going to go away. Nothing can corrupt it, defile it, or cause it to disappear. Every part of it would be reserved, held safely, just for us. 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)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=KwsvqVmFV6Y
~Shalom~
Rev. Laura A. Neff ~ The Rainbow Minister Facebook & Twitter & Google+ & Blogspot
Calvin Jennings ~ Elder Facebook & Twitter & Blogster
Covenant of Hope Ministries
Our Main Video Feed: Covenant_of_Hope
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 or Study Copyright © 2012 http://covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com/

Our mission for Covenant of Hope Ministries and Poetic-Expressions is not to exploit fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all that is created through fear together as the rainbow in the darkness.

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