Covenant of Hope
Ministries Sunday Sermon_3_2_2014
Good
afternoon, and welcome to this Sunday Sermon for Covenant of Hope Ministries. I
am Rev. Laura A. Neff. The ministry knows me as the Rainbow Minister. Find us
posted on Sundays and studies on Wednesday. Our locations are online only:
Our Main Video Feed: Covenant_of_Hope
We
have email (instant messenger if you need me) through Facebook every day. These
are now extremely variable. We’re still working this out between the two of us
as to what will happen, our Elder, Cal Jennings and I. I will inform you
further regarding changes. These changes were made due to health reasons. The
sermon length has shortened dramatically. We are unsure as to when there might
be video presentations.
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.
- Please keep a friend, Debby, in your prayers for continued
recovery after successful major cancer surgery.
- Continue your prayers for Phoebe Fair’s family as they
continue to grieve her loss.
- Please keep Elder Cal Jennings in your prayers as his health
doesn’t know where it wants to be. He has had very few days where he could get
off his bed.
- Please pray for my friend Teresa’s sister who is in stage four
cancer. Keep Teresa and her daughter in prayer for many other things that have
been weighing down on their hearts, minds, and spirits.
- Please keep others known by any of us up in prayer for
whatever they might need.
- Please keep my friend Heather in prayer for patience and safe
haven.
- Let us keep those who have suffered from the weather in
prayer, as they continue to weather the storms, the cold, and the dangers that
can be found within them.
- Please keep my whole family in prayer for the pain, suffering,
and chaos we are going through. I have been to three doctors since January and
am going to a fourth tomorrow. May the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit
be there with the hearts and spirits of my friends and family.
- Pray that the adversity and the pain we have seen around the
world would be relieved, and swept away. May we find common ground in many
ways, even if we start with just one step.
- Remember those who have been lost either violently or
peacefully this week.
- Keep the ministry in your thoughts, each member, no matter
their location, their circumstances, because a group of friends, a ministry,
should support one another.
- There are many in our ministry who are searching for more in
regard to our presence with my health, and with the health of others. We pray
that there would be health found once more, and that we have answers to all and
for all.
Prayer:
Father in heaven, we thank You for this day and for these who
are here to share it with us. We thank you for the blessings of hope and
inspiration, that they might continue in our lives. We pray for those in pain,
no matter the type it would be. We pray for those in hardship, as many would
walk that path right now with the hope that there will be a better tomorrow. We
pray all of these in Your Holy Name through the Savior Jesus Christ and the
gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so it shall be.
Opening
Song:
Hey Brother http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-fnvfs0h0A
Sermon:
Well,
today’s sermon is an inspiration brought in the wee hours of this day. As I
have often said before, He loves to bring interesting views to us. Today He
wants me to bring up something Elder Cal and I have spoken about more than
once. Yet, in this case, we would also see something to go with it. Let’s start
here in
Matthew 18:19-20 KJV – Again I say unto you, That if two
of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall
be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I
in the midst of them.
When
first introduced it is often believed that the two or more would need to be in
the same location, sitting side by side or face to face. Where, in fact, if we
believe in similar fashion and seek each other, no matter the method, then we
are those two or more, because we are gathered together ON EARTH. As we all
know, earth in its entirety is a very big place. Let’s see what more the Gospel
of Matthew has to say as we share Matthew 5:24 KJV
– Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go
thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Oh
and His inspiration gets better. Brother to brother, let us reconcile, let us
forgive each other and come together, bring peace from each other’s hearts and
give it away to those who need it, and those who we know we need peace to be
shared. That’s something so many find difficult where it should hardly be such.
If Jesus could speak to lepers, Gentiles, and so many views of the Jews, then
we can learn together to bring peace to our Brothers and Sisters around this
world, no matter who they are, what they believe, how they believe, or where
they live. Let us continue in the exploration with James
5:16 KJV – Confess your faults one to
another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.
Oh
yes, look here, tell each other, when you speak, write, or otherwise that you
aren’t perfect. Many of us get angry, and bring that anger out of us. There are
times when it may seem we’re denying our faith, or even choosing ideals that
are contrary to the teachings of Jesus. There are many who would accuse without
basis, because they read what is written one way when the intention was to be
entirely different. It is when we begin to ask each other what we meant where
we will find understanding, and that, my friends, would bring peace, in His
everlasting love, brother to brother, sister to sister, family to family. Let’s
see what else could be shared as we go to I John
3:22 KJV – And whatsoever we ask, we receive
of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing
in his sight.
Oh
here you go, ask, and we shall receive, for though we might fall off the path,
go backwards, or get confused and stop to stand still, there are ways to change
that. What would that be? Bring hope, faith, and love to our Brothers and
Sisters and we will find our path once more, that is the gift He brings to us,
HOPE. Let’s continue as we read here in
Ezekiel 48:35 KJV – It was round about eighteen
thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day will be, The LORD is
there.
So,
what is being shared here? JESUS and the HOLY SPIRIT, and GOD Himself. How
awesome that is. In a city named The LORD is there. Well, truth be told, this
shares exactly what Jesus was saying time and again, where two or more are
gathered. It doesn’t matter whether you are standing or sitting together in the
same room. What matters is that our hearts hear one another, or spirits would
be there. That is the most important thing that Jesus is, as He was, teaching
us. Let’s see more of this as we share the words from Zechariah
2:5 KJV – For I, saith the LORD, will be
unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.
A ring of fire. Did any ever consider that the ring might actually be a
good thing? You see, Jesus walks THROUGH the fire. God does the same. Remember
the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Surely, if
they hadn’t believed with all their hearts, they would have burned. Yet, with
the hearts and souls the three believed, and the Spirit of God was with them.
That’s what is needed with each of us, belief in the fact that the Spirit of
God is standing or sitting beside us, ALWAYS, not just once in a while. This is
why the spirits of our family, friends, would be beside us as well, because God
brings our spirits together. Let us remember that for those spirits to always
be heard we must also bring our words into play, whether in writing, by a phone
call or some other means of communication. It is amazing what comfort can be
found in the voice of another, no matter written or spoken, for even written,
it is spoken, the Bible for example.
Matthew 28:20 KJV – Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto
the end of the world. Amen.
He
is with us ALWAYS, until the end of the world. What does that mean we should be
teaching to observe all things, always? It means we should share what we see,
each of us, one to another, so that we might bring together our thoughts, our
feelings, and more, no matter what the discussion would involve. This is the
ultimate in being two or more gathered together. What is it? We must
communicate with each other. Communication is vital to our continuing faith,
not just with each other, but within our selves as well. 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: Brother
~Shalom~
Covenant
of Hope Ministries
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.
I'll admit. This sermon made me cry. I am particularly depressed today and I had all but given up hope. I'm sure that there will be better days. For now I just need a lot of prayer.
ReplyDeleteYou're getting it from this direction. That's one reason I've been trying to be positive with you. It's not easy for either of us with everything going on health wise and all the rest. This sermon was an inspiration. It fits two or more of yours from this year. It shares something many don't realize needs sharing. You and I do for too many reasons to count at the moment.
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