Something to Ponder

Covenant of Hope Ministries Sunday Sermon_4_13_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:

Main Site: http://covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com/

Rev. Laura’s Other Sites: Facebook & Twitter & Google+ & Blogspot

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 Elder Cal Jennings in your prayers as he is very sick spending most of his week extremely weak and in bed.

- Please pray for my friend Teresa’s sister who is in stage four cancer.

- Please keep our member Wayne Bartosh in prayer for his trials and tribulations that he may receive mercy and hope in Jesus.

- Please keep an elderly couple in your prayers still, they are in their eighties, and the woman just had surgery. She came out of it well, and is healing. May the Lord bless them and keep the two together, even if just for a little while here on this earth.

- 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.

- Please keep my whole family in prayer for the pain, suffering, and chaos we are going through. My physical being is very weak still. Those who have seen pictures have said so. Thankfully, with a new medication the dizzy spells have lessened. Praise God and Jesus for that.

- 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.

- Pray that I may be able to get in touch with all of our membership, even with the shortest of notes, just to say hello and I’m thinking about each of you.

- 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.

- Please keep a friend, Debby, in your prayers for a swift recovery after major cancer surgery.

- Continue your prayers for Phoebe Fair’s family as they continue to grieve her loss.

- 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.

- 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 bring up to you in prayer our friends, family, and membership who would be in pain, sorrow, or suffer difficulties of any kind. We pray that they may be healed, brought solace, and given mercy. We pray for those who we wouldn’t know that would also be in pain, suffering sorrow, or difficulties. We do all of this in Your Holy Name through the Savior Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so it shall be.

Opening Song: Prayer of Saint Francis: Spiritual Music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVZKi2smQlI

Sermon: When I first started as a minister I remembered an old teacher I had would end her, well I guess you could call them classes, with the words ‘think about it’. As young as I was, being just a little girl, I asked the elderly teacher why she used those words at the end of every lecture. She looked at me and laughed. I didn’t hide my surprise at the reaction. She patted one of the chairs and asked me if I had to be anywhere soon. Of course, at that time my next activity wasn’t for two hours. She leaned against the back of another chair and he said, ‘in the old days when I was younger than you are, I had a teacher, a minister, who would end every sermon with the words ‘think about it’. Like you, I asked why he did. He too laughed and said, ‘well, if you don’t think about it, ponder it, the whole study won’t do more than hang there in the middle of your mind, now will it?’ That minister was, by the time I was the same age as my professor, long gone, of course. I was twenty. I had studied the scriptures since I was nine, just reading them. When summer break would come I’d spend two weeks down in southern Missouri with her and my great grandmother. It was a great learning experience. My grandmother took over that teaching alone just a few years later, even from a distance, through letters she would send me. I have kept as many as I could find. When you think about it, no matter how strong or weak your mind would seem to be, the stories of the past, whether they be brought by our own experiences, or by those of our elders, can come to the surface. So, with that, the Lord decided I must ponder through His words and not just through one point of view. We’ll start here.

Nehemiah 5:7 NIV – I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles, and the officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them.

It is interesting to see that pondered is found in the NIV yet not in the King James. In the King James you’ll find consulted and nobles and kings in place of nobles and officials. The last part says he called a large assembly against them. In the Aramaic you’ll find patient and only that he consulted with the elders and rulers. We see pondered, notice, only in the King James. The New American Standard Bible says I consulted with myself. Why do we see the change from pondered to consulted? Add to that, why not say ‘asked myself’ or ‘asked the elders and rulers’. Is there something in that word consulted, or even in pondered? Deep thought, that’s what ponder means. What’s the difference between deep thought and consulting oneself? Now, that’s something to think about. But, let’s see what more we can find in relation to the word ponder.

Psalm 64:9 Aramaic – And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider the work of his hands.

The New International versions changes men to people. Wisely consider is written as ponder. Yet, both the Aramaic and the New American Standard Bible share the words wisely consider, and all men shall fear. With the next verse I will just have to share all versions with you. There are too many views to write down all the different aspects so it’s just better to let you see them all.

Psalm 107:43 KJV – Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindess of the LORD.

NIV – Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the LORD.

NASB - Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things, And consider the lovingkindnesses of the LORD.

Aramaic – Whosoever is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.

Did you notice something with these verses? The New International Version is the ONLY one to use the word ponder. The others use consider, or understand. Note also, in the Aramaic is the word lovingkindness, or patience. Those are intriguing differences, yet similarities at once. What is it about Scripture that has us seeing things so differently, or, in some cases, identically? Do we realize how often we might read history from different views and yet see the same thing? Notice it says whoso or whosoever, and then let the one who is kind. Two of the four say observe, the NASB, and the NIV. The KJV and the Aramaic both say heed. There too is an interesting difference, yet similarity as well.

When we ponder something, we pay attention and do some deep thinking. Paying heed and observing patiently, as well as understanding all say the same, in different points of view. It takes paying attention, patience in our observation, and understanding to ponder, or think a lot about things. Why is it we get them separately in place of together? Now, there’s a good question. Let’s go take a look at the next one.

Psalm 111:2 NIV – Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them.

Here we go again. The only one with the word ponder is the New International. The NASB says studied. The Aramaic and King James both say sought out. Think deeply about it, study it, seek it out. The interesting thing is, the verse says all three, AT ONCE, as opposed to individually. Again, that’s a mystery as to why it is chosen to say them singularly, as opposed to together.

Psalm 119:95 NIV – The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder your statutes.

Here we go again with the different views. For the King James we find I will consider. With the New American Standard we find I shall diligently consider. The Aramaic says I understand. Again, they all go together, fitting hand in hand, yet, it’s like looking at one of those books of synonyms as opposed to fully clarifying.

What is it about the different versions clarifying, or sort of fitting like puzzle pieces, all of them the same but different? It is as though they are seeing it through one set of eyes, but writing as though they see it through another, a spiritual set of eyes. Now, that is quite intriguing.

Ecclesiastes 12:9 NIV – Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs.

NASB – In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs.

KJV – And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

Aramaic – And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed and sought out and composed many proverbs.

Notice how all of the versions say preacher, save the New International, which says teacher. The New American Standard and the New International both share the word ponder, in place of gave good heed, which would be found in the Aramaic and the King James. What is the difference between a preacher and a teacher? Is it these tiny tweaks that change the viewpoints of so many Christians? There are quite a few even with just this one word, ponder. Sitting in deep thought is something we see throughout Scripture, yet we don’t even think about that fact, regardless that it is spoken of in at least a thousand different ways.

Isaiah 14:16 NIV – Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble,

NASB – Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, “Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook the kingdoms,

KJV – They that see thee, shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, “Is this the man who made the earth to tremble, that did shake the kingdoms,

Aramaic – Those who see you shall stare at you and consider you, saying, Is this the man who made the earth to tremble, who shook kingdoms;

Stare at you, two show this view as others staring, watching, Aramaic and the New International. The King James would show narrowly looking upon you, or focusing only on Him. To focus, or to stare, which is more accurate? The last is the New American Standard, which shares the word gaze as opposed to stare or narrowly looking. They seem like they are varying strengths of looking at someone or something. Don’t they? There are many questions as to why the different authors, or editors, whichever you wish to consider them, would take them and see differences where there may be none. These tiny changes may not seem like a lot, but it all depends on the perception you have when you read them, fully, in context. The next to notice would be in the word ponder, which you see, again, in two of the four versions, the New International and the New American Standard. The King James and the Aramaic both show the word consider. It is interesting to see them split in half as opposed to singularly, or two that are identical and then two that are different from both each other, and the ones identical. We have just two verses left to look at for the word ponder. Let’s see what they have to share.

Isaiah 33:18 NIV – In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror: “Where is that chief officer? Where is the one who took the revenue? Where is the officer in charge of the towers?”

KJV – Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? Where is the receiver? Where is he that counted the towers?

NASB – Your heart will meditate on terror: “Where is he who counts? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who counts the towers?”

Aramaic – Your heart shall learn reverence. Where is the scribe? Where is the weigher? Where is he who counted towers for a mighty people?

Well, well, look what we have here? There are two that share the words meditate, as opposed to ponder, which again is in the New International. The King James and the New American Standard both show meditate. The Aramaic shares something similar but different. In this case it’s shall learn reverence. Think deeply, meditate, those certainly could be considered equal or synonyms to one another, learning reverence, now, does that combine them or add to them? In the dictionary reverence is considered a deep respect. Notice that they weigh in differently, one stresses more than others, why is that? Is it simply due to interpretation? Is there something more? Over the many years I have ‘pondered’ or sincerely sat there and thought about things. There are the standard ‘what do I do?’ questions, as there are ‘how do I change this?’ and so on. We often wonder whether it’s just thinking, or meditating, or even fretting and worrying. Learning reverence is like learning to see things in a different view, respecting the decisions, the choices you make, as a path you chose for the reasons that presented themselves. Now let’s see what our last verse will share.

Luke 2:19 KJV – But Mary kept all of these things, and pondered them in her heart.

NIV – But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

NASB – But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

Aramaic – But Mary treasured all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

Notice that every version says exactly, or near exactly, the same thing, all but word for word. Also note, this is the only verse in all the verses that would do so. She treasured everything in three of the four, and kept everything in the first, the King James. Perhaps it is His will that has us looking at the word ponder. Perhaps it is more than this. He is assisting us in thinking deeply regarding the differences, and similarities, synonymous thoughts found in each of the versions, and still those that seem to, at first look, hook together, as opposed to being synonymous. One being on the same page, and the others being one page and the next, side by side. Let us realize that sometimes deep meditation, reverence, or pondering our situations would indeed be exactly what God has wanted us to do in the first place, before making decisions of any kind. 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: Here I Am Lord http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcxOkht8w7c

~Shalom~

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/

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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

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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.