You Have to Share Mercy for It to Be Shown and Shared with You

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.

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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 that his boredom be eased with music and more.

- 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: God of Mercy (Prayer Song) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnSm1wLCNPw

Sermon: This day had me thankful that there are those who are merciful and practice with the gift of mercy. There is so much we see in this world where no mercy can be found. This is one reason to actually teach what mercy would be. What is it? Mercy is compassion, pity, benevolence, this is a kindness shown toward someone that’s done something wrong, or even an enemy. Remember the prayer Jesus taught us asked us to forgive each other. That is part of being merciful. What can happen to our hearts, spirits and souls if we do? Let’s take a look at what Scripture has to say.

Proverbs 11:17 KJV – The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

We’ve seen a lot of cruelty in this world. What happens if we show cruelty toward another? Well, in a lot of ways we pay for it, whether it is by the hands of another, justice in the hands of the people, or some other means. Yet there still would be something Jesus taught us in the Sermon on the Mount found here.

Matthew 5:7 KJV – Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Jesus proves even now that He is merciful, as our Father is the same. How so you might ask? Well, we’re alive to tell the story, share our own as we follow in faith and love. That’s exactly how He is merciful. He gives us the chance to follow, no matter what. Forgive us our trespasses, that’s bringing mercy toward us. If we forgive, He will do the same for us even if the ones we forgive would not do the same toward us.

Psalm 18:25 KJV – With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;

We are good people if we share mercy. Those who share mercy with us would also prove to be good in one way or another. It is no easy thing to share mercy, to offer mercy. It prove there is something good in each and every one of us. What happens when we don’t show mercy? Well, He has something to say about that through yet another of the Apostles.

James 2:13 KJV – For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Now, James, being the younger brother of Jesus, was very good at telling it like it is, no holds’ barred. He didn’t waste words. In fact he was straight to the point in seconds and usually makes you think twice as you read, and re-read, his words. Mercy, when we don’t show it, will not be shown to us. Who will not show us that mercy? Jesus won’t even when He wants to do so. That’s where it comes up to the day of Judgment. When we show mercy it is noticed, not just by those around us, but by Jesus Himself. Now that’s something to think about as we pray in the prayer that 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 ~

Rev. Laura A. Neff

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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 or Study Copyright © 2015 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.