MESSENGER

Sunday, May 24, 2020

His Blessed Assurance Is Our Greatest Hope


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 & 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.

- Please continue to pray for Elder Cal Jennings and his health issues, which are numerous. He has been doing well since his surgery on another crushed vertebra in his back this past Tuesday. Continue to pray for his health as he soldier’s on. 

- Please pray for faith and hope boosters to help bless Sister Theresa Bogard.

- Please pray for a friend of mine, Heather T.B.’s brother Donny who has survived his brain surgery and is on the long road toward healing.

- Please pray for a dear friend and colleague who has learned they have very serious problems with her back and more. She has had many issues, including injuries that are taking a good while to heal. Help me help this friend of mine with strength of compassion and more.

- Please pray for those suffering COVID-19 Coronavirus, Influenza, and all the other diseases being suffered around this world. May they be cured, healed, and praise the LORD for the gifts of life and health. Some I have come across through groups and friendship online include Jillian and Eli Hill, Sara Farrow, Brendan, and Kenzi Murphy’s daughter.

- 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, including Kaylee Roberts’ son who is suffering from pneumonia.

Prayer: Father in heaven, this is our prayer for today. We have many who are ill and need Your healing touch to reach out to many of those around us, including those who have contracted the COVID-19 virus, pneumonia, survived brain surgery, and more. We bring to you the doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel who are helping fight the battle for these illnesses. We add to them the ones who must work to keep this world functioning in vital jobs, that they stay healthy and safe. 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: Hope Has A Name https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZrdtaevu0Y


Sermon: We continue with our sermons celebrating hope and how important it is to hold on to hope as Christians in this world. Today we will focus on the scroll of Hebrews and a few others compliment the view of hope we all should have. Let’s start here. 

Hebrews 3:6 KJV – But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

It is very difficult sometimes to stick to something through until the end, but it is very important to push through the fear, the anxiety, and so on. Hope is all about pushing through the pain, and all the rest of the chaos this world brings us. That’s something that all of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ had to manage to continue the message of God’s Unconditional Love after the Resurrection. When we do that pushing through, we become what everyone should be as shared here by Peter. 

1 Peter 2:5 KJV – Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Going further in the interpretation of what true hope for salvation is we look again into the experience and teaching of the Hebrews here. 

Hebrews 6:11 KJV – And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. These words are more than the lyrics to a Christian song. Without doubt, they bring comfort and elation at the fact that Jesus is ours, in heart, mind, body, spirit, and soul. Jesus ripped that veil so that we could see the truth, the light, the way that He blazed forward into eternal life.
 
Hebrews 6:18-19 KJV – That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

It takes the application of true knowledge when it comes to Scripture. Utilizing the gift of God’s love within the Word is the way Jesus would want us to study. Having key thoughts and actions pursued in our study of the Word of God will allow our spiritual selves grow in faith, in love, in hope, and understanding. Thus, gaining us wisdom. 

Hebrews 7:19 KJV – For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

Remember, law is only one thing. The understanding of what it does and how it does so is the important part. When God created this world, He knew that there would be issues at some point. He was ready to remedy that series of issues that began in the Garden of Eden. It took many generations of mankind to manage it, and the willingness of man and woman, to bring about the most amazing gift, the living Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Paul shared his view of hope in the gift of his dear friend Jesus, long after the death and resurrection, along with the ascension of The Savior. He shared this hope with many people in many different places. Here he is speaking with the residents of Rome.

Romans 5:2 KJV – By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Now, Peter’s approach is slightly different when it comes to teaching the true and amazing view of salvation through the gift of our Savior Jesus Christ. He did so even more when he wrote of his experiences as a leader shepherding in those who were willing to grow their faith. Here we see his views as he speaks with those around him. 

1 Peter 1:3 KJV – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Hope is something many of the followers of Jesus had to hang on to after His resurrection. It’s one element of the greatest gift that continues to give us more than a wish, or a dream, but an honest to goodness hope. In truth, hope is a view of protection for each and every one of us. That small gift of God’s love does so much for hearts, minds, spirits, and souls, protecting all parts of our inner beings, that it requires a complex and complete view of all the aspects and unique qualities hope contains. 

1 Peter 1:13 KJV – Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

1 Peter 1:21 KJV – Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

1 Peter 3:15 KJV – But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Peter learned a great deal in his reaction to the moment Jesus was arrested. In that lesson, as hard as it was, Peter realized just why he had been chosen as an Apostle of Christ. His lessons after the resurrection are important for us to study, discuss, share and more. 

1 John 3:3 KJV – And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Hope in HIM purifies us in our faith, in our every moment we share that faith. That’s the single most important lesson we could learn. If we continue to hold that HOPE close to our hearts, minds, bodies, souls, then share it with those around us, we are doing exactly as Jesus would do. We are following His path toward eternal life, the one promise that brings hope to the surface in everyone’s life. 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: Crowder ~ All My Hope

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tElvdnId4Q

~ Shalom ~

Rev. Laura A. Neff


Elder Calvin Jennings


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 © 2020 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.

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