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Welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries and our Sunday sermon. I am Rev. Laura A. Neff. This ministry shares the Word of God, the Spirit of Christ Jesus. Our ministry was created with twelve people around this world back in 2008. Each of us shares God’s Word in ways He guides us to utilize. 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 & LinkedIn
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.
- Pray for our mothers, grandmothers, living or deceased, in thanksgiving for what they all sacrificed for each of us as we celebrate Mother’s Day here in the U.S.
- Please continue to pray for Evangelist Cal Jennings and his health issues, which are numerous. He has been having issues with his pain, vision, and memory.
- Please pray for my son and daughter-in-law as her father fights cancer for the fifth time. Pray also for my daughter-in-law’s entire family as they soldier on through this terrible disease her father is suffering from. May the Lord bless them with patience and courage in these darkened days.
- Pray that another dear friend gets good news in the coming weeks regarding their healing process going well.
- We continue to be ever watchful in regard to the battle for Ukraine on the other side of the world. We pray for strength and courage when we hear the news about the atrocities occurring so far away. We pray for all those who are affected by the terrible things going on there. We mourn for the families and the massive loss of life. We also pray for everything that is affected as a result of the economic issues that are occurring worldwide.
- Pray for our friends and family members that they are able to find peace, develop patience, and share love and hope with those who surround them.
- Be thankful for each day we live as we do not know what tomorrow brings.
- Pray for all of our outreach ministries with Pastor Stephen Okoth, Pastor Robert Nganwa, Pastor Simon Peter Javaji, Rev. Lisa Tyler, and all the others who have joined us.
- Pray for our nations that the voice of God be heard through the Spirit.
- Pray for those who are jobless, homeless, no matter what might have ended up causing either of those. Pray that providence would find them and ease the suffering.
- Pray for those suffering as a result of famine, fires, droughts, floods, and more chaos caused by the weather conditions and other terrors that have occurred just this past week around this world.
- Pray for our sick and wounded that they may heal.
- Pray that truth is revealed where falsehoods have been shared around this world.
Mother’s Day Poem
Prayer: Father in heaven, this is our prayer for today. We pray for all the mothers around this world for all they sacrifice while raising their children. We continue to pray for the ones suffering as a result of shootings and unrest around this world. We pray for the citizens of Ukraine who are fighting for their sovereignty and their freedom. We pray for those who have lost their lives on all sides of this chaos. We pray for those who have been sick, become refugees fighting for life, torn apart due to war or other circumstances, or are in mourning. We continue to keep Elder Cal Jennings in our prayers as well. We pray for our friend Dena who has been suffering with a grave illness and epilepsy for far too long. We pray for our families and friends, for the sick and the homeless. We pray for the refugees and the wrongfully imprisoned. 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: Randy Travis ~ When Mama Prayed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysD26jCseAM
Sermon: We have been focusing our attention to the various epistles, letters, written to the churches all over the place in Asia Minor, Greece, Italy, and other locations. Today we will complete the first chapter of Titus. Now, in order to place this last segment of the first chapter clearly in our minds, I was led to reach back to last Sunday’s sermon to gain more clarity in what Titus is sharing. Let’s begin here.
Titus 1:9-11 KJV – Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
NIV – He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.
Deceivers, Titus shares, filthy lucre, he adds. We remember what filthy lucre is, ill-gotten monetary gains. Basically, cheaters who won’t shut up about their money, their position in society, and so on. This is frowned upon by the truly devout, and even with some who are still struggling with their faith as they reach toward a righteous life. This is what is shared by Paul and Timothy.
2 Thessalonians 2:15 KJV – Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
NIV – So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
Hang on, it’s a bumpy ride! That’s what Paul is sharing. In no form or fashion did they sugar coat the truth of faith and righteousness and the path toward it. In this world today, it is easier than turning around to fall off the righteous, faithful, path toward God and Jesus. It is so easy, we often don’t even realize we’ve fallen clean off the path, mainly because all the evil in this world disguises itself incredibly well. That’s why Timothy shares this.
1 Timothy 1:19 KJV – Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
NIV – holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.
Faith is an amazing little mustard seed that grows toward an amazing height, through belief and sharing that belief in order to grow in faith and faithfulness. Paul and the Apostles learned this the hard way, as their leader, Jesus, was very, very good at pointing out the deceit, miscommunication, and other evil and wickedness that was going on in His time on this earth as a man.
Romans 16:17 KJV – Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
NIV – I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.
Paul’s warnings mimic those of his Teacher, Jesus. This is where these lessons were learned as shared in the Gospel of Matthew.
Matthew 23:14 KJV – Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
NIV –Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
Titus, in these next two verses, speaks about rebuking people who are obviously liars, and cheaters. What does that mean? Call them out! Reprimand them for their wrongdoings. This is something people often get confused about. How do we spot those who are doing this evil? How can we pay attention to how we teach, preach, and lead our lives if all this evil surrounds us and is literally, in some ways, and figuratively, in too many ways, part of life as we have always known it? It’s not easy, and Jesus promised that it wouldn’t be. We fall into those traps that are unseen too often, and this is why we should study more, and put that studying into practice. Let’s see what Titus shares next.
Titus 1:12–13 KJV – One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
NIV – One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith
Now, Titus didn’t think too highly of those who lived on the island of Crete, and his words definitely prove that. Even worse, the Cretan’s themselves prove that opinion to have validity. Paul and the others saw quite a lot of the blasphemy, the unbelief, and the ones who would simply ignore the evil and wickedness surrounding them. We know, in this world today, turning a blind eye to the evil that exists will get us nowhere near Heaven’s gate when that final day, Judgment Day, arrives.
Philippians 3:19 KJV – Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
NIV – Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.
Titus is now closing out this chapter, reminding the citizens not to believe in fables and fairy tales that are heard. The true way toward the path of Jesus is to ignore all that stuff, push it out of the lives and lifetimes we live, and pursue truth, faith, hope, unconditional love, as Jesus taught us.
Titus 1:14-16 KJV – Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
NIV – and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.
Saying it, and practicing what you say you believe, have to go hand in hand. You can’t say it and do the opposite. People pay attention more than you might think. They also can be as forgetful as they are thoughtful. It is due to this failure to remember that so many need to re-read, re-learn, all that Scripture has for us. Timothy, Jesus, and even Isaiah point this fact out as shared here.
2 Timothy 4:4 KJV – And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
NIV – They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
Myths, a story to make sense of the things that are everyday things in this world. They explained what scientifically is known as day and night, stars and comets, water, wind, all of those phenomena that we know God created all by Himself so that we could be here right now. Remember, faith is an epic tale, it has its rough patches, its failures, and all that, but it still hangs on so long as we hang on to it. This is what Jesus has to say.
Luke 11:41 KJV – But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
NIV – But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.
We fail, we falter, and often it is because we are not paying the right amount of attention toward something we are pursuing or doing in life. That’s what Isaiah shares here.
Isaiah 59:13 KJV – In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
NIV – rebellion and treachery against the LORD, turning our backs on our God, inciting revolt and oppression, uttering lies our hearts have conceived.
Now we see in our last verse of the day, that paying attention to the little things, and to the required things of life, providing sustenance, keeping family in good health, and that kind of thing, is part of this walk toward complete righteousness in faith. We can’t just look out for ourselves alone. We have family, friends, colleagues, whom we all should want to be a part of the greatest gift on earth.
1 Timothy 5:8 KJV –But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
NIV – Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
What is the greatest voyage on this earth? Love, my friends, unconditional love, is the greatest, most glorious, amazing gift that God has given, and which we should hang on to, no matter what. 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: Gena Hill ~ A Mother’s Love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V4PM1oL7Xs
~ Shalom ~
Rev. Laura A. Neff
Evangelist 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 © 2022 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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