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Welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries and our Sunday sermon. You will normally see us posted in written and live form on Sunday. I am Rev. Laura A. Neff. Our ministry was built on the truth of God’s love. This ministry shares the Word of God, the Spirit of Christ Jesus in a way that we believe embraces the ways Jesus taught us to manage. We bring His Word to the many as opposed to the few, in order to continue the legacy created by the ministry of Jesus Christ. 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 & Linkedin
Wedding officiant page: Wedfolio
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 Evangelist Cal Jennings as he continues to have issues with his equipment for the job that he has and also with his health issues.
- Please keep several friends and other family members in prayer for their trials and tribulations. They have each requested to remain anonymous for the time being. One who has issues with pain. One who has had a time of it with health and other issues at home of late. Yet another two who have financial chaos right now. Several others with insane pain levels in recent weeks and months. May their pain ease sooner rather than later.
- Pray for the economy around this world as inflation and supply chains suffer from extremely high prices for fuel.
- Pray for those who are mourning their loved ones, no matter where they might be. The spiritual comfort will help dry their tears.
- 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 healing to each of our bodies, minds, spirits, and souls. We thank You for these awesome gifts and the many more You have brought us. May our fears be drawn out of us. We pray for enlightenment and understanding while studying Your Word. Help us to see the many gifts Your love brings and the unknown locations it might be found. May peace be brought from our hearts and shared with others. May our pain and sorrow be eased. 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 would 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: Spirit Lead Me ~ Michael Ketterer and Influence Music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ko4yroBP0A
Sermon: We are continuing with the third chapter of Colossians today. The Word is a powerful teacher of men, women, and children of all ages. We learn more and more the further we research and immerse ourselves within God’s Word. This is something God wants us to hold in our hearts and teach others in how the Word transforms each of us. We are all unique, but we also have a great many matching thoughts, feelings, and so on. This is how we can make and keep friends, and, sadly, enemies as well. Paul is sharing how the Word as Christ taught it can be a lifeline to any and all who have the faith and ability to believe in all that God and Jesus can bring us through the Holy Spirit. Let’s begin the last half of chapter three.
Colossians 3:16 KJV – Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
NIV – Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
The message of Christ is to “love one another”, and this is exactly what Paul is sharing. Teach each other, through the Word. Use the Word wisely and teach it in many points of view, including poetry, hymns, and other spiritual songs. Many people tend to memorize things more easily when they are set to music. This is a technique and tactic used by teachers and laypersons, ministers and more, for as long as songs and music have existed. We, all of us, have a favorite song in any and all formulas, and most of us could probably sing them rather decently if we tried hard enough. Growing your faith happens in unique and unusual ways on occasion. This is something Paul realized and recognized quite well. He shares these thoughts with the Romans and Ephesians, and James the Just, younger brother of Jesus, did the same.
Romans 10:17 KJV – So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
NIV – Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Ephesians 5:19 KJV – Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
NIV – speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,
James 5:13 KJV – Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
NIV – Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.
Paul wants all of us to learn that being truly faithful to God the Father, Jesus the Son of God, and the gift of the Holy Spirit is something that will shine through in all the work we manage, in all the things we say and do. It’s important that our love of God’s Word and each other would shine through, even in difficult times as we have all experienced in our lifetimes.
Colossians 3:17 KJV – And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
NIV – And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Paul wants us to remember how to have faith and share our faith with God. This is why he refers us back to the days of the kings in the Old Testament as shared here. Elijah, remember, was one seriously faithful prophet of God’s. In this passage he is building up the people to help them have faith and believe. No simple task, as many Christians know.
1 Kings 18:32 KJV –And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
NIV –With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
Paul again refers to his other letters as well, these to the citizens of Corinth and Ephesus.
1 Corinthians 10:31 KJV –Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
NIV –So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Ephesians 5:20 KJV – Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
NIV – always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Give thanks to God and Jesus for all the things we have before us. Give thanks to God and Jesus for every moment we breathe on this earth. Give thanks to God that He listens and hears our pains and sorrows. And, remember to "love one another” not as the world loves, but as God and Jesus would love us. There is a huge difference. Now, to add to that, we get to the part of most of Paul’s letters that reminds men and women who they are to each other, husbands and wives, grandparents, parents, and children, and each of us has a place in the family.
Colossians 3:18 KJV – Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
NIV – Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
We go back in history to a devout Jewish queen, Esther, and what she has to say about obedience and what it does for all who keep that in mind. Peter says the same thing as Paul, of course.
Esther 1:20 KJV – And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.
NIV – Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”
1 Peter 3:1 KJV –Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
NIV –Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives,
In today’s world it is harder and harder to see the traditions of those early day Christians. It’s also harder and harder to follow through with faith as viewed through the Word that Jesus epitomizes. So many want to find ways to push back, to leave these types of traditions behind. Yet, still, there are three words that continue to ring true in this world and they are quite simple to remember, as Jesus shared, Love One Another, Not As the World Loves, but as God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit would love us.
Colossians 3:19 KJV – Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
NIV – Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
Paul says this same thing in several formats and formulas. Much like Jesus did the same in the parables and other teaching He managed while living here on this earth for thirty-three years. These words, bitterness, harshness, anger, rage, malice, all sound like a repeating record in many sermons. This being a result of the seven troubles. Remember, those seven we’ve talked about many, many times, vanity, envy, lust, enmity, wrath, shame, and doubt. All of them are warned against, not just individually but together as married couples, as brothers and sisters, all of us need to remember that every word we think, hear, or speak, affects each of us differently because we are as unique, even if we are all the same as well. Paul and Peter share this in as many ways as Jesus did the same.
Ephesians 4:31 KJV – Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
NIV – Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
1 Peter 3:7 KJV –Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
NIV –Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
Obedience, a word and definition many actually refuse to pay attention to the way it should be. It’s not easy to be 100% obedient across the board. Why is that? Well, we’re human, of course. Each of us has that one moment in their lives that they throw obedience to the wayside. If we haven’t had it yet, it’ll be there when we least expect it. We’re going to reflect on the fourth commandment. Here is how Paul shares part of those same commandments.
Colossians 3:20 KJV – Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
NIV – Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
We go back into the days of Moses with the moment he received the Ten Commandments written by the hand of God onto the stone tablets.
Exodus 20:12 KJV – Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
NIV – “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
Deuteronomy 5:16 KJV – Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
NIV – “Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
Even the Hebrew prophets in the New Testament proved that the Ten Commandments continued to be pertinent in their day, long after the lifetimes of Moses and Abraham.
Hebrews 13:21 KJV – Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
NIV – equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Paul, again, is proving that three words Jesus spoke, “Love one another” needed to be taught even long after His resurrection. To this day, these three words need to be written on the hearts of all who are faithful in their Christian belief. It’s not easy to manage sometimes, but we must remember, this is the reason we have God, and He gave us Jesus and the Holy Spirit, for comfort in those tougher moments as parents, and as children as well.
Colossians 3:21 KJV – Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
NIV – Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
We see this in a different father’s point of view, in fact, two of them, David and his son, Solomon.
Psalm 103:13 KJV – Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
NIV – As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
Proverbs 4:1-4 KJV – Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
NIV – Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching. For I too was a son to my father, still tender, and cherished by my mother. Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live.
Paul again revisits these thoughts as well.
1 Thessalonians 2:11 KJV –As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
NIV –For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,
Paul wanted people to realize and recognize that this goes beyond family. It extends to the colleagues we work with on a daily basis, the people we meet in the store, on the sidewalks, and any other places we frequent. The hardest part of anything these days is the ideal of slavery and its very existence. The issue is, truly this, yes, in the time when Scriptures were written, it was not unusual to have servants and slaves. What we need to see is the fact that, those who were masters over those slaves had rules to follow as well, God’s rules.
Colossians 3:22 KJV – Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
NIV – Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.
Note how Paul shares the words “earthly masters”. Those masters were taught, just as we have been, that God is in charge. They had to answer to Him if they mistreated their servants. That still proves true to this very day.
Ephesians 6:5-6 KJV – Servants, be obedient
to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling,
in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the
will of God from the heart;
NIV – Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.
Titus 2:9 KJV – Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
NIV – Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them,
Philemon 1:16 KJV – Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?
NIV – no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.
Now, this advice that follows in the letter to the citizens of Colossae would be something we all should work hard to achieve. Sharing our faith and belief is important to cementing that faith in our hearts, minds, spirits, souls, to the very last hair on our bodies, the very last thought in our minds, conscious, unconscious, and subconscious too. There is paradise waiting for those who are faithful to their belief in God’s Unconditional Love. We find some of that here.
Colossians 3:23-24 KJV – And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
NIV – Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
We are going to hop all through Scripture with this pair of verses in the ending of this letter to the church at Colossae. Check out the thoughts that connected to what Paul is sharing with these fellow Christians.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 KJV – Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
NIV – Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
John 12:26 KJV – If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
NIV – Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
Acts 20:32 KJV – And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
NIV – “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
The last verse from the third chapter of Colossians is again a reminder of how those who do wrong are treated and how they then will lose respect from others surrounding them.
Colossians 3:25 KJV – But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
NIV – Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.
Favoritism is something we need to avoid, like the plague and a few other nasty things that might exist in this world. Favoritism is just one thing that can throw everything off center. The reason for this is that, even if there is someone who can do it better, too often it is the employer or whoever choosing someone who is more compliant, more versatile, more charismatic than others who might be just as capable of doing the job they are tasked with. This is a no-no in God’s eyes. God shared that through Moses, and Jesus through the words in the Gospel of Matthew.
Deuteronomy 10:17 KJV – For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:
NIV – For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.
Matthew 16:27 KJV – For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
NIV – For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
Now, that’s something to think about as we pray in the words 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: Living Hope ~ Phil Wickham https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-1fwZtKJSM
~ Shalom ~
Rev. Laura A. Neff
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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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