https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4j1igPfApk
Welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries and our combined written and live Sunday sermon, which is normally broadcast every Sunday. I am Rev. Laura A. Neff. Our ministry was built on the truth of God’s love, sharing the Word of God, the Spirit of Jesus Christ 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.
You will find us in the following location: http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
Rev. Laura’s other sites: Blogspot & Twitter & Linkedin & USAlife & YouTube & Twitch & TruthSocial & Instagram & Facebook
Wedding officiant page: Wedfolio & Wedding Chicks
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.
- We pray for JB’s family as they return to their homes after saying a final earthly farewell to their mother.
- We pray for JB & EB’s neighbor Jerry who is facing prostate cancer treatment.
- We continue our prayers for Evangelist Cal Jennings, because his lungs are having all sorts of issues due to asbestos exposure. We pray that his health becomes steadier than it has been for far too long. We pray that his medical needs are fully met, and he has all that he requires for comfort and peace.
- We pray for the families of those lost at the Tennessee plant earlier this week.
- We pray for my sister-in-law Fran who is fighting cancer.
- We continue our prayers for JB and EB as they navigate through the maze of medical tests and specialists to get all the answers that they need in both of their health issues. They are continually frustrated with the runaround they have been getting with the various referrals.
- We continue to pray for a friend of ours, Alexis, who is in desperate need to improve her current situation and has set up a site for donations to help her with this. If you want more information, send me a private message and I’ll pass on the information.
- We continue with our prayers for my niece Autumn, who has been suffering seizures due to a head injury from a car crash.
- We continue to pray for my Mama who has had a lot of anxiety issues lately. Her car ended up being totaled after the fender-bender. This combined with the fact she misses my father as he passed away three years ago due to COVID-19 has made it a tough year for her.
- We continue to pray for all sufferers and survivors of the various types of cancer, including several survivors of the disease, JB’s sister Debbie, our friend Alexis, my Aunt Donna, and my friend Kelly.
- We pray for the family, friends, and fans of actress Diane Keaton who died yesterday.
- We pray for those who are in the path of dangerous weather, and other dangerous conditions, including volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, worldwide.
- We pray for the various outreach ministries we have joined with, with their leaders, Pastor Stephen Okoth, Pastor Simon Peter Javaji, Pastor Amir Aneel, Sister Santhi Swaroopa, Pastor Duke Moenga, and others in Kissee, Nairobi, and other places in Kenya, Pakistan, and India.
- We pray also for our American outreach ministries, including Rev. Lisa Tyler on the other side of Georgia from where I am and Rabbi Karen L. Hertzog with her ministry, Way Maker Messianic Jewish and Christian Center – USA as well.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we have so much and so many to pray for. We pray in thanksgiving and gratitude for this beautiful day we have to share with You today. We pray for those who need comfort after the loss of a loved one, including JB and her siblings, my Mama and our family, and so many others. We pray for those who have been sick, including Evangelist Cal Jennings, EB, and others. We pray for those suffering diseases like cancer including Jerry and Fran, and those who have fought and won against cancer including JB, Debbie, Alexis, and my Mama. We pray for those who are in mourning. We pray for those who were killed in violence and both natural and unnatural disasters around this world. We pray all this in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ through the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so it shall be.
Opening Song: Victory In Jesus
Sermon: Today we are continuing Chapter 7 of 1 Corinthians. Paul continues to speak about marriage, divorce, and widowhood. He continues to coach caution with marriage and with divorce. He also continues to caution people regarding the ability toward self-control, which was apparently not a simple ability to maintain on a constant basis. It isn’t much better in today’s world. This is how Paul begins today.
1 Corinthians 7:5-6 KJV –Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
NIV –Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I say this as a concession, not as a command.
Paul says this as a concession, not a command, but what does that mean? It means he understands that none of this is easy. It isn’t meant to be easy. Nothing in this world is ever meant to be easy. People who have divorced in this world did so for all sorts of reasons ranging from financial to infidelity to family strife and back again. That’s no different than it was back in the days of Paul and the Apostles. How we react and what we do after that reaction are what Paul is talking about. Here are his Old Testament references.
Song of Solomon 2:7 KJV – I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.
NIV – Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.
Joel 2:15-16 KJV – Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
NIV – Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.
Daniel 9:3 KJV – And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
NIV – So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
Lust, of which desire is a part, is no small, simple, trouble. In fact, it can literally affect every part of a person’s life. That’s why it was so pervasive in the Old and New Testament and remains as such today. This is why there is so much regarding fidelity in Scripture. Remember, Jesus once said “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” Here are the references that Paul uses from the New Testament, including the Word of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew and a reference from the Hebrew prophets.
Matthew 6:16-18 KJV – Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
NIV – “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 19:6 KJV – Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
NIV – So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
Hebrews 13:4 KJV – Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
NIV – Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
Everyone has gifts of one form or another. These are God-given gifts. They can be talents like music or writing, or maybe playing instruments or games, mathematics, history, or any other educational pursuits, maybe they’re crafting clothes, decorations, or whatever else. These are gifts that God has bestowed upon us and they should be used for the betterment of ourselves and our families. This is what Paul is explaining next. Yet, he adds to this in regard to marriage, staying single, and for widows and widowers.
1 Corinthians 7:7-8 KJV –For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I.
NIV –I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do
It’s not easy to pick up the pieces after tragedy occurs. Divorce is a form of tragedy. Death, disaster, and destruction, are all forms of tragedy, and we have to learn how to cope with them, through them, and after them. It’s not easy, and even God knows this. That’s why Paul shares this with the people at Corinth. He brings his favorite standby prophet Isaiah into the conversation here.
Isaiah 56:3-5 KJV – Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
NIV – Let no foreigner who is bound to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.” And let no eunuch complain, “I am only a dry tree.” For this is what the Lord says: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant—to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure forever.
It is important to feel needed. Paul understands this. When we are alone, whether by choice or by circumstance, it is still very important to feel needed, wanted. That’s what Paul is portraying here. He continues his references with these from the gospels of Matthew and Luke.
Matthew 19:10-12 KJV – His
disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not
good to marry.
But
he said unto them, All men cannot receive this
saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were
so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made
eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for
the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive
it.
NIV – The disciples said to him, “If this is
the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”
Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word,
but only those to whom it has been given. For there are eunuchs who were born
that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there
are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of
heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
Matthew 19:29 KJV – And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
NIV – And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
Luke 2:36-37 KJV – And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
NIV – There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
One of the toughest letters Paul wrote was to Timothy. It’s not easy to listen to. Yet, in the world these things should be discussed openly and people really need to pay attention.
1 Timothy 4:3 KJV –Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
NIV –They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.
1 Timothy 5:9-11 KJV –Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man. Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work. But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry;
NIV –No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds. As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry.
Paul continues with his instructions to those who are still single in the church there at Corinth. Self-control is an art form, especially when it comes to fidelity. Some people can manage this easily. Others, as is the case, apparently, for Corinth, have a much tougher time maintaining their fidelity.
1 Corinthians 7:9 KJV –But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
NIV –But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
Paul goes all the way back to the Torah and Poetic Books for his first references.
Genesis 1:28 KJV – And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
NIV – God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Genesis 2:18 KJV – And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
NIV – The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Proverbs 5:18-19 KJV – Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
NIV – May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer—may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love.
Proverbs 18:22 KJV – Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.
NIV – He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 KJV – Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
NIV – Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
What is interesting about this specific verse is that it reminded me instantly of my youngest son’s wedding in which he and his bride braided three strands together just like this. Who is represented by the third strand? God. He should always be part of any marriage because He brought the first marriage into being giving Eve to Adam as his helper, companion, and wife. Here is one last Old Testament verse for reference.
Song of Solomon 8:6-7 KJV – Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.
NIV – Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.
Paul only has two New Testament references, one of them from Jesus speaking of one of the seven troubles, and also one of the ten commandments. He adds to this with a reference from the Hebrew prophets.
Matthew 5:28 KJV – But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
NIV – But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Hebrews 13:4 KJV – Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
NIV – Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
Holy Matrimony is a sacred and sacramental occasion. It isn’t something to be messed with, yet still there are all sorts of things that can ruin marriages. Most of them pertain to the seven troubles of vanity, envy, lust, enmity, wrath, shame, and doubt. All of us have had our days and nights when one or more of these same troubles have reared their ugly little head. Paul warns us as he warns those in Corinth, that it isn’t a good thing just to walk away from a marriage, for the husband, or for the wife. It’s never going to be a smooth ride from start to finish in any marriage. There are bad days and worse days. There always are. Most of these may have to do with family, careers, education, medical issues, any and all of them combined. Life happens, and things can mess up our lives no matter how hard we try to prevent them. Here is what Paul shares in our middle verse from this letter.
1 Corinthians 7:10 KJV –And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
NIV –To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.
Paul shares only two Old Testament verses for reference. Again, they aren’t easy to hear and a lot of people are going to wince at the condemnation heard within these two passages.
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 KJV – When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife. And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the Lord: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
NIV – If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the Lord. Do not bring sin upon the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.
Malachi 2:14-16 KJV – Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.
NIV – You ask, “Why?” It is because the Lord is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth. “The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the Lord Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.
Paul shares several New Testament verses from the gospels, yet they all say the same thing, and all of them are from Jesus speaking. Here is the viewpoint from the gospel of Matthew.
Matthew 5:32 KJV – But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
NIV – But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Our final two verses for this letter today are these.
1 Corinthians 7:11-12 KJV –But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
NIV –But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.
Now this is even more significant. Believers and Non-Believers, remember in the Old Testament, those who were not Jews were not allowed. God was not in favor of His people having foreign husbands or wives either one. For Paul to take this stance says a whole lot. He is putting into practice what Jesus said about the Samaritans and others that they encountered while they were together preaching the Word of God. Paul pulls from other prophets in the Old Testament for this.
Ezra 10:2-3 KJV – And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.
NIV – Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.
Nehemiah 13:23-27 KJV – In those days also
saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:
And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in
the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.
And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and
plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give
your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for
yourselves.
Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was
there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over
all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.
Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against
our God in marrying strange wives?
NIV – Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples, and did not know how to speak the language of Judah. I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God’s name and said: “You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves. Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women. Must we hear now that you too are doing all this terrible wickedness and are being unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women?”
In the days after Jesus, mixing races, nationalities, and so forth, was not seen to be as much a problem as it was with those in the Old Testament. Today we see it everywhere. We even see the combinations of faiths and religions in this world today, which makes it even more difficult to make a choice for God and Jesus in some cases. Many a family has ended up broken and bruised because someone converts from whatever they started out as to Christianity. It can be brutal, for all sides, when this occurs, and we’ve seen it cause wars, death, destruction, and more. Our final reference is from Jesus Himself here in the gospel of Matthew.
Matthew 19:3-9 KJV – The
Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful
for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not
read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave
to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined
together, let not man put asunder.
They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of
divorcement, and to put her away?
He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness
of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it
was not so.
And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for
fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth
her which is put away doth commit adultery.
NIV – Some Pharisees came to him to test him.
They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every
reason?”
“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and
female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father
and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So
they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together,
let no one separate.”
“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a
certificate of divorce and send her away?”
Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your
wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the
beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except
for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
It's rough, for God, to see what humanity has done to His creations, including humanity itself. Jesus knew this from the beginning, since He too was there with God as part of God Himself. Paul is pointing out that all of us are from God’s creative force. All of us have Him in us as we are part of Him. Yet, we continually forget this part of our existence. This is why it is so hard for us to keep the sanctity of our bodies, our minds, our spirits, and our souls. This is also why we really, truly, need to fight to do so, by turning away from those nasty, ugly, seven troubles and the deadliest of sins. We have a reason to look forward to what is coming, sooner rather than later. We have to be prepared in every possible way, and putting sin to the wayside is just one of the preparations to make. There is One who will save us from the end of this world. His name is Jesus Christ, who comes from the great Jehovah God our Heavenly Father. It is through the life death, and eternal legacy of Jesus Christ that we are here today. Now, let’s show each other how faith and belief in God go hand in hand, and all of us have the opportunity to walk in the faithful steps of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The ability to do this requires us to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. If you are willing to do so, please leave me a note in the comments and I’ll be in touch. Now, that’s something to think about as we pray in the prayer that Jesus taught us.
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: The Old Rugged Cross
~ Shalom ~
Rev. Laura A. Neff
Blogspot & Twitter & Linkedin & Twitch & USAlife
Evangelist Calvin Jennings
Covenant of Hope Ministries Main Site: http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
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Scripture Excerpts: Holy Bible: Copyright © 1982: E. E. Gaddy and Associates, Inc.
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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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