Covenant of Hope Ministries Sunday
Sermon_10_21_2012
Welcome
to this Sunday Sermon for Covenant of Hope Ministries. I am Rev. Laura A. Neff.
The ministry knows me as the Rainbow Minister. These are our online only
locations:
We have
email and Instant Messenger available. We’re still working this out between the
three of us as to what will happen, as we include our Elder, Cal Jennings, our
Apostle/Shepherd Mary C. Michel-Lynch and I in this mix. The IM is available if
you ask first and identify the reason as being part of the ministry. This IM connects
via Facebook as well. I will be informing you further in regard to changes
being made. These changes were made due to health reasons. There will no longer
be live video sermons for now, and the sermon length will be shortened
dramatically. If, at some time, one, or any of the three of us, or perhaps
other ministers in our ministry, would have access, live sermons might return.
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 has grown from last week. This is our current prayer list for this week.
From Rev. Lisa’s list: Clay - had surgery Oct 8 again,
Norma - surgery Wednesday Oct 10 for breast cancer, pray no chemo
needed and quick recovery.
Rod – lump in throat, going to doctor Thursday
Sy– problems with his throat too
Tami –
Jessika and family – emotional strength and all needs met, healthy
baby
Sister Rachel, Joe, Lonnie, Johnnie and Jessie
Joel – asking for healing for his brain, and ability to memorize
for his job
Maisie - 2 yr old in UK brain damage
Raiden - 3 yr old in coma, possible brain damage from accident
Pascal and his sister - need food and school supplies
Carol – foot and elbow pain
Laura– multiple health problems
Gene
Shirley
Carrie
Jimm – back injury and pain
Lulu – loss of limb, health issues
Multiple people on my FB list with severe health issues
Jerry – emotional issues, demons, deafness
Ruth and family
Tierra and her father (he has multiple health problems, lives far
away)
Sarah - breast cancer
Robin - breast cancer
Sara – cyst
Julie – cysts
Clara – pain and various health problems, knees too
Kristine – peace
Angela – strength, clarity
Roberta – her children
My sisters and family – Angela, Mary and Eileen – all needs met
John
Robert
Janet
Clay – handicapped boy, shunt malfunction and infections, spina
bifida
Pam – not feeling well lately
Lisa – meth addiction, asks for help and healing
Sister Inaiker (name unknown) epilepsy, panic attacks, deafness
Other no name given prayer requests
Dr. Anna – pain, fatigue, financial needs
General
prayers for God’s workers
Mary – good prayer partner and writer
Mary – faithful and writing to help others
Ruth
Laura
Pam
Dr. Anna
Tomarra – pastor’s wife
Bernie – desires to learn of God, needs study material
Pastor Stan
Pastor Prince
Pastor Creflo
Pastor Joyce
(many more)
Overseas
ministries
Francis Ondara
John Namavarapu
Tobias Ayugi
Apostle Al Anyona
Evangelist Abel
Pastor Ravi Daniel
(many more)
Phoebe Fair has been on our prayer list for her AT/RT cancer
treatments. We must also pray for her brothers and her parents and grandparents
due to a long and hard bout with whooping cough, preventing them from being
with Phoebe during her treatments. Phoebe has been in and out of the hospital
due to terrible reactions and more. Please continue to pray for her and her
family as they fight with all they have.
We pray for Elder Cal Jennings, that his health improve and he be
more able to work toward the glory of God.
We pray for Apostle/Shepherd Mary Michel-Lynch that her issues be
resolved and her health return.
We pray for Emilie and Joey for health and education issues they
are working on.
We pray in for other family members who have received after a
rather terrible set of news.
We pray for Tony who has had a very hard pair of months.
We pray for Christie and her son, that their troubles, trials and
tribulations have solutions soon.
We pray for Heather and Art, that they return to health and are
able to do the things they love once more.
We pray for the family of Jacob Olivier who has been missing for
two years.
We pray for friends Teresa and Hope, that their financial issues be
resolved.
We pray for Debby, Karen, Jackie, for health to return for each of
them.
We pray for Jason and Joyce and family, as Jason has been fighting
cancer.
We pray for Eric and Kelly Starling, Kelly was recently diagnosed
with a form of Leukemia.
We pray for those who are suffering strife around this world, in
every form and formula.
We pray for all our ministers and their ministries worldwide, may they
prosper and grow.
We pray for those at war, that peace might be reached. We pray for
those who have been devastated by natural disasters and more, that they be able
to recover. We pray for war torn countries that their economies recover. We
pray for the economies of the world, that they work toward solutions.
Prayer: Father in heaven, we
thank You for this day and for these who are here to share it with us. We bring
many of our friends, our family members, our colleagues, and even those whom
we’ve never known up to You in prayer. We pray that you will help with their
problems, their pains, their sorrows and more. We pray that you will help heal
them, no matter their illness. We bring all of this up to You through Your Holy
Name in the gift of the Savior Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit,
Amein and so it shall be.
Sermon: Our sermon on the final verses of
Psalm 36 begin with a plea. It’s not a plea for assistance, as if the person or
people were in danger, but, instead, a plea that those who DO know God, to
remember and continue his gentle and steadfast mercy, as He would remember.
Scripture calls gentle and steadfast mercy lovingkindness. This is a word that
has fallen out of use, but, in a lot of ways, should still be here. It doesn’t
just apply to David’s words here in Psalm 36:10 KJV
– O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know
thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
There are
many ways to view this verse. The original Hebrew had two ways to say the word
CONTINUE. In this case, it could also have said the following for Alternative to Psalm 36:10 KJV – O draw out in length thy lovingkindness unto them that know
thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
Wouldn’t
we much rather have a feeling of peace for longer periods than they seem to be
for us? Many would say yes. Some might say maybe. Others just could say perhaps
the trials and tribulations are needed to recognize those times of
lovingkindness for what they are, and it will make them seem longer anyway. In
our realization of all of this we see another view of God in his judgment and
lovingkindness shared in Jeremiah 22:16 KJV –
He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was
well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD.
There is
a song that many of us would know. That song is titled It Is Well Within My
Soul. When we recognize and realize that God is already there, waiting for us,
beside us, behind us, carrying us, then it truly is well within our soul. That
is, unless we let those troubles and trials and tribulations get the better of
us, as we have a tendency to do. The next verse is our warning for that as
shared in Psalm 36:11 KJV – Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the
hand of the wicked remove me.
Fear is a
great enemy, and for some can be very much a wall that cannot be climbed, a
mountain too tall to attempt, but, we must remember, that those who are the
cause of fear, the bad kind of fear, will suffer what their fear has done to
others. We see this in the last verse of this Psalm in Psalm
36:12 KJV – There
are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able
to rise.
Those who
understand love, and all its components, mercy, patience, hope, faith, peace,
prudence, and all the rest, thus understand that the mustard seed may look like
a tiny thing, but it can do great things, it can lead to amazing gifts, much as
the fruit of life can do. We finish with the supporting verses that share more
of what the final verse of Psalm 36 has to share as seen here in Psalm 140:10 KJV – Let
burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits;
that they rise not up again.
To
emphasize what is shared in this verse would be that which is given to us here
in the Scroll of Isaiah 26:14 KJV – They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they
shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all
their memory to perish.
When a
person dies, we have eulogies, funerals, memorials, whatever you wish to call
them, but, in this case, we’re not talking human practice, we’re talking godly
practice. With godly practice, it means the hand of God has taken them where
nothing and no one can bring them back from. It is the place where love has
ceased to be. In what David shared with us in the Psalm we just completed,
lovingkindness, the gift of gentle and steadfast mercy, is a much nicer place
to consider, a much better gift than could be shared. Perhaps if we shared this
ideal more, this world might just be a better and brighter place. Now, that’s
something to think about as we pray in the prayer Jesus taught us saying: After this manner therefore pray ye: 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 KJV)
Closing Song: Let There Be Peace On Earth (Duet
between Elder Cal and Rev. Laura, and yes, done ages ago.)
Covenant
of Hope Ministries
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
Our
mission for Covenant of Hope Ministries and Poetic-Expressions is not to
exploit fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all that is created through fear
together as the rainbow in the darkness.
