Covenant of Hope Ministries Sunday Sermon_11_18_2012
Good
afternoon, and welcome to this Sunday Sermon for Covenant of Hope Ministries. I
am Rev. Laura A. Neff, and the ministry knows me as the Rainbow Minister. You
can find us live Sundays at 12:30 PM ET US and These are our locations online
only:
Main Site: http://www.covenantofhope.multiply.com
Our Main Video Feed: Covenant_of_Hope
We have
email and Instant Messenger available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday 10AM to
2PM ET US via Yahoo IM. We’re still working this out between the three of us as
to what will happen, our Elder, Cal Jennings, our Apostle/Shepherd, Mary C.
Michel-Lynch and I. The IM is available if you ask first and identify the
reason as being part of the ministry. This IM is connected through 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 be live sermons, and the
sermon length will be shortened dramatically, but we are unsure as to when that
might be.
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.
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.
Continue your prayers for Sister Mary. This morning she was
sleeping comfortably according to her nurse. Though she responds a little, she
is still not able to do much. She still continues to sleep for very long
periods. She eats a few bites of mushed up fruit or pudding, and even sherbet,
but not much more. She loves to take spa baths, and is more alert after them.
Due to several issues that are going on, I have not been able to visit as I
should be.
Pray for our family. There are several things weighing us down,
and they don’t all include my health, or that of any member of the family.
Though, those prayers don’t hurt.
Pray for Elder Cal, as he has still been feeling pretty rotten.
May God provide him wellness, and bring that flicker of hope into a bright and
roaring flame.
Pray for friends Karen, Christie, Art, Heather, Scott, Debby,
Tom, Chris, Chris’s family, Chris’s father with heart issues, Teresa, Hope, and
several others.
Pray for our soldiers as they work while we celebrate
Thanksgiving here in the US.
Pray for our outreach ministries, and all on their separate
prayer lists, no matter where in this world they would be.
Pray for all those travelers in the US as we prepare for the
holiday known as Thanksgiving.
Prayer: Father in heaven, we
thank You for this day and for these who are here to share it with us. We bring
to you the many men, women and children who would be in need, no matter what
the need would be. We pray for those travelers, and those protectors of what
freedom we have. We pray for guidance in our times of need, and answers to
questions and concerns we would have. We pray all these things in Your Holy
Name, through our Savior Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amein
and so it shall be.
Opening Song: Wonderful Words of
Life http://www.singsnap.com/karaoke/r/bab8b056a
Sermon: Today I’m working in similar
fashion as our Elder, Cal Jennings. The reason for this has to do with clarity.
Every style of Scripture has its own way of expression. Yet, there are many who
would want to stick with one version. It is much better to be well rounded when
it comes to learning Scripture and the various perspectives therein. Let’s
start here where we are learning about what will happen at some point in the
future. This assuredly sounds very familiar at this point in time, in more than
one location all through Scripture. So we start here with Psalm 37:9-12 KJV – For
evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall
inherit the earth.
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou
shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves
in the abundance of peace.
The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with
his teeth.
When you
see the word plotteth, it could also be practiceth. Now let’s see it in a
different point of view here in the NIV – For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD
will inherit the land.
A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for
them, they will not be found.
But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.
The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at
them;
What is
God giving us? He’s giving us both a warning and a comfort. Many of us don’t
realize we would always need both. The reason being, we are quite human in all
ways, unless within the Spirit of the Lord. Wait for God, be diligent, though
meek and mild, it doesn’t mean weak in any way. To collect all of these
together, we find that which we cannot own alone, but must be shared between
us.
What is
God promising will happen? The wicked will perish, and the righteous, the good,
will find peace and harmony. Thus, it is both a warning and a comfort. This is
proven in both points of view.
Psalm 37:13-15 KJV – The Lord shall laugh at him: for
he seeth that his day is coming.
The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to
cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall
be broken.
In verse
twelve we see these words, such as be of upright, which would also be
considered the upright of way. This, according to potential changes in the way
people would look at the verses. Truthfully, every perspective, when brought
together, might give us a much broader understanding of God’s thoughts and
plans for this world we live in. Let us see how that can show as we look at the
same verses in the NIV
– but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he
knows their day is coming.
The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor
and needy, to slay those whose way are upright.
But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will
be broken.
I
remember hearing the words, “Your day is coming.” This is a promise, not just
heard or read somewhere, but one delivered in Scripture, many times. Our anger,
and all the rest of those seven troubles seen as seven times that many, and
then seven times that, continuously, would indeed bring us down, whether to our
knees for mercy or in the realization that our deeds end in ways we’d rather
they not manage. Now let’s look at the one supporting verse for this entire
section, only to see yet another view. Here we see just that in I Samuel 26:10 KJV – David
said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him, or his day
shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle and perish.
David
makes sense, even with the old fashioned language. For clarity, though, let’s
look at a newer perspective as shared here in the NIV
– As surely as the LORD lives, he said, “the
LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he
will go into battle and perish.
We don’t
realize that when we forget where the true path would be, we get lost in the
wilderness, and fall prey to the troubles and more. When we do realize this, we
can find our way back. There are consequences for those who fail to manage
seeing truth for what it is, and sharing evil or wickedness instead. Learning
how to tell the difference is very important for us. 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: Give Thanks http://www.singsnap.com/karaoke/record/done/b97ba756a
Covenant
of Hope Ministries
Our Main Video Feed: Covenant_of_Hope
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 © 2012 http://covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com/
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.
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