Covenant of Hope
Ministries Sunday Sermon_12_29_2013
Good
afternoon, and welcome to this Sunday Sermon for Covenant of Hope Ministries. I
am Rev. Laura A. Neff. The ministry knows me as the Rainbow Minister. Find us
posted on Sundays and studies on Wednesday. Our locations are online only:
Our Main Video Feed: Covenant_of_Hope
We have
email (instant messenger if you need me) through Facebook every day. These are
now extremely variable. We’re still working this out between the two of us as
to what will happen, our Elder, Cal Jennings and I. I will inform you further
regarding changes. These changes were made due to health reasons. The sermon
length has shortened dramatically. We are unsure as to when there might be
video presentations.
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 Phoebe Fair’s family as they
continue to grieve her loss.
- Please keep Elder Cal Jennings in your prayers as his health
doesn’t know where it wants to be.
- Please pray for my friend Teresa’s sister who is in stage four
cancer. Keep Teresa and her daughter in prayer for many other things that have
been weighing down on their hearts, minds, and spirits.
- Please keep others known by any of us up in prayer for
whatever they might need.
- Please keep my friend Heather in prayer for patience and safe
haven.
- Let us keep another friend, Jeff, and his family in prayer
that the new opportunity would benefit them in many, many ways. Pray also for
his friend who passed away this week.
- Please keep my whole family in prayer for the pain, suffering,
and chaos we are going through.
- Please keep a child from my sister’s classes who lost his
mother. He is nine years old. The family is devastated and needs prayers for
solace and understanding.
- Pray that the adversity and the pain we have seen around the world
would be relieved, and swept away. May we find common ground in many ways, even
if we start with just one step.
- Remember those who have been lost either violently or
peacefully this week.
- Keep the ministry in your thoughts, each member, no matter
their location, their circumstances, because a group of friends, a ministry,
should support one another.
- There are many in our ministry who are searching for more in
regard to our presence with my health, and with the health of others. We pray
that there would be health found once more, and that we have answers to all and
for all.
- Please pray for our travelers during this holiday and on
through the New Year that they may be safe and reach their destinations.
- Please also pray for those who are alone this holiday, that
they realize they are loved.
Birthday: It’s my husband’s birthday today!
Prayer: Father in heaven, we
thank You for this day and for these who are here to share it with us. May Your
love and grace fill our hearts as we celebrate family and friendship during
this end of the year. May our hearts reach out to others no matter whether they
would be friend, family, enemy, or unknown, neighbors and more. Help us to
remember that peace begins within and we can only have peace if we give it to others.
May we see that love, unconditional love, would be the same with Your guidance
and understanding, Amen and so it shall be.
Opening Song: We Three Kings of Orient Are http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8mjRxkMBkE
Sermon: The shepherds, the Magi, both come
once the child, the Son of God would be born. However there is more to this
beautiful promise, the wonder and the star that brought them there. Today we
will speak of the gift of the Holy Spirit, after the birth of the Son of God.
We begin with Simeon and his first knowledge, revelation, of the gift that is
Jesus.
Luke 2:25 KJV – And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name
was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation
of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should
not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents
brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
Then took he him upon his arms, and blessed God, and said,
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to
thy word:
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
A light to be lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people
Israel.
And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were
spoken of him.
And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Beohold,
this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a
sign which shall be spoken against;
(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also.) that the
thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
Notice
how Simeon was waiting for the Son of God. He was waiting to see Him. He knew
that God would grant his prayer once he had done so. He would have seen the
grace and goodness that would provide salvation for Israel. When he saw Jesus,
Mary, and Joseph at last great joy filled him. His heart opened as he curled
Jesus in his arms and promised Mary and Joseph that everything would come to
pass. The prophecies of old would indeed be true. They would be brought to the
Gentiles and to the children of Israel, through the Savior, Jesus Christ. What
a gift! What marvel they shared at the knowledge! Well, of course they did! The
two couldn’t possibly think anything else with the knowledge of what Simeon was
saying. Simeon also warns of the sorrow, the pain, and the sacrifice Jesus
would make in the future. He’s telling them what God had told Israel in the
days long past. Simeon is providing proof of the prophecy! Here we have
celebrated His birth and now we celebrate His gift of salvation! What a
beautiful gift it would be, even from His birth. Simeon gives the gift of HOPE,
as Jesus’ birth did the same. The promise had begun its fulfillment through the
gift that was given through the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost as is shared in
these verses. What promises waited for them, just as seen in the prophetic
words of Simeon as he curled the baby Jesus in his arms. 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)
~Shalom~
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
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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