Covenant of Hope
Ministries Sunday Sermon_1_8_2014
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.
- There are two colleagues of my husband who
have lot their mother or grandmother. Please keep them and their families in
prayer as they continue to grieve the losses.
- Continue your prayers for Phoebe Fair’s
family as they continue to grieve her loss.
- Please keep Elder Cal Jennings in your
prayers. He needs multiple surgeries but
his heart is not strong enough to go through them. Besides needing his pacemaker replaced and his
surgical hernia repaired he has a precancerous tumor in his stomach that
urgently needs to be removed or healed.
- 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.
- Please keep my whole family in prayer for
the pain, suffering, and chaos we are going through.
- 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.
Prayer: Father in heaven, we
thank You for this day and for these who are here to share it with us. We thank
You for the gift of communication, that we might serve each other better and do the same with You. We pray that
those around us will be safe, receive solace, love, faith, hope, and
understanding through Your Holy Name in the hope that is Jesus Christ, and the
gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so it shall be.
Opening Song: Long Live Your Dreams http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCqgFAmMFRY
Sermon: This week we’re going to do
something different. Interpretation of dreams is much like interpreting what
another is saying, or a different form of communication. In the case of just
about every mention in Scripture it consists of warnings, or reassurances. One
of the largest views of the various types of dreams occurs in the Scroll of
Daniel as we read about King Nebuchadnezzar. Here is how a wise and devout
Daniel shared those interpretations, regardless of the edicts and other laws
involved to prevent him from worshipping God as we should. Today we are
studying an entire chapter, so let’s take a look.
Daniel Chapter 2 KJV – And in the second year of the reign of
Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was
troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the
astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his
dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and
my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king,
live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the
interpretation.
5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is
gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the
interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be
made a dunghill.
6 But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof,
ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me
the dream, and the interpretation thereof.
7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his
servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it.
8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye
would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is
but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak
before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall
know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.
Notice
how Nebuchadnezzar insists that if they are able to interpret dreams then they
should know them through means beyond his sharing them vocally. Like many of
us, dreams for Nebuchadnezzar would have been fuzzy and unclear after waking.
This is the fog he wished to have cleared. Let’s continue with the chapter.
10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There
is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is
no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or
astrologer, or Chaldean.
11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and
there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose
dwelling is not with flesh.
12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and
commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be
slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch
the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of
Babylon:
15 He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why
is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to
Daniel.
So here
comes the anger and fury, the wrath of King Nebuchadnezzar because none could
tell him what the dreams meant, nor what they were in the first place. What
happens next is how that wrath was stopped in its tracks. Here is where Daniel
listens to God to discover what it was the king wished to understand.
16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he
would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known
to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven
concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the
rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Who is it
Daniel speaks to before sleeping? He speaks with his closest friends, others we
know well, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Yet, they too don’t know more than
to pray and find answers. So, that is what Daniel proceeds to do. Here’s what
happened when he did.
19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night
vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for
ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth
kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to
them that know understanding:
22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what
is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers,
who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we
desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.
Daniel
had the answer! He did thanks to God’s grace and goodness in the gift of that
same dream, the one Nebuchadnezzar had. Added to that dream was the
interpretation that needed sharing. So, here he goes to speak to the king.
24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had
ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him;
Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will
shew unto the king the interpretation.
25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste,
and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will
make known unto the king the interpretation.
26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was
Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen,
and the interpretation thereof?
27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said,
The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers,
the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;
Here he
goes, showing Nebuchadnezzar God’s grace, goodness, and love. Let’s see how he
does so.
28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and
maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy
dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind
upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets
maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any
wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make
known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts
of thy heart.
31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This
great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form
thereof was terrible.
32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his
arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of
clay.
34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands,
which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them
to pieces.
35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and
the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer
threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for
them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled
the whole earth.
36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation
thereof before the king.
So here
Daniel has spoken of what the dream itself held. With that telling, he now will
share what it meant. Imagine that Nebuchadnezzar has bent toward Daniel,
listening intently as the dream is shared. Then, leaning even closer to
understand what it means. So here Daniel shares that knowledge and wisdom.
37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven
hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of
the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath
made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to
thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the
earth.
40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron:
forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that
breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of
potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall
be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed
with miry clay.
42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part
of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they
shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to
another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven
set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be
left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these
kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of
the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass,
the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king
what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the
interpretation thereof sure.
Now,
think about how this not only shares what was seen in the dream itself, but
also what God is sharing about the future as yet to come. Why did He give this
dream to the king? There is a single reason. He wished the king to be prepared
for that which the dream shared. All of us would indeed wish that our dreams
could prepare us for whatever would happen in the future. That is what we
should have faith in, no matter the dreams we might have, even the nightmares.
See how Nebuchadnezzar reacts as he learns what his dream means.
46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and
worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet
odours unto him.
47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it
is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of
secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many
great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief
of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.
49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel
sat in the gate of the king.
So now
Daniel is a trusted man, a great gift for the king. He is given those things
that would make him both powerful and willing to be there for the king in
whatever situation. The only request Daniel had was for his friends, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego. In that request, Nebuchadnezzar agreed, and had Daniel
as their overseer, the trio working to help in the governing of the entire
province of Babylon. What great gifts can be brought when understanding and
wisdom are brought. These are things God Himself has tried to share with all of
us. We, like Nebuchadnezzar, should learn to speak to each other, to see what
we can interpret in our thoughts, our dreams, and yes, even in our nightmares,
worries, and fears. See, sometimes dreams really do come true. 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: Dreams Come True Pachelbel’s Canon
in D
~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.
Thank you Rev. Linda, it's good to contemplate on the word of God and how He planned for His people and answered prayer from many years before. I can testify that the Lord spoke to me in dreams and visions and because I listened my child was spared from death or at best life-long disability. Because I spoke with fellow Christians, including the doctor, we were able to get the diagnosis needed for a heart defect before there was permanent damage, the only patient so far that has been so fortunate. I believe that's why it's so important that we reach out to our brothers and sisters in Christ for prayer and insight. Thank you again for the good work that you are doing for those of us who are home-bound. Your ministry touches my heart and life!
ReplyDeleteGod bless you, Carla. ~ Rev. Laura
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