Covenant
of Hope Ministries Wednesday Study_3_5_2014
Good
afternoon, and welcome to this Midweek Study 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. Look
for my name minus the title. These are now extremely variable. Our Elder Cal
Jennings is just as variable and can be found on several sites as noted by his
sermons. 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.
- Please keep Elder Cal Jennings in your prayers as his health
doesn’t know where it wants to be.
- Please pray for family members of my friend Jeff, that they
might heal soon.
- Please pray for fruitful benefits in the finances and health
of many who are suffering any and all types of hardship.
- 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.
- Continue your prayers for Phoebe Fair’s family as they
continue to grieve her loss.
- 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 gifts brought to us through
Unconditional Love. We are brought up in prayer for friends, family, and those
who are in need for whatever that might be. We pray for healing, faith, hope,
and the gift of family and friendship for those who need each of those. We do
so through Your Holy Name and the Son Jesus Christ within the gift of the Holy
Spirit, Amen and so it shall be.
Opening
Song: Spirit
Song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWEDBaFy0SI
Sermon:
Today
the inspiration was to talk about ministering and ministry. It is very
difficult sometimes for those of us who do this, every day in most cases, just
to pursue ministry, much less to keep going when those who either read or
listen would fail to see that writing for what it is, or hear what is being
listened to. Yet, as Paul said, he was made a minister to deliver and share the
grace of God with all, Gentiles and Jews. Let’s start with his words here in Ephesians 3:7 KJV – Whereof
I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me
by the effectual working of his power.
Ministers,
preachers, priests, elders, teachers all given the gift to share the truth of
Scripture with those who willingly listen. We cannot make the people hear. As
ministers of God’s love it is our mission to share that, in peace, in joy, with
an understanding wisdom. What do we have to speak of? Why, we teach as Christ
taught, because that is what should be, and how ministry must be. If we do not
give the Truth through the Word, as Christ shared, then we won’t see the proof
of how it works. Let’s see what Paul says here in Romans
15:18 KJV – For I will not dare to speak of
any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient,
by word and deed,
We
have this word, obedient, in this verse. What does it mean here in this
instance? Well, we have to listen and hear, think and do, as Jesus would do.
There is a saying that goes like this, ‘say what you do, and do what you say’.
Jesus lived by this very thought, as He said what would be done, and fulfilled
what He said must be done. You might not recall the words in John 15 where it
shares that ideal. Here, though, is a thought that the least is the most as the
most is the least. That too is something Jesus shared often. Let’s look at it
here in Ephesians 3:8 KJV – Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is
this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable
riches of Christ;
Now,
when people think of riches, they think money, possessions. They don’t think
about knowledge, understanding, the footsteps of wisdom. It’s one of the most
difficult lessons to learn, how grace can be achieved through an unconditional
sharing of love. Ministry is one way of sharing that unconditional part of us.
Life is affected by our words, our thoughts, and our actions. As ministers, no
matter what we are sharing, those three are just as important to the ideal of
do as you say, and say as you will do. This will prove how much we listen and
hear when it comes to Christ and His teaching. Let’s look into that here in Romans 16:25 KJV – Now
to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the
preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which
was kept secret since the world began,
Who
can establish you? There is only One, that One is God through the gift of Jesus
and the strength of the Holy Spirit. The mysteries of God, the revelation as
yet to come, kept secret since the beginnings of creation, would prove to be
the ultimate gift, brought to us through the ultimate sacrifice, that of the
beloved Son of God, Jesus. At this time of year we are preparing to celebrate
that sacrifice, as it led us to the promise of glorious horizons as yet to
come. The resurrection of life as patience, faith, hope, and all the rest of
the footsteps of Unconditional Love would bring. I had hoped that, at some
point I would do my best to manage at least an audio sermon. I am indeed
working on that. The gift of ministry, however, can be managed both in written
and verbal form. It has been shown through the letters written to Ephesus,
Corinth, and many other locations. Yet, truthfully, both should be managed as
often as possible. This is one thing that adds to the ideal of ‘say what you’ll
do, and do what you say’, as well as ‘do what you love, and love what you do’.
Jesus did, we should as we shall try our best to do the same. 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: Because
He Lives http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M-zwE33zHA
~Shalom~
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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