Covenant
of Hope Ministries Sunday Sermon_6_29_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.
- Continue prayers for Brother Wayne Bartosh and his family as
they mourn the loss of his father. May they find their way through all that
must be done. May their faith bring them peace in the knowledge that his life
was worthwhile.
- Please keep Elder Cal Jennings in your prayers as he is very
sick. His health goes up and down. His heart has been giving him some serious
problems. The rest of his health issues are not helping. Let our prayers keep
his spirits high, and his faith strong.
- Please pray for my friend Theresa’s sister who is in stage four
cancer. Please also pray for her spirits as she has so much on her plate.
- 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. There have been some drawbacks in our situation
here. Our hopes would be tested, our faith would be the same. Let the Lord
bring us hope, peace, 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.
Prayer:
Father in heaven, we thank You for this day and for these who
are here to share it with us. We praise You for the gifts of laughter and song.
We praise You for the gifts of friendship and family and the ability for those
gifts to bring love, laughter, and song. We bring to You those in pain and
sorrow. We bring to You those who have died and the ones who mourn them. May
our hearts be brought peace in Your Holy Name, through the Savior Jesus Christ
and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen and so it shall be.
Sermon: For many years music has been a balm for the pain and sorrow in life. So many years in fact, that you’ll find it far, far back in Scripture. Music is a method to soothe pain, sorrow, despair, and more. It is a gift to share happiness and joy and spread peace. Music unites us in many ways. Yet most of us would hardly realize that fact. Let’s take a look at what is shared in Scripture. We’ll start here with Samuel’s take.
I Samuel 18:6 KJV – And it came to pass as they
came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the
women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul,
with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.
What
would be celebrated? A victory in battle. How is it celebrated? Singing and
dancing by the women using musical instruments and sharing joy. There’s nothing
better. Wouldn’t you say so? Now we’ll go into what Samuel is sharing in regard
to his birthday.
II Samuel 19:35 KJV – I am this day fourscore years
old: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat
or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing women? wherefore then
should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?
He
feels as though he’s a burden. Why does Samuel feel this way? He is filled with
doubt. He is afraid, not of things beyond himself, but of the fact that he can
no longer sing, taste, or realize good from evil. Thus he feels as though he is
a burden. Is it truly a burden to forget how to laugh, to sing, and to share
joy? It is if you let it do so. Otherwise, open the heart and you’ll see. Fear
will cause us to close our minds, our hearts. Music, singing, playing
instruments, those can open our hearts, our spirits, our souls, to the love
that should be shared. Samuel doesn’t realize here that singing, even when you
are afraid, helps bring peace and comfort in many, many ways. This is what
singing, even when you may not sound the greatest, is worth the effort. Sing
your praise to the Lord, that’s the title to a song we know so well. This is
just what God wants us to do, no matter how we feel, how we sound, or any of
that. A song in the heart will bring that song to your voice and prove your joy
to those around you.
I Chronicles 6:32 KJV – And they ministered before
the dwelling place of the tabernacle of the congregation with singing, until
Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem: and then they waited on
their office according to their order.
Isn’t
it amazing what singing can do when it comes to ministry? When you hear songs
like Amazing Grace, or Praise Him, Praise Him, or even Kumbaya, the heart is
lifted, smiles and laughter can follow, and people will talk to each other,
paying attention, without anger or other violent emotions. That’s what God
wants us to see.
I Chronicles 13:8 KJV – And David and all Israel
played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and
with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.
Put
your heart in your music. How you share the music isn’t necessarily important.
You can go from choosing the songs, humming, whistling, playing an instrument,
or singing. We can add clapping our hands, even stamping our feet or tapping our
toes to the rhythm, even creating that rhythm.
II Chronicles 23:18 KJV – Also Jehoida appointed the
offices of the house of the LORD by the hand of the priests the Levites, whom
David had distributed in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of
the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with
singing, as it was ordained by David.
Serving
the people in the name of the Lord should be worthy of singing. The same can be
said when we serve the Lord by sharing His Word with the people, the
congregations, past or present. Peace shared through songs, music, all can
bring faith, hope, and more into being. That’s what proves love exists,
unconditionally, because just about everyone enjoys music, whether it’s singing
or playing.
Ezra 2:65 KJV – Beside their servants and their maids, of
whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were
among them two hundred singing men and singing women.
Everyone
is singing! Music from their hearts shared with their voices. Joyous, that’s
how people should be when it comes to giving our lives over to God. Freeing,
that’s how music can be for our hearts, our spirits, and our souls. God’s Word
is sharing love, and the very thought is worthy of singing. Now that is an
awesome thought!
Nehemiah 12:27 KJV – And at the dedication of the
wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring
them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings,
and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.
Be
happy! Dance, sing, play music! That’s the perfect view of love. Laughter,
singing, even if all you do is hum, there is a song in your heart and you are
sharing that music, just with the song deep in your throat. Humming might not
seem like singing, but truthfully, it is in a way. So when you hum your
favorite hymn, or other song, what are you doing? You’re praising God through
the gift of song and singing.
Psalm 100:2 KJV – Serve the LORD with gladness:
come before his presence with singing.
Happy,
again, God wants us to be happy, singing shows us happiness, even when it’s
pulling out other emotions from us, those songs can bring happiness to our
hearts. So sing, no matter how you feel, because the music can bring peace, and
joy, laughter, and even hope. Why do we really need to sing in one way or
another? A song can be seen in many forms, humming, even laughing. Why is that?
There are many who say laughter is music to their ears. Notice in the next
verse you’ll see singing to yourself.
Ephesians 5:19 – Speaking to yourselves in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart
to the Lord;
This
view is good when you’re afraid, or lonely. Why is that? In the chords or a
song, the rhythm and melody, you find a way to bring your friends, your
families, into your minds, so that those memories will keep that fear or
loneliness from swallowing you. People have said to me, on occasion, that music
brings memories to life. Say you hear a song and remember someone who would
sing it to you. Perhaps you sang it with them. Some of us don’t realize that
with a song in our hearts we can draw Jesus closer through the Spirit of the
Lord.
Colossians 3:16 KJV – Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
We
remember the song Jesus Loves Me, or Jesus Loves the Little Children, and
Amazing Grace, along with Hallelujah and so many more. When we sing those
songs, hum them, remember them, we bring Jesus into our lives again and again.
That’s one thing that does many good things all at once. What would they be?
Joy, Hope, Peace, Patience, Understanding, Faith, Knowledge, Wisdom, and so
much more, all parts of the gift of Unconditional Love, are worthy of songs,
music, singing. That’s what’s taught, even when speaking of dangers, pain,
sorrow, and fear in Scripture. With everything experienced, there’s always a
way to find the good in the midst of the bad. For many it might not seem like
it. That’s why we have friends. We can sing, laugh, and more. When tears are
ready to fall, remember, you’ve got a friend. His name is Jesus. He was given
to us, to share joy in our hearts, lift our spirits, and help us to sing. 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
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.