Covenant
of Hope Ministries Wednesday Study_7_23_2014
Good
afternoon, and welcome to this Midweek Study for Covenant of Hope Ministries. My
name is Cal Jennings and I am Elder for the ministry. You can find sermons posted
on Sundays and studies on Wednesday. Our locations are online only:
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 he is very
sick and has been spending a great deal of time bedridden. His energy has been
in short supply but his faith continues. Help to bring his faith, health, and
well-being up to where it will be of benefit in so many ways.
- Please pray for my friend Laura as she has come upon a bad
snag in her health. May God and Jesus bless her with good news and great health
once more.
- Please pray for my friend Teresa’s sister who is in stage four
cancer. Please also keep her in prayer for spiritual blessings and hope at the
end of her very dark tunnel.
- Please continue your prayers for Wayne Bartosh and his family
as they work in settling his father’s estate.
- 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. Praise God for some good answers. Please bring
up in prayer that we finalize on the new house on the designated date or
sooner.
- 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.
- Pray that the willingness to communicate grows for the
ministry.
- 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. There are many we wish to bring to You for
spiritual healing, good health, stronger faith and hope all in Your love. We
pray that the violence and pain be eased or ended. We pray for peace to be
brought, shared, and understood. We pray these things in Your Holy Name through
the Savior Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so it shall
be.
Opening Song: "Don't Have Love" (Official Music Video) - Christian singer Holly
Starr: New Christian Music Video
Sermon:
Most of us are
familiar with this first verse about love. It is often used at weddings, in
bible studies, and in memes. I am going to use the NIV so that people are clear
on the meaning of these verses.
1 Corinthians 13 New International Version (NIV)
13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have
love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the
gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have
a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If
I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may
boast,[b] but do not have love,
I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it
does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not
self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always
protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there
are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled;
where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we
prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part
disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a
child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of
childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror;
then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully,
even as I am fully known.
Footnotes:
Now, I don't fully
understand how boast translates to “body to the flames” unless it is indicative
of boasting being an act of sin. The Mounce Reverse-Interlinear New
Testament
translates verse 3
as “If I give away everything I own, and I surrender my body to be burned, but
do not have love, it benefits me nothing.” 1 Corinthians
13:3 Mounce
Now, giving your
body over to be burned is certainly a hardship. Still, without love, you have
done it for naught. We should do all things in the spirit of love, for God IS
love.
1 John 4:16-18 New International Version (NIV)
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in
them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have
confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.
18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because
fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Holy Bible, New
International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica,
Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
If we know God. If
we have accepted the sacrifice of His Son, we can know that we are saved. There
is no fear because God loves us. Even facing almost certain death, as I once
did during an explosion at the refinery where I worked, I was able to stay because
I knew that I was covered by God's love and that Jesus' sacrifice had saved me.
The others ran because they feared death.
When we face a
trial of death, we never really know how we are going to react until we are
placed in that situation. We may think that we may be fearful or that we may be
courageous but until we get there, we really don't know. I had a moment of fear
recently when I was told that I had a precancerous tumor... not because I
feared death but because I feared what would lead up to death having seen my
late wife suffer through the chemo and the multiple operations to no avail.
That was a lot of suffering for no positive result. She had gone from being
overweight to literally looking like a skin covered skeleton. I would rather go
without treatment or be able to die rapidly than go through what she went
through. Still, I had fear when I shouldn't have. After others prayed for me,
the doctor did three more biopsies of the tumor and said it was benign. God is
love. God can and does heal even cancer. You just need to believe and have
faith that it is so. Luckily, I overcame my fear and my faith was restored and
I was indeed healed.
In Romans, Paul
tells us a little more about love.
Romans 12:9-13 New International Version (NIV)
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what
is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above
yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor,
serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in
prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice
hospitality.
Holy Bible, New International
Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica,
Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Mounce
Reverse-Interlinear says in verse 9, Let (agape) love be genuine. Abhor what is
evil; hold fast to what is good. Now in verse 10 we see a different Greek word
for love. It uses the Greek word philostorgos which means “tenderly
affectionate.” Verse 10: Love one another with (philadelphia) brotherly
affection. So, we are to genuinely have brotherly love, loathe what is evil,
and be tenderly affectionate to one another in brotherly affection. Romans 6:16 says
to greet one another with a holy kiss.
Romans 16:16 New International Version (NIV)
All the churches of
Christ send greetings.
How many churches
do this today? Wouldn't most of us fear kissing another person, especially of
the same gender, in church? What has happened? What has changed? I'll tell you
what has changed. People have gotten away from the whole idea of true brotherly
love. Satan has driven a wedge between us with homophobia and fear of not
appearing to be “manly” enough. There is seldom affection shown between members
of a church these days. There is gossip in the church such that a man and woman
who appear to hug too long might have rumors of having an affair between them.
These are evils that we should abhor. When something causes suspicion because
Christians are affectionate toward one another in a brotherly way, you know
that Satan is at work. It is generally that person's thoughts that are evil and
that person tries to transpose it onto others. Beware of undue suspicion. The
next passage gives us more on the subject.
1 John 3:7-17 New International Version (NIV)
7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The
one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The
one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning
from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the
devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because
God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been
born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who
the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not
God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning:
We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the
evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own
actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be
surprised, my brothers and sisters,[a] if the world hates
you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love
each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates
a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal
life residing in him.
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid
down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and
sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or
sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that
person?
Footnotes:
a.
1 John 3:13 The
Greek word for brothers and sisters(adelphoi) refers here to
believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 16.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used
by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Let's look at
verses 7-10 for a moment. A person may be very sinful before he comes to Christ
but once he or she has that seed, sin will slowly fade away. They can't
continue to sin because they have been born of God. It may take some more time
than others to turn away from their sin... sometimes because they don't realize
what they are doing, but the Holy Spirit will convict their heart if they are
born of God; if they believe. Those who continually sin and don't care one way
or the other are posers. They pretend to be Christians but are, in reality,
children of the devil. They will hate others because of race, because of
background, or because of many of other reasons. The main reason is that they
are of the devil. Some of them proudly proclaim that they are children of the devil
and are trying to interfere with the work of Christ while some, even ministers,
preachers, or whatever their title, mislead their church members with reasons
to hate, support of war, preaching politics from the pulpit in order to promote
hate and evil, or whatever that particular preacher's heart is filled with. If
he's not preaching love, he's not preaching of God. You might consider changing
churches. Verses 11-15 explain it more, even calling those who hate a brother
or sister is a murderer and has no eternal life in them.
Look at verses 16 and 17. “16 This
is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we
ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has
material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on
them, how can the love of God be in that person?”
If we see a brother
or sister in need and we have the material possessions to help them but refuse
to, how can the love of God reside in that person? That person is consumed by
his or her own greed if he or she has no pity on their brother or sister in
need. Those who do give to their brother or sister who is in need shall be
rewarded with eternal life for they are of God.
In this next verse,
we will see how the Pharisees got together to try to catch Jesus by obtaining a
Pharisee who was an expert in the law. What did Jesus tell them?
Matthew
22:34-40 New International Version (NIV)
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the
Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him
with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the
Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest
commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as
yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets
hang on these two commandments.”
Footnotes:
Holy Bible, New
International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica,
Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
He told them, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest
commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as
yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets
hang on these two commandments.” What is the greatest commandment? Love the
Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind and the second is like it,
love your neighbor as yourself. Why? Because God is love and he wants us all to
love one another. Who is our neighbor? Everyone is our neighbor. They may be a
next door neighbor, and across the street neighbor, a person in a neighboring
country, or any other person in the world. We are all brothers and sisters who
are born of God. No one is better or worse than the other. We should constantly
strive to better ourselves so that we can realize and show that love of God even
more by showing pity on them if they are in need and by showing them brotherly
affection. There are some who pose as brothers, especially on the internet, to
scam people out of money, as we have seen more frequently in just one or two
countries. I'm not speaking of giving all of your money to such people because
they simply want to swindle you. If, however, you know someone who is truly in
need and you have the ability to help them, you SHOULD help them. Show concern
and brotherly affection toward them. Let go of hate and open yourself up to
love and peace for Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
Ephesians
2:13-18 New International Version (NIV)
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who
once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who
has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of
hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and
regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the
two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to
God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He
came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were
near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used
by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Remember: Be there
for one another in love and peace. Let us now bow our heads and pray as Jesus
taught us.
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.
Love, Hope, Peace, and Christ Be With You,
Cal-el
http://www.spaceeagleproductions.org
http://www.myspace.com/music_man1701
http://www.facebook.com/cal.jennings
http://www.myspace.com/music_man1701
http://www.facebook.com/cal.jennings
No comments:
Post a Comment