Covenant of Hope is an online ministry developed as a mission for Christians and Others who are disabled, disadvantaged, displaced or disenchanted in this world. Our motto is not to exploit fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all that is created through fear, together as the rainbow in the darkness.
Hello Covenant of Hope Ministries members and friends. I am posting this early as we won't be having a sermon on Sunday. It was an inspiration first thing this morning and I just had to share it. A simple prayer for this weekend. Prayer: Lord protect our traveling families and friends so that they might have a safe journey. Keep our soldiers safe and warm, no matter where they are. Watch over their families as they are so far away. May the sick and sorrowful be remembered and given hope through the love we might share. May peace on earth reign at long last, even if it's just for just a day. We ask all this in Your Holy Name through our Savior Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Amen and so it shall be.
Now remember, if you can't read it you just have to click on it and it will enlarge. God bless you, everyone. Merry Christmas.
~ Rev. Laura & Elder Cal Jennings ~
Our mission for Covenant of Hope Ministries is not to exploit fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all that is created through fear together as the bringers of the light of Jesus found in the midst of darkness.
Welcome to Covenant of Hope
Ministries and our sermon or midweek study. You will normally see us posted on
Sunday and Wednesday. I am Rev. Laura A. Neff. Our ministry was built on the
truth of God’s love. It doesn’t conform to society’s wishes. This ministry
shares the Word of God, the Spirit of Christ Jesus. Those who know me well will
recognize that there are definitive differences in the creation of every sermon
from this point forward. It is God’s will that has brought this to be. We wish
only that God’s truth will be shared within His words as brought to us by the
Spirit as it fills my heart, mind, and soul to be shared with my hands, but
with His words alone.
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 grows or changes every week. This is our current list.
- Please pray for Elder Cal
Jennings who has been suffering greatly with his health. Please also pray that
his housing issues have solutions very soon. May the Lord bring his spirits up
and help heal him and give him hope.
- Please pray for our family
as we mourn the passing of my Uncle John. He passed on just a week ago. They
are mourning him tomorrow in his memorial. May our family and friends remember
him fondly.
- Please pray for relief in
the trials and tribulations for Sister Theresa and myself as we have had a
great many over the past year and more.
- Be thankful for each day
we live as we do not know what tomorrow brings.
- Pray for our nations that
the voice of God be heard through the Spirit.
- Pray for our friends and
families that their tomorrows bring blessings and pray our own be the same.
- Pray for those suffering
as a result of the terrors that have occurred just this past month around this
world.
- Pray for our sick and
wounded that they may heal.
- Pray for our homeless,
that they might have shelter and food for the celebration of Christ’s birth and
the hope of a home, compassion of man, and more.
Prayer:
Father
in heaven, our prayer today is to have the Spirit bring clarity to each of our
decisions. We thank You for that gift and the many more You have brought us.
May our fears be drawn out of us. Help us to see the many gifts Your love
brings and the unknown locations it might be found. May our pain and sorrow be
eased. May peace be brought from our hearts and shared with others. May Your
gifts of love shine through us toward others. We pray for the poor, the sick,
the sorrowful, the wounded, and the frightened. We pray for the soldiers, the
Samaritans, the children, and the rest. We pray in thanksgiving for every gift
brought us. We pray that every tomorrow bring good things. For each of these we
pray in Your Holy Name, through our Savior Jesus Christ, and the gift of the
Holy Spirit, Amen and so it shall be.
Sermon: The
title says this: To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of
David when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with
us? There are a pair of verses that go with this explanation. Those
include this one.
I
Samuel 23:19 KJV –Then
came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself
with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the
south of Jeshimon?
I
Samuel 26:1 KJV –And
the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah. Saying, Doth not David hide himself in
the hill of Hachiah, which is before Jeshimon?
There are many times we pray
for deliverance. That can be delivering us from all types of situations,
ranging from life threatening to the torment of heart, mind, or soul. Evil and
the deliverance from it would be mentioned in the Lord’s Prayer, which we share
through our Savior.
Psalm
54:1-4 KJV –Save
me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength.
Hear
my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.
For
strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have
not set God before them. Selah.
Behold,
God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.
He’s wishing and praying
that God will think about listening, giving ear to the words which David
shares. He is making his case by sharing that his enemies do not share the
belief that the Lord God would have been set before them. God helps those who
are faithful. God helps and is with us if we hold each other up, as well as
ourselves.
Psalm
118:7 KJV –I
shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.
The best part about faith is
in the fact that when God shows us more than we expect, or even what we hope
for, we feel as though we have come back to life. We are willing to shout for
joy and say that it’s because God has given us answers. God is good. He will
answer prayers, and bring blessings, if we listen, hear, and share that which
we have listened to and heard. It’s not supposed to be one sided. We’re
supposed to work in tandem. That is how hope, faith, peace, and more would lead
us to unconditional love as shown and shared through Christ Jesus. Here we come
with the words Fear Not. This is something that is often shared during this
time of the year. Yet, this is far, far from the gospels. In fact, it is the
prophecy that our gospels would be fulfilled.
Isaiah
41:10 KJV –Fear
thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will
strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right
hand of my righteousness.
Here it would be proven in
the New Testament.
Romans
8:31, 32 KJV –What
shall we then say unto these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
He that spared not his own
Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely
give us all things?
Sacrifice is the single most
difficult consideration. We saw it with Abraham and his son. We see it again
with God and His Son Jesus. It is the fact that they were willing to do so much
to save others, to prove faith can exist and will indeed be shared and seen in
our eyes, our hearts, our spirits, and our souls. What can David pray for next?
He wants, and pleads that the enemies not see the truth, that they are cut from
it. What is he willing to do for this? Well, take a look at what is shared here.
Psalm
54:5-7 KJV –He
shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth.
I will freely sacrifice unto
thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.
For he hath delivered me out
of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.
God delivered him! So what
does David do? He says PRAISE GOD, of course. This is what we often forget to
do. When our trials and tribulations are taken from our shoulders, we often
forget to praise Him for deliverance. That’s why Jesus said to remember the
prayer He gave us. DELIVER US FROM EVIL, He says and we pray. Yet, still, even
with this confidence, this knowledge of God’s grace and hope would dissolve in
his fear that something will not be given. Faith is something we all struggle
to hang on to. This just proves that fact. Psalm 89:49 KJV – Lord,
where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy
truth?
It makes it that much more
difficult if we are afraid to see what’s right in front of us. God’s love is
ALWAYS with us. In fact, it’s right in front of us. All we have to do is trust
in that fact. That faith shares so much, including the deliverance of His
faithful from the evils in this world. 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)
Our mission for Covenant of Hope Ministries is not to exploit
fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all that is created through fear together
as the bringers of the light of Jesus found in the midst of darkness.
Welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries and our sermon or
midweek study. You will normally see us posted on Sunday and Wednesday. I am
Rev. Laura A. Neff. Our ministry was built on the truth of God’s love. It
doesn’t conform to society’s wishes. This ministry shares the Word of God, the
Spirit of Christ Jesus. Those who know me well will recognize that there are
definitive differences in the creation of every sermon from this point forward.
It is God’s will that has brought this to be. We wish only that God’s truth
will be shared within His words as brought to us by the Spirit as it fills my
heart, mind, and soul to be shared with my hands, but with His words alone.
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 grows or changes every week. This is our current
list.
- I have been asked by friends to pray for them, and for
their families. They wish to remain anonymous, but with God and Jesus any
prayer heard, anonymous our not, is heard.
- Please pray for Elder Cal Jennings who has been suffering
greatly with his health. May the Lord bring his spirits up and help heal him.
- Please pray for relief in the trials and tribulations for
Sister Theresa and myself as we have had a great many over the past year and
more.
- Be thankful for each day we live as we do not know what
tomorrow brings.
- Pray for our nations that the voice of God be heard through
the Spirit.
- Pray for our friends and families that their tomorrows
bring blessings and pray our own be the same.
- Pray for those suffering as a result of the terrors that
have occurred just this past week around this world.
- Pray for our sick and wounded that they may heal.
Prayer: Father in heaven, our prayer today is
to have the Spirit bring clarity to each of our decisions. We thank You for
that gift and the many more You have brought us. May our fears and pain be
drawn out of us. Help us to see the many gifts Your love brings and the unknown
locations it might be found. May our sorrow and despair be eased. May peace be
brought from our hearts and shared with others. May Your gifts of love shine
through us toward others. We pray for the poor, the sick, the sorrowful, the
wounded, and the frightened. We pray for the soldiers, the Samaritans, the
children, and the rest. We pray in thanksgiving for every gift brought us. We
pray that every tomorrow bring good things. For each of these we pray in Your
Holy Name, through our Savior Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit,
Amen and so it shall be.
Sermon: Today I found an interesting verse
that leads me to think a lot about how we all might actually think about
ourselves. Yes, I said ourselves. There are many these days who need mercy and
knowledge of God’s existence more than any sacrifice. You see, unless you know
God, you can’t ask for mercy. Sure, you can say the words. However, are they
worth anything without believing in God to receive that mercy? Take a look.
Hosea 6:6 KJV –For
I desired mercy and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt
offerings.
Knowledge of God is important. It doesn’t matter how much you
believe. It matters that you know AND believe. Life is eternal with the TRUE
GOD, and JESUS CHRIST who shows us the way to get there. God sent Jesus to do
just that, even in the ultimate sacrifice. John shares that with us.
John 17:3 KJV –And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only
true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.
It can hurt, not just physically, but mentally and
spiritually trying to understand. There are no doubts there. We see so much horror,
bloodshed, and more, that doesn’t need to be. Shouldn’t be, in fact. Yet, there
it is. In our world today we as Christians are learning that there is more than
a war against our faith and belief. There is a war against everything
Christian. Yes, everything. So many don’t understand how bad it has become.
This is worldwide, not just one portion of it. Everywhere you find God’s Word
disappearing from public view. Thrown away as though it is now irrelevant and
insignificant. That’s where our faith must persevere. This is why our first and
last verse share so much in common as the ones in the middle do the same.
Isaiah 53:11 KJV – He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his
knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their
iniquities.
The travail of his soul, that’s what is said about what will
be seen. What does it mean? Well, travail means pain, anguish, suffering as a
result of mental and spiritual hardship. I don’t know about you, but it sure
sounds like the world today and what it is doing to each and every one of us. Even
physical hardship leads to travail. Between the three many are not seeing mercy
where it is and should always be. God is that mercy. This is why He brought us
Jesus Christ, to show us full views of mercy beyond what had been said and
shown already. Sure, we feel as though we are suffering far too much, mentally,
spiritually, physically, but Jesus is carrying those on His back. All we have
to do is give them up to Him. Now that’s something to think about as we pray in
the prayer that Jesus taught us saying:
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)
Closing Song: Grace ~ Michael W. Smith https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLLj_xo2Jkc
Our mission for Covenant of Hope Ministries is not to exploit
fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all that is created through fear together
as the bringers of the light of Jesus found in the midst of darkness.
Welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries and our sermon or
midweek study. You will normally see us posted on Sunday and Wednesday. I am
Rev. Laura A. Neff. Our ministry was built on the truth of God’s love. It
doesn’t conform to society’s wishes. This ministry shares the Word of God, the
Spirit of Christ Jesus. Those who know me well will recognize that there are
definitive differences in the creation of every sermon from this point forward.
It is God’s will that has brought this to be. We wish only that God’s truth
will be shared within His words as brought to us by the Spirit as it fills my
heart, mind, and soul to be shared with my hands, but with His words alone.
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 grows or changes every week. This is our current
list.
- Please pray for Elder Cal Jennings who has been suffering
greatly with his health. May the Lord bring his spirits up and help heal him.
- Please pray for relief in the trials and tribulations for
Sister Theresa and myself as we have had a great many over the past year and
more.
- Be thankful for each day we live as we do not know what
tomorrow brings.
- Pray for our nations that the voice of God be heard through
the Spirit.
- Pray for our friends and families that their tomorrows
bring blessings and pray our own be the same.
- Pray for those suffering as a result of the terrors that
have occurred just this past week around this world.
- Pray for our sick and wounded that they may heal.
Prayer: Father in heaven, may Your grace brought
to us fill our hearts and souls through the Spirit. We thank You for that gift
and the many more You have brought us. May our pains, sorrows, and fears be
drawn out of us. Help us to see the many gifts Your love brings and the unknown
locations it might be found. May peace be brought into our hearts and may we
learn to share it with others. May Your gifts of love shine through us toward
others. We pray for the poor, the sick, the sorrowful, the wounded, and the
frightened. We pray for the soldiers, the Samaritans, the children, and the
rest. We pray in thanksgiving for every gift brought us. We pray that every
tomorrow bring good things. For each of these we pray in Your Holy Name,
through our Savior Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so
it shall be.
Sermon: There are times in our lives where we
have to be reminded how much God loves us. So many people feel as though they’ve
been abandoned in one way or another. God never abandons us. We abandon Him. Yet,
if we were to open our eyes, hearts, ears, spirits, we’d see just how much He
brings us through His grace. Faith and love found through Jesus Christ, our
Savior. That’s what we need to see. We need to see how much is continually
sacrificed to share His love. Many will ask how and why there could still be
sacrifice even this far beyond the resurrection of Christ. That’s simple. Too
many of us have become blind and refuse to see. With faith, we can do anything.
God wouldn’t have brought us Jesus Christ if we didn’t need Him. Yes, need Him.
That’s where grace comes in. Jesus brings us grace to walk within the footsteps
of faith. It’s like protection. Everyone likes to have their view of
protection. In this case it doesn’t require more ammunition than an open heart,
an open mind, and the willingness to follow. Let’s start here.
I Timothy 1:14 KJV –And
the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in
Christ Jesus.
Now, add to this, not only do we have to remember His grace
is for the ones with few sins, it is as much so for the continuous sinners. Do
we realize we are sinning? No, probably not. Yet, God realizes it. He gave us
Jesus to forgive us the little sins. Shouldn’t we forgive each other for the
little things we do wrong to one another?
Luke 7:47 KJV –Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are
forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth
little.
If you remember to love one another, that makes it easier to
forgive. If we cannot forgive even just a little, then we can’t love more than
a little. Some say it is impossible to forgive. Others say they don’t know how
to forgive. Still more say they can forgive but never forget. If we don’t learn
to forgive and forget, no matter how long it may take, then we can’t see the
full love and faith and hope God has for us through Christ Jesus. It’s amazing,
you know, how hard we can make it for ourselves to forgive and forget. Those
who need that forgiveness don’t always make it any easier. That’s as much a
part of the problem as it would be the solution. There are those who have asked
me how I can look past the bad and see the good. That’s easy. Yes, I said easy.
It took me a long time to learn how, but it gets easier with practice. Someone
then asked me how you can practice forgive and forget? Well, today you forgive,
tomorrow you forget. You don’t forget the entire incident because it is a
learning experience. Take what you learned into the future. Leave the pain and
sorrow behind. That’s what it means to forgive and forget. That’s where we find
the grace of Jesus Christ in His love. That’s why, when we forgive the ones who
have brought us pain, or sorrow, and then forget it, we have learned the lesson
Jesus was, and still is, teaching us. Now that’s something to think about as we
pray in the prayer that Jesus taught us saying:
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)
Our mission for Covenant of Hope Ministries is not to exploit
fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all that is created through fear together
as the bringers of the light of Jesus found in the midst of darkness.
Welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries and our sermon or
midweek study. You will normally see us posted on Sunday and Wednesday. I am
Rev. Laura A. Neff. Our ministry was built on the truth of God’s love. It
doesn’t conform to society’s wishes. This ministry shares the Word of God, the
Spirit of Christ Jesus. Those who know me well will recognize that there are
definitive differences in the creation of every sermon from this point forward.
It is God’s will that has brought this to be. We wish only that God’s truth
will be shared within His words as brought to us by the Spirit as it fills my
heart, mind, and soul to be shared with my hands, but with His words alone.
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 grows or changes every week. This is our current
list.
- Please pray for Elder Cal Jennings who has been suffering
greatly with his health. May the Lord bring his spirits up and help heal him.
- Pray for my parents and youngest brother who would have
lost their dog Shadow just two days ago now. He was a faithful companion for
nearly sixteen years.
- Please pray for relief in the trials and tribulations for
Sister Theresa and myself as we have had a great many over the past year and
more.
- Be thankful for each day we live as we do not know what
tomorrow brings.
- Pray for our nations that the voice of God be heard through
the Spirit.
- Pray for our friends and families that their tomorrows
bring blessings and pray our own be the same.
- Pray for those suffering as a result of the terrors that
have occurred just this past week around this world.
- Pray for our sick and wounded that they may heal.
Prayer: Father in heaven, our prayer today is
to have the Spirit bring clarity to each of our decisions. We thank You for
that gift and the many more You have brought us. We thank You for the ability
to see those gifts and to share them with each other. May our fears be drawn
out of us. Help us to see the many gifts Your love brings and the unknown
locations it might be found. May our pain and sorrow be eased. May peace be
brought from our hearts and shared with others. May Your gifts of love shine
through us toward others. We pray for the poor, the sick, the sorrowful, the
wounded, and the frightened. We pray for the soldiers, the Samaritans, the
children, and the rest. We pray in thanksgiving for every gift brought us. We
pray that every tomorrow bring good things. For each of these we pray in Your
Holy Name, through our Savior Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit,
Amen and so it shall be.
Sermon: Yesterday I saw something while
exploring one of my favorite locations not within the Scriptures, but related
to them all the same. That would have been a picture that shared words based on
the verses shared here. It is something we have to seriously look at as a
result of the goings on in this world today. The truth is, it isn’t easy to say
this. It isn’t easy to share it. Yet, sometimes it is just better to lay it out
right in front of our faces and let us truthfully think about it in so many ways.
So let’s see the verses that were referenced just yesterday. Afterwards I will
post the picture it went with.
Philippians 4:5-9 KJV –Let
your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any praise, think on
these things.
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in
me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Look at this! No matter what happens we are able to go through
everything and see where God will be side by side with us. Learn from that
which goes on around you. It teaches you good from bad, right from wrong, and
so forth. Receive that knowledge and when we apply that knowledge within
ourselves and share it with others wisdom is attainable. When you can see it in
others, no matter who it would be, God is right there beside you. Why is that?
It’s simple. It really is. He wants us to learn all of these things on our own.
He wants us to process them, share them, and be a part of them. The reason is
also simple. When we do, God talks to us as much as we talk to Him. So be
thankful for what He brings. He will keep our hearts through our faith in Jesus
Christ. That’s not easy to listen to. It’s not easy to hear. This is especially
in the world today. So many things are turning against our beliefs, our faith
in His love. Yet, even Jesus said forgive them for they know not what they do(Luke 23:34 KJV) when He was hanging there on the
cross. That’s something we have to learn. Sure, we can teach what should be. We
can teach what shouldn’t. But, we can’t control the actions of others. That is
the expression of free will. God gave us a choice. That’s not easy for us to
see, the choice between good and evil, right and wrong. Every single person has
hit that wrong path. The path toward Christ is no easy road. We stumble. We
fall. We forget where it leads. Yet, even when we do, if we are thankful for
the things we have, it’s noticed. If we show it, then it’s noticed even more. His
peace which surpasses every expectation, all understanding, can be shared with
us through Jesus Christ. Now that’s something to think about as we pray in the
prayer that Jesus taught us saying:
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)
Our mission for Covenant of Hope Ministries is not to exploit
fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all that is created through fear together
as the bringers of the light of Jesus found in the midst of darkness.
Welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries and our sermon or
midweek study. You will normally see us posted on Sunday and Wednesday. I am
Rev. Laura A. Neff. Our ministry was built on the truth of God’s love. It
doesn’t conform to society’s wishes. This ministry shares the Word of God, the
Spirit of Christ Jesus. Those who know me well will recognize that there are
definitive differences in the creation of every sermon from this point forward.
It is God’s will that has brought this to be. We wish only that God’s truth
will be shared within His words as brought to us by the Spirit as it fills my
heart, mind, and soul to be shared with my hands, but with His words alone.
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 grows or changes every week. This is our current
list.
- Please pray for Elder Cal Jennings who has been suffering
greatly with his health. May the Lord bring his spirits up and help heal him. Pray
that his boredom be eased with music and more.
- Please pray for relief in the trials and tribulations for
Sister Theresa and myself as we have had a great many over the past year and
more.
- Be thankful for each day we live as we do not know what
tomorrow brings.
- Pray for our nations that the voice of God be heard through
the Spirit.
- Pray for our friends and families that their tomorrows
bring blessings and pray our own be the same.
- Pray for those suffering as a result of the terrors that
have occurred just this past week around this world.
- Pray for our sick and wounded that they may heal.
Prayer: Father in heaven, our prayer today is
to have the Spirit bring clarity to each of our decisions. We thank You for
that gift and the many more You have brought us. May our fears be drawn out of
us. Help us to see the many gifts Your love brings and the unknown locations it
might be found. May our pain and sorrow be eased. May peace be brought from our
hearts and shared with others. May Your gifts of love shine through us toward
others. We pray for the poor, the sick, the sorrowful, the wounded, and the
frightened. We pray for the soldiers, the Samaritans, the children, and the
rest. We pray in thanksgiving for every gift brought us. We pray that every
tomorrow bring good things. For each of these we pray in Your Holy Name,
through our Savior Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so
it shall be.
Sermon: This day had me thankful that there
are those who are merciful and practice with the gift of mercy. There is so
much we see in this world where no mercy can be found. This is one reason to
actually teach what mercy would be. What is it? Mercy is compassion, pity,
benevolence, this is a kindness shown toward someone that’s done something
wrong, or even an enemy. Remember the prayer Jesus taught us asked us to
forgive each other. That is part of being merciful. What can happen to our
hearts, spirits and souls if we do? Let’s take a look at what Scripture has to
say.
Proverbs 11:17 KJV – The merciful man doeth good to his own
soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.
We’ve seen a lot of cruelty in this world. What happens if we
show cruelty toward another? Well, in a lot of ways we pay for it, whether it
is by the hands of another, justice in the hands of the people, or some other
means. Yet there still would be something Jesus taught us in the Sermon on the
Mount found here.
Matthew 5:7 KJV – Blessed are the merciful: for they shall
obtain mercy.
Jesus proves even now that He is merciful, as our Father is
the same. How so you might ask? Well, we’re alive to tell the story, share our
own as we follow in faith and love. That’s exactly how He is merciful. He gives
us the chance to follow, no matter what. Forgive us our trespasses, that’s
bringing mercy toward us. If we forgive, He will do the same for us even if the
ones we forgive would not do the same toward us.
Psalm 18:25 KJV – With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself
merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
We are good people if we share mercy. Those who share mercy
with us would also prove to be good in one way or another. It is no easy thing
to share mercy, to offer mercy. It prove there is something good in each and
every one of us. What happens when we don’t show mercy? Well, He has something
to say about that through yet another of the Apostles.
James 2:13 KJV –For he shall have judgment without mercy,
that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
Now, James, being the younger brother of Jesus, was very good
at telling it like it is, no holds’ barred. He didn’t waste words. In fact he
was straight to the point in seconds and usually makes you think twice as you
read, and re-read, his words. Mercy, when we don’t show it, will not be shown
to us. Who will not show us that mercy? Jesus won’t even when He wants to do
so. That’s where it comes up to the day of Judgment. When we show mercy it is
noticed, not just by those around us, but by Jesus Himself. Now that’s
something to think about as we pray in the prayer that Jesus taught us saying:
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)
Our mission for Covenant of Hope Ministries is not to exploit
fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all that is created through fear together
as the bringers of the light of Jesus found in the midst of darkness.
