Where We Are Equal

Good afternoon, welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries. My name is Rev. Laura A. Neff, the Rainbow Minister. The choice for Rainbow has to do with the fact that the rainbow symbolizes a promise made and one that can and will be kept. I made, long ago, a promise to God that I would do all I could to keep that faith within me. We are normally posted on Sundays for sermons and Wednesdays for studies. You can find these posted in the following locations.

Main Site:http://covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com/

Rev. Laura’s Other Sites: Facebook & Twitter &Google+ & Blogspot

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 pray for a friend Susie Bartholow as she is in hospice. She is in very grave condition with cancer. Hospice care is in her home with her family. Keep them all in your thoughts and prayers.

- Pray that Elder Cal and his mother can regain their health and strength once more. There have been many setbacks and knock backs for them, but they are still fighting to continue. Pray that their faith continues without wavering.

- Please pray for a friend of ours, Lucy, whose liver is failing. She is going to be on medication but may need a transplant. Pray that the first option works and she returns to health.

- Pray for a friend of my brother’s, who is far from home right now. There have been many problems for her right now. It is our hope that she will return and be here to complete her healing and more.

- Pray for our members Theresa and Wayne who had a very rough year last year. May some of their trials and tribulations end in time for our celebration of the birth of Jesus.

- We praise God for the gift of thanks received this week for our family and that the gift continues giving as answers sought for months have been brought forward. We pray that the good heard, felt, and known at this time will continue far into the future.

- Pray for those near and far who have been suffering in battles that do not have to be. Pray that peace can be found amidst the fear and anger, frustration and more. May hope blossom and bring that peace once more.

- Pray for our friends and our enemies, may they all find that the gift of God’s Son, Jesus, holds the hope and faith everyone seeks.

- Keep hope alive in your prayers no matter the pain or strife we might suffer.

- May God bless every one of us as we continue on.
- For those who celebrate their birthdays this week, a prayer of grace and thanksgiving.

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 blessings brought and for those yet to come. We pray that You can remind us always what we should be looking forward to. We bring prayers for those who have been seriously ill. Help those who are working to fight serious illnesses the ability to find solutions. We pray for those lost and those who mourn. We pray for those in strain and strife. We pray for patience and courage for those we love and care about, and ourselves as well. We pray for peace to reach out from the heart and be heard, felt, and understood. We pray that Your grace and love would fill the hearts of the many in this world. We pray all this in Your Holy Name through the Savior Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so it shall be.

Opening Song: You Raise Me Up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnztMhtUF6o  

Sermon:  Good afternoon. Today a subject that seems to be seen a lot, yet doesn’t get the right kind of discussion going, is here to be brought to light. That subject is equality. There are many who say that equality doesn’t exist. This, regardless that God works so hard to help us prove its existence should be seen, felt, heard, and known. Over the past few years we have seen some terrible things in regard to gender, religious, or racial bias. There is a phrase, ‘turn over a new leaf’. There are others like ‘don’t judge a book by its cover, or a person by the outer skin’. There are many scripture verses on equality.  

Galatians 3:26-29 KJV – For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond, nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Over the years we have seen a lot of things in the news as to the various countries and how human rights are either recognized or not. Add to that, we have seen quite a lot of that in life even outside of those basic human rights. Equality isn't 'see it our way or no way.' It's not about the 'we're better than they are' mentality. In fact it would be the point God brought to this world through Jesus, and even before, that you can't judge on first sight of someone. Remember, when God chose David to be anointed king, the boy that would be king was not the handsomest, the tallest, the oldest, or the wisest. Every one of us is beautiful as we are. 

That beauty comes from inside. It doesn't separate into color, creed, or religion. It just is. Equality has nothing to do with who believes what, why, or whatever else. It has everything to do with the fact that we are all part of one race, the human race. Jesus never shared prejudice, age, gender, stature, or any view of the same. To Him everyone was, and is, equal. This is why He spent time with Jews, Gentiles, Lepers, politicians, heathens, and all the rest. He chose, as He still chooses, to listen to us equally. If God and Jesus were and are willing to do so, should we not choose to be doing the same? Sharing our lives equally with God as with each other isn't easy, but that is the reason God gave us each other. To share His love in all ways, not to take His love away in any way. It is not easy to share equally in anything for any reason. It is, however, for the greater good. Now, that's something to think about as we pray in the prayer that Jesus brought 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. (Matthew 6:9-13)

Closing Song:  What Faith Can Do https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1JBSQMkQEo

~Shalom~

Rev. Laura A. Neff ~ The Rainbow Minister

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Covenant of Hope Ministries

Main Site:

http://covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com/ 

       

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 © 2015

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.

This mission statement speaks of the rainbow in the darkness. Every time I would have a seriously traumatic thing happen in my life I would wake in the middle of the night. When I do I see a rainbow at the end of my bed, or even through the window behind my head. I’ll see that rainbow in a dark room even during the day. It will hover in the shadows and reassure me that God is with me.