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.
You will find us in the following location: http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
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.
Opening Song: How Great Thou Art https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxCRIF0m79w
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
~ Shalom ~
Rev. Laura A. Neff
Elder Calvin Jennings
Covenant of Hope Ministries Main
Site: http://www.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://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
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.
