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.
- Pray for my granddaughter Maria. She is getting
stronger and bigger every day. At this time, she has passed the three pound
threshold and is eating, and breathing well at this point in time, amazing view
of the gift of God’s grace and love.
- Please continue to pray for Elder Cal Jennings who has
been suffering greatly with his health. His pain levels have been astronomical,
and the doctors do not understand that taking certain medications away would
not be helpful at this point in time. May the Lord bring his spirits up and
help heal him.
- Please pray for relief in the continued trials and
tribulations for Sister Theresa due to pain from a terrible hit and run
accident late last year.
- 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 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.
- Pray for our soldiers who are far from home for the
holidays.
Prayer: Father in heaven,
today’s prayer is reaching out for the gift of the Holy Spirit to surround each
of us with Your healing touch. Those of us in unending pain physical,
emotional, and spiritual need Your grace and comfort. We pray for peace within
each of us and for the ability to share that peace, creating the perfect view
of everyone and everything here on this earth. We pray for the many who are
sick in or out of the hospital. We pray for those who are in pain, that their
pains be eased. We pray for those who have lost loved ones this week. We pray
for forgiveness in our ignorance and pray for enlightenment as we study Your
Eternal Word. We pray for peace around this world. We pray for justice and for
empathy in the terrible things that have happened this past week. 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&list=PL614A115BF39E5936&index=168&t=0s
Sermon: This morning we are
continuing our study of 1 Corinthians Chapter 15. We start where we ended last
week, adding a bit to begin our voyage in this piece of Scripture which does
indeed need a bit more to help us understand what Paul was thinking, saying,
and sharing.
1
Corinthians 15:3-4 KJV – For I delivered unto you first of all
that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures:
It
is even now a bit difficult for new followers to understand the drive we as
teachers and preachers of the Word would have in sharing the truth beyond just
the Word as written and read. There is much more to Scripture and becoming
Christ-like, than words in a speech or sermon would manage portraying. This is
why some things are repeated over and over again. Here we see Paul sharing his
experience as an Apostle of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:5-9 KJV – And that he was
seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five
hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present,
but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the
apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due
time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an
apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Paul is reminding those he is speaking to that at one
time he was a strict follower of Jewish traditions, to the letter, as an
upholder of the Law as opposed to a follower of the Word. The two are very
different, even if they are both Jewish in their core teachings. The
difference, the Law is not solely founded upon straight up believing, only on
memorizing of traditions. Jesus taught that you need more than just memorized
words and traditions. This is what Paul was working to teach, something that
took the Apostle quite a while to learn as well.
John 10:34 KJV – Jesus answered them, Is it
not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
Jesus was well known for showing the elders and leaders
of the Jews that they were reading, but not fully comprehending what the
Scriptures were sharing for each of them, individually, and collectively. We
are each chosen for something, simply because we have that ability to choose. It
is one of the best gifts ever given to us, the ability to choose, known as free
will. What we choose, and how we work with that choice, is what is more
important for our future footsteps in life.
Isaiah 28:11-12 KJV – For
with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom
he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is
the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
Speaking in tongues, some say it is a language unique to
everyone and everything. Others say that this is what happened when the Holy
Ghost came into the place where the Apostles were and changed them to where
they could not understand each other. It is a bit like being thrown into the UN
without a translator would be for most of us in this world. All the words may
be the same, but they do not look, or sound, alike in any formula.
Mark 16:17 KJV – And these
signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils;
they shall speak with new tongues;
Casting out devils, speaking new
languages, all of this because the Holy Spirit fills the teachers and
preachers, apostles, ministers, and elders of Christ’s church. Yet, many would
think the idea of being able to speak in God’s language isn’t possible, it is,
just people are afraid to hear what is really being spoken. And then there are
those who think we’re out of our proverbial, if not literal, minds, drunk, or
otherwise impaired as they share here.
Acts 2:13 KJV – Others
mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
Hearing the truth isn’t always easy.
Understanding God’s truth is not easy either. It can take an entire lifetime to
understand and be able to share that understanding of God’s Word. Here we see
more of that in the Old Testament.
Isaiah 45:14 KJV – Thus saith
the Lord, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the
Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine:
they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall
down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is
in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.
Too often I have said that believing
takes more than seeing, hearing, and experiencing the Word. It takes just what
is shared in this verse from Isaiah. We have to breathe the Word. We have to
sleep with it on our lips, coursing through our subconscious, and unconscious
mind. And then we get this next Old Testament verse sharing even more as to
seeing, hearing, experiencing God’s truth through the gift of the Spirit.
Zechariah 8:23 KJV – Thus
saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall
take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the
skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that
God is with you.
Note how prophetic these words from
Zechariah would be? Ten men shall take hold of all the languages of all the
nations on earth, all of them followers of one man, Jesus Christ, the Son of
God. They followed Jesus even when others didn’t want to believe. They did
believe, and did share exactly what will happen in this world when the end of
days comes. Now we go into the future after the death and resurrection of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Acts 9:17 KJV – And Ananias
went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said,
Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou
camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with
the Holy Ghost.
One of the greatest gifts ever given,
beyond unconditional love, is the gift of the Holy Spirit, or the Holy Ghost.
Believe, because all of this came to be. Believe, not just because we say to
believe, but also because it can be seen, heard, and felt through our lives.
Every syllable that we can recognize without thinking twice shows just how much
belief affects our lives. This next verse shares something I have experienced
myself thanks to the wonderful gift of Unconditional Love brought to me through
believing in all that I have learned, and knowing that there is still so much
left for me to learn when it comes to God’s Word. This verse shares that for
all of us.
Ephesians 3:7-8 KJV –
Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given
unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am
less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach
among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Believing is a gift, and it’s no small gift. Faith and
belief are intertwined in so many ways. It is very difficult to not see what
belief does for each of us. While we get nearer and nearer the celebration of
Christmas, belief is something that we need to reflect on. How can we show
others that we can see, feel, and experience everything Scripture shares just
by bringing it into our hearts, minds, spirits, and absorbing what the
knowledge within would bring to each of 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)
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: Do You Hear What I Hear https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIQQDYaoWpc&list=PLAV7hQToHN7SJMTk2_Q8vFJTJfZRBTPow&index=64&t=0s
~ 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 © 2019 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.
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