Find Hope In a World Forced to Exist In Isolation ~ We Are Not Alone

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

 Rev. Laura’s other sites: Facebook & Blogspot & Twitter

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.

- A colleague’s son has contracted the Coronavirus, Covid 19, please let us pray for this young man and for all those suffering this deadly disease.

- Please pray that the panic due to our latest deadly disease eases and people continue to work toward ending this virus infecting so many.

- Please continue to pray for Elder Cal Jennings and his health issues, which are numerous.

- Please pray for job opportunities or offers to help bless Sister Theresa Bogard.

- Please pray for a dear friend and colleague who has learned they might have very serious problems. Help me help this friend of mine with strength of compassion 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, this is our prayer today, that those with the skills find a path toward a cure, a solution, for the many deadly viruses and infectious diseases that afflict so many around this world. We pray for those who have lost loved ones, friends, neighbors, in this epic fight for survival. Help us keep watch over those who are the most vulnerable. We pray for faith and hope and Your Loving Presence in our lives no matter how far apart we would be while we worship You in the only methods available in these trying times. 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: Will the Circle Be Unbroken https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bRJLkNqNXI

Sermon: Our dear, kind-hearted Elder Cal Jennings was chatting with me yesterday and I have to agree with his thoughts. People are seeking better outlets, more methods to see and speak with each other. This is one method, as is a live online show. I am working toward getting the ability to go live once more. My voice is almost there. Though the Lord speaks through my hands and eyes and thoughts, it is better that you hear those words He brings me in a clear voice that is not overwhelmed by the sounds around us. We have been discussing HOPE. The thought and the absolute need for this gift of God is palpable in today’s world with the COVID-19 chaos and all the other issues it brought with it. There are days where we might all feel like Paul did here. 

Acts 23:6-7 KJV – And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God, unto our fathers:
Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

No matter what they went through, the Apostles and other followers of Christ, were willing to face anything this earthly, worldly chaos might throw at them. Today, those of us who are believers need to bring the truest form of HOPE to those around us, even if we can’t get out there and hug each other, walk into a building and sit with a huge crowd of people to worship God. This is just one reason Covenant of Hope Ministries came into being. It is just one small idea that has become bigger and bigger as the years have come and gone. Thirteen years, and then some, and even in the worst health issues that some of us have had, still we are here. That’s the true gift of Hope and Faith in our gracious and blessed Savior Jesus Christ. Paul shares still more of that faith and hope here. 

Acts 24:15 KJV – And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

We know it’s not easy to be fully good and virtuous in this crazy world we live in. There are so many temptations to overcome we often forget how to be straightforward in our love for God while we are cramming fast food down our throats, forgetting to sleep, eat, and take care of our health the way we should. This is something that often causes others to rush to judgment. Now, you know I am one of those who has said do not judge unjustly. It’s one thing I say even now. Watch, just watch, how you react to things like this Covid-19 Coronavirus chaos. Let us remember, panic gets us nowhere we want to be. Paul was a Pharisee, a rule-maker, in Israel, thousands of years ago. He often said it was Jesus, who forgave him his sins, and had him wanting to share that amazing experience and the gift of hope afforded because of that meeting. Watch your words, actions, and even your thoughts, because all of those will be gone through at the end of days. 

Acts 26:6-7 KJV – And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God, unto our fathers: Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

This particular pair of verses references several other verses throughout Scripture. We need to look at the past, present, and future when it comes to what the gift of HOPE can be in full. For this reason, we absolutely must pay attention. Jesus Christ is the Savior, the promised one God offered first to Adam and Eve, then to Noah, Moses, Abraham, and all the rest. The hope that is in God’s Word would truly be God’s Word made manifest. 

Deuteronomy 18:15 KJV – The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

I find this verse to be a distinct version of a peek at the hope that the future holds. There are so many, even now, who hold out hope that the future will be a better place for all of us. That takes belief, not just in what we can do individually, but in what we can do collectively, no matter how close we are to each other, or how far apart. Sharing in something we love, with others who also love the same things, brings us together, no matter if we are sitting in the same room, or chatting from locations around the world. The promise of Jesus’s gift of eternal life was shared over and over again, even hundreds of years before His birth, life, ministry, betrayal, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection. Think about it. In those days, children were taught, not with pencils, pens, or anything else, they learned everything orally, and memorized every inch of the Scriptures because they were taught to recite them from a very young age and on through their lives even to the day of their death. It is a lost art, when it comes to learning Scripture and putting it to use in our world today. 

2 Samuel 7:12 KJV – And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

We all hope that, even with the terrible things around us right now, the future holds something more for those who follow after us. It is times like these we are going through of late that force us to realize that life is shorter than we ever think it is, no matter how many years we live upon this earth. With these types of trials and tribulations, men and women like the Apostles and Disciples of Christ had to remind those around them that there is hope, no matter what may happen. There is always hope. David realized this, even if he was a sinner in many ways. 

Psalm 132:11 KJV – The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.

The birth of Christ was foreshadowed many, many times in Scripture. His existence, even in hope of the future, was exactly what was needed in the days of Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and many, many others who shared their belief. Here we see that Isaiah is sharing the view of hope that needed to be seen then, and still needs to be realized and recognized now. 

Isaiah 4:2 KJV – In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.

Isaiah 9:6-7 KJV – For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Paul and the other Apostles of Christ worked very hard in the wake of our Savior’s death and resurrection, to ensure that what they were in the middle of would not be how the work Jesus had done for more than twenty years would end. We, as modern-day Christians, need to continue that work, even if we are doing so virtually, through a blog, through video conferencing, through live sessions online, even through the mail, email, and so forth. Sharing the truth of Scripture is vital for all Christians so that we never forget how much God loves us.

Acts 28:20 KJV – For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.

No matter what happens in the future, near or distant, remember God loves us, unconditionally. He wants us to remember that even if we must be alone and isolated from others in the midst of this virus that is spreading like a wildfire in a bone dry forest. Remember His love for us is stronger than anything this world can throw at us. Stay safe, stay secure, stay hopeful, every one of you. 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: In the Sweet By and By ~ Loretta Lynn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21Tdet-toF0

~ Shalom ~

Rev. Laura A. Neff

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Elder Calvin Jennings

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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 © 2020 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.