Covenant Of Hope Ministries: August 2020

Sunday, August 30, 2020

Finding God Through Jesus and the Gift of the Holy Spirit

https://www.facebook.com/298231283665297/videos/359716278382900/

Welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries and our sermon or midweek study. You will normally see us posted on Sunday. 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.

- Please continue to pray for Elder Cal Jennings and his health issues, which are numerous. He has been having issues with his pain, vision, and memory.

- Please pray for two very special people in my life as they explore life together as more than friends.

- We pray for the ones who suffered devastation in the hurricanes and tropical storms attacking our gulf coast this past week.

- We are ever watchful in regard to the weather, the unrest, and the virus and response to that virus. Let us pray for calm skies and seas, calm voices and spirits, and also healthy outcomes for those who are affected.

- We pray that the upcoming school year is filled with progress for our children who are attending and for the teachers and staff that must adapt to what is considered the “new normal” around this world.

- Be thankful for each day we live as we do not know what tomorrow brings.

- Pray for our outreach ministries with Pastor Stephen Okoth, Pastor Simon Peter Javaji, and all the others who have joined us.

- 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 all those who lost their lives in this world from illness, violence, or devastation of one form or another.

- Pray for those fighting the wildfires and for those who have lost so much in those same wildfires.

- Pray that truth is revealed where falsehoods have been shared around this world.

Prayer: Father in heaven, this is our prayer for today. We bring our sick and wounded up in prayer, including Elder Cal Jennings. We pray for answers to mysteries for health issues and money issues with several members and family members. We pray for our poor and desolate, our brothers and sisters who have been brought utter devastation due to the many terrors around this world, riots, armed gunmen, and all of the natural disasters, storms, and so forth this past week. We pray for those in our outreach ministries that their reach gains momentum and their needs are met. 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: Kutless ~ King of My Heart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jkMnq2Hfzo

Sermon: We are still working through Chapter 3 in Ephesians. Paul was traveling through the entirety of the city of Ephesus teaching as Jesus taught him years before. It is important to remember that we are all teachers for a reason, and that sometimes we must repeat ourselves in order to keep the lessons learned in our hearts for a simple reason. That reason is that once you are taught something, one day you’ll have to pass that knowledge on to the next generation. This is what Jesus wants us to manage. This week I was asked a question as to how we should approach our faith and our journey with God and Jesus. Treat it this way. There is always something new to learn. That’s what this verse shares.

Ephesians 3:8 KJV – 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;

Jesus wants us to be teachers and learners at the same time. That’s not always an easy thing to manage. Every situation we get through individually or collectively is a learning experience. Yet, it isn’t the same experience for every person involved at the same time. When we go into foreign territory, we draw on our experience from before to attempt to navigate the new experience and learn as much as possible. Yet, because we have that prior instance of learning and wisdom, it makes learning something new easier and that helps us keep calm, cool, and collected through anything new. We see that here in this supporting verse.

Colossians 2:2 KJV –That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

Remember, Jesus said we should absorb and learn things as a child. However, as adults, we should act the part of adults, but not forget the wisdom that youth can sometimes hold when it comes to faith and understanding of God’s lessons brought to us through life. We don’t want to be bickering, petty, insolent five year olds in action when we are facing something new as adults in this ever-changing world which we live in. No matter the fact that everywhere we look in this world there are those who are acting as such.

1 Corinthians 14:20 KJV –Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

There is something special about knowing God’s truth. This is something worth more than anything in this world. Not monetarily, but spiritually, subconsciously, morally. The mystery of God’s truth is something Jesus gave us more ability to see, when He gave up the ghost and the veil between God and mankind was ripped to shreds at long last. This next supporting verse shares that consideration.

Colossians 1:27 KJV – To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Now, as we get back to Paul and his teaching in Ephesus, we see something that Jesus shared with the twelve Apostles quite often. Remember, there is a fine line that gets erased away when the teacher and the student reach the point where they are equal. That point is shared here.
Ephesians 3:9 KJV – And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

A verse that ties directly to this and the next supporting verses isn’t shared when you read the Scriptures and learn the connecting verses. This is one of the single most important verses that we, as true Christians, should always be willing to share with each other and those we meet each week.

John 15:12-14 KJV – This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

Jesus wants us to learn what it is to be a brother or sister in His name. God wants the same for a single reason. Once we do learn this with every person, we will no longer be strangers, enemies, a distant tree limb on our family tree. We will be much more than that. We will be friends of God, as Abraham was. Moses, David, Solomon, and all the others who were very close with God. Let’s see what Timothy’s take on the gift Jesus brought us would be.

1 Timothy 3:16 KJV – And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Now, some people ask on occasion what is the difference between the Twelve Apostles and the Gentiles? This is explained far back in Scripture. God insisted that the Jews and Gentiles were to always be separate because the Jews were circumcised in God’s faith and the Gentiles, at the time, were not. Jesus took that separation away with His resurrection. That’s why we all are, as true Christians, brothers, and sisters in Christ, even though so many of us are “Gentiles” transformed to Christians, following the path of Christ. James, younger brother of Jesus, shares the importance of our faith and keeping it securely in our hearts, minds, and spirits.

James 1:6 KJV – But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

Many times, we have explored the words James shares in his epistle. His point of view, as a younger biological sibling to the Savior of all mankind brings something more urgent to the Scripture warning us that if we forget the truth of Jesus, we can forget God is with us always and everywhere. This refers back to another verse where David shares what God has been for him in his life.

Psalm 33:6 KJV – By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

God is our everything. Jesus, as the Son of God and the Savior of all, is our everything. That’s why the Holy Spirit brings us together as one, no matter how far apart we might be on this earth. The strength of the Holy Spirit is unbreakable, even if we forget that in the everyday events of our lives. This is what John the Beloved and Paul shared here in these three final verses.

John 1:3 KJV – All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Colossians 1:16 KJV – For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Hebrews 1:2 KJV – Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

The Holy Trinity – Father – Son – Holy Spirit are one and the same. They are separate but together as one and represent three parts of the same whole, the Creator, the Savior, and the Comforter, all in one. In the world today with all the chaos, all the pain, sorrow, torment and more, we all need that heavenly embrace of friendship, faith, and unconditional love. 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: Chris McClarney ~ I’m Listening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef52AmdVwYI

~ Shalom ~

Rev. Laura A. Neff

Facebook & Blogspot & Twitter

Elder Calvin Jennings

Facebook & Twitter & Blogster

Covenant of Hope Ministries Main Site: 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.

Sunday, August 23, 2020

We Are the Heirs of God’s Kingdom On Earth – Let’s Act Like It

The live version of this sermon is found here. https://www.facebook.com/298231283665297/videos/668418130771244/

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.

- Please continue to pray for Elder Cal Jennings and his health issues, which are numerous. He has been having issues with his pain, vision, and memory.

- Please pray for health, faith, and hope boosters to help bless Sister Theresa Bogard as she continues in her recovery after an ulcer put her in the hospital.

- Please pray for Hope Bogard as she returns to college this week.

- Please pray for two friends of mine, Janice, and Jessica, who both have their mothers in the hospital, one due to a fall, and another due to serious health issues.

- Please pray for Donald, a close colleague and friend of my brother Scott. He is in the hospital in isolation after a positive COVID-19 result and his previous heart issues.

- We are ever watchful in regard to the weather, the unrest, and the virus and response to that virus. Let us pray for calm skies and seas, calm voices and spirits, and also healthy outcomes for those who are affected.

- We pray that the upcoming school year is filled with progress for our children who are attending and for the teachers and staff that must adapt to what is considered the “new normal” around this world.

- Be thankful for each day we live as we do not know what tomorrow brings.

- Pray for our outreach ministries with Pastor Stephen Okoth, Pastor Simon Peter Javaji, and all the others who have joined us over the years.

- 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 that truth is revealed where falsehoods have been shared around this world.

Prayer: Father in heaven, this is our prayer for today. We bring our sick and wounded up in prayer, including Elder Cal Jennings. We pray for answers to mysteries for health issues and money issues with several members and family members. We pray for our poor and desolate, our brothers and sisters who have been brought devastation due to the terrors around this world and all of the natural disasters, storms, and so forth this past week. We pray for those in our outreach ministries that their reach gains momentum and their needs are met. 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: Home Free ~ How Great Thou Art https://youtu.be/tXQpDDcrN-w

Sermon: We are now beginning Chapter 3 in Ephesians. Paul is sharing that even with the threat, or even promise, of prison, he was going to continue sharing the Word of God through his time as an Apostle of Christ. This is something that is actually documented beyond Scripture. Paul wanted everyone to see that even though he suffered, God and Jesus were always with him through the grace and goodness of the Holy Spirit, a gift left behind by Jesus upon His ascension into heaven.

Ephesians 3:1-2 KJV – For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

Paul is sharing that the people of Ephesus needed to see that grace is an eternal gift of God. That’s why Jesus preached to everyone willing to hear, including the Gentiles and others beyond the Jews. God’s grace is for everyone that understands and accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior. These supporting verses share Paul’s perspective regarding his role in sharing the glory of God.

Colossians 1:25 KJV – Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

Romans 12:3 KJV – For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Colossi is an interesting place to preach, much the same as Ephesus. There are many in history in Greece and Rome who would simply absorb as much of the world as they could to learn what those other cultures had that were beneficial to the majority, something that Paul and the other Apostles picked up on rather quickly. Acceptance of other cultures and the absorption of their methods, faiths, and so forth, has occurred all over the world for as far back as records were kept and beyond. The difference with Christianity, even from early years, would be in the fact that it was not transformed in the ways that law and other types of practices were as the Apostles and Disciples of Jesus brought His truth toward others. That’s where these next verses take us.

Ephesians 3:3-5 KJV – How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

What is the mystery? The mystery, often called a veil, or shroud, would be that which separated man from God’s knowledge, His love, faith, belief in the human race. It is the divine strength that was separated from us after Adam and Eve sinned so far in the past. When the Holy Spirit surrounded and filled the Apostles upon Jesus’s resurrection, that was much more than people may understand. The moment of the Holy Spirit settling in their hearts, the veil that had been ripped asunder was replaced by the eternal knowledge of God and His unconditional love. This is what Paul taught to the Galatians as shared here.

Galatians 1:12 KJV – For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Paul is reflecting back to the Word as Jesus shared here.

Matthew 13:17 KJV – For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Like many of us in this world, even Paul had to remind the early Christians how important it is to believe, to have faith, and to share that belief and faith with those around us. That’s what we are seeing here in this verse.

Romans 16:25 KJV – Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

Paul was just one of the Apostles who spent the rest of his life teaching the truth of Jesus and God to those who were willing to listen. Peter shared his own experiences and did so to prove that even mistakes as egregious as his denial of Christ on the day of His imprisonment prior to His crucifixion could be forgiven. That knowledge was powerful then, and is powerful now. All sins can be forgiven so long as we do not fall off the path and repeat them.

1 Peter 1:10-12 KJV – Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Now, this leads us to something that I have personally been asked about. The question is always the same. How can I be one with God if I have no purely Jewish background? Jesus solved that issue when He walked into the lands of the Gentiles and taught them the glory of God and His destiny to ensure all could be welcomed into the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 3:6-7 KJV – That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
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.

When the Great Commission was brought to the Apostles and Disciples of Christ, it was meant to encourage them to teach far beyond the borders of Israel, and not solely to the Jews. The Great Commission is shared here.

Matthew 28:18-20 KJV – And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Paul is sharing that great and glorious commission for all truly faithful Christians saying that, even in dire circumstances, and at the risk of their lives, they should, as we should today, continue bringing the Word of God to all who are willing to listen. Even in the Old Testament, God was sharing that this would happen and all would hear the Word of God willingly and follow His path to righteousness.

Isaiah 43:13 KJV – Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?

Remember, the Word was with God, before the creation of earth, humanity, and every creature that lives on, under or in the water that surrounds the earth. The Word was part of the creation and part of the existence of every man, woman, and child that has ever walked this earth. That is a powerful thought, a fascinating and awesome realization. Everyone, everything, would have a purpose for being on this earth and part of life as we all know it. It was ordained by God in the beginning with Adam and Eve and confirmed by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. That’s something we all should be awed and amazed by. On top of that, we all should want to know more and more about the Word and how our lives can be better for the addition to our study and willingness to share with as many as will hear in this world around 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)

Closing Song: Here I Am Lord https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBg-yDhM2KY

~ Shalom ~

Rev. Laura A. Neff

Facebook & Blogspot & Twitter

Elder Calvin Jennings

Facebook & Twitter & Blogster

Covenant of Hope Ministries Main Site: http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Take a Walk on His Path and Learn What Listening to God Can Do

You will find us in the following location: http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com

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

- Please continue to pray for Elder Cal Jennings and his health issues, which are numerous. He has been having issues with his vision and memory. His sleep has been continuously interrupted of late.

- Please pray for health, faith, and hope boosters to help bless Sister Theresa Bogard as she continues in her recovery after an ulcer put her in the hospital earlier this month.

- We pray that lies and deception are removed from many places around this world and that truth and justice will prevail.

- 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 for today. We seek relief from all the dangers surrounding us, including viruses, rioters, fire, earthquakes, and hurricanes. We pray for the sick and the wounded that they heal and are made well. 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: Walk the Path With Jesus ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuKAJTj9eBY

Sermon: We are working toward the end of the second chapter of Ephesians. We have seen quite a lot in regard to the voyage the Apostle Paul managed after the resurrection. Ephesus was a city that many of the Apostles loved for the fact that they were receptive to the belief of Jesus, even without eye witnessing any of the miracles Christ managed, nor did they experience the sermons and lessons Jesus managed during His short lifetime here on earth. So, we start here:

Ephesians 2:17 KJV – And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

Paul, is of course, speaking of his time with the citizens of Ephesus. He shares the fact that he has been teaching the truth of God’s Word and the Savior Jesus Christ among them since shortly after the resurrection. Here we see more from Paul’s teaching of the True Christ.

Acts 2:39 KJV – For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Teaching about God’s unconditional love is something the Apostles loved to do, simply because they accepted the call received from Jesus to teach exactly what God wanted to be taught, love, it’s all about God’s love, and the ability to profess it by staying on the path of Christ. You see this in the teaching for the Romans and for the Hebrews willing to listen and hear.

Romans 16:25 KJV –Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

Hebrews 13:20-21 KJV – Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus had many of His mortal family members involved in sharing the truth of God’s unconditional love. Jude, the name King James gave the much younger brother of Jesus, took up the cross and walked in his older brother’s footsteps. He shares his experience with his brother here.

Jude 24 KJV – Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

With this we should see more clearly why Jesus doesn’t just call us to bring His Word to the masses. He calls us to bring our families, our friends, and even our colleagues and strangers we might meet during our individual daily lives. This is where this next verse from Paul comes in.

Ephesians 2:18 KJV – For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

The first time I read this as a child I was instantly brought to one of my favorite sections of Scripture. The Gospel of John the Beloved. As most who know me have learned, John’s gospel is one of my all-time favorite sections of Scripture. The reason is in the fact that everything was so precisely detailed in the writing of John. This is one reason to refer to it often, as we all should do with Scripture. No one can come to God without having His only begotten son as part of the equation. Finding Jesus can change our lives in so many ways. We see this with Paul, John, and Peter all at once here.

John 14:6 KJV – Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

1 Peter 3:18 KJV – For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

One thing about being Christian should stay with us, no matter if we do not know each other’s names. Strangers, friends, family, neighbors, all of us are brothers and sisters when we come to the Savior seeing Him as THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE. This next verse directed to the citizens of Ephesus shares that all who follow Christ know each other even if we have never met in person.

Ephesians 2:19 KJV – Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Gentiles Jesus called those who were not born of Israeli descent. In days of old the Gentiles were basically banned from knowing God and Jesus in the same fashion as the Jews. However, that didn’t remain the focus once Jesus walked amidst the Gentiles. Wherever Jesus went, people flocked toward Him and listened, many willingly left their homes and followed Jesus wherever He went. We see more of that here in these verses.

Hebrews 12:22-23 KJV – But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Jesus laid a foundation, an eternal foundation, upon which Christianity will forever be part of this earth. He did so with twelve strong men who started out doing something entirely different in their lives. Because of His strength of presence, Jesus was able to prove how close to God the citizens of Israel and others around them could be, if they only listened, heard, and believed. We are the foundation of Jesus’s church. This is what Paul shares here.

Ephesians 2:20 KJV – And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

We are meant to follow Jesus. That’s something we often have to be reminded of. There are many distractions on this earth we live and work upon. Most of those create more problems than we can solve on our own. That’s one reason it can be difficult to keep focused on our walk with Jesus and God in the Holy Spirit. We see that through the various walks seen in thi verse.

1 Corinthians 3:19-20 KJV – For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

We have to stop and reflect here on something Jesus spoke of while gathering the Apostles toward Him and first being their teacher, then their friend, and finally their salvation. Peter, though he might have denied Christ three times the day of Jesus’s betrayal and imprisonment, learned a lesson that we all must learn sometimes thousands of times in our lives on earth. What lesson is that? Think before you speak. Listen and hear before you form an opinion or say something is not true when you know it is. Peter learned that, as the rooster crowed three times, and he denied His Savior and ours, those same three times.

Matthew 16:18 KJV – And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Jesus knew long before it happened that the incident would indeed shame Peter and cause him despair. It is very hard to fight against the normal way of life we see all day and all night long. There are many in this world who lose sleep due to fear of reprisal over something said, heard, or written. All of us must learn this tough lesson at least once in our lifetimes. The foundation of God’s Heaven began with twelve men following Jesus to become, each of them, a layer of that foundation as shared here.

Revelation 21:14 KJV – And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

These next two verses share that voyage toward those sacred foundations of God’s city.

Colossians 1:10 KJV – That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Isaiah 28:16 KJV – Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

We have a lot of work to do, even today, when it comes to building ourselves up to be as Jesus was and is. We all have lessons left to learn. That’s something that won’t stop even as we get old and frail at some point in life. All of us have something new to learn no matter our age or ability. There is a reason we all are here on this earth, for however long that will be.

Ephesians 2:21 KJV – In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

Our faith, our love for Christ and for God would be a solid foundation for us to begin our voyage, and sometimes to start our voyage over again when we get lost in our own little worlds on occasion. We all fall off the path. Jesus knew this when He lived here on earth and still knows it from His place beside the Father in heaven. We are meant to teach His love to those who will listen and hear. That’s what Jesus indicated was our purpose from the moment we started to truly believe and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Matthew 11:29 KJV – Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

We have to be cautious with our learning and our teaching of God’s Word. All of us have to be watchful because the evil that is the devil’s work is against us in more ways than we could ever account for. It happens to this world in ways we never expect. That’s one reason Jesus asked us to be ever watchful of ourselves and those whom we love. Paul and the other Apostles knew this as shared here in the city of Corinth.

1 Corinthians 3:17 KJV – If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

2 Corinthians 6:16 KJV – And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Our final verse of Chapter 2 in Ephesians shares something we should all be thinking about daily. We are built up together in Christ as God’s children. We are His adopted sons and daughters. Everything we do is a reflection of our faith and what faith can do. It isn’t easy to stay on the path Jesus laid out for us. It was never meant to be such. The reason is simple. If it were easy, we’d get bored and walk away. There are no doubts, everyone has been bored out of their minds at least once in their lifetimes. Following Jesus shouldn’t be boring. It should be an adventure with new doors opening ahead of us every day. That’s where this last verse of the second chapter takes us.

Ephesians 2:22 KJV – In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is an awesome gift we don’t often know how to utilize within us or around us. Sometimes we are caught unawares when the Holy Spirit is amongst us in times of plenty and times of drought. Those moments remind us that faith, even the size of a mustard seed, is more powerful than anything bad this earth can manage. Jesus, and the faith He shared, saved every single soul on this earth, of those who are willing to take up the cross and follow Him. That’s what Peter shares in this last verse today.

1 Peter 2:4-5 KJV – To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

When we give glory to God in the highest, we share peace with His people here on earth. When we bring that peace from deep within us out to share with others around us, seen or unseen, known or unknown, we are following the path Jesus wants us to follow. We all see His light shining bright in the darkness like a rainbow of brilliant color. That’s what we all should see. Now that’s something to think about as we pray in the prayer that Jesus taught us saying:

Closing Song: Rend Collective ~ Build Your Kingdom Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbdJXKqVgtg

~ 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

About Us/

Welcome, we are Covenant of Hope Ministries. We celebrate the light in the darkness. There are those of us who need a connection, one to another, whether it is someone we want to learn about, or someone we know and wish to keep in touch with. Ministry is all about sharing faith, hope, and unconditional love. This all would offer peace from the heart. It doesn't matter who you are, where you live, if you are traveling a lot, or otherwise, we serve Christians and Others who are disabled, displaced, disadvantaged and disenchanted in today's world. Licensed Ordained Minister, Rev. Laura A. Neff, Evangelist, Cal Jennings, Outreach Ministers including Rev. Lisa, Pastor Stephen, Apostle Eric, and many others. I am licensed to perform wedding ceremonies in the state of Georgia, USA. I was ordained in 2007 by Rev. Teresa Piercey-Gates. We established this ministry in October of 2008.

MESSENGER

Sunday, August 30, 2020

Finding God Through Jesus and the Gift of the Holy Spirit

Sunday, August 23, 2020

We Are the Heirs of God’s Kingdom On Earth – Let’s Act Like It

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Take a Walk on His Path and Learn What Listening to God Can Do