Welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries and our weekly sermon. You will normally see us posted every Sunday. I am Rev. Laura A. Neff. This ministry was built on the truth of God’s love, and shares the Word of God, the Spirit of Christ Jesus. Those who know this ministry 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. Add to the prayers with a need for new housing as the family is in dire straits there at this point in time.
- Please pray for calm and peace for Sister Theresa Bogard who is still going through a lot right now.
- We are ever watchful in regard to the weather, the unrest, and the virus and continued 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.
- Continue to pray for now seven of my extended family members as they go through some dramatic changes, health issues, job challenges, and more in some cases.
- Be thankful for each day we live as we do not know what tomorrow brings.
- Pray for all of our outreach ministries with Pastor Stephen Okoth, Pastor Robert Nganwa, Pastor Simon Peter Javaji, Rev. Lisa Tyler, 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 that truth is revealed where falsehoods have been shared around this world.
Happy Birthday Greetings to my daughter-in-law Victoria and my youngest son Lukas. Today would be their birthdays.
Prayer: Father in heaven, this is our prayer for today. We bring our sick and wounded up in prayer, including Elder Cal Jennings and three other friends and colleagues. 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: You Are My Hiding Place ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElVC6rfX3Z8
Sermon: We are continuing our exploration of the challenges of identifying good when it is hidden in the midst of evil, and the reverse of that. This is serious, we have to learn the right way to understand how this can be and why it would be such. It’s a true challenge to discern evildoings and evildoers. It is also a challenge to see true goodness, not just in personality, but in the soul, the spirit, of any person. This is why we have to examine all the different nuances of good and evil and how they can hide in the everyday happenings around us. Let’s continue with the Gospels of Mark, Luke, and John.
Mark 3:1-4 KJV – And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
Jesus often had times where He was waiting for the other shoe to drop. This incident in the synagogue was just one of those moments where He pointed out that doing good is not forbidden by the Sabbath day, or any other day of the week. When we read about life in the far distant past, many thought you could never do anything on Sunday except pray, praise the Lord, read and study Scripture, and pray some more. That’s not true. Doing good things for the good of humanity is just as important on Sunday as it is on any of the other six days of each week. This is where this next verse in the Gospel of Luke comes in.
Luke 6:8-9 KJV – But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand. Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
Jesus makes a valid point in this pair of verses in chapter 6 of the Gospel of Luke. Jesus is speaking to a man who has a severely damaged hand and body that cannot maneuver well, yet, with just His words alone, this man was healed. He was such IN THE TEMPLE, and ON SABBATH. Yet, because of this, the leaders within that synagogue were furious that the miracle happened in the temple, because they believed no miracles or other types of good should be managed on Sabbath, which Jesus proved to be balderdash. Yet, even in doing so, Jesus proved just how evil can be hidden in the midst of good. He did so just by telling the invalid to stand up and walk. Jesus was very insistent that even in the times where you can recognize evil easily, that we should love those who are enemies of good, hiding, quite literally in plain sight. We should love our enemies as much as we love our families and friends. We should do so, even in the face of evil and wickedness. Why? Jesus explains in these two verses in the Gospel of Luke.
Luke 6:35 KJV – But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
Luke 6:45 KJV – A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
When we have a good heart, it shows in many ways, not just to those who are friends and family, to God and our Savior, but to our enemies, and the wicked who might surround us as well. Jesus proves just how hard it is to find the evil element when it is surrounded by even just a few good elements in life. This is why we must practice our discernment abilities. I know from experience in each of our lives we have come upon those who have done bad things to us or someone we know. We all have had times like that, no matter how hard we try to be good and share goodness in this world. Jesus makes a good point in this next verse.
Luke 11:13 KJV – If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Jesus pointed out that even an inherently evil person can know how to be good, share goodness, and it will show with their children. This fact proves one of those climactic thoughts we all have. How can someone evil hide that evil so well with their families and friends? It’s the reason we have such a difficult time learning how to see what evil looks like and how to combat against that evil. Now we’re going to see one last view of discerning good and evil in the Gospel of Luke.
Luke 16:19-25 KJV – There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried: And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father, send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
I had to give you more than just the one verse here because there is a lot to try and understand here in the last view of Luke’s Gospel where discerning good and evil is proven to be difficult, no matter how many facts we have in this world. If we turn a blind eye toward the torment of humanity, no matter what that might be, we are doing what this rich man did in life and will end up just as he did. We ignore quite a lot regarding our homeless, our hungry, our needy, in this world. It is something we try to work hard to stop doing. It’s not easy, and throwing money at problems only causes riots, and pretty paper to cover up those problems that continue, no matter how much money is thrown at them. It’s not about money. It’s about common decency, common faith, that should be shared justly, equally, no matter what economic bracket we might live in, where in this world we live, or anything else. Being a decent human being isn’t an impossible dream. It’s something we all can do, so long as we go through things with the right attitude, a godly one that will help us as much as it will help those who are in need. Here we see just one verse in the Gospel of John that also shares this difficulty of seeing evil for what it is, even if it hides in the guise of good, and vice-versa.
John 5:25-29 KJV – Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
The hour is coming. It is an inevitable truth, the days of Christ’s return are creeping up on us. Good and Evil will have a final showdown. Which side do you want to be on? God and Jesus can see straight through your minds, your hearts, your spirits and souls. It’s as easy for them as breathing is for most of us. We must learn to pay attention to the slightest things that might look harmless and realize just how dangerous they might be. In doing so, we are learning the art of discernment and reaching toward salvation as opposed to falling off the path and wandering aimlessly. 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: Hold On To Me ~ Lauren Daigle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1EwKwayzLM
~ 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 © 2021 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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