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Welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries and our Sunday sermon.
I am Rev. Laura A. Neff. This ministry shares the Word of God, the Spirit of
Christ Jesus. Our ministry was created with twelve people around this world
back in 2008. Each of us shares God’s Word in ways He guides us to utilize. 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 & LinkedIn
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.
- We are ever watchful in regard to the weather with tropical weather and with the high winds around many places. We continue to pray for those who suffer or have suffered from the COVID-19 chaos. Let pray for calm skies and seas, calm voices and spirits, and also healthy outcomes for those who are affected.
- Pray for my friend Dena who has had quite a few medical issues that keep her back and forth to the hospital.
- Pray for my friend Faith who has had a rollercoaster of a year already after the loss of her father and her mother also having COVID-19.
- Pray for outreach minister Rev. Lisa Tyler and her family as they are quarantined due to COVID-19.
- Pray for continued healing for a dear friend and for my brother Scott after they both had back surgery quite recently. Thankfully they are both healing at home and one has finally been allowed to work part time.
- 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 who are jobless, homeless, no matter what might have ended up causing either of those. Pray that providence would find them and ease the suffering.
- Pray for those suffering as a result of the terrors, shootings, accidents of all descriptions, 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 friends and colleagues up into prayer, like
Jeff, Dena, Regina, Scott, Rev. Lisa Tyler’s family, Faith’s mother and her
family, and so many others for their illnesses, viruses, recuperation for
surgery, times of mourning, and hospitalizations. We pray for the sick and the
homeless that answers can be found for their healing and more. We pray for
success for a carefully designed learning and teaching Scriptural resource that
a group of eight to ten people, including ministers and writers from Joyful
Hearts Ministry, as it launches this year. We pray 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: Crystal Lewis ~ People Get
Ready https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REc6uRQRnV0
Sermon: We continue to
explore Peter’s second epistle today as we begin the second chapter.
2 Peter 2:1 KJV – But there were false
prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among
you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that
bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
False Prophets, this is what Peter speaks of, along with
False Teachers. What is so important about this? Jesus, in His teaching, also
spoke of False Teachers, and that is something we see throughout Scripture, in both
the Old and New Testaments. It is no easy task to recognize the wolves in
sheep’s clothing. Many of us have been duped by someone or something in life as
we live it. Sometimes it is very easy to spot them in a group or individually. Now
we see how Timothy notes methods toward keeping ourselves away from these false
teachers and prophets.
1 Timothy 4:1-2 KJV – Now the Spirit speaketh
expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving
heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
Of course, they draw quite a lot of their information
from past viewpoints like this one in the fifth Scroll of Scripture.
Deuteronomy 13:1 KJV – If there arise among
you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
Here is the specific warning made by our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ in the first Gospel written by Matthew. It is one we should
definitely remember for our own sakes as more than a single note in history.
Matthew 24:5 KJV – For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and
shall deceive many.
We have seen many moments of false foreshadowing of the
Apocalypse, including incidents on just about every continent around this
world. It is these charlatans, these inhumane leaders that Jesus warned about
over and over again. This is just one example of that. Let’s continue with what
Peter has to share.
2 Peter 2:2 KJV – And many shall follow their
pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
Pernicious is the word we see here. There is a different
word noted as a possible translation and that is lascivious. Okay, so what do
these words mean? How do they translate to where it promotes the best view of
these words? Pernicious has three definitions. causing
insidious harm or ruin; ruinous; injurious; hurtful: deadly, fatal, wicked,
evil. Now, we’ve heard all of these thoughts throughout Scripture. Lascivious
is defined as inclined to lustfulness, wanton, or lewd. Well, that describes
the seven troubles without fail. Those little pests in life include lust,
enmity, wrath, vanity, envy, all of those are noted in this verse alone! That’s
just five of the troubles that are repeated from Genesis to Revelation. These
next supporting verses from Paul’s voyages in Philippi remind us of the
greatest commandment, Love One Another.
Philippians 1:9 KJV – And this I pray, that
your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
Philippians 4:8 KJV – Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are
just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,
think on these things.
Naturally, Paul shared this set of thoughts while he was
in Corinth as well.
1 Corinthians 9:25 KJV – And every man that
striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a
corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
James the Just, earthly brother of Jesus, and one of the
first ministers for Christ’s church, shares this thought.
James 1:4 KJV – But let patience have her
perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Now let’s continue with what Peter shares next.
2 Peter 2:3 KJV – And through covetousness
shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a
long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
What is Peter cautioning the people about? Exploitation!
Forked tongues, something that all the prophets warned about. Judgment by Jesus
Christ is coming, and we better be prepared for that moment in time, because we
know exactly what will happen if we don’t repent and ask forgiveness for our
iniquities. Let’s see what Timothy, John the Beloved, Paul, and Jude, youngest
human brother of Jesus, all have much to add to these words written by Peter.
1 Timothy 4:7 KJV – But refuse profane and
old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
We all recognize the word profane, in simple terms,
illegal to do, say, perform, in God’s eyes. Jesus insists forever and always to
love each other, not foster any of the seven troubles of wrath, enmity, vanity,
envy, lust, shame, or doubt. If any of those are in our conscious and unconscious,
even subconscious minds, then we are not following the directive shared
here.
John 13:34-35 KJV – A
new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you,
that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Disciples of Christ are those who LOVE ONE ANOTHER,
UNCONDITIONALLY! It’s something that Jesus insisted we share verbally,
mentally, spiritually, physically, emotionally, in all possible tangible and
intangible ways. It’s important to recognize this and prepare ourselves for
spiritual nourishment, something noted in the Old Testament as receiving MANNA
from above. This was first mentioned in Exodus and is seen twelve times in the
Old Testament and only five times in the New Testament. We see in Paul’s words
as he spoke to the citizens of Corinth, reminding us that if you aren’t going
to walk the walk as Jesus did, then we should not talk the talk, because all it
would be is words, and no action included.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 KJV – Though I speak
with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as
sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy,
and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith,
so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And
though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be
burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity, something that is included in a just heart, a
righteous heart, and something that people seem to have a very weak
understanding of. What is charity based on Scripture? Charity is the ability to
extend a humble amount of assistance, not necessarily financial, for others who
have less than we might in our lives. It could be the smallest of things, like
donations of blankets in the winter, warm clothes, a hot meal, water, a safe
place to stay, and just about anything you could think of. The hardest part
would be judging when charity is warranted or not. This is why Jesus warns us
to watch out for charlatans, double-tongued false teachers, or whatever.
Jude 4:7 KJV – For there are certain men
crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation,
ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the
only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Exercise ourselves toward GODLINESS. That takes study to
know what it is, and practice to gain wisdom from what we’ve learned. Here is
our next verse from the Second Epistle of Peter with an important fact that
often is not understood by people.
2 Peter 2:4 KJV – For if God spared not the angels
that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of
darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
Okay, here we see the angels that sinned in heaven. Yes,
there was sin even in heaven of all the dumbfounding thoughts. This is where the
beginning of Satan, the serpent, and his followers who were cast out of heaven,
and sent to earth and into the bowels of hell. Note how Peter says they were
delivered into chains of darkness until the moment of judgment when Jesus
returns to judge the living and the dead, and yes, that includes the former
angels, as Satan would be. Angels exist as great messengers from God, and
several are mentioned in the Gospels and through other prophets and more in
Scripture. As most of you remember, there is a very specific mention of
Brotherly, Christlike faith and Unconditional Love and attention. Here is that
reference.
John 15:2 KJV – Every
branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that
beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
John 15:6 KJV – If a
man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men
gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
We can learn how to bear the fruit of the Spirit, the
fruit that is faith, belief, and all the rest of the components that lead
toward everlasting life, the greatest gift of unconditional love. More clarity
of these words Jesus shared with the Apostles and Disciples is referenced by
John the Beloved in his epistle here.
1 John 2:9-11 KJV – He that saith he is in
the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that
loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of
stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in
darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded
his eyes.
Blinded by spiritual darkness, not the same as literal
darkness. If we are distracted into darkness by the seven troubles, then the
light of the path Jesus left behind will be more difficult to discern. Now we
return to Peter’s words and see a familiar name.
2 Peter 2:5 KJV – And spared not the old
world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing
in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
The Old World, the one wiped out by an unequaled flood,
which covered every inch of land, destroying all that existed at that time,
save Noah, his wife and children, and the animals, male and female, to prepare
to repopulate the earth after forty days and forty nights. It is unfathomed to
imagine how the entire earth was swallowed up by water. However, there are a
lot of theories that this is remotely possible due to what has been happening
with the melting of the polar ice caps over the centuries since that time. It
is because of that, we have to remind ourselves of the moment Noah was chosen
by God to save the world until the point where sin can be wiped off the earth
and out of heaven once and for all.
Genesis 7:1 KJV – And the Lord said unto
Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous
before me in this generation.
There is a lot to understand in Peter’s writing, as much
as His fellow Brothers in Christ. The facts that we have get interpreted in
different ways and so many have said, “Oh, the end of the world as we know it
would be tomorrow.” We’ve seen it time and time again with that proverbial
picket sign that says “The World Ends Tomorrow”. Upon that moment in time, are
we prepared? If we want to be, let’s continue to work toward that ability in
our walk with Jesus each day, each week, month, and year until that moment. Now,
that’s something to think about as we pray in the prayer that Jesus taught us.
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: The Sharps ~ I Can See the Promised Land https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE7I21mHbBs
~ 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 © 2022 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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