https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ryihnb9-wq0
Welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries and our Sunday sermon. You will normally see us posted in written and live form on Sunday. I am Rev. Laura A. Neff. Our ministry was built on the truth of God’s love and sharing the Word of God, the Spirit of Christ Jesus in a way that we believe embraces the ways Jesus taught us to manage. We bring His Word to the many as opposed to the few, in order to continue the legacy created by the ministry of Jesus Christ. 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 and voice, 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 & YouTube
Wedding officiant page: Wedfolio
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 pray for Evangelist Cal Jennings who has been suffering greatly with his health and his housing situation. May the solution that has presented itself be a beneficial one in many ways.
- Please continue praying for Evangelist Cal Jennings’ sister who has had a benign meningioma removed and has been undergoing rehabilitation. The family is overjoyed to learn that the tumor was benign.
- Please keep praying for my father-in-law Raymond Neff, who has recovered quite a bit from his severe chemical burns, but there are still issues with his health as a result of the burns.
- My friend Mary has several extended family members on her prayer list.
- My friend Faith is still struggling with the sudden loss of her husband Brian earlier this month.
- Please keep several friends and other family members in prayer for their trials and tribulations. They have each requested to remain anonymous for the time being.
Several who are having money issues.
A few who are having a variety of health issues that are affecting more than they are willing to discuss.
One who is suffering from loneliness that keeps them from peace and patience.
One whose mother has had several mini-strokes after a massive stroke earlier this year. Her memory and other issues are still affecting her.
One cousin who is having a great many issues in their family, including two suffering cancer, other family issues especially difficult include several diagnoses that are a lot to process for them.
- Pray for those who have suffered from violent events, including the latest in Seattle last week. Let’s pray that they heal and do not have scarred psyches and that those who have lost their loved ones to violence find peace in the face of fear.
- Pray for comfort and solace to be shared with those who have said farewell to a loved one this week, known or unknown.
- 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, our prayer today on this beautifully blessed Sunday is to have Your Holy Spirit bring each of us the gifts of spiritual strength, joy and peace to our hearts, faith to our minds, and healing to our bodies, and souls this week and always. We pray for those students and teachers preparing to start classes for another school year this week. We pray for the bus drivers and the crossing guards working to ensure safe passage for the students in this school year. We pray for those who have lost their lives due to senseless violence. We pray for those who have been lost in tragic ways this past week. We pray for the homeless and the jobless in this world. We pray for the hungry and the malnourished. We pray for those who are mourning the loss of family or friends. We pray for the poor, weak, and sorrowful people in this world. We pray in thanksgiving for all the great gifts that You have given us, even if we don’t always realize they are there. We pray in hope and patience for those things that are worrying us in our hearts and minds. 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: And Can It Be ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDKW9fuSulU&list=PL614A115BF39E5936&index=25
Sermon: Today we are continuing our voyage in the seventh chapter of the scroll of Romans. Paul, in unique ways from his fellow Apostles, portrays the gospel toward people who are transitioning from many gods to One God. Transformation is not as easy as some Christians today believe it to be. There are some that say, “oh, it’s as easy as changing your mind”. I’ve heard this time and time again. For some people life tends to interrupt faith and the expression of it. The problem is, for all of us, we should let faith rule within life as we live it. This will transform problems with faithful solutions. This will transform sorrow and fear to belief in blessings. This is how Paul represents this to the church at Rome.
Romans 7:9 KJV –For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
NIV –Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.
The LAW, in that time was a set of directives God Himself provided through Moses, written in His holy hand on stone tablets. Those Ten Commandments summed up two words we should always keep within our hearts, minds, spirits, and souls. Those two words are “Unconditional Love”. Evil and wickedness are devoid of this. That is why they are called by those names. Paul reflects on King David’s words as well as the Word as spoken by Jesus.
Psalm 40:12 KJV – For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.
NIV – For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.
Matthew 5:21 KJV – Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
NIV – “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’
Matthew 9:20 KJV – And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
NIV – Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.
Matthew 15:4-6 KJV – For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
NIV – For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
Mark 7:8-13 KJV – For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
NIV – You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”
Luke 10:25-29 KJV – And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
NIV – On one occasion an expert in the law
stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal
life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your
neighbor as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Luke 15:29 KJV – And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
NIV – But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
If we live solely by the law as stated in the words of Moses in the Old Testament, we miss the whole point. We miss the very soul of pure and true faith and the guidance that is unconditional love. Remember, Jesus wants us to follow His path, not ones that lead nowhere or worse to where we are completely lost. Paul points out where we will end up if we allow confusion to reign.
Romans 7:10 KJV – And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
NIV – I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
Paul again shares the requirements of the law and how it was seen in the Old Testament writings, first with one of the books of the Torah.
Leviticus 18:5 KJV – Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.
NIV – Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD.
It was followed up with the prophetic books of the Old Testament. In this case the Word through the life and voice of the prophet Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 20:11 KJV – And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
NIV – I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live.
Ezekiel 20:13 KJV – But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.
NIV – “’Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the wilderness.
Ezekiel 20:21 KJV – Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
NIV – “’But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws, of which I said, “The person who obeys them will live by them,” and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness.
Paul adds to this with an observation he made in his letter to the church at Galatia.
Galatians 3:12 KJV – And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
NIV – The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.”
Remember, those who live by the law will be judged by that same law. This is an observation made by Paul, but it was first shared in the Old Testament. Why was the “Law” created? SIN! God had no choice but to put it in words, and thus the Ten Commandments were written. There’s a reason. Sin stops us from listening and hearing and following through as a result of those actions. The act of listening and the act of hearing are not the same. We can listen and not actually hear. It takes effort to consciously hear what is being said or sung. We can hear the sounds of a lawnmower and instantly connect them with the object in question. We can hear the sound of a bee or other buzzing creature and instantly connect them to that same insect. However, listening to and actually hearing God’s Word and taking them to heart can often be a challenge for people. Paul shares his observation of this here in his next line.
Romans 7:11 KJV – For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
NIV – For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.
Paul has a ton of historical proof of this failure. Yet, in this case he only points to three specific locations. He goes back to Genesis, then to Isaiah, and finally to Jeremiah. Putting sin behind us has to be done every day because we are human and can’t possibly realize every instance of failure in life. This is why we pray. It is also why we ask forgiveness in those prayers. Here are some examples.
Genesis 3:13 KJV – And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
NIV – Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Isaiah 44:20 KJV – He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
NIV – Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”
Jeremiah 17:9 KJV – The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
NIV – The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Jeremiah 49:16 KJV – Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD.
NIV – The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy the heights of the hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle’s, from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD.
Paul completes the thought in these next two verses. The rules as set by God should never have been required. Why? Unconditional love doesn’t have the seven troubles within it. Sin and wickedness embraces those same seven. The law of unconditional love is holy, just, and good. The seven troubles lead to death and destruction. They are the reason for the law to exist. Jesus was brought to this earth to destroy the reason for the law. He did so by dying on that cross. He quite literally shredded the veil top to bottom. This is what Paul is portraying here.
Romans 7:12-13 KJV – Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
NIV – So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
The worst part about sin is the fact that we can commit sin without even realizing it in our daily lives. Until we realize and recognize sin as Jesus saw it, as He still sees it, we will forever be a step behind in our faith. Fear drives this world farther into the dirt where death awaits. We see this fear in many points of view. Here we see this in the Gospel of Matthew and in Jesus’s own words in the Gospel of Luke.
Matthew 28:8 KJV – And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
NIV – So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
Luke 20:16 KJV – He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.
NIV – He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”
Paul adds to this with remembered notes sent to the churches at Galatia and with his first letter to Timothy as well. He also references the letter written by James, the younger human brother of Jesus.
Galatians 3:21 KJV – Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
NIV – Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.
1 Timothy 1:8 KJV –But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
NIV –We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.
James 1:13-15 KJV – Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
NIV – When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Paul adds still more in his letter to the church at Rome. We see that here.
Romans 7:14 KJV – For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
NIV – We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
Note, Paul shares something important. The Law that Jesus laid out is “spiritual” in its very essence and existence. Unconditional Love is both tangible and intangible, physical, mental, and spiritual. We human beings are “carnal”. We are “sold under sin”. These elements of humanity came about because of “Original Sin” as delivered by Eve first listening to the serpent, and then Adam following his wife’s instruction. This was never intended to happen in God’s Garden of Eden. In fact, it was the last thing He wanted. Because of this, we have to learn and re-learn how to be filled with faith and express unconditional love without the hindrances of “Original Sin”. Here are some other points that provide us with the strength sin has on this earth.
Leviticus 19:18 KJV – Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
NIV – “’Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
Deuteronomy 6:5 KJV – And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
NIV – Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
1 Kings 21:20 KJV –And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.
NIV –Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!” “I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD.
1 Kings 21:25 KJV –But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
NIV –(There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife.
2 Kings 17:17 KJV –And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
NIV –They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, arousing his anger.
Psalm 51:6 KJV – Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
NIV – Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
Psalm 119:25 KJV – DALETH. My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.
NIV – I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word.
Paul adds to this with references to his first letter to Corinth and his letter to Galatia.
1 Corinthians 3:1 KJV –And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
NIV –Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ.
Galatians 4:3 KJV – Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
NIV – So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world.
There are times in life where we ask ourselves, “Why in the world did I do this?” This is not an isolated question. Just about every human being on this earth, living or long dead, has asked the same question in their hearts. Seven troubles are the reason we end up at those specific crossroads. Paul isn’t the only one to remind us of this fact. It’s not easy to escape sin and sinful nature. It’s not easy to always recognize it either.
Romans 7:15 KJV – For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
NIV – I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
Paul refers to the first king of the Jews, David’s words as shared here.
Psalm 1:6 KJV – For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
NIV – For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Psalm 19:12 KJV – Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
NIV – But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
Psalm 36:4 KJV – He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
NIV – Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong.
Psalm 97:10 KJV – Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
NIV – Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Paul reflects also on the words of Jeremiah in his recording of the many kings of the Jews.
1 Kings 8:46 KJV – If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;
NIV – “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near;
He also reflects on the words of the prophet Nahum. His thoughts are easily seen and understood in this reference as to the amount of reverence we should hold for God and Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Added to this reference are again the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Nahum 1:7 KJV – The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.
NIV – The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,
Luke 11:48 KJV – Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.
NIV – So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs.
John 15:15 KJV – Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
NIV – I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Paul’s point for sharing the words of our Savior Jesus Christ at the end of the parable of the Vine and Branches would in fact be the reason we call each other brothers and sisters of Christ. It’s important to keep on sharing this teaching methodology. This is why Paul references other letters that he has written to other fledgling Christian churches all over Asia Minor. We see this in his letter to Galatia and the second letter he wrote to Timothy.
Galatians 5:17 KJV – For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
NIV – For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
2 Timothy 2:19 KJV –Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
NIV –Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
Paul again points out something that we have to repeat time and again in life. This doesn’t matter if we hear it at church or if we see it in our study of the Scriptures. Paul says, listen, hear, think, remember, read, write, and repeat this same series of steps in our Christian faith. Not only that, but share this method with others around us. If you find something in your heart resonating in this sermon and are ready to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, please let us know in the comments. 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 Rupp & the Ball Brothers ~ Blessed Assurance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYCL6TMT5_Y
~ Shalom ~
Rev. Laura A. Neff
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Evangelist 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 © 2023 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.
