Covenant of Hope Ministries Tuesday Study_4_16_2014
Good afternoon, and welcome to this Midweek Study for Covenant of Hope
Ministries. I am Elder Cal Jennings. You can find sermons posted on Sundays and
studies on Wednesday. Our locations are online only:
Our Main Video Feed: Covenant_of_Hope
We have email (instant messenger if you need me) through Facebook every
day. These are now extremely variable. We’re still working this out between the
two of us as to what will happen, our Elder, Cal Jennings and I. I will inform
you further regarding changes. These changes were made due to health reasons.
The sermon length has shortened dramatically. We are unsure as to when there
might be video presentations.
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 has grown from last week. This is our current prayer list for this week.
- Please keep Elder Cal Jennings in your prayers as he is very sick
spending most of his week extremely weak and in bed.
- Please pray for Rev. Laura’s friend Teresa’s sister who is in stage
four cancer.
- Please keep our member Wayne Bartosh in prayer for his trials and
tribulations that he may receive mercy and hope in Jesus.
- Please keep an elderly couple in your prayers still, they are in their
eighties, and the woman just had surgery. She came out of it well, and is
healing. May the Lord bless them and keep the two together, even if just for a
little while here on this earth.
- Please keep others known by any of us up in prayer for whatever they
might need.
- Please keep Rev. Laura’s friend Heather in prayer for patience and
safe haven.
- Please keep Rev. Laura’s whole family in prayer for the pain,
suffering, and chaos we are going through. My physical being is very weak
still. Those who have seen pictures have said so. Thankfully, with a new
medication the dizzy spells have lessened. Praise God and Jesus for that.
- Pray that the adversity and the pain we have seen around the world
would be relieved, and swept away. May we find common ground in many ways, even
if we start with just one step.
- Remember those who have been lost either violently or peacefully this
week.
- Pray that we may be able to get in touch with all of our membership,
even with the shortest of notes, just to say hello and I’m thinking about each
of you.
- Keep the ministry in your thoughts, each member, no matter their
location, their circumstances, because a group of friends, a ministry, should
support one another.
- There are many in our ministry who are searching for more in regard to
our presence with my health, and with the health of others. We pray that there
would be health found once more, and that we have answers to all and for all.
- Please keep a friend of Rev. Laura’s, Debby, in your prayers for a
swift recovery after major cancer surgery.
- Continue your prayers for Phoebe Fair’s family as they continue to
grieve her loss.
- Pray that the adversity and the pain we have seen around the world
would be relieved, and swept away. May we find common ground in many ways, even
if we start with just one step.
- There are many in our ministry who are searching for more in regard to
our presence with my health, and with the health of others. We pray that there
would be health found once more, and that we have answers to all and for all.
Prayer: Father in heaven, we thank You for this day and for these who are here
to share it with us. We bring up to you in prayer our friends, family, and
membership who are in pain, sorrow, or are suffering difficulties of any kind.
We pray that they may be healed, brought solace, and given mercy. We pray for
those who we don't know of that are also experiencing pain, suffering sorrow,
or are experiencing difficulties. We do all of this in Your Holy Name through
the Savior Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so it shall
be.
http://youtu.be/fXB8ihepUpE
Sermon: This came from a discussion I had with a person who had fallen from his
faith and an agnostic as I tried to reason with them.
Jesus said that all believers have the ability to become sons of God and
that we could do greater things than he since he was going to be with the
Father. That's pretty much what I was going on at the time. Perhaps every human
has some such ability and they haven't tapped into it yet or perhaps it's just
as the bible says. If you brush something off as superstition or impossible
without having truly tried it and experienced it, you probably don't have much
likelihood in succeeding. I tended to think all things were possible even when
I was studying engineering and working in an engineering intensive job. Just as
others before me, I was able to prove to the engineers that certain things were
possible that they had previously discredited. Sometimes things as simple as
anticipating the effects of a unit upset caused by a charge change (chemical
composition of the oil) or an upset caused by a temporary blockage caused by
failing refractory and making adjustments downstream to lessen the impact and
decrease the possibility of tower flooding. What did I tap into when I was able
to make those determinations when no one else seemed to be able to? I would
just say that it was a combination of experience and taking a chance that what
I had in mind would work. Whether it was working for God or working at the refinery,
it was the belief or faith that I could do things beyond what society believes
is possible. I believed it to be so because God said that it was so.
Mark 9:23
King James Version (KJV)
John 14:12-14
King James Version (KJV)
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the
works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do;
because I go unto my Father.
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the
Father may be glorified in the Son.
People are constantly changing, there is always new information becoming
available, events occur in our lives that change how we fell, perceive, or
experience things. The best we can say is, "at this point in time
I'm..." It's similar to Einstein's theory of relativity. If you were in a
boat and I saw a leaf that was floating on the stream at the same speed of the
boat, I would say that the leaf was standing still while you, if you were
standing on the shore, would say that the boat and the leaf are moving. Unless
your mind is so closed that you can't look around and see things from different
perspectives, you will probably agree that life itself is much like that.
Here's a National Geographic article on the "God particle."
Under the headline in the National Geographic article, it states,
"Newfound particle may be at the core of existence." What if,
instead, it is just one step toward proof that there is a supreme being or
consciousness that we have not yet begun to comprehend? What if science one day
proves there is a God? What argument will people have then? One day, it might
not be possible for science to disprove the existence of God. That day may
rapidly be coming.
God is in everything and everyone throughout the universe. The God
particle may be proof of that. It may be just a tiny part compared to the rest
of the composition of a person or thing, but what of a being who can manipulate
everything in the universe and even change its form as Jesus did changing water
into wine or multiplying the fish and loaves of bread? Let us review these two
miracles.
John 2:1-11
King James Version (KJV)
6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner
of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made
wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;)
the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth
good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou
hast kept the good wine until now.
11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and
manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
John 6:1-14
King James Version (KJV)
2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles
which he did on them that were diseased.
5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come
unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not
sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small
fishes: but what are they among so many?
10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass
in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he
distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and
likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the
fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets
with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above
unto them that had eaten.
14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did,
said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
Now, perhaps the God particle is the part of God that is in everything
that allows Him to manipulate matter and perhaps not. Maybe it's just another
wild goose chase by science, but still, it would be nice to have concrete proof
that God exists to end the arguments.
People are constantly changing, there is always new information becoming
available, events occur in our lives that change how we fell, perceive, or
experience things. The best we can say is, "at this point in time
I'm..." It's similar to Einstein's theory of relativity. If you were in a
boat and I saw a leaf that was floating on the stream at the same speed of the
boat, I would say that the leaf was standing still while you, if you were
standing on the shore, would say that the boat and the leaf are moving. Unless
your mind is so closed that you can't look around and see things from different
perspectives, you will probably agree that life itself is much like that. We
are constantly being bombarded with new ideas on television, on commercials,
and even on our cell phones. This may cause you to reexamine your beliefs and
maybe see them in a different light, but be sure that the information you are
receiving is correct. There is much false information, or “disinformation” as
the CIA calls it, being put out all over the Internet, on television, and on
media of all sorts. The information technology can be a blessing or a curse. It
must be examined and used wisely. We may learn of new discoveries that allow us
to see what Jesus was teaching in a clearer light. We may learn that we can do
things far greater than we ever thought possible, or even that other people of
our time thought possible. To God be the glory in all things.
After
this manner therefore pray ye: 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 KJV)
http://youtu.be/MTXpUhZ6Fn8
Love, Hope, Peace, and Christ be with you,
Covenant
of Hope Ministries
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 ©
2014 http://covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com/
Our
mission for Covenant of Hope Ministries and Poetic-Expressions is not to
exploit fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all that is created through fear
together as the rainbow in the darkness.
