Covenant Of Hope Ministries

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Freedom From Sin and It Begins With Noah

Good morning, welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries. My name is Rev. Laura A. Neff, the Rainbow Minister. The choice for Rainbow has to do with the fact that the rainbow symbolizes a promise made and one that can and will be kept. I made, long ago, a promise to God that I would do all I could to keep that faith within me. We are normally posted on Sundays for sermons and Wednesdays for studies. You can find these posted in the following locations.

Main Site: http://covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com/

Rev. Laura’s Other Sites: Facebook & Twitter &Google+ & Blogspot

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 pray for a friend Susie Bartholow as she is in hospice. She is in very grave condition with cancer. Hospice care is in her home with her family. Keep them all in your thoughts and prayers.

- Please pray for a friend of ours, Lucy, whose liver is failing. She is going to be on medication but may need a transplant. Pray that the first option works and she returns to health.

- Please pray also for our Elder Cal Jennings as he has been having a tough time between his health and his emotional situation. Bring that which he needs to his heart, mind, spirit, and soul.

- Pray for a friend of my brother’s, who is far from home right now. There have been many problems for her right now. It is our hope that she will return and be here to complete her healing and more.

- Pray for our members Theresa and Wayne who had a very rough year last year. May some of their trials and tribulations end in time for our celebration of the birth of Jesus.

- Pray for those near and far who have been suffering in battles that do not have to be. Pray that peace can be found amidst the fear and anger, frustration and more. May hope blossom and bring that peace once more.

- Pray for our friends and our enemies, may they all find that the gift of God’s Son, Jesus, holds the hope and faith everyone seeks.

- Pray for those falsely imprisoned, that they may gain their freedom and justice.

- Keep hope alive in your prayers no matter the pain or strife we might suffer.

- May God bless every one of us as we continue on.

Prayer: Father in heaven, we thank You for this day and for these who are here to share it with us. We thank You for the blessings brought and for those yet to come. We pray that You can remind us always what we should be looking forward to. We bring prayers for those who have been seriously ill. Help those who are working to fight serious illnesses the ability to find solutions. We pray for those lost and those who mourn. We pray for those wrongly imprisoned, that they not lose hope. We pray for patience and courage for those we love and care about, and ourselves as well. We pray for peace to reach out from the heart and be heard, felt, and understood. We pray that Your grace and love would fill the hearts of the many in this world. We pray all this in Your Holy Name through the Savior Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so it shall be.

Opening Song: Freedom Is Here ~ Hillsong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ0kxAV95uw

Sermon: Good afternoon. Thanks to the good eye of our Elder Cal Jennings I was led to a sermon delivered by a most powerful voice. This particular person brought a sermon on freedom and how it wouldn’t just include humanity alone. In fact there are the animals, the plants, the water, the air, and more. With that we’ll start with one of the first views of this. That is the story of Noah and the ark. Now, we’re not going to put the entire segment of Scripture, we’ll only portray the beginning where the family and all the animals enter the ark. Then we’ll share the freedom of dry land and the ability to step upon it. Many don’t realize what it is like to be imprisoned in any way. Noah’s family and the animals in the ark would be only one view. There are many, many views throughout Scripture. Let’s start here.

Genesis 6:18-22 KJV – But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.
And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shall thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

So here we see where the containment, or imprisonment, of the members of the ark. Think about it. Noah and his family are there in a cramped space with two of every creature known at the time. That would not be an easy voyage. In fact, think about it this way. It’s like being in your basic barn with everything from aardvarks to zebras and all those between, each of them two by two.

Genesis 8:1 KJV – And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark; and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged;

So here Noah and the rest are confined to this space with water in every direction and rain pouring down. Basically they’re like a ship lost at sea. They do not know which direction land will end up being. Nor do they know where they will be when it does. The only thing they knew would be that God was with them regardless of where they were and what was happening around them. Their freedom came just forty days later.

Genesis 8:13-18 KJV – And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry.
And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.
And God spake unto Noah, saying,
Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee.
Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with the, of all flesh, both of fowl, and cattle and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.
And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him:
Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.

Imagine the joy they felt when they were able to step out of that ark. Consider how that would be, to quite literally live with a zoo worthy viewpoint in a space the size of a very large barn. It would probably be about the size of a small warehouse that floats. There is no way to truly imagine how each of them, human, insect, or animal, could possibly feel after their freedom was afforded.

This is why we should not take our freedom for granted. It doesn’t matter the type of freedom, either. Take being set free from a prison after falsely being convicted of a crime. Perhaps being confined to a house without the ability to maneuver around. You could add those who are in wheelchairs. Those who are confined to bed would be as well. Some of them don’t seem like a view of prison. Yet, think about it this way. If you couldn’t walk, couldn’t stand, couldn’t sit up, would you not feel imprisoned in your body? Perhaps in your room, your house, or even in your mind? It is most worthy of consideration when one puts it that way. Now, that’s something to think about as we pray in the prayer that Jesus brought 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: Fix My Eyes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM-Bf9gE0gw

~Shalom~

Rev. Laura A. Neff ~ The Rainbow Minister

Facebook & Twitter & Google+ & Blogspot

Calvin Jennings ~ Elder Facebook & Twitter &Blogster

Covenant of Hope Ministries Main Site:

http://covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com/

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.

This mission statement speaks of the rainbow in the darkness. Every time I would have a seriously traumatic thing happen in my life I would wake in the middle of the night. When I do I see a rainbow at the end of my bed, or even through the window behind my head. I’ll see that rainbow in a dark room even during the day. It will hover in the shadows and reassure me that God is with me.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Nothing Is Impossible

Good afternoon, welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries. My name is Elder Cal Jennings. We are normally posted on Sundays for sermons and Wednesdays for studies. You can find these posted in the following locations.

Main Site: http://covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com/

Elder Cal’s Other Sites: Blogspot & Facebook & Twitter & Google+

Rev. Laura’s Other Sites: Facebook & Twitter &Google+ & Blogspot

- Please pray for a friend Susie Bartholow as she is in hospice. She is in very grave condition with cancer. Hospice care is in her home with her family. Keep them all in your thoughts and prayers.

- Please pray for a friend of ours, Lucy, whose liver is failing. She is going to be on medication but may need a transplant. Pray that the first option works and she returns to health.

- Please bring Elder Cal Jennings into your prayers for his health, strength, and faith. He has had some very bad health issues in the past year and answers are difficult to find. His spirits have been very low. Pray that some good things going on will bring those spirits back up once more.

- Pray for our members Theresa and Wayne who had a very rough year last year. Pray that answers are provided in the world of finances and more. May some of their trials and tribulations end in time for our celebration of the birth of Jesus.

- Pray for our friends and our enemies, may they all find that the gift of God’s Son, Jesus, holds the hope and faith everyone seeks.

- Keep hope alive in your prayers no matter the pain or strife we might suffer.

- May God bless every one of us as we continue on.

Prayer: Father in heaven, we thank You for the gifts received this day and for these who are here to share with us. We thank You for the blessings brought and for those yet to come. We pray that You can remind us always what we should be looking forward to. We bring prayers for those who have been seriously ill. Help those who are working to fight serious illnesses the ability to find solutions. We pray for those lost and those who mourn. We pray for those who are traveling home this weekend that they may have a safe journey. We pray for patience and courage for those we love and care about, and ourselves as well. We pray for peace to reach out from the heart and be heard, felt, and understood. We pray that Your grace and love would fill the hearts of the many in this world. We pray all this in Your Holy Name through the Savior Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so it shall be.

Opening Song: What Faith Can Do ~ Kutless https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiBNkZHOBI8&index=153&list=PL614A115BF39E5936

Sermon: Good afternoon. The inspiration this week came with several events over the past few days. Those events have proven that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE with God in our lives, hearts, spirits, and souls. Sharing this gift of faith and love we look here at the following verses.

Isaiah 14:24-27 KJV – The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:
That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.
This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.
For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

Isaiah 14:24-27 NIV – The Lord Almighty has sworn,
Surely, as I have planned, so it will be,
and as I have purposed, so it will happen.
I will crush the Assyrian in my land;
on my mountains I will trample him down.
His yoke will be taken from my people,
and his burden removed from their shoulders.”
This is the plan determined for the whole world;
this is the hand stretched out over all nations.
For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him?
His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?

Surely as I have planned, so it will be. These are some words that I needed to hear myself. God made it evident to me on Tuesday that He meant it. I won’t go into details, but I was starting to think that for all the times I had prayed to be sure that something was right, and God seemed to be telling me yes, it was right, and even sent me some threats as dreams if I went back on it, that God had let me down. Everything seemed dark and dingy. I became depressed. I didn’t quite lose faith, but I was certainly confused because I didn’t know what was wrong. I didn’t have all of the details. When I got the details, I was quite ashamed of my doubt.

No matter how strong your faith in Christ is, there are going to be times when we will doubt. Satan tries to throw us curves and make us wonder if we’re making the right choices. Sometimes what God says is the right choice seems nearly impossible to achieve, but if God says that it’s the right thing, then we must trust Him that He’ll make a way. Here again is just one verse from the Scripture selection.

Isaiah 14:25 NIV – I will crush the Assyrian in my land;
on my mountains I will trample him down.
His yoke will be taken from my people,
and his burden removed from their shoulders.”

There have been times when I’ve been up against the wall, homeless, thrown in jail for a short period on false charges, and many other things, but God has seen me through each one and made a way for me to walk through it without harm. At times it seemed that there was nothing that could make things better, but just when I had completely given up hope, God turned things around. I even spoke truth to politicians…my big crime…so they set me up. They couldn’t hold me for long, since I hadn’t done anything wrong, but they refused me a phone call and refused me a lawyer. After about a week, I prayed to God and asked him what to do, and He told me. A few days later, they sent me to court. I pleaded Nolo Contendere to the charges, and they let me go. I could have tried to represent myself, but I knew that I didn’t really have any chance against a lawyer, so God put the idea of Agnew pleading Nolo Contendere in my head, and that’s what I did.

Luke 21:15 NIV – For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

Again from Isaiah:

14:27 NIV – For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

If you have God on your side, not even the powers that be can hold you. When you’ve been doing nothing but God’s work and you’re being held and persecuted for something you didn’t do, God can get you through it. If you have untold barriers between you and what God says that He has for you, those barriers will fall. It may seem to take more time than we think it should, knowing that it has already been promised, but God is true, and faithful to His word.

In my particular situation there are financial barriers, distance barrios, minor cultural barriers, and other things to overcome, but they will be overcome.

Sometimes the hardest thing for us to do is to be patient when we can almost taste something. We can see it, we can hear it, and we can almost feel it, but by all appearances, they’re just out of our reach. Having lived my life, I know that there ARE no barriers. The barriers are just something in our minds. Something that society has told us to believe. Maybe it’s even something our parents told us to believe. If God wants it to happen, it’s going to happen. You can count on that.

Closing Song: Nothing Is Impossible ~ The Church Choir of The Houston First Baptist Church http://youtu.be/hnrCOSXVrSM

Now let us pray the prayer that Jesus taught us when He said...

~Love, Hope, Peace, and Christ be with you ~

Elder Cal Jennings

Covenant of Hope Ministries

Main Site:

http://covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com/

My Sites: Blogspot & Facebook & Twitter & Google+

http://covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com/

This mission statement speaks of the rainbow in the darkness. Every time Rev. Laura would have a seriously traumatic thing happen in her life she would wake in the middle of the night. When she does she sees a rainbow at the end of the bed, or even through the window behind her head. She has even seen that rainbow in a dark room during the day. It will hover in the shadows and reassure her that God is with her.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

A Wish For All ~ Gain Strength in His Love

Good afternoon, welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries. My name is Rev. Laura A. Neff, the Rainbow Minister. The choice for Rainbow has to do with the fact that the rainbow symbolizes a promise made and one that can and will be kept. I made, long ago, a promise to God that I would do all I could to keep that faith within me. We are normally posted on Sundays for sermons and Wednesdays for studies. You can find these posted in the following locations.

Main Site:http://covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com/

Rev. Laura’s Other Sites: Facebook & Twitter &Google+ & Blogspot

- Please pray for a friend Susie Bartholow as she is in hospice. She is in very grave condition with cancer. Hospice care is in her home with her family. Keep them all in your thoughts and prayers.

- Please pray for a friend of ours, Lucy, whose liver is failing. She is going to be on medication but may need a transplant. Pray that the first option works and she returns to health.

- Pray for our members Theresa and Wayne who had a very rough year last year. May some of their trials and tribulations end in time for our celebration of the birth of Jesus.

- Pray for our friends and our enemies, may they all find that the gift of God’s Son, Jesus, holds the hope and faith everyone seeks.

- Keep hope alive in your prayers no matter the pain or strife we might suffer.

- May God bless every one of us as we continue on.

Happy Birthday Elder Cal Jennings.

Prayer: Father in heaven, we thank You for this day and for these who are here to share it with us. We thank You for the blessings brought and for those yet to come. We pray that You can remind us always what we should be looking forward to. We bring prayers for those who have been seriously ill. Help those who are working to fight serious illnesses the ability to find solutions. We pray for those lost and those who mourn. We pray for those who are traveling home this weekend that they may have a safe journey. We pray for patience and courage for those we love and care about, and ourselves as well. We pray for peace to reach out from the heart and be heard, felt, and understood. We pray that Your grace and love would fill the hearts of the many in this world. We pray all this in Your Holy Name through the Savior Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so it shall be.

Opening Song: Agnus Dei ~ Michael W. Smith https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPBmFwBSGb0

Sermon: Good afternoon. Today I wouldn’t be posting more than a single verse and the rest would be guidelines that coincide with it.

III John 1:2 KJV – Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

John had a big heart, a gift due to the love he had for Jesus, his dear friend. His love for Jesus filled him with the Holy Spirit. Both are gifts from God. Here too is something to reflect on the gifts He can bring. This would be a familiar view for some, but should be seen as such for all. It is the credo for Alcoholics Anonymous.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once.

I know that I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things that I can correct and accept those I cannot.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I'll not speak ill of others. I will improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will refrain from improving anybody but myself.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will do something positive to improve my health. I will do what I can to change habits that need changing and share that gift with kindness of heart and soul. I will spend time with family and friends outdoors enjoying a good walk or other activities.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.

The prayer of St. Francis (of which there are several versions) contains a powerful message:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Now, that's something to think about as we pray in the prayer that Jesus brought us.

Closing Song: You Are Loved ~ Josh Groban https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGLSk3AVcUU

~Shalom~

Rev. Laura A. Neff ~ The Rainbow Minister

Facebook & Twitter & Google+ & Blogspot

Calvin Jennings ~ Elder Facebook & Twitter &Blogster

Covenant of Hope Ministries

Main Site:

http://covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com/

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Where We Are Equal

Main Site:http://covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com/

Rev. Laura’s Other Sites: Facebook & Twitter &Google+ & Blogspot

- Please pray for a friend Susie Bartholow as she is in hospice. She is in very grave condition with cancer. Hospice care is in her home with her family. Keep them all in your thoughts and prayers.

- Pray that Elder Cal and his mother can regain their health and strength once more. There have been many setbacks and knock backs for them, but they are still fighting to continue. Pray that their faith continues without wavering.

- Please pray for a friend of ours, Lucy, whose liver is failing. She is going to be on medication but may need a transplant. Pray that the first option works and she returns to health.

- Pray for our members Theresa and Wayne who had a very rough year last year. May some of their trials and tribulations end in time for our celebration of the birth of Jesus.

- We praise God for the gift of thanks received this week for our family and that the gift continues giving as answers sought for months have been brought forward. We pray that the good heard, felt, and known at this time will continue far into the future.

- Pray for our friends and our enemies, may they all find that the gift of God’s Son, Jesus, holds the hope and faith everyone seeks.

- Keep hope alive in your prayers no matter the pain or strife we might suffer.

- May God bless every one of us as we continue on.
- For those who celebrate their birthdays this week, a prayer of grace and thanksgiving.

Prayer: Father in heaven, we thank You for this day and for these who are here to share it with us. We thank You for the blessings brought and for those yet to come. We pray that You can remind us always what we should be looking forward to. We bring prayers for those who have been seriously ill. Help those who are working to fight serious illnesses the ability to find solutions. We pray for those lost and those who mourn. We pray for those in strain and strife. We pray for patience and courage for those we love and care about, and ourselves as well. We pray for peace to reach out from the heart and be heard, felt, and understood. We pray that Your grace and love would fill the hearts of the many in this world. We pray all this in Your Holy Name through the Savior Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so it shall be.

Opening Song: You Raise Me Up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnztMhtUF6o

Sermon: Good afternoon. Today a subject that seems to be seen a lot, yet doesn’t get the right kind of discussion going, is here to be brought to light. That subject is equality. There are many who say that equality doesn’t exist. This, regardless that God works so hard to help us prove its existence should be seen, felt, heard, and known. Over the past few years we have seen some terrible things in regard to gender, religious, or racial bias. There is a phrase, ‘turn over a new leaf’. There are others like ‘don’t judge a book by its cover, or a person by the outer skin’. There are many scripture verses on equality.

Galatians 3:26-29 KJV – For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond, nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Over the years we have seen a lot of things in the news as to the various countries and how human rights are either recognized or not. Add to that, we have seen quite a lot of that in life even outside of those basic human rights. Equality isn't 'see it our way or no way.' It's not about the 'we're better than they are' mentality. In fact it would be the point God brought to this world through Jesus, and even before, that you can't judge on first sight of someone. Remember, when God chose David to be anointed king, the boy that would be king was not the handsomest, the tallest, the oldest, or the wisest. Every one of us is beautiful as we are.

That beauty comes from inside. It doesn't separate into color, creed, or religion. It just is. Equality has nothing to do with who believes what, why, or whatever else. It has everything to do with the fact that we are all part of one race, the human race. Jesus never shared prejudice, age, gender, stature, or any view of the same. To Him everyone was, and is, equal. This is why He spent time with Jews, Gentiles, Lepers, politicians, heathens, and all the rest. He chose, as He still chooses, to listen to us equally. If God and Jesus were and are willing to do so, should we not choose to be doing the same? Sharing our lives equally with God as with each other isn't easy, but that is the reason God gave us each other. To share His love in all ways, not to take His love away in any way. It is not easy to share equally in anything for any reason. It is, however, for the greater good. Now, that's something to think about as we pray in the prayer that Jesus brought us.

Closing Song: What Faith Can Do https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1JBSQMkQEo

~Shalom~

Rev. Laura A. Neff ~ The Rainbow Minister

Facebook & Twitter & Google+ & Blogspot

Calvin Jennings ~ Elder Facebook & Twitter &Blogster

Covenant of Hope Ministries

Main Site:

http://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 Biblically Based Wedding Ceremonies in the state of Georgia, USA locally based in Savannah and surrounding areas. I was ordained in 2007 by Rev. Teresa Piercey-Gates. We established this ministry in October of 2008.