The
Difference Faith Can Make
Covenant
of Hope Ministries Wednesday 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.
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Please pray for my friend Teresa’s sister who is in stage four
cancer.
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Please keep our member Wayne Bartosh in prayer for his trials and
tribulations that he may receive mercy and hope in Jesus.
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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.
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Please keep others known by any of us up in prayer for whatever they
might need.
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Please keep my friend Heather in prayer for patience and safe haven.
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Please keep my 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.
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Remember those who have been lost either violently or peacefully this
week.
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Pray that I 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.
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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.
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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, 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.
-
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.
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.
Opening Song: “By Faith” - Keith & Kristyn Getty
http://youtu.be/fXB8ihepUpE
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)
Closing Song: “TO GOD BE THE GLORY”
http://youtu.be/MTXpUhZ6Fn8
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