Covenant Update
Dear Covenant Family:
Today was a great day at Covenant with 28 folks in attendance. We reminded members about:
- Next Sunday King Hammond and his wife Priscilla will be at Covenant from 4 to 6 PM to make a presentation to us about their ministry in Ghana and to have a social hour to visit. Please feel free to invite friends and family to this update given by a great evangelical speaker on an important African ministry which Covenant Church supports,
- Members can make contributions to the people of Ukraine through Covenant Church. Make your check payable to Covenant Church and write Ukraine in the note line. We will continue accepting donations as long as members or others want to contribute,
- We will have our 35th church anniversary Fellowship Dinner right after church on Sunday, April 24. Covenant Church will provide all the food and drink except we ask that members bring desserts with them that morning.
In addition, Carol King is still having some heart issues, but she is at home. She would like to hear from members by phone (352-451-3036), email (cking4290@yahoo.com) or snail mail (4830 NW 43rd St., Apt. 295, 32606). Please pray for Carol and contact her if you can. Also, attached is the bulletin from today for some additional information for you.
Pastor Don’s sermon today was motivated by his belief that the US has had so much prosperity for so long that we now take most things for granted. The scripture for his sermon was from chapter 1 of the book of Obadiah, an OT prophet. Note that this book only has one chapter so its inclusion in the Bible indicates the importance of this vision that Obadiah had about the city of Edom. [NOTE: Similar scripture is also found in Jeremiah 49:7-22, attributed to Obadiah.]
Pastor Don began by noting that Edom was well protected up in the hills on a mountainside, that their citizens lived well and they never helped Israel.
Obadiah 1:1-4 – This is what the Lord God says concerning Edom — we have heard a report from the Lord, and a messenger has been sent among the nations saying, “Arise, and let’s go up against her for battle” — 2 “Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you are greatly despised. 3 The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, the one who lives in the clefts of the rock, on the height of his dwelling place, who says in his heart, ‘Who will bring me down to earth?’ 4 Though you make your home high like the eagle, though you set your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord.
Pastor Don commented that God will humble the proud, whether an individual person or a country. Don noted that a number of farmers are not planning to plant crops this year because the price of diesel oil for their tractors is so high that it prevents them from making any money – his point being that if the US is not careful, even we could suffer from famine, like other much poorer nations have suffered for many years.
Obadiah 1:15 – “For the day of the Lord is near for all the nations. Just as you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head.”
Pastor Don noted that the OT was written for nations to follow, but that our country and others have removed God from our lives, and we will pay the price for our sinful nature as a country. We all need to pray for the revival of people’s hearts. We need as a country to turn back to God. Pray for our nation and the world.
May God bless your week ahead!
Ron
