|
|
| Online Bible Courses ¦ Daily Nuggets ¦ Latest Poll ¦ Teachings & Resources ¦ Contributions ¦ Omag Archives |
| M A D E ... IN LOVE |
|---|
God created man special … … on earth in the God class … A special being … ... for whom He has a wonderful plan! But what was God’s intention in creation? … what is God’s plan for man here on earth? Let’s look at the scripture in which God revealed His intention and His plan! So God created man in His own image;
in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." . --- Gen. 1:27-28 When God created man … … God wanted to express what He is … in creation! … God wanted to express Himself … in man! And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.
God is love,
and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. --- 1 John 4:16 God is love … … Love (Agape) … to give … to give without expectation … … to give without pressure or demand! That is God’s character … … that is what and who He is … … and because by His very nature … Love gives … God’s plan in creation … … was not what He could get out of it … … but His plan was what He could put into it! Unless we understand that … … we cannot understand or know God! He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
--- 1 John
4:8
Yes God created man special … in His image and likeness … … God putting Himself into man … … an expression of His love! But it did not end there … … In fact that was just the beginning! Having finished with creation, … the very first thing that God did for man … and … … the very first thing that God said to man … was to … … express exactly what was in His heart … by painting the picture of man’s life the way He planned it … Then God blessed them, and God said to them,
"Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." --- Gen. 1:28 What was God doing? He was manifesting His love…! … manifesting His love in man … … by giving all that He is … to man! Everyone knows and quotes the scripture … “God blessed man” But how many people have bothered to find out … ... What, how or why? For the first thing God did and the first thing He said to man, after creating man, must surely be important, as it holds the secret to God’s plan or vision for mankind …
Unless we understand and receive what God did … Unless we understand and act upon what God said … … we will not be able to fulfill God’s plan and purpose for our lives! To bless …
To be blessed … To bless … … and on and on! God wanted to make sure that the foundation of man’s life … … spirit, soul and body … … would be an expression of His love! So even before God had spoken one word to man … God blessed man! Blessed
… what does that word mean ?
What is it that God did when He blessed man? The original Hebrew word is … Barak … to bless or to give the ability to live a full, rich life … … empowered to prosper! That means that God did not give man things … but an ability! God gave man the ability or capacity to live a full, rich life on earth. God enabled man to get and to have all that he needs or desires … In other words ... ... God showered man with His love and His grace … And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,
for My strength is made perfect in weakness." --- 2 Cor 12:9 God made man complete … in His image and His likeness! … and before God did anything else … God deposited in man … what it takes to be like Him … His Grace, His ability, His blessing and provision … ... His love!
When God blessed man … He was saying to man … Man, for the rest of eternity it is my intention that your every need be met ... Whatever need you may have … … I have made provision for that need to be met … … I have empowered you to be successful! … I have empowered you to be healthy! … I have empowered you to be prosperous! … I have made it possible for you to do whatever you can think … For instance ... Have you ever wondered where man got the ability from … to fly to the moon, invent television, mobile phones etc.? From God … … that day when God blessed man … enabled man to do all of that and more! And God did not stop there … For God went on to say … … “I will help you to do even more than you can ask or think!” Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly
abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, --- Eph 3:20 When God blessed man … … it was not just words … For … God put into man His ability and power … … the ability and power to be successful in every area of his life! As Jesus also confirmed … Believe what? … that God’s promises and blessings are for you! What does it mean to believe? … Faith to receive what God has already done … But without faith it is impossible to please Him,
for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. --- Heb 11:6 And it is exactly the same today … … as Jesus confirmed when He was here on earth … Man may forget or ignore what God said and did … And even reject God’s love … but … God still wants man to be extremely BLESSED! And … … He wants to put that blessing back into man’s life! Now hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. --- Rom 5:5 It is already done … … All we have to do is to receive … … what God has already done for us and given to us … Continued above...
|
God’s intention is that every one of us be blessed abundantly … … that was His intention in creation … … and that is still His intention today… And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.
God is love,
and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. --- 1 John 4:16 And how can we abide in His love, in His blessing? as His divine power has given to us
all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, --- 2 Pet 1:3-4 Since creation God has been showing us His love … … in spite of the fact that sin put a barrier between us and God … However … … that did not change God … He is still the same … (Mal. 3:6) and … … in His mercy and grace, God restored us to Himself … through Jesus! For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.
--- John 3:16 However … … as it was in the Garden of Eden … … it still is today … It is up to me and to you to choose and to lay hold of God’s blessings… I call heaven and earth to record this day against you,
that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: --- Deut 30:19 Many people, particularly Christians, say … But Lord, … I am your child yet none of those blessings seem to be mine! Well … The answer to that is … … Have you drawn close to God? … Are you where God can bless you? Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded… … Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. --- James 4:8-10 Reach out to God … … and receive the blessings He spoke over you the day He created YOU! Reach out to Jesus … … and receive the fullness of what He did for you on the cross! Reach out to the Holy Spirit … … and receive the fullness of God’s love in your life! It is up to YOU …
… God blessed you … … God made you able … YOU must use that
ability!
----- ¦ -----
Jan D vander
Merwe
Covenant Ministries
 It has been nearly two years since my first trip to the Rift
Valley in Western Kenya. Two years of sowing into the lives of
the pastors in that area, not only myself, but also very much so by
Pastor Dawson
(the director of Covenant Ministries Kenya). Two years of gaining their confidence and of demonstrating covenant to them, by showing through our lives the difference that God's love and grace can make in our daily lives. Getting pastors of different denominations, not just to meet together for a conference, but to get them to study a Bible Course together, is proof that LOVE works ... ... and the Glorious Church is a reality!   Around 70 pastors, representing no less than 15 different Church groups and denominations, attended the Covenant Disciples Bible Course Conference, and with most of them signing up for the Bible Course already at the conference, we are excitedly looking forward to seeing Covenant in action in Matisi.
 Pastor William Getumbe of Eldoret in Western Kenya, invited me to speak at the weekly "early morning prayer meeting" of the SAYARE Christian Radio Station, in Eldoret. After the meeting at which the directors, management and staff were present, we were invited to become involved in their outreach by providing teaching material for broadcasting, and for them to introduce and promote Covenant Ministries on the air and also in local areas where they are involved... Praise God that we have been making recordings during the past teaching trips, and have material available in English and Swahili! 
 My name is Bishop Francis from Kitale Kenya. I attended one
of your meetings at the executive Hotel Kitale and was so blessed and
touched by the teachings. I came to know about your ministry through a
young pastor by the name Dawson Mudenyo. I have watched this young man
many days but the past one and a half years of his life I have seen a
very great change in his life.He moved to come to Matisi area and has been working with pastors around that area. This last week I had NO choice but to invite him to be one of the speakers at our meeting and share about the vision of Covenant Bible college. Some pastors gave their testimonies about how the bible course has helped them and many are seeing growth in their churches and they say that they even see increase in the members of their churches as they begin to do things with their hands trusting God to increase. When pastor Edward Khaoya at Matisi joined Dawson, the church was only 15 people, the church is now about 85 people. The church is really growing, Dawson is preaching and teaching differently than when we knew him. I asked him what had happened and he told us about your ministry and gave us your web site. We as pastors here in Matisi have decided to adopt Covenant courses as the foundation of our ministries. I myself oversee 25 churches and all the pastors in our ministry are going to train with Covenant. I wish our pastors had done these courses long ago. When this ministry first came to Kitale I didn’t think of it the way I do now because lives are getting changed. I have so much to write about what I have seen take place in the people that I know who joined covenant classes. Thanks for putting together such a program. God increase you . Sincerely Bishop Francis.
We thank you, our partners, once again ...  |
||||||||||
| The People of God - Reaching the People for God |
|---|