Omag

. 2005 02	PARTNER Magazine

God has a wonderful plan for mankind,
Man …
who God intends to have a relationship with, for eternity.
Man …
who God intends to have fellowship with, for eternity.
Man ...
the object of God’s love,
for all eternity!

… just as He chose us in Him
before the foundation of the world,
(before creation)
that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
(so He can shower His goodness on us)

--- Eph. 1:4

Jesus came not only to open the way for man to be restored to God ...

But as He Himself stated ...

I have come that they may have life,
and that they may have it more abundantly.

--- John 10:10

Jesus made it possible for God to confirm His Word,
and to fulfill His plan!
Yet ...
somehow those promises and the fullness of those blessings are not manifesting the way the Bible says.
Why not?

God's Word is full of wonderful promises,
promises that God has every intention to fulfill ...

Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God,
to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today,
that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.
And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you,
because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:

--- Deut. 28:1-14

God is serious about...

God is so serious about His Word,
that He made a covenant with us,
to confirm His Word and His promises ...

For this is the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel after those days,
says the LORD:
I will put My laws in their minds,
and write them on their hearts;
and I will be their God,
and they shall be My people.

--- Heb. 8:10 (Jer 31:33)

God not only promised, but He wants us to walk in all of the benefits that there are of being His children.
He wants to do all those things that He has promised in His Word,
in fact He even challenges us to test His Word to us ...

And try Me now in this,"
Says the LORD of hosts,
"If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.

--- Mal. 3:10

And I am sure that we have all at one time or another done that, yet in how many cases have all of those blessings manifest?
... only a few I am sure ...
So why is it not happening?
Did God's Word fail the test?
Is God's Word just not working, as He said it would?
...
Of course God's Word works ...
... there is no question about that!
But the one thing that we seem to miss,
is that it is all of God's Word that works,
... and not just part of it!

Now it shall come to pass,
if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God,
to observe carefully all His commandments
which I command you today,
that the LORD your God will set you
high above all nations of the earth.
And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you,
because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:

--- Deut. 28:1-2

God is a covenant God and He will keep His promises,
Who says that He will be our God,
... Who will do for us what we cannot do ourselves!
... Who will provide what we cannot provide ourselves!
... Who will do all of His Word ...
But ... because God is a covenant God,
... the question is not just about what will God do,
... but the question is also ...
Are you His (covenant) people?

--- Heb. 8:10 (Jer 31:33)

God is not only our God,
But says that we are also His people!
Yes, He wants us to act on His Word,
Yes, He wants us to do His Will where you live…
But ... are you His people?

When are you God’s people?
… when you obey His voice!
It is not the Church that you go to ...
or the T shirt you wear that says,
... Jesus is Lord ...
No!
Are you DOING what God is asking of you?

A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said,
'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'
He answered and said, 'I will not,'
but afterward he regretted it and went.
Then he came to the second and said likewise.
And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.
Which of the two did the will of his father?"

--- Matt. 21:28-31

Continued above...

...His Word to His people!

But ... I am not sure what it is that God wants me to obey?
I thought I was doing what is written in His Word?
Of course you should do what is written in the Bible,
but
God is specific as to what we should obey,
... His Voice ...
But how will I hear His voice?
God simply says ...

Call to Me, and I will answer you,
and show you great and mighty things,
which you do not know.'

--- Jer. 33:3

Answer this question for yourself ...
Are you expecting God to hear your prayer?
... to hear your voice?
Sure you are!
So if you expect God to provide your physical need,
Why can or will He not answer your questions?
???
Have you actually called on Him?
Have you actually expected and answer?
and ...
Have you waited for an answer?

A prayer problem...

Prayer...
The most important part of our relationship with God,
... and probably the most misunderstood part.
What is prayer?
Simply communication!
What can be so misunderstood about communication?

Judge for yourself,
In our prayer time with God,
... who does the talking and who does the listening?
Our prayer time normally consists of us asking of God,
... telling Him what He promised in His Word,
and more often than not,
... telling God what we want Him to do for us!
Is that communication?
No!
Did God not say ...

Call to Me, and I will answer you,
and show you great and mighty things,
which you do not know.'

--- Jer. 33:3

Yet, how will you ever hear God?
... how will you hear His voice?
... or those great and mighty things He has to show?
Unless you actually listen...?
You will not hear Him!

Of course you have to talk to God,
... telling Him what you need,
... telling Him what He promised,
... telling Him what you believe!

But without hearing Him,
... so that you can obey His voice and do His will,
How can you expect God to do His Word,
... if you have not obeyed His Word?
You cannot!

Are you God's people,
... hearing and obeying His voice?
Then He will be your God.
... and He will be doing His will in your life!

And all these blessings shall come upon you
and overtake you, because
you obey the voice of the LORD your God:

--- Deut. 28:1-2

Jan D vanderMerwe
Covenant Ministries

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PRAISE REPORT...

On my recent trip to Kenya and Uganda, I was honored to be invited to minister at Pastor Moise Ilunga's church in Matisi, Kenya.

Pastor Moise, who originally comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, attended the first class of the Covenant Disciples Bible Training Center in Kitale.

After successfully completing the Covenant Disciples Foundation Course, Pastor Moise, having himself seen the potential and also having seen and experienced the practical application and positive change in the lives of those who have applied the biblical principles exemplified in the CDBCourses, has made a number of trips back to the Congo, to Lubumbashi and Mbuji-Mayi, where he has been teaching pastors and bible students those practical principles.

Continued above..

...from the CONGO

On one of those trips, Pastor Moise was asked to speak at a training center of a local church group. What he did not know was that there was a bible teacher from a major bible school in Kinshasa at this center at that time, and that this bible teacher was also attending his meeting with all of his students.

Pastor Moise spoke on covenant and the principles of covenant as he had learned from the CDBCourses, however what he also did not know was that the bible teacher was there teaching specifically on the subject of covenant.

After the meeting, the bible teacher approached Pastor Moise and told him that he had never before heard covenant being explained in that way, so simply yet so powerful, and that he had told his students to attend all of the meetings that Pastor Moise was having. He also asked for permission to use what he had learnt back at the college in Kinshasa.

Praise God ... He makes connections we don't even dream of!

Pastor Moise has since invited me to join him on a ministry trip to Lubumbashi and Lusaka during May to further introduce the ministry and CDBCourses there.
.

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