What has God's plan for man's life been since creation?

How is man to live this ...
..."good life?"

In the book of Genesis
 God laid the foundation for life ...
for man's ...
..."good life"...

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

And in the Gospel of John Jesus said ...

... I have come that they may have life,
and that they may have it more abundantly.
... John 10:10

Was this a spiritual plan and act on man's behalf?
No, not at all!
Jesus was talking about life ... life here on earth ... in a real physical environment ...
... living and coping with a real natural life ...

Sure, you are a spirit ...
And sure, things are continuously happening in the spirit and in the spirit realm ...
But ...
Who said anything about being SPIRITUAL?
Who said that to be blessed and to receive from God ...
... you have to be spiritual?
Not God! ... He said nothing about being spiritual!

What did God do? ...
... and what did God mean with what He said in Gen. 1:28? ...
God blessed man ...
... Blessed = Barak ... enabled to live a full life ...
And God said to man ... Be fruitful ...
... in other words, use that ability to live a full rich life and bear fruit for others to benefit from.
Then go live that life and out of that abundance, give to others!

In John 10:10 Jesus confirmed that God has not changed but that He came to restore that ability and thus also the accompanying abundance!

But how does it work?
What needs to happen so that I can live a full rich life?
What needs to happen so that I have an abundant life ...
... and more than I need?
What needs to happen so that I can live a fruitful life ...
... and have to give?

How does God do things for us, or do things in our lives?
How does God confirm His Word in our lives?
Well let's look at an example in the lives of Jesus' disciples ...
... and let's see how God confirmed His Word in Peter's life.
In John 21 the Bible gives us a very graphic and clear example of how and when He can do things in our lives ...

Everything had gone wrong with Peter ... He had failed as a disciple and had decided to go back to fishing.



Starting in verse 3, we find Jesus walking along the shore where Peter and some of the other disciples had gone fishing and had been at it all night.
... "How many fish have you caught?" Jesus asked.
... "None." they replied.
... "Well cast your net on the right side, and you will find some". Jesus said to them.
 Not knowing that it was Jesus speaking to them, I can just imagine Peter's response to Jesus' instruction ...
... "Look sir, we are professional fishermen, and we have been fishing here all night, on the right and on the left. There is no fish in this water, but to prove to you that there is no fish here, I will cast the net on the right side and show you there is none."

But what happened when Peter did do what Jesus said ... they pulled out a net full of fish.
Then only did Peter recognise Jesus.
What happened.
Was that not just a unilateral spiritual or super-natural act on Peter's behalf?
No!
It was a super-natural act in response to Peter's obedience!

Sure it does look as if Jesus simply did something for Peter without Peter being involved at all ... but that is because one only looks at the result of Jesus' actions, ignoring everything else that happened, and had to happen before Jesus could act on Peter's behalf ...
Don't become spiritual ...
... look at the whole picture.

To be able to do something in Peter's life ...

... Jesus not only had to get Peter's attention ...
... but He also needed to get Peter to do something so that He could act on Peter's behalf.

Let's get natural and take a look at everything that happened there, so we can get the full picture and put life with God, into perspective.

Who went fishing and who filled the net, and when?

Who built the boat? ... Peter!
Who made the net? ... Peter!
Who put the net into the Boat? ... Peter!
Who rowed into the lake? ... Peter!
Who cast the net into the lake? ... Peter!

Who filled the net? ... Jesus!

Who drew the net back into the boat? ... Peter!
Who rowed back to the shore? ... Peter!
Who took the fish out of the net? ... Peter!
Who sold the fish? ... Peter!

Why does so little happen in the lives of God's children?
... Because they are waiting for God to do something, without they themselves doing what is necessary ...
... so that God can act on their behalf!

Unless we DO something that Jesus can act on or respond to ...
... nothing will happen, nothing will increase!
and ...
Unless we TRUST Jesus and allow Him to work in our lives ...
... nothing will happen!

At least Peter knew that nothing would happen
unless he did something towards it ...

Peter was good in doing ... but kept trying to do it all in his own strength and ability ...
What Peter had to learn was to trust Jesus ...
... and to allow Jesus to work on his behalf!

When and how can and does God do things in our lives? ...

And they went out and preached everywhere,
the Lord working with them
and confirming the word
through the accompanying signs. Amen.
... Mark 16:20

What is Mark 16:20 saying to us ...

... And they went out ... They went ... GO!
... And preached everywhere ... They did ... DO!
What happened when they went and when they did? ...
... The Lord working with them ... God had something to respond to!
And what did God do?
... Confirming the Word ... God did what He promised to do!
And how did God do it!
... With the accompanying signs ... supernaturally!

What does this tell us ...
Unless we do the natural ... God cannot do the supernatural!
Unless we do the natural ... God cannot add the super!

Consider this that ...
If you do nothing, and God adds the super ...
... you will have super nothing!
but ...
If you do something in the natural, and God adds the super ...
... you will have supernatural results!

*******
Put God in Control ... in your life!

Even God's name tells us how it works ...
2/3 of God's name GOD ... is go!
the other 2/3 of God's name ... is do!
Go Do...
Unless you go and unless you do ... God can do nothing for you!

I like the special Jesus touch ...

In John chapter 21 when Jesus showed Peter and the other disciples where the fish was that they were trying to catch ...
... and when they came onshore with their catch, Jesus had already prepared some fish for breakfast ...

Did you notice ...
... that the fish Jesus prepared for the disciples ...
was one that they did NOT even catch themselves ...

... Jesus is just simply more than enough!!!

Jan D vander Merwe
Covenant Ministries

The sun set may bring and end to the days activities, but the seed that had been planted and the foundation that had been laid ...
... is just the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of pastors and students who are both hungry for more of God and for more of His Word in their lives ...

Cherubai ... overlooking the Kenyean/Ugandian border
The pastor and congregation of Cherubai on the Ugandian border did not gather to just see an overseas visitor, even though he was the first one ever to come to their village or community, but they were there primarily to receive from God ... whatever it was that God was going to do in their lives ...


Cherubai

Most of the village, over 200, crammed into the little wooden church, and afterwards, 30 of the local youth signed up for the Bible Courses ...
... Praise God ... that village will never be the same again!

On the way to Kitale in Kenya, we made a quick stop in Kwanza to introduce the Covenant Disciple Bible Courses to the local pastors.


Kwanza, Mount Elgon district

Sunday morning I ministered at Pastor Edward Khaoya's Church in Matisi. Pastor Edward is one of our Bicycle Pastors in the  Kitale-Mount Elgon district who also arranged the meetings in Cherubai and Kwanza.


Matisi, Kitale district

Later that morning I ministered at the Airport Worship Centre.
Bishop Njihia who was one of the pilot class of pastors doing the Covenant Disciples Bible Course in Kitale, already has a second group of students doing the Bible Course.


Airport Worship Centre, Kitale

Since the first meeting in  Kitale, where the Covenant Ministries  Kenya office is located, we and in particular Pastor Dawson, have been praying for unity amongst the pastors and a breakthrough in Kitale.


Kitale Pastors meeting

This trip we had a third pastors meeting, which for the first time was well attended by pastors representing a large portion of the churches in the Kitale area. They not only attended but also started to see the potential in our vision and in the courses, and a large persentage of them have since approached Pastor Dawson regarding the Covenant Disciples Bible Courses... Hallelujah!!!


Kitale Pastors meeting

The next morning we made our way to Bungoma to meet with Pastor Arthur of Life Springs Church and to introduce the courses to his congregation and leaders...


Life Springs, Bungoma district

After the meeting at Life Springs, we were invited by Pastor Solomon of Lugulu (who has himself completed and presented the courses in his church), to introduce the Covenant Disciple Bible Courses to senior pastors of the Bungoma Faith Church and leaders of the Faith Church group.


Bungoma Faith Church

The response was so good that arrangements have already been made to start presenting the courses to their pastors on the 1st of March, just 2 weeks after having met with them.

About a month before this trip, Marie Gutierrez from Venezuela,  who at present is busy translating the Bible Courses into Spanish, contacted me and asked me to contact a certain Pastor Alex in Webuye, Kenya...
... which I did ...
So ... on the way back to Nairobi, we arranged a meeting with Pastor Alex Maseka to have a meeting at his church ...
... Jesus Crusader Generation ...


Jesus Crusader Generation

Pastor Alex has not only decided to introduce the courses in his own church, but has also started to advertise them in the Webuye district ...

It is wonderful to see how that the seed we have been sowing all over Africa, is seed that is growing up ... all over Africa.

I believe that this year ...
... we are not only going to continue to sow ...
... but we are going to increase the sowing ...
and at the same time start harvesting ...
... and continue to sow from that harvest ...
... back into those fields and the adjoining fields !!!

   "Behold, the days are coming,"
says the LORD,
"When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
... Amos 9:13

On the 12th of March, I will be traveling to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo ...
... for the CONVIC 2004 conference ...
as well as looking at the establishing of ...
Covenant Disciple Bible Training Centres in Kinshasa, Mbuji Mayi as well as other regional centres.

We thank you, our partners, once again ...
... for all your financial and prayer support ...
Remember, it’s those prayers and continued support that make it possible for us to reach the pastors & people, to touch and change their lives … forever !
It truly is GOOD soil that we are sowing into ...
... and I believe for an ever increasing harvest!
Hallelujah !

Covenant Ministries
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Credit Suisse, 8007, Zurich Switzerland ...
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