Omag

. 2005 03	PARTNER Magazine

God has a wonderful plan for mankind,
Man …
with whom God intends to have a relationship, for eternity.
Man …
with whom God intends to have fellowship,
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

Man became seperated from God through sin, so how did God intend to fulfill His Word and His promises?
Through covenant, through Jesus,
as Jesus 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?

Yes! ...
God has every intention of showering us with His goodness, by confirming His Word and His promises,
and Jesus came to put us in a position where God can do just that ...

1 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.
2 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

8 "The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses
and in all to which you set your hand,
and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

--- Deut. 28:8

But the receiving of God's goodness and His blessing,
... is not God's responsibility, but ours!
God's covenant promises are wonderful,
... but without us stepping into that covenant, God cannot confirm it!

Unless we do something, there is also nothing for God to do!

God is willing...

God has every intention of blessing us,
and is serious about His covenant He made with us,
and intends 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 wants to be God in our lives and confirm His promises,
but unless we become His people,
... those who want Him as their God,
and therefore ACT upon His Word,
God cannot do what He promised to do!

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

When will God open the windows of heaven?
When we start acting upon His Word!

"The LORD will command the blessing
on you in your storehouses
and in all to which you set your hand,
and He will bless you in the land
which the LORD your God is giving you.

--- Deut. 28:8

Willing & Obedient...

Being God's people means that we accept,
... and that we obey His Word!
And often we say ...
but God,

... I am willing and I am keeping your Word!
... I am going to church and learning your Word!
... I am trying not to sin or go against your Word!

... I am even giving and sowing!

I am willing and obedient, and not doing
what you told me not to do!
Why then ...
...are all those blessings not coming upon me?

Well, what exactly is it that God said?

"The LORD will command the blessing
on you in your storehouses
and in all to which you set your hand,
and He will bless you in the land
which the LORD your God is giving you.

--- Deut. 28:8

God said He will command the blessing upon you,
in ALL to which you PUT your hand!
Too often we look to God to see what He will do,
yet ...
God is not going to bless what He does,
... but He is going to bless or increase,
... what YOU do!

God very specifically said this to us through Isaiah ...

If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
--- Isa 1:19

It is good to be willing and to keep God's Word,
... not to sin, not to do this or that,
but God's says we must be both willing and obedient,
for then we shall eat the good of the land!

But is keeping God's Word not being obedient?

Being obedient is not so much about what you don't do,
as it is about what you do do!

Continued above...

...are you ready?

We have this example of what obedience really is from the parable that Jesus taught...

A man had two sons,
nd 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

Obedience is not just in what you say or agree to,
... neither is obedience in what you don't do,
but Jesus said that obedience is,
... in what you DO do!

James in talking about faith and receiving from God,
... made this well quoted statement!

But someone will say,
"You have faith, and I have works."
Show me your faith without your works,
and I will show you my faith by my works.
You believe that there is one God. You do well.
Even the demons believe — and tremble!

But do you want to know, O foolish man,
that faith without works is dead?
--- James 2:18-20

Are you just having faith in God's Word,
Are you just having faith in what God can do,
You do well ... James says,
... even the demons believe that!

But ... what works are you doing?
... what are you doing that God can act upon?
... what are you doing that God can bless?
... what are you doing that God can increase?

God, believe it or not, is a practical God,
as David wrote ...
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
--- Psalm 8:3

You have made him to have dominion over
the works of Your hands;
--- Psalm 8:6

And plainly says to us ...
If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
--- 2 Thess 3:10

... but promises us sayting ...
"The LORD will command the blessing
on you in your storehouses
and in all to which you set your hand,
and He will bless you in the land
which the LORD your God is giving you.

--- Deut. 28:8

What are you putting your hands to?
... that God can bless and increase?

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
--- 1 Cor 3:6

Yes, God wants to bless us and increase us,
and He is waiting, looking to see where He can do just that,
... bless what you set your hands to,
... increase the works of your hands,
in fact He even promises to help you get started ...

Now may He who supplies seed to the sower,
and bread for food,
supply and multiply the seed you have sown
and increase the fruits of your righteousness,
while you are enriched in everything for all liberality,
which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
--- 2 Cor 9:10-11

If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
--- Isa 1:19

Jan D vanderMerwe
Covenant Ministries

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MISSIONS ...

Our mission at Covenant Ministries is to open up God's Word to people,
... to demonstrate His love for them,
... to get to know Him and His will for their lives,
... to help them build a relationship with God, and
... to teach them to trust God with their lives!

Teaching is one thing, but without practical demonstration of what we say we believe, our words and indeed our faith, as James said, is of no value!

What does it profit, my brethren,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can faith save him?
If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
and one of you says to them,
"Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,"
but you do not give them the things
which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

--- James 2:14-17

We have therefore made the demonstration of God's Word and of His love, the main objective of every outreach, mission trip or activity that we as Covenant Ministries initiate or partake in.

Our first and foremost mission is to reach out to pastors and to equip them for ministry. In achieving this goal, Covenant Ministries primary objective is to train pastors through the Covenant Disciple Bible Courses ...

... and once these pastors are properly equipped, Covenant Ministries provides those pastors the courses as a tool as well as a training kit and all the necessary assistance required, for them to be able to further train and equip their church members or even other pastors or leaders.

This practical equipping through and practical demonstration of God's Word in the lives of pastors all over the world has borne not only fruit in the lives of the pastors involved, but also in the lives of their congregations.

.
Continued above...

... REPORT.

Pastor George of Mount Elgon is one of those pastors who was not only trained and equipped through the Covenant Disciples Bible Courses, but who also took what he had received through the courses and practically applied it in his own church ...
.

Pastor George Masika, Mount Elgon,
receiving his graduation certificate,
Pastor George's Testimony.

Having studied the Covenant Disciples Bible Course, and also applying what I learnt in my own life, my ministry has become practical and powerful, and I have discarded all the other material I used to rely on because I realised that it was empty and helping nobody.
Since I taught these simple truths in my church, practically applying what I had learnt myself, in the church, the result has been that poverty has been broken amongst the members, and there has been an increase in finances of the church members and the church itself. At the same time the church has expanded from 100 to 200 members, whilst the other ministers in the area are experiencing an exodus from their churches.
I have also, at the same time joined Covenant Ministries "Bicycles for Africa Ministry" with a view to expanding the ministry into the surrounding villages.
Praise God, His Word really works!

Pastor Stephen Kariuki, Matisi
receiving his graduation certificate,
Pastor Stephen's Testimony.

The Covenant Disciples Bible Course opened my eyes to God’s Word in a mighty way, turning my way of thinking totally around, and bringing an increase in my ministry and work.
At the same time the "Bicycles for Africa Ministry" has given me the opportunity to reach places I would otherwise not have been able to.
Thank you Covenant Ministries!

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