For Those Now Struggling With Sin

Let me ask you:

Have you ever tried to save a drowning man?

.....The trouble is that his F.E.A.R. ( False Evidence Appearing Real) prevents him from trusting himself to you. When this happens, there are only two ways of helping him. Either you knock him unconscious and then drag him to shore, or leave him to struggle and shout until his strength gives way before you rescue him. If he has any strength left, he will clutch on to you and drag you under and you will both drown. God is waiting for each of us to totally exhaust our strength before He can deliver us from the exact sin that we are wrestling with in our lives today. Once we have ceased to struggle, really "Let Go, and Let God", then and only then, will He do everything that needs to be done to remove that sin or Life Controlling Issue from you and your life. So my advice to you today is surrender and sit. When we seek to do it ourselves, we place ourselves back under the Law, which is absent of His Grace and Mercy. Mathew 11: 28 - 30 sums it up pretty well, " Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." The secret of deliverance from sin, any sin, is not in doing something, it is in sitting, (setting yourself apart), finding, (seeking the Truth), and resting, (accepting and renewing the mind), on what God has done. Let God's Truth Set You Free.
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Thought of the Day

.....If I put a dollar bill in an envelope, and then burned the envelope, where is the dollar bill?.....

.....It has gone the same way as the envelope, - to ashes. Where one goes, the other goes too. Their history has become one.

.....God has put us in Christ. What happened to Him, has also happened to us. Romans 6: 5-8 says, "For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him."

.....This fact is not something to struggle with. It is actually pretty simple, it's our history, written in Christ before we were born. Romans 6: 11 says, " You also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." You just have to consider it, or see it.

.....Now that you see it for yourself, rest upon this fact. You have now found a secret leading to a Holy Life.
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Our Position In Christ

The Book of Ephesians speaks of three topics:

Our position in Christ ( Ephesians 1:1 - 3:21) - Sit

Our life in the world ( Ephesians 4:1 - 6:9) - Walk

Our attitude to the enemy ( Ephesians 6:10 - 24) - Stand

.....In our position in Christ, we note the word "Sit", which is the key and secret of the beginning of our spiritual life. The second part of Ephesians speaks of our "Walk", and the third section speaks of us "Standing". To be a useful instrument in God's Hand, a man must be balanced in his Position, his Life, and his Warfare.

.....Christianity does not begin with walking, it begins with sitting. Most Christians make the mistake of trying to walk in order to be able to sit, but that is the opposite of the true order God designed for us. In our own intellect, we reason that if we do not walk this out first, how will we ever reach our goal? Or, what can we attain without effort? But again, God's ways are always opposite man's ways. If we try to do anything in our own strength and thinking, we get nothing. If we seek to attain something, we will miss everything. Christianity does not start with the word "Do", it starts with the word "Done". That is why it is called a Finished Work. To "Walk" implies effort, where as God says in Ephesians 2: 8-9, that we are saved, not by works, but by grace through faith. So we need to really see that we began our Christian life by depending not upon our own doing, but on what He, Christ, has done. Ephesians 2: 5-6 says, "We were made alive, raised with, and seated with Christ together in the heavens." We must "Rest" in the Finished Work of the Cross.

.....Sitting is an attitude of "Rest", and we can only advance in our Christian Life as we learn first of all, to "Sit" down. So what does it mean to "Sit" down? When we walk or stand, we bear on our legs all the weight of our own body, but when we sit down, our entire weight rests upon what we are sitting on. Walking and standing use and require a lot more energy, but when we are seated, we can relax, because there is no longer a strain on us. So in a spiritual realm, to "Sit" down is to simply "Rest", ourselves, our future, our everything upon the Lord. We are to let Him bear the responsibility and cease to carry it ourselves. God shows this over and over again throughout Scripture.

Example 1. In creation, God worked six days and then He rested. On the seventh day, after He completed His work, and the task was over, He ceased to work. The seventh day became the Sabbath of God. But what of Adam? Where did he stand in relation to the "Rest" of God? He was created on the sixth day, and had no part in those first six days of work. God's seventh day was in fact Adam's first. Adam began his life with the Sabbath, from the position of "Rest". You see, God works before He rests, while man must enter into God's "Rest" before he can work or do the Will of God.

Example 2. In Mark 6: 30-44, Jesus feeding the 5ooo. (Verse 39) - Jesus commanded the Disciples to get in groups of proper order and "Sit" down before they could receive what He had for them to feed on.

Example 3. In Exodus, before they left Egypt, they had to "Sit" and partake of the lamb which was going to enable them to "Walk" out and sustain them through the wilderness, to finally "Stand" in their inheritance or victory that God had for them, which was the Promise Land.

Example 4. In Luke 10: 38-42, The story of Martha and Mary. Martha was distracted with much serving, while Mary "Sat" at Jesus' feet. All of Martha's "Walking" without first "Sitting" left her worried and troubled, while Mary made the right decision, which could not be taken away from her, to receive the Word of Jesus.

.....The bottom line of all this is that if we spend time "Seated" with Him, we will see our true position in Him. How long do we have to "Sit" there? As long as it takes.

.....God has done everything in Christ, and we need to see ourselves "Seated" in Christ. In Luke 14: 17, there is an invitation to the Great Banquet, "Come, for all things are now ready." Our life begins with the discovery of what God has provided. Every spiritual experience begins with an acceptance by faith, of what God has done. His experience has now become my spiritual history. God can speak of you and me as already having everything "With Him". All we now have, we have in Christ.
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The Five Fold Ministry

.....Ephesians 4:11-16 says, "He Himself gave some to be Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists, some Pastors, and some Teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the Truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ - from whom the whole body, joined, and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."


.....These titles listed above make up the five fold ministry, or what I call the Ascension Gifts. This ministry is to preach a word that encourages the saints to mature in Christ. They are to help members of the body to prepare for whatever their gifts and callings are to do the work of ministry. They are also to encourage and edify people, enabling them to continue to reach for a higher calling in Christ.

.....Revelation of the mystery of Christ primarily comes through Apostles and Prophets. An Apostle's calling is mission minded, church planting minded, and fathering or mentoring minded. While a Prophet's calling is correction minded, such as establishing or restoring order in the church, and also event or future minded. Revelation from these people is two fold with the aspect of mind renewal. It establishes foundational knowledge of who we are in Christ. Revelation reveals the Will of God, which contains the power to renew the mind. We must then cast away any image which challenges the Word of God, removing it, which is the second aspect, with the help of the Holy Spirit. Then we are able to see ourselves as we really are, and how God truly created us to be. Apostles and Prophets are all priceless and invaluable to God's purpose, yet not all are good preachers.

.....An Evangelist is just a revivalist or a Preacher who travels around the country or world holding large services in different cities.

There are 4 types of Preachers or Pastors today:

Practical Preachers - They are good at dealing with everyday issues, and are more inspirational than revelational. Basically, simple and practical.

Strengths - They maintain a safe environment for those who want a good neighbor kind of life, lots of activities, support groups, and family fellowships.

Weakness - Anyone who eventually desires more in their spiritual walk with God would become frustrated and feel unfulfilled, and would have to at some point move on.

Principle Preachers - They are well taught, and have lots of structure in life. They make better sense of things, and get insight on some unanswered questions about God and His Word.

Strengths - They have stability, and are focus maintained, ( The How To's Of Life).

Weakness - Their discipline overrides their sensitivity, and they hold principles higher than a spirit of compassion and understanding.

Presence Preachers - They offer a spiritual experience with God that is not offered by others. They promote interaction with the Holy Spirit, supernatural healing, and cleansing, encouraging praise and worship.

Strengths - They are very encouraging, challenging and convincing others that anything is possible.

Weakness - Their good foundations are committed for the spectacular, seeking God in manifestations instead of He Himself. Their followers go around chasing and seeking for a movement of God, never being satisfied.

Person Preachers - They have been through it all, but keep pushing the envelope. They are interested in the mystery of Christ and His fullness. They exchange their own life for His, and against much opposition, they declare His person, passion and position in the church.

Strengths - They speak to the depths of the heart. Proclaiming a true message of redeeming grace, revealing who Jesus really is, and who we are in Him.

Weakness - They show impatience in immaturity in others. Visitors get overwhelmed by new things they don't understand and don't stick around.

.....Last, but definitely not least are the Teachers. They have a basic sense to help and train others to learn, to show, demonstrate, guide, and instruct. A true calling in Discipleship, giving knowledge and insight to duplicate the Christ that is in them, into others.

.....These callings were all designed by God and must continue until we all come into the unity of faith, the knowledge of the Son of God revealed, and a complete corporate man, in which the fullness of Christ (as high and complete as) emerges. 5 in Five Fold Ministry is the number representing grace. These people in these callings have an extra measure of grace over their lives. 5 is also the number of fingers a person has on 1 hand and also the number of toes on 1 foot. This represents a spiritual picture of God's hand reaching out to the world, and also walking it out in this world. Growth is the purpose of the church today. Maturing Christians, edifying, mending, perfecting, and equipping, which is a continual process for the work of the ministry. And with that, there are 3 reasons we are to attend Church... Prayer, Praise, and Personal Growth.

.....In closing, there is another calling or level above these, and that would be... an Ambassador for Christ. An Ambassador is a messenger, a servant, a special representative, the highest-ranking diplomat, an official agent with a special mission, appointed by a King of a Kingdom, God's Kingdom, having the power to make treaties, crossing over Denominational barriers, unifying the body of Christ, (the churches). I am an Ambassador for Christ, and I have come to blow the trumpet, and P.A.S.S. on a clear sounding word, God's Word to others. PROCLAIM, APPLY, SHARE, and SHOW. For those who have spiritual ears, listen up.
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Looking Back

.....Who we are today is a direct result of our past. Our heritage, experiences, family that raised us, people who we have come in contact with, our education, and even our environment. All of which had a direct influence on us, making us who we are and our beliefs today. We all have scars and wounds from the words and actions of others and from our own failures and mistakes. But for those of us in Christ, this is not the end of the story.

.....As the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to renew our minds to what has already taken place in us as new creations. These scars from the past become stepping stones to spiritual maturity. We must embrace these top ten principles from God's Word and allow Him to rebuild our battered self-esteem:

1. I am created
For we are God's workmanship. Ephesians 2:10

2. I am chosen
For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you...1 Timothy 1:4

3. I am protected
Protect me as You would the pupil of your eye. Psalm 17:8

4. I am complete
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3

5. I am victorious
In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

6. I am called
(God) has saved us and called us to a Holy life--not because of anything we have done, but because of His own purpose and grace...2 Timothy 1:9

7. I am forgiven
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

8. I am free
Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. John 8:32

9. I am loved
I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. Jeremiah 31:3

10. I am accepted!

.....So today, when you look back in your past, look back far enough to see Christ, who you are in Him, and what He has done for you. See His wounds and scares, which are really your wounds and scares, taken for you and as you, and thank Him. This is where real spiritual maturity begins.

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A Man of Heroic Endurance 2

Part 2

.....God is permitting things in our life today, all for His glory and ultimately, our good. As we continue in our Bible study of Job, we see that God is doing something, without Job knowing. The Bible takes us up to Heaven to see what is going on in the Throne Room of God. Let's observe the dialogue between God and Satan, which means adversary or accuser.

.....Satan appears before God and the Sons of God, and God asks him, "What have you been doing?" Satan replies, "Going to and fro on the Earth and walking back and forth on it." Now remember, God knows this, just like when He knew all the things that happened when He was talking to Adam in the Garden of Eden. God also asked Satan about Job, knowing that he was like no one else on the Earth, a servant of God, blameless and upright man, who feared God and shunned away from evil. Satan basically said that Job had a hedge of complete protection around him. Divine favoritism, on his body, his family, and his possessions, as well as all his works being blessed. But he challenged God by telling Him that if He stripped him of those things, that he would surely turn on Him. So God said basically, " Let's see what he is made of." God then gave Satan permission to attack and touch Job in the 3 areas of his life, his family, his material things, and his health. So Satan set out on his mission, as an adversary, to strip Job of everything he valued in life, destroying him and bringing disgrace to God.

Let's look at 4 principles that we can gain from this today:

1. There is an enemy we encounter that we can not see. Some of the most real things in life we will never see. His strategy is to play tricks on your mind and bring you down and is willing to do whatever it takes. He wants to ruin your testimony, destroy your life and bring disgrace to God, who created you in His image.

2. There are trials that we endure and God permits things we do not deserve. We are not to try to grasp or change God's profound plan, because we are not able to that. We will only become more confused, ultimately resentful, and finally bitter. This will allow Satan, our adversary to win. We are to accept the trial as permitted by God, for our discipline, and our reshaping, all for His glory, and ultimately for our good. Nothing touches our lives that first has not past through the hands of God. This is either true, or God is partially sovereign, and we know that is not true. God is sovereign.

3. There is a plan we can explore that we will never truly understand, but it is for our best. It all works together for our good, but is not altogether God. God is working right now, and He does not need to explain it all to us. If we knew it all, we still would not completely understand it, and probably mess it up anyway. Sometimes, it is the permission of a demonic attack. Why? I do not know.

The bottom line is that it is a battle of Good vs. Evil.

So, just come to terms with it. Acknowledge it, and seek the power you have in the Lord Jesus. Do not try to understand it.

.....Satan is not just a spy traversing the Earth intent on ferreting out all that he can discover. He is a spirit of malice and wickedness aiming to pervert men from the right ways of God, and destroy all goodness, as far as he can within his power and permission.

.....There is a profound meaning in his appearing among the Sons of God, before the Lord. It was revealed to us through the Word of God, to show us his subordination and subjection to Divine control. He can not act on his own discretion. He is not at liberty to pursue his own agenda to whatever extent he may choose. There is a superior restraint to which he obliged to bow. A superior Will that sets limits to his reign. He can only operate within these limits. His actions are also for a Divine end, by which he has been made to be instrumental in achieving. He is the enemy of Goodness and Humanity. With the powers of an Arc Angel, and the malice and subtlety of a fiend, he is intent on our destruction, and hesitates at nothing to which he can accomplish his goals. He pursues his targets with sleepless vigilance. Invisible to human eyes, he has all the advantages of secrecy, attacking his victims who are unaware.

He never sleeps. He never rests. He never takes it easy. He never takes you out of the cross hairs of his scope. He knows you better than you know yourself. He is permitted by God to do it.

4. There are consequences we experience and can not anticipate, but they are necessary. We are all going through struggles in our life today, things which we do not deserve.

We did not ask for it. We did not anticipate it. We did not think it would happen.

GUESS WHAT?

.....You have just entered Job's turf. Whatever you are going through right now, has been prepared for you by God for a reason and a purpose. So I would ask you to pay close attention to the teachings and study of this book.

.....The Good News is that for all of you who know the Lord Jesus, you have a power within, (Christ), that others who do not know him have. They are at the mercy of the enemy, who has no mercy, and you are not. Greater is He who is in you,(Christ), than he who is in this world,(Satan). In the name of the Lord Jesus, you are able to restrain and withstand the attacks of the enemy.
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A Man of Heroic Endurance

Part 1

.....Job loved and feared God, and disciplined his life according to that belief. This bible study of Job will show God's faithful and sovereign hand over us today.

.....God tests us but never disgraces us. He strengthens us and matures us through the trials and tribulations He allows in our life. His plans for our life are never cruel or dishonest. He always has our best interest at heart, though the journey to get us there is sometimes shockingly surprising.

.....Life is difficult for a lot of us today. Some would even say it is unfair, or intolerable. Our drive for justice today overrides our patience in pain. This is why the Bible is so relevant for us today.

.....Job is important to us not only because he suffered, but because he suffered in the same ways that we all suffer today. That would be in the vital areas of family, personal health, and material things. It is just not the suffering as such that troubles us, it is the undeserved suffering.

.....Let me explain further. When we have done wrong, we get punished, a sense of justice. We experience discipline connected with wrong doing. An example of this would be like when we disobeyed our parents when we were young.

.....Through life though, there is no correlation with the amount of wrong we commit and with the amount of pain we experience.

.....Very often it is the opposite. We do right and get knocked down. We do the best we are capable of doing, and just as we are reaching out to receive our reward, we are hit from the blind side and sent reeling. This is exactly what happened to Job. Life became unfair.

.....Job was a man well deserved of prosperity. A good, priestly and rich man, trusting in God and caring for others. He was a fine husband and faithful father. Blameless in the eyes of God and did not compromise with moral evil. He handled business with integrity, was respected by those around him, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil.

.....But in a quick and brutal sweep of calamities, he is reduced to a twisted mass of brokenness and grief. The extraordinary accumulation of back to back disasters which would have been enough to finish off any one of us. Job is left penniless, homeless, helpless, and childless. Insult and injury are also added to his experience.

.....He was a man tried not because of his unrighteousness, but in spite of his righteousness. A trial to establish his righteousness, and to give him a deeper insight into his relationship with God. Also a greater understanding of his own nature, Job 1:8.

.... Job had 3 friends arrive and sit and stare at him for 7 days. At first, they don't recognize him, and when they spoke, they had nothing but blame for him. They basically said, "You are getting what you deserve," which would have been bad enough, but misery turned to mystery with God's silence. However long that took, even if it were for just a few months, would have been unbearable. Words from friends can be hard to listen to, but the silence from God would been truly intolerable. Imagine, nothing coming to him by way of comfort, from God or man, and he had done nothing to deserve such pain.
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SANCTIFICATION

.....Spiritual development comes through 8 specific callings, a sanctification process. Our "WITNESS" increases as we fully obey each calling, producing a character transformation. My purpose today is to help you become the most effective "Translator" of Spiritual Truth, establishing 8 Christian Virtues. To make you a star witness for God through Christ, an Ambassador, representing Him and His Kingdom with a vital message, able, and available at all times to share it.

Faith - Romans 10:9
.....Repentance of SALVATION: Give the Lord Jesus Christ His rightful place at the center of your life.

Virtue - 1 Peter 2:9
.....Separation from Darkness: Discern and turn from evil in all its forms.

Knowledge - Romans 12:2
.....Dedication to the Light: Commit yourself to the light of Scripture.

Self-control - Matthew 6:19
.....Investment in Service: Become involved in lasting achievement.

Endurance - 1 Peter 4:12
.....Endurance in Suffering: Expect to be misunderstood.

Godliness - Romans 8:29
.....Humility in Responses: Respond as God would to those who wrong you.

Brotherly Kindness - 2 Corinthians 1:4
.....Alertness in Sharing: Be alert to others who have been hurt.

Love - Colossians 1:29
.....Reproduction of Maturity: Guide others through the same steps God has taken you.

.....To the degree we respond to each of the 8 callings, we increase the scope of our "Life Message" and thereby experience the Will of God for our lives. The first step is to receive Eternal Life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, (John 3:3).

.....One of the greatest causes of diminishing the potential of our "Life Message" is the failure to turn from all the thoughts, words, and actions, which we know greive the Spirit of God. Either we separate ourselves from our sins, or sins of separate us from fellowship of God. We're not only to separate ourselves from those things which cause us to stumble, but also from practices which cause our "Weaker Brothers" to be offended.

.....Dedication is the maturing action of giving to God what really belongs to Him already. We are then free to set our affections on things above rather than on things of this earth. You see, it's not enough just to turn from that which is evil, we must also turn to that which is good.

.....We must also add to our knowledge, temperance and self-control, which keeps a hold of selfish passions and desires in check. Self-control is the basis of fruitful Christian service. With self-control we do not serve ourselves, but are morally free to serve one another in love. Service involves laying up treasures in heaven, and building spiritual maturity in the lives of those around us. Men keep looking for better methods, and God keeps looking for better men.

.....Suffering is essential in order to experience the final 3 callings, (1 Peter 4:12). Suffering will usually come from people you would least expect. It is designed to open new sections of Scripture to us, and is God's way of freeing us from that which hinders us from, "Setting Our Affections on the Things Above." Suffering is most painful when we are partly at fault.

.....When we humble ourselves through the suffering that God allows, He gives us more grace, both to respond to our offenders and to see new and rich insights in His Word. Humility is the basis of Godliness, always bringing about deeper understanding. Godliness involves worth-ship or reverence paid to worth, whether in God or man. Also, a Godly response to those who offend us helps us recognize that God has used them to put us through the "Fire of Purification, Removing the Dross", that will be for our ultimate benefit if we respond to it, and to them, in the right way.

.....The bottom line is that when these Christian virtues, or callings are established in our lives, it will cause us to be fruitful in the very Knowledge of God. The life that comes from the Knowledge of God can produce only good in our response to others. To fail to grow in Christ results in stunting our spiritual development and inability to perceive the blessings received upon our initial salvation, and in doing so, our identification with Christ Jesus is forgotten or ignored. This results in a lapse of our old sins. God's Will is for each of us to know who we really are in Christ, and to share that understanding with others, thus making disciples, reproducing Christ in others, bringing Glory to Him.

COVENANTS

.....Psalms 25: 14 says, "The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant."


.....My goal today is to give you a little bit of background about covenants, and show you in the Bible, three different styles of covenant that God developed.


.....Covenant in Genesis 17: 7 -- in Hebrew, the root word is Berit (Beh-reet), which was a pledge, treaty, or agreement made between two. The foundation of any relationship on which all promises are and should be based upon. Note that curses always came upon those that broke covenants, Jeremiah 11. In the Old Testament, God initiated the whole action, set the conditions, and defined the parameters, for the establishment of a covenant. Examples of some of the covenants made in the Old Testament were with Noah, Abraham, Moses, Israel, and the Levites

Noah - Genesis 6: 18, God's protection from flood and disaster.

Abraham - Genesis 15: 18, First blood covenant, based on a sacrifice, with the promise of prosperity.
..................- Genesis 17: 4, Promise to be the father of many nations. An oath confirmed also to Isaac, and Jacob

Moses - Deuteronomy 10, The Ten Commandments

Isreal - Exodus 31: 16, Perpetual covenant, keeping of the Sabbath

Levites - Numbers 18:19, Covenant of salt, heave offerings, tithe offerings for the priests

.....Covenant in Mark 14: 24 -- in Greek, the root word is Diatheke (Dee-ath-ay-kay), which is a will, a testament, a pact, a contract, or an agreed-upon plan to which both parties subscribe. In the New Testament, Jesus ratified a new covenant by His death on the Cross, because no man could keep from breaking the Ten Commandments, explained in Hebrews 7: 22. In Luke 22: 20, Jesus shed His blood for us, giving us a better covenant, with better promises, Hebrews 8: 6. This was prophetically spoken by Jeremiah 31: 31- 40. Also, the Law cannot annul the covenant confirmed before God, in Christ, (Gal. 3:17). That is why the 1st covenant (The Law) is obsolete, growing old, ready to vanish away, (Heb. 8: 13).

.....The three styles, types, or levels of covenant today are the Shoulder to Shoulder or Side-by-Side, the Face-to-Face, and the Back-to-Back.


.....In the Shoulder to Shoulder covenant, (shallow), God established this in Genesis when He created Eve to be Adam's helpmate. Today, it is seen in dating, and common cause situations, such as community revivals, benefit drives for the needy, crusade marches, and political events. A laying down of personal agendas for a greater good.


.....In the Face-to-Face covenant, (a little deeper), referred to Genesis 32, where Jacob had to see himself and admit he was a deceiver. Then and only then God could and would deal with his heart. This level requires total honesty, with ourselves first, then with God, and then with others. We try to get a blessing without dealing with the issues that are hindering us. Until we do, we can develop no honest, healthy relationships with others and God. We just keep ending up wearing those religious masks. Marriage would be seen as a Face-to-Face covenant today.

.....In a Back-to-Back covenant, (a blessed level of relationship), we come to the understanding that this is the least complicated and yet most powerful. (1 Chronicles 11: 13 - 14, David and Eleazar) A covenant of total trust and reliance upon each other.


.....Let me put this all in the proper perspective, I want to take you back to the crucifixion of Christ. When Christ was on the Cross, the Bible says that, "He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we may be made the righteousness of God in Christ". We also know from the Word of God, that He could not look upon sin, and that, "The punishment for sin was death". So here's God at the crucifixion, looking at His Son, Jesus, who then becomes sin for you and me, (the sin of the world). At that point, the sin, being placed on Jesus, for us and as us, separated Him from His Father. God had to then turn away from Him. Jesus is completely alone at that moment. We know that because He cried out, " Father! Father! Why have you forsaken me?" God had turned away from His Son, (Back-to Back), and was then able to turn to us, (Face-to-Face). God had total trust in this covenant He was establishing when He heard His Son say, "It Is Finished!" Isn't that Powerful? Here is the least complicated part. For us to enter into this covenant today, all we have to do is believe in our hearts, and confess with our mouth, the Finished Work of the Cross and Christ! (Romans 10:9-10). That is it, because God has reconciled the world to Himself through His Son. For us to enter into that new covenant, all we have to do is believe and receive!
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Consecration

.....Did you ever consider one of your New Year's resolutions to be consecrating yourself unto God? Consecration means - to set oneself apart, as Holy; make or declare sacred for God's use. To devote entirely or dedicate one's life.

.....The Bible says in Exodus 13:2 "Consecrate to Me all the firstborn." We are the firstborn among the born-again. God is claiming those He saves. We see this in 1 Corinthians 1:30, "But of Him you are in Christ, who became for us Wisdom from God - and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption. Through this we have four characteristics:

1. Sanctification in His Resurrection.

2. Redemption - (Ransom), Mark 10:45.

3. The firstborn belonging to God, Exodus 22:29.

4. Made Holy, Numbers 3:13.

.....In 1 Chronicles 29:5, the Bible asks, "Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day unto the Lord?"

.....God says in 1 Kings 9:3, that He will hear our prayer and supplication that we make before Him. He will also consecrate the house, (us, the dwelling place for Him), by putting His name their forever. He also says His eyes and His heart will be there perpetually, (lasting and enduring forever, continuing indefinitely without interruption). Never leaving us, nor for forsaking us. I invite you right now at this moment to pray the prayer below and dedicate your life to God. May He richly bless you in all areas of your life throughout this year.

Lord,
.....I pray the prayer of consecration. I present myself - spirit, soul, and body, whatever needs to be changed, I am ready to change it. Whatever needs to be made right, please help me to make it right. I come with a humble heart before You, God. Without You, I am nothing. I am placing my total dependency on You, not in my own ability, but in Your ability. I also ask You for forgiveness when I miss it.

.....Father, as I yield myself to You this day - spirit, soul, and body, I do not belong to myself. I belong to You, Lord, the day that I surrendered my life, I was bought with was a price, YOUR BLOOD. I am not my own, my life is not my own to do what I want. I am here to do Your plan, I am here to do Your Will my Lord. I will put my life on the altar at Your feet this day as a LIVING SACRIFICE. I yield to You in every area of my life; my heart, my family, my ministry, my job, my finances, every area - I give it all to You. Have Your way in my life Lord. I make a decision this day, and will try to obey You and do only what You want me to do. I commit to obeying the written Word and applying it to every area of my life. Forgive me Lord, for the many times I have not obeyed and for the times I have transgressed Your Word. I strive to make the adjustments in my life right now.

.....Lord, about Your unknown Will for my life, forgive me for running ahead of You, for all my good ideas and not Your ideas. Please allow the Holy Spirit to burn out everything that is not of Your Spirit and every desire that is not of You - REMOVE IT! Form me and fashion me into the vessel that You've created, desired, and called me to be. Lord, I want to please You by being obedient unto Your Plans, Your Purposes, and Your Will - THY WILL BE DONE ALWAYS. May my life bring glory to You. It doesn't matter if my friends don't even recognize me. It doesn't matter if they accept me, for You have accepted me and all I want is to manifest You, Lord, in every area of my life. Use my mouth to be Your mouth, trumpeting the Gospel of Jesus, to talk of your Wondrous Work, You're Finished Work, and Amazing Love. Use my feet to walk in Your ways, I choose to be a bond slave, a sevant, and a son in your Kingdom.

.....I Love You and Thank You Jesus for dying for me and as me. Thank You for shedding Your Blood to redeem me - Your Blood that is washing me now and making me whiter than snow, in my spirit, soul, and body. May the Holy Spirit burn deep within my heart, and that Your imprint is forever left. My wish is to be known only as a Holy person, consecrated unto You. Separate me and set me apart for your good use. For I have been made the Righteousness of God in Jesus Christ.

Thank You Father, In Jesus' Name I Pray,
Amen

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