Follow Wisdom

My Journaling from Luke 7:36-50

 The introduction to this story – begins with 7:35 “But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.”

 Jesus saw the many sins of this sexually immoral woman who washed and anointed his feet (v.47) but he forgave them all and in return – she demonstrated “much love” to Jesus.

 Like the men sitting around the table – I’m amazed at Jesus – He was and is the forgiver of sins.  At the end of story Jesus says to her “your FAITH has saved you; go in peace.”   We know that faith without action is dead – she responded to God’s grace and acted upon her beliefs and received the favor and (shalom) peace of God.   

 The lesson I see here is not just the forgiving of sins – (God is love, he loves us & we can’t earn it, it’s absolutely by His grace) – however, it is interesting how this woman’s faith was PROVED.  Simply receiving the forgiveness of sins  was a great starting place – but she went further and exercised wisdom in that she came to thank Jesus and show her gratitude despite her own reputation and public image.

 This woman received forgiveness, acted in faith & gratitude and began to grow in wisdom. How much more should we do the same.

Pursue God’s wisdom

Message from Rick Joyner (Late March 2011) concerning Bob Jones Prophecy Re: Japan Earthquake Consequences

MESSAGE from Rick Joyner (Late March 2011) Concerning Bob Jones Prophecy given over 22 years ago

It was twenty-two years ago that I first heard Bob Jones talk about a major earthquake that would be coming to Japan. He said that it would set off cataclysmic events. Thousands have heard Bob predict quakes and other natural events with astonishing accuracy. One of the most dramatic was the last San Francisco quake. He foresaw that the quake would be centered in Northern California but south of San Francisco. He said that it would be 7.0 on the Richter Scale, that the bridges would be dangerous, and that “the world will witness it.” Bob shared this at conferences and churches for months before it hit that fall. It struck during the first game of the World Series that year, which was being played in San Francisco, and it was being broadcast to 160 nations who witnessed it live, accurately fulfilling all that Bob had predicted, including how the world would see it.

      Many prophetic people were shown the next quake that hit Southern California, and they were told that this was a warning of another much greater one to come. We shared this in many churches and conferences in Southern California. When it struck, we were astonished at how even the churches responded, downplaying its message, and some even boasting that Californians could handle anything. We felt that the quake we had clearly predicted, with many details that were accurate, had virtually no impact on the people, even some of the strongest Christians who had heard the warnings.

     When one of the most well-known Christian leaders in the area asked me what could be done to delay or lesson this quake, I was given “a word of wisdom” that the only commandment with a promise was to honor our fathers and mothers, and the promise was that “it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth” (see Ephesians 6:3). The Lord showed me that one way we could do this was the way Israel did it, which was to drink from the wells that our fathers have dug. Spiritually, this meant to partake of their teachings. When I preached this in Pasadena, Lou Engle picked it up, wrote a book about it, and has in a most remarkable way carried this message to the nation through The Call.

      Has it worked? I think Lou’s work and that of many others have given us the time that we’ve had. While many were still receiving revelation about the coming big one, and many were expecting it, Bob Jones was adamant that it would not come until the major one hit Japan that he had seen. When the major quake hit Kobe, Japan, Bob was sure that was not the one he had seen. When Bob walked into the service last Sunday after the recent 9.0 quake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown, I immediately asked him if this was the one. I’ve never seen such concern in Bob’s face as he answered, “You know what this means.”

What Does It Mean?

     It marks a demarcation point after which great change will come to the whole world, including an ultimate meltdown of the economy. It will also be followed by a major quake on the West Coast of the United States.

     Of course, when and where on the west coast that this major quake is going to hit are important questions. Bob was not given a timing on this quake but was only told that it would not come before the big one he had been shown in Japan. Now it can come. However, this does not necessarily mean that it is immediate. It could come today, or it could still be years away. We are praying that it still will be delayed so that everyone who will hear the warning, and should move, will be able to do this in an orderly way.

     This does not mean that everyone there, even those who may be near ground zero, should move. Some may be called by God to stay and be used during this impending catastrophe. However, until now, we have counseled all who asked if they should leave the West Coast not to do this unless they heard from the Lord to do so. Now we will begin counseling everyone to leave unless they hear from the Lord to stay.

     Until now, I have prayed for leaders who would have the understanding, wisdom, and courage to make the changes needed to avoid this economic meltdown. Now I am praying for leaders with the understanding, wisdom, and courage to lead us through what is now inevitable.

The Nature of Prophecy

      As we are told in I Corinthians 13, we see in part, know in part, and prophesy in part. No one has the whole picture, so to get the whole picture, we need to put the parts together. This is why in the Scriptures that say such things as in Amos 3:7, “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets,” it is always plural, not just a single prophet. No one prophet, or prophetic movement, has the whole revelation. That is a major reason why we need each other.

      We know many prophetically gifted people who have seen different aspects of this major quake coming. I do not know anyone at this writing who has what I consider to be a trustworthy timing on it. We will seek to compile these prophecies and share anything we feel is important in future Special Bulletins. As we are told in Proverbs 4:18, “the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” It is as we walk and as we need it that the Lord tends to give us more insight. I am just sharing what we do have now.

What Will the Economic Meltdown Look Like?

      It can mean many things, but one thing it does not mean is the end of the world, and it does not have to be the end of America as a free Republic. We can emerge from this stronger and better than ever, even economically stronger and better. However, we are entering some of the most dangerous times we have ever had to navigate. Without the right leadership and the right resolve of the nation, which will only come by the grace of God, we can also fall to a terrible tyranny.

      Two aspects of this meltdown that I have confidence in is the dollar losing its value with bartering being the currency for a period of time, and that there will be a time when banks are closed and what we have deposited in them will not be available. Obviously, if the dollar has lost its value, we would not even bother to get out what we have deposited in the banks, so it does not seem that these will come at the same time. It could also be that things of value we have deposited in safety deposit boxes will not be reachable.

A Deadly Delusion

      In II Timothy 4:3-4, we are given a most sobering warning:

      For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires;
      and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

      One of the greatest weaknesses of American Christians is the way that so many have been conditioned against hearing anything they perceive to be negative. They have become the fulfillment of the biblical prophecy above. Many of these have already paid a terrible price for their delusion, and we do have a sure hope that through anything which comes, we can have unshakable peace and joy in the Lord. Even so, very difficult times are coming upon us in which the wise can be prepared and can prevail. These can actually be the most prosperous times for those who are the wisest. The wise win souls, which is why the next verse in II Timothy states: “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

      This is going to be the greatest time of harvest of all time. Our preparation needs to be far more devoted to the spiritual than the natural. We can’t just hoard for ourselves, but we must think about how we can be the salt and light we are called to be in anything that happens.

      Change has to come. Many of the basic underpinnings of a strong and lasting economy that our nation was founded upon have been abandoned. This has kept us on the edge of the cliff in a most dangerous place for a long time. There has been no strength or resolve in our leadership to make the difficult but necessary decisions to begin moving us away from the cliff. Before the quake hit, fear had begun rising that the Japanese economy, which had been on the edge for nearly two decades, simply could not hold out much longer and would very soon slide off the cliff. This would cause the others who were tottering to go down too. Again, this crisis was impending even before the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown.

      Based on the sure evidence of Scripture, in everything that we see like this, we believe that with prayer and repentance these things can be avoided. One example of this was how Nineveh was spared after Jonah had prophesied their doom. For years, we have been praying that there would be the kind of awakening and repentance that would enable us to avoid this whole scenario. However, we also knew that when the quake hit in Japan, these were no longer going to be avoided. Therefore, our strategy has changed from trying to wake up the church so that it would not have to happen, to trying to get God’s people ready for it. We can still pray for the Lord’s mercy and grace through them. The Lord does prefer mercy over judgment, but there is a time when judgment is inevitable, and we have now crossed that Rubicon.

Judgment Is Mercy

      A number of different judgments of God are in Scripture—only one is condemnation and only one is destruction. The rest are discipline from the Lord for those He loves. We should be far more afraid if we go without His discipline. The discipline that is about to come to our nation is because He loves us. We are told in I Corinthians 11:31 that if we would judge ourselves, He would not have to judge us. That would be even better, and He has given us much time to do this, but now He is going to have to help us.

The Right Path

      As we have already quoted from Proverbs 4:18, if we are on the right path, our lives should be getting brighter and brighter. This does not mean that we will not have trials, but that we should be able to see them with increasing clarity, and we should be able to see where our feet should go with increasing light. This is true for those who are on the path of the righteous regardless of the circumstances. If this is not what is happening in your life, you have missed a turn somewhere. In the Lord, the wrong road never turns into the right road. If we have missed a turn, the only thing we can do is to return to where we missed the turn and get back on the right road. That is called “repentance.”

      Through everything that is coming we must live by faith and not be controlled by fear. Unstable and immature people will receive just about any warning with fear and that cannot be helped. Some believe their presumption is faith, and that because they believe it, nothing bad will happen. We cannot let such people control us either.

     America and many other nations have drifted from sound doctrine. This includes sound economic policy in ways that cannot be sustained. It would have been much easier to correct these bad practices before a collapse, and we will now have to do it in the midst of much greater challenges. However, it can still be done. America has a destiny that we have not yet fulfilled. God has not given up on us, but we could go no further in the direction we have been going.

      The inevitable economic unraveling may not happen all at once. It may not become manifest immediately that it is happening. In recent times, our leaders have become very good at disguising the true condition we’re in. They may be doing this with good intentions, just not wanting to cause panic to those who could not do anything about the situation anyway, while they find a way out. They may be disguising the truth because they do not understand it themselves. Either way, what is happening in the world economy seems to be a striking parallel to the way the Japanese government has been trying to deal with the nuclear crisis—they’re telling us one thing but the instruments are telling us something else. They seem to get one fire under control and another worse one breaks out—the meltdown continues and we keep finding out that things are really much worse than they’ve been telling us.

      Again, as a pastor and as a watchman, my strategy has now changed from praying and seeking to intercede with our leaders to make the necessary changes, to helping God’s people prepare to go through the collapse that is now inevitable. How do we prepare?

The Opportunity of Crisis

      It is noteworthy that the same Chinese word for “crisis” is the same word for opportunity. This may truly be the greatest opportunity we have ever had. As we see in Daniel 2, when the statue that represents the kingdoms of this world begins to collapse, then the little rock that struck at the feet of this statue will begin to grow into a mountain, which in Scripture often represents government. Then that rock keeps on growing until it fills the entire earth. The kingdom of God that the Lord has had His people praying for these last two thousand years is also inevitable. It is surely coming, and we can live in it now.

      As the governments of this world collapse, God’s government will become more manifest. As the economies of this world collapse, God’s economy will become more manifest. The kingdom will not fully come until the King returns, but a job that He left for His people to do before He returned was to preach the gospel, or good news, of His coming kingdom. We do have good news to share, not bad.

      In Isaiah 40, we are called to help prepare the way for His kingdom by building a highway. This highway is the road on which His kingdom will come. This highway will bring the other mountains and hills down, and it will raise up the valleys and low places. The entire chapter gives a good panorama of what is happening in the nations right now.

      When Israel was taken into exile into Babylon, the Lord gave a remarkable counsel to His people through Jeremiah:

     “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon,
     ‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens, and eat their produce.
     ‘Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease.
     ‘Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare’” (Jeremiah 29:4-7)

      In a sense, Christians, who are citizens of another kingdom, have likewise been in exile waiting for their redemption and the kingdom of God to come. It is the right thing to do to seek the welfare of whatever nation we have been called to live in, and to put down roots there as Israel was counseled above. However, God’s people are also to be a distinct and separate people in many ways and were not to defile themselves with the immorality, perversions, and idolatry of Babylon. Those in exile were to maintain their devotion to the laws that God had given them to make them a distinct people for His purposes. The same is true of Christians. Being a part of our nation and seeking its good, while building our own homes and families, does not mean that we compromise the basic teachings of the kingdom.

      Those who have lived by kingdom economic principles have built on a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and they will not be shaken when everything else is. If we have not obeyed the Lord in this, and have foolishly built our estates by the principles of the world instead of the principles of the kingdom, there is still hope. We can repent, be forgiven, and be restored to a right foundation. This does not mean that we will not suffer or will not lose what was built on a wrong foundation, but we still can recover and build on a right foundation. We can do this personally and nationally.

     What will the economic meltdown look like? Hebrews 12:25-29 states it quite clearly:

     See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less shall we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.

     And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.”

     And this expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

     Therefore, since we receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;
for our God is a consuming fire.

     The coming economic meltdown will be the removal of everything that is not built on the kingdom principles that cannot be shaken. Many of the founding principles of our nation and our free market system were kingdom principles. We must return to those as a nation, and we must return to them personally.

     We are told in Psalm 89:14 and other places that “righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.” Righteousness is doing what is right in the sight of the Lord. God’s justice requires fair and equitable treatment of all people, judging issues by one standard for all, regardless of their station in life. It was the American devotion to these basic truths that enabled the greatest economic engine in history to be built here. It has been a departure from these basic principles that has caused every major problem we’re now facing as a nation. We must have a national repentance.

      In the Lord’s teaching about those who build their houses on the rock rather than on sand, we are told several things that are crucial for the times we’re now in. First, the storms beat against both houses, but only the house built on the rock would stand. The storms are coming, but if we have built well we will stand.

      To build on the rock, we must hear the words of the Lord, and then we have to obey them. As we are told in other places, hearing His words and not obeying them is to bring an even more severe judgment. I have been a Christian for forty years now, and from the time I was converted, I remember hearing warnings about the times that we’re now in. The Lord has spoken loudly, clearly, and abundantly. Many heard, but it does not seem that as many have obeyed.
In many ways, I have been guilty of this too, and I have paid the price for it. Even so, in every case where I have seen it, humbled myself and repented, not trying to cover up or make excuses, His grace has been abundant. I went through a bankruptcy and lost virtually everything I had spent years and great effort building, and two years later, I came out in an even better place.

      His grace is still available for us personally and nationally. We will suffer loss if we have done this, and we can expect to go through some hard times. However, if we repent, turning away from our sins, resolving to live in obedience to Him, we can expect to emerge in a much better place. As we are assured in Romans 14:17, “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” It will come in this order too. When we do what is righteous, it will be followed by true peace, which will be followed by true joy.

      How long has it been since you’ve known true peace? How about true joy? These are in your future. Now is the time to set our hearts and minds to obey the Lord and to repent of and correct every way that is not in obedience to Him. If we are going to live in His kingdom, building our lives on that which cannot be shaken and can withstand any storm that comes upon this earth, then we must begin by resolving to live by the key to the kingdom, which we are given in
Matthew 6:33-34:

     “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things will be added to you.

     “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

      Christians who are now living, working, or even going to church in the wrong places are there because they made major decisions based on what they wanted or what others wanted them to do, rather than seeking first what the Lord wanted them to do for the sake of His kingdom. To seek His kingdom first, means much more than firing up a prayer here and there for Him to guide us, and then go and immediately do what we want to do. It requires seeking Him until we find Him. When it takes longer than we think it should take to find Him, it could be because we have drifted so far from Him.

     Now is the time to do whatever it takes to get in the will of the Lord. There will be an increasingly high price to pay for those who are not. There will be increasing peace and joy for those who are.

Prophecy concerning Australia – Earthquake & Tsunami

As I advised on Sunday (31st Oct 2010) I think this prophecy from Dr Owour should NOT be taken lightly – it is a serious warning.  It would seem to be consistent with what God has been speaking to our church:  

1. Sound the trumpets – is a warning to the church to come back to God – it is a warning to gather and prepare for what God is going to do.
2. 2007 – I sensed at least another 3-4 years of peace and then after that time – something big was going to happen.

 This prophet seems to have a proven track record 100%– from Haiti, Chile to the GFC etc…

 I think our church should be warned.  We are calling 5 days of fasting (from next Wednesday 3^rd November) to Sunday 7^th November. One of the key things for this MEGA DAY – is to consolidate on what PS Sergio has released to the church – HOLINESS.  We must keep pressing in.

 The heart of Dr Owuor’s message is REPENTANCE & HOLINESS.   He begins his prophecy for Australia predicting that there will be a mighty outpouring of God’s spirit – great signs and wonders. But an earthquake & tsunami is coming. (See below).

 (I really don’t think the earthquake in Christchurch has anything to do with the Australian prophecy).

Let us pray that God will BLESS OUR CITY OF BRISBANE and that we will see a tremendous harvest. We are also praying for the peace and safety of this city. We have began to stand in the gap and repent for the many sins of our city, the church, and our nation (ranging from sexual sins, impurity, killing the innocent, pride etc…) – instead we are praying that we will become a model of righteousness for others.

Some of our African members at ICc have heard of Dr Owour and recognise his ministry as legitimate.   I am still waiting on a response from Ps jacques and Ps Johnson (my prayer mentors from Northern Africa).  As I said before I am very weary about many prophecies and things on the internet, however, this man seems to have an accurate track record and I believe it is worthwhile warning our people.   If people choose to ignore the warning – it is at their own risk.  One of the key roles of a watchman (prayer ministry) is to warn of impending judgment. God’s word is extremely clear that he warns his prophets BEFORE things happen and that we should not treat prphecies with contempt.  Hence, it is best to follow scripture and obey it – WATCH AND PRAY! Please come and join us in prayer (Wednesday nights, Mega day 7th Nov, Midnight revival prayers 10:30pm friday nights).

God bless

Jonathan

Here is the prophecy: 

Australia Earthquake & Tsunami Prophecy Here is a copy of a VERY IMPORTANT Major prophecy for Australia recently given (Aug 2010) by Kenyan Prophet Dr Owuor at a conference in Yahweh Adonai Church Labrador Qld Aust. It is the goodness of God that leads to repentance, thus it so important His word gets heard before hand and acted upon as lives depend on it, and so people know what is going on. The call to repentance & holiness are very important preparations for the soon coming of Christ ——————————————————————————————- AUSTRALIA EARTHQUAKE & TSUNAMI PROPHECY – Dr Owuor There were two parts to it given on different days of the conference. They were transcribed direct from the recorded message from session 7 and session 1, with You Tube links to the audio & video versions of the same messages.   Prophecy by Dr Owuor 03/08/10 (session 7) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-QuaVfM8is <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-QuaVfM8is> “The time is coming when the Lord is going to open Heaven over this land, and the Holy Spirit is going to manifest a lot of works, the healing of people, delivering of people, regardless of where. But listen precious people. There is an earthquake coming to this land. The Lord spoke with me about a HORRIFIC EARTHQUAKE, AN HISTORIC EARTHQUAKE TO VISIT AUSTRALIA. And I was there myself, I don’t know, I guess you know how the Lord speaks to His prophets. He puts me in the earthquake, I also ran for my life today and the buildings collapsed on me, so I know what people will feel like on that day. And then, on the western horn the north west corner of Australia, He pushed the ocean, the earthquake pushed the ocean. And I see a huge wave a huge high speed wave, its a mountain of water pushed by the earthquake. And the Lord said “THIS LAND MUST REPENT”. The time to engage in sexual sin by the beaches is over because the Lord has sent me here now. Remove false prophecy from the church. Especially false prophecy, that one must be removed because its confusing the church at this hour. I can only speak for the Lord and the Lord He is righteous. Again, there is going to be a historic earthquake now that I have said it here.  I see the buildings collapse and people cannot get away, and I see a lot of deaths. Yesterday He showed it to me and today He spoke to me about it, just a few hours before I came when He slayed me, and I went to sleep and He showed it to me again. AND THEN THE EARTHQUAKE CAUSES THAT HUGE PUSH OF WATER, A MOUNTAIN OF WATER, LIKE SO MANY STORIES HIGH, AND PUSHED, A TSUNAMI IS COMING, PLEASE REPENT. DONT HANDLE THIS CARELESSLY LIKE THE PEOPLE OF HAITI DID. Please don’t do that. Don’t start prophesying on top of it He will strike you. The Lord has spoken period. Let us prepare for the coming of the King. He has healed people here, He has loved people here. He is a good God, He wants to love people, He wants to heal the land. But let us return to righteousness, because this is the moment for Christ to be enthroned in this land Even within the leadership, but let the church begin by repenting   I have seen a horrific earthquake visit this land, TREMENDOUS HISTORIC, don’t handle this with carelessness, I warn you precious people, the Lord has spoken with me, don’t fool around with this one. Haiti fooled around The people of Chile fooled around Kenya fooled around Yushu China fooled around New Orleans fooled around before Katrina, 1 month and 9 days before when we sent the messages and they said people here don’t believe that because they say there are many satellites that watch this nation, but it came to pass.   So don’t fool around with this, IVE SEEN A LOT OF DEATH AND PEOPLE BURIED These places He took where even the stairs hit me and buried me, so I had no way out, I had to be dug out, today. I am speaking as it has happened and when these things come to pass, then you shall know that the mouth of the Lord, He has spoken here. Then you shall know that the prophet of the Lord has walked here. Don’t take this carelessly, please I beg you, I plead with you. May the Lord bless you, that you may harken unto His voice.”   Prophecy by Dr Owuor 31/7/10 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6Hb5yUtvi8 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6Hb5yUtvi8> “I have come to announce the controversy between Jehovah and the church in Australia, unless you repent it is going to be horrific. This is the eastern side of Australia … correct? Ive have seen the ocean failing to stop. Around all these places. Yesterday He showed it to me TWICE. He and said “IF THEY DON’T REPENT, TELL THEM THAT THE OCEAN WILL FAIL TO STOP”. It is the same who went and warned Haiti, Chile and Yushu China, and Katrina 1 month and 9 days before it happened. Then everybody laughed and said `do you know how many satellites we have watching of the United States of America, it will not happen`. But on the day it happened, every word to the letter was fulfilled.  Listen, why don’t you rebuke sin in your churches.”   Dr Owuor taught on specific areas of repentance required for the Australian Church in order to prepare for the Lord’s soon coming: - repent from all false prophecy, messages designed to make people feel good rather than deal with their sin - repent from all types of sexual sin, including pornography, lust, and sexualised dressing - repent from the abuse of God’s grace, and the complacency & compromise with sin and the failure of leaders to rebuke sin - repent from preaching the prosperity gospel that focuses on an out of balance priority on money & riches now - repent from postmodernism, not believing all the scriptures of the bible are for today - repent from building the empires of men in the church, and build the Kingdom of God in the church - repent from preaching focused on improving lifestyle now, rather focus on preparing the bride to be without spot, blemish or wrinkle for Christs very soon coming - teach the centrality of God’s holiness, for without holiness no-one will see the Lord - leaders need to mobilise God’s people in repentance Although a strong word, Dr Owuor very much meets the conditions of a true biblical prophet as stated in: Duet 18, 22 “when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.” Amos 3, 6  “If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it? 7  Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”   Prophet Dr Owuor has a proven record as a prophet to the nations, who prophesied the follow events: - Haiti earthquake of Jan 2010, 2 months before it happened, called the nation to repentance, 300,000 died - Chile earthquake & tsunami of Feb 2010, 13 months before it happened, called the nation to repent from sin, 1300 died - China Yushu earthquake of April 2010, 6 months before it happened, called them to repent from worship of idols and eastern religions, 2500 died - Kenyan murderous violence of 2007, 2 years before it happened, called them to repent from complacency with sin, hundreds died in ethnic violence & chaos, and many went into refugee camps - Global Financial Crisis which started in Oct 2008, 1 month before it happened - He also prophesied Hurricane Katrina, and the 2004 Asian tsunami Please check: - Chile 2010 earthquake & tsunami prophecy & fulfilment on you tube – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOVAz_WbLhE <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOVAz_WbLhE> - Prophet Dr Owuors website – http://www.repentandpreparetheway.org/ http://www.repentandpreparetheway.org/   God is asking for Repentance We must not think we can just pray this disaster away, but we must pray, preach and mobilise repentance in the church and nation. God is asking for repentance & holiness in His people in preparation for the soon coming of Christ.   1. Personal – “let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”(1 Cor7,1) …”for without holiness no-one will see the Lord” (Heb 12,14), plus Gal 5, Col 3, Eph 3&4, Matt 5,6,7 2. Corporate – “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chron 7, 13-14) 3. National – “Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. 4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. …..9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? 10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.” (Jonah 3,1-10) Tell others 1. Share His warnings – “Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’ (Ezekiel 33,1-10) 2. Signs of His coming – ““Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matt 24,3-8) More info Dr Owuor’s teaching `Door to the Rapture` – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzXjDqlZZBk <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzXjDqlZZBk> Facebook Page – Australia Earthquake and Tsunami Prophecy – http://www.facebook.com/notes.php?id=145822215455460&notes_tab=app_2347471856

Gideon’s Trumpet

Judges 6:34 The Spirit of the Lord took possession of Gideon and he blew the ram’s horn and the men of the clan of Abiezrites came to him…

1. Spirit inspired and led leadership – we must be possessed by God’s holiness – holiness sets us apart unto and for God.  The whole call of Gideon was a setting apart for the purposes of God.

2. God uses people to be his instruments – God is looking for points of contact, instruments to work IN and THROUGH.  The boldness and courage that was in Gideon – was brought out by God. Gideon was a mighty man of valor- except Gideon didn’t see himself that way. But God saw it in him and had to bring it out of him through a series of events and tests

3. Rams horn – sound of the trumpet is a call to war and the first to respond were the Abiezrites – Gideon’s clansmen – those closest to him. Hence our families, loved ones, closest friends we fellowship with – are they willing to respond by following the call issued by their leaders? Am I willing to respond – to risk my life and resources for the call of God?

Federal Election 2010 – Voting Christians

Voting Christians have a responsibility to act as gatekeepers of the nation by casting their vote and using their influence to keep out the bad and let in the good. It is a very great privilege and responsibility under God to have the opportunity in a democracy to vote for and elect those who will rule over us. It is therefore very important that we pray diligently and vote wisely when that opportunity is extended to us this Saturday.

The preferential voting system under which we operate in Australia allows Christians to maximise the influence of their vote by firstly supporting those candidates who stand on a Christian platform then secondly preferencing the major party of their choice to whom their vote will finally be given if the Christian candidate is not elected. Voting in this way allows the Government that is finally elected to know that hundreds of thousands of voters cast their first preference vote in favour of a candidate standing on a platform of Christian values.

This has significant impact when further down the line we wish to lobby the Government for Christian values, as it proves to political leaders that the Christian vote is strong enough for them to take our concerns seriously. Indifference by Christians towards politics eventually leads to dysfunction, abuse and injustice in the political culture of our nation. It is important therefore that as Christians we take seriously our responsibilities in the voting process.

It is important to research and understand what each party, or independant standing for election, stands for.  Parties will elect leaders who they think will best appeal to the voters, but once in power it is the party that decides the policies of the Government. Christians should therefore make sure they understand the full policy platform of each party and not just those aspects which are publicly released. It is often the unspoken policies of the parties that have the most potential to damage the fabric of the society in which we live.

An example of this are the Greens who many pundits predict could hold the balance of power in the Senate thus giving them a leverage for the implementation of their radical agenda. They have a number of environmental policies that are attractive to some Christians. However the full range of policies which they publish on their website include policies that would radically change society as we know it. According to their website their policies include:-  the removal of tax exemptions for Christian organizations, the enforced employment of non-Christians in, and withdrawal of government funding from, Christian schools, the total removal of Christian content and influence from government organisations and schools, and fully recognising homosexual relationships as marriages. They also want to remove from the Australian constitution that as a nation we rely on God. They want to remove the Lord’s Prayer from the opening of parliament and remove all Christian influence from the Australian parliamentary debate. These philosophical and anti-Christian determinations are ones that as Christians we should oppose.

We must therefore become acquainted with the policies of all parties who seek our vote. Fortunately in the electronic age in which we live such information is available via various sources at the press of a button. How do we find out what these party platforms and policies are?

There are three key organisations that are really worth engaging with and being informed by.  Firstly, the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) www.acl.org.au who are NOT aligned to any political party, outline very clearly the track record, policies and platforms that lie behind each party at http://www.australiavotes.org/  This is a very important tool for us, because ACL highlights issues as far as broad Christian convictions are concerned.

Another tool that is available is from the Australian Christian Values Institute, the 2010 Federal Election Checklist, http://www.christianvalues.org.au/ which also aims at helping us make informed decisions based on party policies.

And lastly, Family Voice Australia gives the results of surveys sent to all candidates (not all responded however) which can be found at http://www.fava.org.au/

So as we approach Saturday let us pray as Paul urges us to in 1 Timothy 2:1-4, He encourages us to pray for our leaders and for governments, for those in power so we can get on with the business of living peaceful and godly lives in a way that will bring people into the knowledge and love of God.  So, we not only need healthy political parties, but powerful Christ-centred spiritual influence that brings about fairness, hope, real resources, vision and the kingdom of God for all people in our society.

On Saturday, be wise and vote for those who stand for Christian values. Leading up to Saturday pray diligently that God’s perfect will be done through the election result and that our new Parliament will be filled with men and women committed to maintain and enhance the Christian values of our nation.

Brian Pickering
National Coordinator
Australian Prayer Network

Source: Australian Prayer Network

L.I.F.T. August 2010 – The Book of Judges

 

KEY (Jdg 17:6 & 21:25):    In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

 Start of Judges:  HEREM / IDOLATRY

End of Book:          DOMESTIC IDOLATRY/ HEREM on Benjamin

 THE INEVITABILITY OF JUDGMENT (key theme of Judges)

• King Adoni-Bezek 1:5-7 – 70 Thumb-less and Toe-less kings, plus = 71
• King Adoni said, “70 kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather scraps under my table, as I have done, so God has repaid me.’ The Golden Rule “What you want others to do to you, do to them”
• Sin against others ultimately comes back upon ourselves

 2.       THE CYCLIC PATTERN – PARTIAL OBEDIENCE 1:21,27, 29, 30, 31/  Num 33:55/ Jdgs 2:2 à 

“For your part, you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were to destroy their altars. But you disobeyed My command. Why did you do this? So now I declare that I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you.”

 Does that remind of the condition we are in?

• We obey, we partially disobey, we disobey, we worship with all our heart, we worship half heartedly, we worship with an unclean heart or corruptly, we suffer the consequences, we receive God’s mercy and kindness, we are back to disobedience, judgment and on and on and on…. CYCLE OF SIN 
• Break the cycle of your bad habits, sins, laziness, rebellious nature, irresponsibility! selfishness! lukewarm attitude!

 THE JUDGES:

• There were 13 judges or also called deliverers. (Not necessarily judges in the legal sense, rather military)
• The judgeships may not be consecutively. Some were most probably contemporaneous.

 OTHNIEL – the Ideal Judge  (1/6 major judge)

• –         8 years of oppression by King Cushan Rishathaim from Aram Naharaim (upper Mesopotamia)
• –         Cushan = Dark  & Rishathaim = Doubly wicked

 EHUD   (2/6 major judge)

• –         Oppressor: EGLON from Moab;  EGLE= Calf / ON = “my little affectionate cow”
• –         Assassination, ‘terrorist style’ by  ‘18 inch dagger’
• –         Humor: ‘blade came out of his back’ – his excrement pooped out (hence, the smell & his guards thought he was on the toilet). Irony: this fat cow oppressed Israel 18 years.

 DEBORAH & BARAK (& JAEL) [3/6]

• –         Introduction of PAIRS: Jabin & General Sisera (very evil) & Deborah (a prophetess) & General Barak
• –         JAEL (a non-Israelite) saves Israel killing General Sisera using a tent peg and hammer
• –         Only one of two women in the bible:    “Most blessed of all  women”

 SHAMGAR (minor judge 1/6)

–         Son of Anath (goddess of love & war) Not a semitic name & unlikely to be an Israelite. Possible mercenaries from Egypt (Anath). Oxgoad: A stick with a steel tip used on oxen.

 GIDEON  & ABIMELECH  [4/6 Major judge]

• Gideon from a timid man to a mighty warrior (He is frightened 6:27 but becomes fearless in the power of the Spirit 6:34)
• Reduction of army from 30,000 to 300 men -Israel cannot claim it won b/cos of its own strength/ability.
• In the Midianite camp – “A Sword for the Lord and Gideon!”  is a phrase reserved for kings
• Absence of God in Judges 8  - Gideon chases these Midianites east out of Personal Revenge for what they did to his brothers.  God does not command Gideon to do this!  Gideon is working on his own & not with God

 GIDEON’s HYPOCRISY

• “I will not rule over you nor my son but give one earring each”
•  Earrings for an Ephod =  figure of speech for an IDOL. All Israelite prostituted themselves by worshipping it.
•  Hence, spiritual pride & materialistic greed. Even religious things can become a snare. (Do not forget 1 Timothy 6:10; 2 Timothy 3:2 – Covetousness).
•  Gideon names his son Abimelech  - Abi: ‘My father’  +  Melech: ‘is king’
• He had 70 sons (wives & concubines) living like a king

ABIMELECH

•  Abimelech’s mother was a concubine of Gideon (aka Jerub-Baal 8:35). He stirred up a support from his mother’s side & he killed 70 of his half brothers (Gideon’s sons).
• His half brother Jotham escaped from him and placed a prophetic curse on Abimelech and the people of Shechem – ‘Thorn bush will rule over us’: (Heb. Little prickly weed cannot offer shade) à a joke
•  A woman drops a millstone on Abimelech & He asks his armorbearer to kill him so it can’t be said a woman killed him.  He was not faithful to his own father- He has no integrity – His armour bearer did not understand his role
•  Hence, God eventually works justice: God uses wickedness and wickedness to go after it self

 

• TOLA & JAIR (minor judges 3/6)

–         JAIR of GILEAD – 30 sons who rode on 30 donkeys – 30 sons not by one woman & living as a type of kings. Control 30 towns – Not saving anybody from anything, he is just building a kingdom

 JEPHTHATH [major judge 5/6]

 –         Mother was a prostitute

–         He compares YHVH to Chemosh (11:23)

• People thought gods were limited to their geographic area: VERY WRONG!
• Chemosh is the god of Moab (not Ammon); Also, Duet 2:19 God has given the land to the Ammonites (not Chemosh).  Jeph is theologically WRONG!!!

–         Jephthath’s Vow – a warning about costly vows

• “Whatever comes out of my house I will sacrifice as a burnt offering (olah)”
• It’s manipulative, he’s trying to guarantee victory.
• His daughter came out of his house first. God did not accept human sacrifices. (NB:Lev 27 redeeming a vow)

–         Rich irony: Jeph saves Israel from AMMONITES who performed child sacrifices, incinerate infants and then he does the same to his own daughter.

IBZAN, ELON AND ABDON [last 3 minor judges 6/6]  - Abdon: 40 sons + 70 donkeys – built their POWERBASE.

 SAMSON [6/6] (the worst major judge)

 His Birth: Double Theophany: angel appears twice! & Samson = SHEMESH-ON  (Sun God)  a pagan name!

• Oppressors: Philistines – Boat people from the Aegean
• Tremendously Gifted & immense opportunities given to Samson
• 3  sad love affairs – spoilt brat 14:1, 7, 20; 16:1,4 (Girls were all Philistines NB: Exo.34:12-17; Deut.7:3-6)
  • The importance of EYES
• Samson is going to Timnah and sees a woman.  Get her for me as a wife! She is right “IN MY EYES!!!” He is driven by his SIGHT. (14:1)
•  At the end, his eyes are gouged out and he is blind!
• How sad he ended up in total darkness in a prison house 16:21

Likewise: Israel is doing what is wrong in God’s eyes & lost their VISION to be a nation of priests under God’s covenant & are spiritually BLIND!

SAMSON’S SINS

•  Nazarite’s are not allowed to go near dead things (the lion).
• He murders 30 men to pay off his personal debt
• Catching foxes to burn fields: (Exo.22:6 – if fire breaks out &burns another field must make restitution)

–         15:11 – I’m merely doing to them what they did to me: SIN OF REVENGE

• 3 broken Nazarite vows

1. No dead things – Fresh jawbone of a donkey
2. No alcohol -Most Philistine sites have lots of beer jars; he probably drank.
3. No hair cuts – Tells Delilah secret to his power is in his hair

•  He sleeps with a prostitute at Timnah (16:1) & escapes by tearing out the gates and carries them about 20 miles!
• Falls in love with Delilah (a philistine & not married)

–         Captured the 4^th time, made blind; He burned their grain, now he is grinding their grain.

• Samson is self centered & narcissistic – It’s the beginning of the salvation of Israel.

 

 DOUBLE CONCLUSION

 –         A :  In those days there was no king and every man did what was right in his own eyes (17:6)

• B: In those days there was no king… (18:1)
• B: In those days there was no king…. (19:1)

–         A: In those days there was no king… every man did what was right in his own eyes (21:25)

 

ISRAEL HAD A KING (YAHWEH)

• Physically there was no king but they did not acknowledge the LORD as their spiritual king
• Israel was doing what was right in his own eyes (evil in the eyes of the LORD) – declining morality

 

RELIGIOUS DECLENSION (DECLINE) 17-18 – THE IDOLATRY OF MICAH

• EVERYTHING IS WRONG WITH THIS STORY!!!
• MICAH means WHO IS LIKE YAHWEH – Steals money from his mother; she puts magical curse on it; He confesses; she announces a blessing to countermand the curse; She dedicates part of the silver to the LORD and then makes an IDOL.
• This man has his own house shrine, makes his son priest, appoints a Levite as his personal household priest because he thinks that this will assure him of prosperity 17:12-13. The Levite shouldn’t be there because not a city of refuge, the priest becomes equally self-seeking 18:19 – The same spirit of rebellion! As a Levite he should have opposed the suggestion of image worship 18:20. No deep religious conviction.

 MORAL DEGRADATION – LUST & VIOLENCE (Judges 19)

 LEVITE & HIS CONCUBINE

•  the wife’s child would inherit but concubines child would not inherit anything. So she flees him and goes to Bethlehem. The Levite form Ephraim comes down to Bethlehem after his concubine. 
• They go on to GIBEAH (town of Benjamites) and stay the night at an old man’s house.
•  Men of the city come demanding sex with the Levite. Old man offers the concubine & daughter to the men.
•   (THIS IS WRONG!!! You never offer anyone’s wife to a horde at the door!)
•  The Levite pushes his concubine out to the horde to be raped & abused and he goes to sleep.
•  In the morning he steps over her and finds her collapsed at the door. 
•   He gets home and then cuts her up. Whether he killed her or not by knife – he is guilty as he pushed her out the door! He sends her body parts all over Israel.

 

• TRIBAL (Civil) WAR  [Judges 20-21]
• When the Benjamites will not hand over the men responsible for the atrocity 20:13.
•  IRONY:  this Levite is able to get all Israel to come together and respond.
• This guy has sacrificed his concubine and now is willing to sacrifice the sons of Israel in war!
• –         PROBLEM: In the mouths of TWO WITNESSES…. Let a matter be established.
• –         Leads to a major civil war against the smallest tribe Benjamin.
• –         The Benjamites are wiped out leaving only 600. Both sides suffer losses; none are walking rightly before God; They have wiped out all the women.
• –         They made a rash VOW – not one of us will give his daughter to a Benjamite (yet they had given their daughters to Canaanites – DISOBEDIENCE!)
• –         Another rash vow in v.5 they attack Jabesh-GILEAD except for 400 virgins and hand them over to the Benjamites. 200 more with no wives: “Seize a wife as they rush out”
• –         ARE the ELDERS any better tan the horde at the door???

CONCLUDING WARNING:

 Judges deals with intense seriousness of ungodliness, selfishness and wilful behaviour, and the consequent humiliation and despair. No Christian can read this book without realising how important it is to maintain a close communion with the God who loves his people and demands and deserves their total allegiance.  Jesus must be the LORD over every part of our lives! 

A SEASON OF PRAYER FOR OUR NATION

The calling of the Federal Election to be held on Saturday 21st August activates a season where all Australians are asked to consider the kind of Government they want for our nation.  It is the ultimate privilege citizens have in a democratic society to exercise their vote for their preferred choice.

As Christians we of course have the right and responsibility to personally seek the Lord as to which party and candidates will best form a Government of righteousness and justice with a heart open to fulfil the will and purposes of God for our nation, and to vote accordingly.

As members of the Body of Christ we also have a corporate responsibility to undergird the decision process of the people, as well as through our prayers, impact the election campaign itself, by calling on the Holy Spirit to hover over our nation during these next 5 weeks guiding and determining the outcomes for our nation that will best serve His purposes for our future.   

Day 1 – Sunday 18th July 2010

Revelation - Pray for a mighty move of the Holy Spirit to bring a conviction of our personal sin as Australians and our corporate sin as a nation, resulting in a much needed awareness that as a nation we have turned away from Almighty God.

Bible readings – Jeremiah 2: 11-13, Colossians 2: 8-10.
 
Day 2 – Monday 19th July 2010
 
Repent-  Asking God’s forgiveness for where we have in the past failed to collectively pray for our national leaders and Government. Our prayers provide the prayer cover that is necessary for Governments to rule wisely, with Godly authority and in the best interests of all people who make up our nation. When it is not forthcoming, Governments can fall into chaos and confusion but when properly in place righteousness and justice can flow according to God’s perfect will.

Bible readings – 1 Timothy 2: 1-6, Romans 13: 1-2
 
Day 3 – Tuesday 20th July 2010

Regret – Pray for a Holy Spirit transformation of our minds, for a new way of understanding and thinking about the things of God, because as a nation we have failed to give God His rightful place.

Bible readings – Colossians 1: 15-20 NLT
 
Day 4 – Wednesday 21st July 2010

Return – Pray for a significant turn back within our nation to the person and teachings of the One true God resulting in a re-direction of the nation’s ways and moral values. 

Bible readings – Joel 2: 12-13, Revelation 2: 4-5
 
Day 5 – Thursday 22nd July 2010

Refresh -  Pray for a fresh move of the Holy Spirit to ignite a greater desire in the Christian Church in Australia for the Word of God and the proclamation of the Gospel in our secular society.  Pray that the voice of the Church will become a prophetic guiding light to our Governments at both State and Federal level.

Bible Readings – Proverbs 11: 25, Acts 3: 19
 
Day 6 – Friday 23rd July 2010
 
Restore -   On the Day of Pentecost 14th May 1606 Fernandez de Quiros, in the name of Jesus Christ, took possession of The South Lands of the Holy Spirit, which included Australia. Pray for the restoration of Australia’s Judeo-Christian heritage as the foundation of future governments in this nation.

Bible Readings – Ephesians 1: 16-18
 
 
Day 7 – Saturday 24th July 2010

Renewal - is a new way of living in the freedom Christ brings through repentance. Pray for the Holy Spirit to renew the Christian Church to a greater place of authority and integrity in an increasing secular society. Pray that a renewed Church will be able to take its rightful place in the authority structure of our nation.

Bible Readings -  Isaiah 40: 31, Romans 12:2

Fashion from Heaven

Col. 3 – v.12

Being clothed with Christ –  just like the clothes that we wear e.g.  a coat or jacket – it’s the clothes that people first see when they look at us – they form their first impressions by what we are wearing… In the same way – when people meet us and get to know our character and personality – are the following attributes readily evident?   (In my case I unfortunately not) – yet we are to be clothed with Christ – in other words – in covenantal terminology – we are to have the IDENTITY of CHRIST and that character & attributes of Christ must BE PUT ON BY US!  Our identity is supposed to be hidden with Christ

If we were to meet Jesus – these are the things we would readily notice about him:

• Tender hearted mercy
• kindness
• humility
• gentleness
• patience
• (Above all LOVE)

 Seems like a difficult ask – as many of us do not possess these attributes readily and I think Paul understood that we are all under construction that’s why in the very next verse he says v.13 “you must allowances for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you.”  So Paul acknowledges that we have FAULTS and that we should make allowances accordingly, putting on love – which is the most important piece of clothing as it binds us all together in perfect harmony.

I have seen many make over TV shows where the fashion consultants will come to wardrobe of the client and advise the person to throw out certain (if not all) of outdated, unfashionable or poor fitting clothes.   The majority of the time the client is so used to their old favourite clothes that they resist or reject the advice of the fashion consultants – obviously to the detriment of their own image!   Likewise the Holy Spirit, much like those fashion consultants, comes to convict us of sin and to sanctify us in order to produce his fruits in our lives. We like the obstinate fashion client, in need of a make over, we make all sorts of excuses in order to resist the image of Christ.

So, what about those who never apologise to us and refuse to change? We should forgive them and love them.  God will do the judging – as ‘He gives grace to the humble but resists the proud.’  Those who refuse to humble themselves and consider themselves better than others will be in danger of coming up against God (which is not a wise place to be at any time).

Part 2 – The Mosaic Covenant – Blood Covenant Series

2010_03_28 the Mosaic Covenant

Sunday Sermon 21 March 2010 – The Abrahamic Covenant – Ps Jono

NEW SERIES – Being Rooted in God’s Love

2010 03 21 the Covenant
• Colossians 2:6 -  so just as you received Christ Jesus as lord, continue to live in him, ROOTED and BUILT UP IN Him, strengthened in the FAITH as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness.
• Andrew Murray: Two Covenants

To many a man, who has never thought much of the Covenant, a true and living faith in it would mean the transformation of his whole life. The full knowledge of what God wants to do for him; the assurance that it will be done by an Almighty Power; the being drawn to God Himself in personal surrender, and dependence, and waiting to have it done; all this would make the Covenant the very gate of heaven.

Why study the Covenants?

1. Deeper understanding of the Bible
2. Everything God does is based on covenant
3. Better Understanding of the New Covenant
4. Assurance, Freedom, Power
5. Attitude of Gratitude & Worship
6. Accountability & responsibility
7. Understand missing pieces of the puzzle
8. YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!!!

• Do you know the love
  story of God?
  Do you know the action-sci- fact
  ‘blockbuster’ story of God?

 

Did you know…

• God loves us & wants to bless us.
• To prove it  he has taken the initiative to enter into an eternal covenant of love with us.
• This covenant of love is available to all who will enter it.

 

The Covenant Story

• Covenant in Hebrew means:  BERIT – which is a treaty between two parties
• Greek: Diatheke

–        more than a promise, more than contract…

–        Has obligations on both sides

2 types of covenants:

1. Parity Treaty - a voluntary agreement between equals (e.g. David & Jonathan 1 Sam 18:3)

2. Suzerainty Treaty - treaties of loyalty between a great king and a lesser king (his vassal)

–        Superior/Inferior relationship

                God’s Covenant with Abram

• God initiated & established this treaty with Abram.
• Gen. 15:6 - Abram believed the Lord and he credited it to him as righteousness.

What did Abram believe God for?

1.  Progeny (Descendants/ Children)
2.  Divine Human relationships
3.  Land (Nation)

• We are part of this covenant!
• Gal. 3:29 -   if you belong to Christ , then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to promise.

 

MAKING A COVENANT IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST:

 

1. Exchange of Coat/Robe  – 1 Sam 18:1-4

• Taking on each other’s identity
• Two become one – end of independent living. e.g.Marriage
• Gal.3:26-27

–        All of you were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

2. Exchange of belt & weapons

• 1 Sam. 18:1-4
• Exchange of strength, support & protection
• If anyone attacks you, they attack me.

3. Cutting the Covenant – Gen.15:1-9 – Jer. 34:18-19

• God’s covenant with Abram was a blood covenant.
• Life must be given & blood must be shed.

–        e.g. Henry Stanley

1. Dying to ourselves, giving up our rights
2. Beginning a new walk with covenant partner

 

4. Hands & Mixing of Blood

• Intermingling of blood – our lives become one.

5. Exchange of Names

• The ‘H” from YHWH was incorporated

–        e.g. Abram – became AbraHam

–        sarai – became saraH

• And God takes Abraham’s name: “the God of Abraham…”

6. Make a Scar

• Scar will bare witness to the covenant
• Circumcision: Gen.17

 

7. Giving Covenant Terms

to be discussed next week

8.       Eat the memorial meal

–        Communion

–        I’m in you and you are in me.

9. Plant a Memorial

• If you agree to abide by the covenant, then…
• God’s identity becomes your identity
• God’s strength becomes your strength
• Your enemies would become God’s enemies
• God’s pronouncements of blessings and curses apply to you, too.

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