The ability to have confidence in, and the ability to stand on, your covenant with God, is not something that falls on you like ripe cherries off a tree. It doesn’t happen automatically.

Faith, Simple faith is something every person has to be able to live their everyday lives; to be able to sit on a chair, to walk a straight line, to stand up; all of these require the simple faith that either the chair will hold you; when you put one foot in front of the other you will move in that direction and that when you lift yourself up from a sitting or lying position your legs will hold you. But, even these things took practice, failure and repetition to become skills that you could rely upon.

Even the faith that is required for salvation doesn’t happen by accident. Faith is not something that is simply given. Romans 10:17 gives us the clue that: “Faith comes by hearing and repeatedly hearing of the Word of God.” The other thing is that Faith has to be developed Hebrews 12:2. It is only by acting on the faith that comes from hearing the Word of God that it becomes alive in us.

This Faith is the action of standing on the new covenant that was established by Jesus. That covenant that has taken all of the blessings of God’s covenant with Abraham and forged upon the cross of Calvary; the penalty for the old being paid in full, in the very pit of Hell, by Christ himself; culminating with the final sacrifice, offered by Jesus as our great high priest, in the Heavenly Holy of Holies; to form of the two one New and Better Covenant built on better promises.

The substitutionary work of Jesus at Calvary has ensured that anyone who calls upon the name of Jesus WILL be saved; will receive ALL that Salvation  (soteria) has to offer. By this action God has placed the obligation upon himself to acknowledge and accept Anyone (Whosoever) who puts a demand on that promise. Like he did with Abraham, God, through Jesus, has sworn by himself that it will be that way and no other; such is the nature of covenants. In particular, with this covenant, the Testator, Jesus, has died so that his will and testament could be activated. But, by rising from the dead he lives to ensure that that testament is fulfilled.

Diligence is required to ensure that we are fulfilling our part of this process. We cannot benefit from a covenant that we don’t know anything about and we can’t stand on promises that we have scant knowledge of. We NEED to study the promises that have been made to and for our benefit throughout the word of God, the bible, the record of the Old and the New Covenants. A good place to start is to consider the promises, the Blessings in Deuteronomy 28 (remembering that when you get to the curses, in the same chapter we have been redeemed from those, by Jesus [Gal 3:13]).

But even better, is to go through the New testament, particularly the Epistles, and look for any statement that describes who we are Now, or Have Received, by being: “In Christ; In Him; In Whom; Through Christ; By the Promise” and the like.

In this important teaching we look at the different words that relate to the topic of covenants and covenant agreements. We look at the significance of those words NOW, Today. We consider the Truth, that Salvation, through Christ, is not just for the future, in the sweet by-and -by, over in  glory land. But, available for us today, as believers. But, to live in these blessings requires the work of finding the promises and standing on them, by faith.

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Covenant Words

The Bible that we hold in our hands, keep on the coffee table, lives in our bookcase and occasionally gets browsed through, is quite new; relatively speaking. Yet we refer to it as the scriptures.

We call it the Word of God, some have even come to the point of being afraid to mark it, crumple a page, have so much reverence for the book, that they have effectively created an idol of the “Holy Bible!” They usually have that high and lofty voice associated to their reference to it. They say it is infallible and must be obeyed. But, when it comes to actually quoting it they more often than not mis-quote or take passages right out of context.

I have a love for the bible and a deep reverence for the word of God therein.  But, like Brother Hagin used to say: “If you have a bible you can’t write in, with you, throw it away and get you one you can write in.” The Word provides comfort, instruction, correction and nurturing as you read and study the contents. But, it is a working book. a mighty tool, that needs to be a good friend, a familiar friend.

But, as I said at the start, we, as a privileged bunch have access to the collection of all of the covenants between God and humanity since the beginning, up to and including the final and eternal covenant between God and the Man Jesus as our High Priest and mediator. But, even Jesus didn’t have access to the New Testament when he was in his earthly ministry.

Likewise Paul, who wrote nearly two thirds of the New Testament didn’t have the books he would write, not Peter, or John, or James, the Lord’s Half Brother. Yet all of them,at one stage, or another, in their own writings and ministry, refer to the scriptures as the Gospel.

In fact, all they had access to was what we refer to as the Old Testament; the Law and the prophets.

In Galatians 3:8 we are given the essential clue to be able to understand what the Gospel actually is when Paul tells us that God preached the Gospel himself to Abraham. The Gospel, the Good News that Jesus referred to in Luke 4:17 quoting Isaiah the Prophet Isa 61: 1-2. That Good News is essentially the Promises that God made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob/Israel and consolidated with Moses in the Covenant he established with Father Abraham in the very beginning. 

The New Testament that we have gives us insight into how that original covenant and the New covenant that God made with Jesus, for ALL who will believe, has become one and the Curse has been done away with, redeemed by the sacrifice and the blood of Jesus Christ himself.

That blessing, that Covenant of Blessing that has come upon ALL who believe; not just the Israelites. But, upon ALL of the Gentiles who, once they accept the sacrifice of Jesus are no longer Gentiles, but children of Abraham; the Father of Many Nations. Through whom All Nations would be blessed.

By now, if you have taken this journey over the past weeks messages, you will have a better understanding of why Satan has confounded the church for so long in his attempt to prevent them gaining access to understanding the nature and importance of Blood Covenants. He knows, that if he can keep the children of God from understanding not just who they Are in Christ, but also WHY they are who they Are in Christ, he has them beat.

Take Hold of the promises of God to you today. Dust off that Old coffee table book; take that Bible off of the shelf and begin to feed on the promises of God, the creator of the universe, that have been made to you. If you are unsure of your standing with God. If it’s been a while since you prayed. Then go to 1John 1:9-10 and get right with God; knowing that he who promised is more than able to fulfil.

Whatever you do, don’t let the enemy rob you of what you are entitled to any longer. Take hold of the promises of God and appropriate them for your life.

If you don’t know Jesus as Lord and Saviour then take the time NOW, to pray this prayer with me:

Dear Father in Heaven, I come to you in the Name of Your Son Jesus. I believe, in my Heart, that You raised Jesus From the Dead. I Confess with my Mouth Jesus IS Lord.

Please accept me as your child and fill me with your Holy Spirit. Live Big in Me. Lead me and guide me into All truth, through your written word and teach me the way I should go. Amen!

Now reach out your hands to God in Heaven and begin to thank him for accepting you and Loving you.

If you prayed that prayer for the first time in your life then get in contact with me by either email, or through the contact form on the website. Most importantly you need to get yourself to a church where they teach the Word of God faithfully. There will soon be a list of Spirit-filled and Covenant Network Churches you can go to to get on-going teaching and discipleship in the Word of God

Just remember: God Loves you; Jesus Loves you; He, by the Holy Spirit has come to live inside of you, and We love you here at Open Arms Fellowship. Praise God! Hallelujah to Jesus, Amen!

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Audio       The Covenant And The Gospel Are One

Video       The Covenant And The Gospel Are One

We touched on the importance of having Faith in the covenant before it is possible to live by and act on the rules, guidelines, or laws that govern the covenant agreement you have.

In particular, it is important to know what expectations your agreement places upon you, as someone who both benefits from  and has obligations to that agreement.

A good example is the covenant you might establish with a bank to borrow some money. You will establish the reason for making the loan. The bank will want to know what surety you have of being able to pay back the loan and they will look at your ability to service the debt; long before you ever see the money in your bank account.

You will have discussed the repayments and both the amount and frequency  that you are obligated to make, on time, to keep you in right-standing (righteousness) with the bank. You will receive the benefit of the use of the money loaned to you, for the purpose you have stated.

However, should you abuse the trust placed in you by the bank and use that money for a different purpose. Or, if you should default on making the obligations you agreed to upon gaining the loan, then you will have also been made aware of the penalties that will be applied for falling out of good standing with the bank (Sin). A record of the frequency of missing the repayments, or the abuse of trust in relation to the use of the funds, will be recorded and a rating established.

Should you ever go to secure a loan at some point in the future they will bring out and access your previous record to establish whether you are a good risk.

The wonderful thing about our covenant with God, is that the price, the penalty has already been paid; by Jesus himself. This does not create an excuse to go out and abuse that Great Grace. It cost Jesus his life, blood and separation from the Father and should not be considered lightly.

At the same time, he has provided a way for us to be re-established in right-standing with the Father if we do sin. But, it is our job to renew our minds with the Word of God. With the truth contained in our covenant agreement.

in doing so we will get a better idea of the image God has of us and that in turn will modify and create a new way of living out our obligations contained in Our New and Better Covenant; built on Better promises.

And, unlike the banks, the Father removes all memory of our breaches of the covenant, for his sake, not for ours. He wipes our record clean, each time we repent.

 

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Covenant Faith

 

Dynamic, a word that originates from the Greek word Dunamis. It is also where we get the origins of the word Dynamite. It refers to EXPLOSIVE power, or an excitable release of energy that changes the state of things around it.

In the Bible the word is translated Power and often refers to the “Power of God,” or the power released to change someone who is sick to being healed an example is the woman with the issue of blood who touched the hem of Jesus garment and received her healing. She had tapped into the power of God, to heal her, through her faith.

English can be a limiting language because the word Power is used elsewhere. But, it is in fact the translation of the Greek word Exusia. This refers to Authority, or Executive power, or Influence.

In this message we consider the Dynamic nature of the covenant that exists, through Jesus, between God and Humanity.

It is essential for all of us to understand the nature and the Dynamos and Exusia that exist for EVERYONE who will place demands upon that covenant. If you don’t know how to access the power and authority in your agreement, how can you ever expect to gain any benefit from that relationship?

The only way you can develop Faith in any agreement is by learning, reading and reaching an understanding of what is contained in your agreement and then putting action into that Faith and actually standing on the promises; believing that the one who made the promise in the first place is faithful to deliver.

Well, is God ABLE to deliver on any promise he made?

Think about that question the next time you go to disagree with a promise God has made to us in his word. Then answer it. Honestly!

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A Dynamic Covenant

To be able to live effectively, in this world, we need to understand that there is both a Legal and a Vital aspect to our redemption by Jesus Christ, available under the new Covenant.

While it is possible to be aware that we are legally redeemed, unless we actually act upon that salvation, that has been paid for, for us, by the precious blood of Jesus Christ himself. Then it will be nothing more than salvation in name only.

So too, if we are not aware of the covenant that we have, with the Father, we can never walk in the light of that covenant. In fact, we allow ourselves to be blinded and broadsided into believing that every bad thing, that comes our way, must actually be the will of God; which it most certainly isn’t.

As I said at the outset of this teaching series, as we make our way through the study of not just covenants themselves, but also step by step through the New Covenant, announced and established by Jesus himself, elements of the scriptures you have probably heard, or read, many times, will open up and their actual relevance will become much more apparent than they have ever been before.

I sincerely meant it when I said:

“You’ll Never Be The Same Again!”

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A Living Covenant

This series of teachings is designed to provide a mature understanding of the amazing story regarding how we got the Bible, that we often take so much for granted, into our hands.

Understanding that it is the record of all of the covenants leading up to and culminating in the final, eternal, covenant between God and Humanity, established by, and maintained by Jesus Himself will change the way you relate to the document that you are so privileged to hold in your hands.

Religious and unscrupulous men have fought to prevent it being available to the people. Ages of human history darkened by the restriction of access to the texts, hidden away in monasteries and guarded by vows of silence and an air of secrecy.

Reputations have been lost; lives taken and political and international alliances destroyed as this sacred text was dragged out into the open and translated into the common tongue.

Sadly, a total lack of understanding of the nature and the importance of what ‘civilised’ folk regarded as ‘Barbaric’ and even ‘Heathen’ practices of Blood Oaths and Blood Covenant agreements has led to a place in the Church’s history, where as Jesus rebuked the pharisees; we have allowed “the Law and the Prophets to become, of no effect.”

In this time the Holy Spirit is bringing to the fore the renewal of an understanding of the Power and Authority contained within the leaves of these documents. The revival of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit has inspired the 5 fold ministry to rise up and begin teaching, once again. The importance of understanding the importance of the Covenants of Blood. Or as they are known in the East; the Covenants of Strong Friendship.

In this message we look at the processes undertaken in the making of such an agreement. Taking the elements one by one and demonstrating the significance of passages of scripture that hither to now has been lost.

Be empowered as you listen to and read your bible in a new light that will change and strengthen your relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I will say it again: “You’ll Never Be The Same Again!”

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Covenant Practices

God Was searching for a man with whom he could establish his plan of redemption in the Earth.

Abram, a moon worshiper in the city of Ur of the Chaldeans became that man. God announced to him that he Is El Shaddai, the God who IS God over all and The ALL SUFFICIENT ONE.

Persuaded, Abram left Ur, with his family and other relatives, including his brother in law Lot and went to the land that God led him to; Canaan.

It was while he and his family were in Canaan that God made a Covenant, established an unbreakable agreement with the man Abram, whom he promised to make the “Father of MANY Nations.” Even though at this time Abram was himself approaching a hundred years of age.

To understand the nature of the Old and New Testaments; the Old and the New Covenants between God and Man; it is essential to also understand the reasoning behind Abram’s ability to accept the promises of God; to the degree that h, as Abraham, would even be prepared to offer his own son as a sacrifice.

This teaching is a key to understanding the nature of God’s sacrifice of his own son, Jesus.

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God’s Covenant With Abraham