covenant versus cohabitation.
Briefly the difference is this.
Covenant brings two parties together that are willing to sacrifice everything they have for the other party.
Cohabitation brings two parties together that are interested in what the other party can give them.
Cohabitation is something that is used by the enemy to disillusion and dilute our commitment to God.
It is easy to see the difference in those who cohabitate before marriage. Usually those who cohabitate are looking to make sure that they fit together. To make sure sexually they have good chemistry. To understand how each other operates in a living arrangement so that they don't marry someone before they know everything about them.
This argument sounds almost like it makes sense.
But you see the marriage is a covenant relationship.There is no option in which leaving is easy as finding a better deal .
So no matter how long you live together you know there is always the option to hold something back on your partner or ultimately leave for a better deal.
In a covenant relationship
leaving for a better deal is never an option. Because a covenant partnership brings everything you all are to that other person. And if they lost everything it wouldn't matter because the partnership is a covenant partnership so everything you brought is there is for the partner. If for some reason in a covenant relationship one of the partners can no longer provide what was available at the beginning of the partnership it does not affect the relationship. Because a covenant relationship is sealed by blood and lasts until death.
This is why so many people who live together before marriage still end up splitting after marriage. Because living together/cohabitating is not the same as a covenant commitment.
In our relationship with God it is designed to be in covenant. Everything God is he makes available to us. It is a unique covenant because we literally bring nothing to God. What he makes available to us allows us to be everything he wants us to be. He gives us all of himself because he desires a relationship with those that he loves.
Many believed they cohabitate when God.....Well many behave as though they cohabitate with God. They keep God around as a good option unless somebody offers them a better option. They believe that their behavior dictates the response of God, and if their behavior becomes bad God will leave the relationship.
These lies about our relationship to God are from a miss understanding of what a covenant relationship is. There is nothing in a covenant relationship that gives you the option to pull out because you think there are better things somewhere else. In a covenant relationship there is nothing you can do that will make God pull out because a disappointment or anger.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
elevate June 12
we had a nice opportunity to reconnect with each other and elevate this week. It's been several weeks since we met, and it was good to see all those who were able to come.
We did start out by announcing that we would be going to a conference in Boston. September 17 and 18th. This is hosted by "the international House of prayer" is called a One Thing Conference and although the conference is free we will have to work out details regarding transportation and housing. Although these things may be left up to individuals we would like to experience a conference together so we would love to meet before and after each meeting as well is it in the meetings together.
The message focused on the idea of covering. This idea/principal of God is example throughout Scripture We as followers of Christ should come under the covering of older/mature followers of Christ.
We used two examples.
Joshua and Moses.
Joshua was a highly capable leader who came under the covering of Moses.Throughout the story of Moses we see that Joshua was present at multiple key points. He was there to oversee the Army ,on the mountain with Moses when the covenant was written, and in the tent when Moses would speak to God as a friend. Joshua had a clear call from God to be a leader, but he was willing to follow Godly principle in wait until God exalted him into leadership.
I believe every time the people wanted to kill Moses Joshua had the opportunity to take over leadership. And yet every time he supported Moses and was there to hold him up before the people.
Elijah and Elisha. in the final walk of Elijah , Elisha has given several opportunities to take on his own Ministry.other substantial servants of God wanted him to stay and become their leader, but he chose to follow Elijah until the end.
He walked away from individual promotion and waited until God put him in a place of leadership.
Often in our culture the spirit of individualism steals the sustaining opportunities of revival in our land.
Individuals receive a call of God on their lives, and instead of coming under the covering of other fathers and mothers they strike out on their own. By striking out on their own they miss the opportunity to learn what has been taught to other fathers and mothers. So therefore as individuals they must relearn lessons that could have been passed down to them. By striking out on their own they miss the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of those in a gone on before them and therefore reach higher places in the spiritual realm. By striking out on their own many times when they die there Ministry guys with them.
All of these and other myths steps could be eliminated if younger people were willing to come on to the covering of spiritual mothers and fathers.
Joshua was able to become a leader of a nation and possessed the promised land for the people of God.
Elisha was able to request a double portion of blessing from God, he got it, and twice as much is recorded in Scripture regarding his ministry than that of his spiritual father Elijah.
By coming under the covering of a spiritual father of mother, I believe God is able to work on behalf of your call. And when he calls you into leadership you will not waste time learning things that others have learned. You will be able to step out on the shoulders of those who've gone before you, and reach a higher place.
We did start out by announcing that we would be going to a conference in Boston. September 17 and 18th. This is hosted by "the international House of prayer" is called a One Thing Conference and although the conference is free we will have to work out details regarding transportation and housing. Although these things may be left up to individuals we would like to experience a conference together so we would love to meet before and after each meeting as well is it in the meetings together.
The message focused on the idea of covering. This idea/principal of God is example throughout Scripture We as followers of Christ should come under the covering of older/mature followers of Christ.
We used two examples.
Joshua and Moses.
Joshua was a highly capable leader who came under the covering of Moses.Throughout the story of Moses we see that Joshua was present at multiple key points. He was there to oversee the Army ,on the mountain with Moses when the covenant was written, and in the tent when Moses would speak to God as a friend. Joshua had a clear call from God to be a leader, but he was willing to follow Godly principle in wait until God exalted him into leadership.
I believe every time the people wanted to kill Moses Joshua had the opportunity to take over leadership. And yet every time he supported Moses and was there to hold him up before the people.
Elijah and Elisha. in the final walk of Elijah , Elisha has given several opportunities to take on his own Ministry.other substantial servants of God wanted him to stay and become their leader, but he chose to follow Elijah until the end.
He walked away from individual promotion and waited until God put him in a place of leadership.
Often in our culture the spirit of individualism steals the sustaining opportunities of revival in our land.
Individuals receive a call of God on their lives, and instead of coming under the covering of other fathers and mothers they strike out on their own. By striking out on their own they miss the opportunity to learn what has been taught to other fathers and mothers. So therefore as individuals they must relearn lessons that could have been passed down to them. By striking out on their own they miss the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of those in a gone on before them and therefore reach higher places in the spiritual realm. By striking out on their own many times when they die there Ministry guys with them.
All of these and other myths steps could be eliminated if younger people were willing to come on to the covering of spiritual mothers and fathers.
Joshua was able to become a leader of a nation and possessed the promised land for the people of God.
Elisha was able to request a double portion of blessing from God, he got it, and twice as much is recorded in Scripture regarding his ministry than that of his spiritual father Elijah.
By coming under the covering of a spiritual father of mother, I believe God is able to work on behalf of your call. And when he calls you into leadership you will not waste time learning things that others have learned. You will be able to step out on the shoulders of those who've gone before you, and reach a higher place.
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