Hello, I'm Shelley
Quinn and welcome again to
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Issues and Answers. We
have a very interesting
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program today. We're going
to be talking about covenant
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partnership with God. Let
me read something to you from
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the Bible in Daniel 9.
The Bible says this in various
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places and various ways.
Basically it says that God
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keeps covenant with those
who keep covenant with him.
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Here in Daniel 9:4
Daniel is calling on God and
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here's what Daniel
says about God. He said: You
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who keep covenant,
mercy and loving-kindness with
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those who love him
and keep his commandments.
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You know that reminds
me of 1 John 5:3 where John
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says this is love that
we keep God's commandments.
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Today we'll discuss
what it means to be a
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covenant-keeper and
why we can look to God with
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absolute trust and
faith that he is a covenant
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keeping God. I'm very
thrilled to welcome back
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again Derry James who
is a chaplain. She has a
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doctorate of ministry
and she is a board certified
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chaplain coming to us
from Grass Valley, California.
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Derry it's so
good to have you back.
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Thank you, Shelley.
It's good to be here again.
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You know you're always
one that when you are on 3ABN
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we get a lot of positive
comments and people enjoy
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because it's very
obvious your sincerity, your
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commitment to God and
that you are walking in
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submission to him.
Well we don't always walk
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in submission every
minute. But we sure try and God
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has a way of just
reigning us back in when
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we don't. Amen.
Praise the Lord for that.
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So today we are going to
be talking about covenant
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partnership with God. I
know that is a principle
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that you live by but for
our audience why don't you
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describe your definition
of what a covenant is.
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In talking about it
today, we're talking about a
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covenant altar that we
make in partnership with God
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as two people give
themselves fully to each other
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God and man working
together in unison and in
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in that covenant
relationship that's binding and
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unbreakable. It's
interesting that God
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covenanted with God in
our behalf and we can talk
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more about that later,
but the covenant is working
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together with God
in partnership with
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him in giving yourselves
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fully to each
other. A covenant is like a
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contract. When we marry
God's idea of marriage it
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was to be a covenant
relationship. Unfortunately
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today not to many people
really treat marriage like
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a covenant relationship.
But if we were to look to
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the Bible where can we
look and what can we say,
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how did God
establish himself as a covenant
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keeping God? That
unbreakable oath that
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God makes with us that we
can count on. I think it's
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beautiful as we first
hear about the covenant promise
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with Noah in the covenant
that God made that he would
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not destroy the earth
again, that he gave us that
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sign, that symbol of the
rainbow. My son brought it
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to my attention as he
was studying and preparing
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for a sermon how God
led him on his journey and
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study that that rainbow
is around the throne of God
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and that symbol of the
rainbow as God's symbol
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to us is something that
is so close to God that it's
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almost like God getting
as close as he can to showing
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us his presence
without showing his presence.
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Do you
understand what I'm saying?
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Yes, that's beautiful.
I thought that was really
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beautiful when my son
brought that out in the
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sermon. Also that in
everything else in nature
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gives something and
gets something in return but
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the rainbow is just
there as God's symbol.
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You know when you
were talking, the scripture
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that popped into my
mind if you could hear me
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rustling the pages
of my Bible, was from
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Hebrews 6:18-19, let
me start in verse 17.
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It says: Accordingly God
also in his desire to show
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more convincingly and
beyond doubt to those who
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were to inherit the
promise to show them the
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unchangeableness of
his purpose and plan, he
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intervened with an
oath. This was so that by two
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unchangeable things,
his promise and his oath
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in which it is impossible
for God to lie, we who
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have fled for refuge
to him might have mighty
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indwelling strength
and strong encouragement to
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grasp and hold fast
this hope. Now we have this
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hope as an anchor for
our soul and that's what
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Hebrews 6:19 says
this hope that we have in a
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God who cannot lie who
has given us all of his
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covenant promises and
he is just saying to us, he
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is just constantly
inviting us, come into covenant
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with me. You keep
covenant with me and I'll keep
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covenant with you.
That reminds me as we're
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thinking of scripture
too that the word remember
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is a covenant
word. Oooo, and what
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commandment out of
all 10 commandments begins
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with remember?
Remember the Sabbath day
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to keep it holy.
The fourth commandment.
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That covenant and
that's a day where the Lord
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wants to spend it with
us. That's our time, our day
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together and he wants
us to remember that time.
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Tell us about a few
more of the covenants in
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addition to Noah some
of the other covenants that
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the Lord made. I
especially like the
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covenant that God made
to Abraham as well, that
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Abrahamic covenant
where God called Abraham out
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to a land that he
doesn't know anything about from
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his people, God calls him
out and he tells him, come
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and I will bless you.
Let's just read it from
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scripture shall we?
That's Genesis 12 and I'm going
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to start with verse 1.
It says, Now the Lord had
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said to Abram, get out
of your country, from your
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family, from your
father's house to a land that I
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will show you. I will
make you a great nation. I
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will bless you and
make your name great and you
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shall be a blessing. I
will bless those who bless
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you, I will curse him
who curses you and in you
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all the families of
the earth shall be blessed.
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If we look through scripture
from Genesis to Revelation
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God takes that divine
initiative with his people
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all the time, Shelley,
where he's calling them
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out. What God wants is
God's people in the place
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he has chosen to dwell
in his presence so that he
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can bless them. That
happened from the beginning
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of time and that's how
it's going to end, God's
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people in the place he
has chosen so he can bless
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them and they can
live in his presence.
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You know, I wish
people could learn. The thing
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that took me the longest to
learn, Derry, in my Christian
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walk was that what God
asked of me was absolute
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total dependence upon
him. I tried so long to live
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for him with my
effort. Then one day with
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Galatians 3:3 the Lord
just spoke it to my spirit.
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It said, you foolish thing,
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having begun in the Spirit are
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you now trying to
perfect it in the flesh?
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I struggled so long
trying to perfect my walk with
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the Lord, not remembering
Philippians 2:14 that it
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is God who works in us
to will and to act according
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to his good purpose.
That is part of his new
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covenant with us is just
us learning to trust in him
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that he's going to
write those laws on our heart
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and any of his biddings
are his enablings aren't they?
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Absolutely. It's exactly
true. God's desire is for
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his people to be
happy. I have thought of this
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a lot and Shelley, if
you came to my house, for
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example, and I had small
children sitting there at
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the sofa and you were
visiting with me and the
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whole time that you
were with me the children sat
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like this. When you left
me house, you would think
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to yourself something
like something is wrong with
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those children.
Something's wrong there.
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I would think the
mother must very cruel.
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They are being abused
or something is going on
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there. You know it's
the same thing with us.
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If we're in church or if
we're living our life and
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we're not happy people
and we're all locked up and
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we won't speak and we
won't interact and we always
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are solemn or we're
always sad or we're always
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grumpy, what does
that say about our Father
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whom we serve. God
wants his people to be filled
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with joy. He wants
his people to be happy and
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when we live according
to his will and I'm thinking
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again now of the 10
commandments. I don't
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think of them as binding
rules. I think of them as
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liberating. I think of
them as joy-givers because
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well for example, God
knows that if we were to kill
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someone we'd be miserable.
He doesn't want his people
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miserable. So as we
think of covenant and as we
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think of working
together with God and doing what
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God requires of us and
is calling us to do for our
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own joy and
happiness, we need to exercise
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obedience and in that obedience
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is reward, a reward for
a full life, a reward for
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God's blessing, but
his covenant with us is so
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strong and he desires so
much for us to be blessed
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that when we fall short
of our end of the covenant
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he tries to woo us back
in a little bit at a time,
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a little bit at a
time. When we don't respond
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then he may have
to discipline us into
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listening again.
You know when you were
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talking what I was
thinking is when I think of
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the 10 commandments, I
think of them as 10 promises.
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that God will empower
us to do. In Hebrews 8:10
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here's what the Lord
says: This is the covenant that
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I will make with the
house of Israel (and we are part
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of the house of Israel.
Paul said not only those
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who born Jews are Jews
but those who have given their
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heart to the Lord and
so we're part of spiritual
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Israel.) He says this
is the covenant I will make
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with them after those
days says the Lord. I will
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imprint my laws upon
their minds even upon their
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their innermost
thoughts and understanding and
00:11:49.39\00:11:51.80
engrave them on their
hearts. I will be their
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God and they will be
my people. Then at the end
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of Hebrews in chapter
13:20 he says, may the
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God of peace who brought
again from among the dead
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our Lord Jesus, the
great shepherd of the sheep,
00:12:07.64\00:12:12.41
by the blood that
sealed the everlasting eternal
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gospel, may this God
strengthen, complete and perfect
00:12:17.19\00:12:23.12
you. May God make you what you
ought to be, may God equip you
00:12:23.16\00:12:28.63
with everything good that you
may carry out his will. While
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he himself works in you
and accomplishes... Who's
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accomplishing? The covenant
keeping God who's put his love
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in our heart. He's the
one working in us that he may
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accomplish that which is
pleasing in his sight through
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Jesus Christ, to him be the
glory for ever and ever, Amen!
00:12:48.31\00:12:51.11
So that is our covenant-
keeping God. He is just saying
00:12:51.14\00:12:55.61
come here little child. I will
empower you. I mean, you talk
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about the rainbow. If we could
look at the promises of God
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and see them through that prism
of light like the rainbow that
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is showing that he is a God of
light. Wouldn't that be exciting
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if they could get so
excited about his promises.
00:13:13.71\00:13:18.26
Well that rolls right into the
scripture that I turned to as
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you were reading that, Shelley,
which is in 1 Peter. What does
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it say? Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
00:13:26.35\00:13:30.26
who according to his abundant
mercy has begotten us again to
00:13:30.29\00:13:33.65
a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus from the
00:13:33.69\00:13:37.44
dead, to an inheritance
incorruptible and undefiled
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which does not fade away
reserved in heaven for you.
00:13:39.92\00:13:44.67
But actually, you know
what, I wanted 2 Peter, Shelley,
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But that's a good scripture.
But let's turn over to 2 Peter
00:13:49.46\00:13:53.98
2 Peter 1 says grace and peace
be multiplied to you in the
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knowledge of God and Jesus
our Lord as his divine power has
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given to us all things (all
things, not some things, all
00:14:03.56\00:14:08.35
things) that pertain to life and
godliness through the knowledge
00:14:08.39\00:14:12.51
of him who called us by his
glory and virtue by which have
00:14:12.55\00:14:16.87
been given to us exceedingly
great and precious promises
00:14:16.90\00:14:21.19
that through these we may be
partakers of the divine nature.
00:14:21.22\00:14:25.41
Through His promises! Through
his promises. Did you catch
00:14:25.45\00:14:29.15
that? Through His promises
we partake of the divine nature
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and escape the lust that is
in the world through corruption.
00:14:32.20\00:14:36.52
I love that scripture. I do
too. It's one of my favorites.
00:14:36.55\00:14:40.75
Mine too and there are over
3,300 some promises in the Bible
00:14:40.78\00:14:45.42
that God has put here for every
thing in life that we can turn
00:14:45.45\00:14:50.05
to and just personalize and
claim and present to Him for
00:14:50.09\00:14:54.84
fulfillment. I think
that's pretty awesome.
00:14:54.87\00:14:57.10
You know, when we first were
getting to know one another and
00:14:57.13\00:15:00.11
we haven't known each other all
that long but I feel like I've
00:15:00.14\00:15:03.73
known her for over... when
we first began praying together.
00:15:03.76\00:15:07.16
I remember the first time I
prayed for you, you said you
00:15:07.19\00:15:10.20
pray just like I do. I mean
everything that was coming to
00:15:10.24\00:15:13.29
my mind, every scripture.
Then I remember I was having a
00:15:13.33\00:15:16.71
difficult day one time and you
happened to call and I really
00:15:16.75\00:15:20.39
hadn't paused yet to pray, and
you said, we need to pray and
00:15:20.42\00:15:24.60
I said you're right we do and
as you started the prayer every
00:15:24.63\00:15:28.33
scripture that was coming to
me mind, every promise, you were
00:15:28.36\00:15:31.59
praying it just as it would hit
my mind, you were speaking it
00:15:31.63\00:15:36.79
before I could say anything.
To learn to pray God's word back
00:15:36.83\00:15:41.44
to him, Isaiah 55:11 says it
does not return void, when we
00:15:41.47\00:15:45.50
know he's a covenant-keeping
God, he watches over his word
00:15:45.53\00:15:49.83
to perform it, that's what he
says in Jeremiah 1:12, what joy
00:15:49.86\00:15:54.01
there is in praying these
promises back to God and knowing
00:15:54.05\00:15:57.73
Lord this is up to you because
this is what you promised.
00:15:57.77\00:16:01.39
That's right. You know, Shelley,
sometimes I talk to people and
00:16:01.42\00:16:06.48
they're a little reluctant to do
this. They think, well God isn't
00:16:06.52\00:16:11.54
going to listen to me or
I'm not good enough meaning I've
00:16:11.57\00:16:15.44
done so many bad things or
wrong things in my life that I
00:16:15.47\00:16:19.27
just can't ask that of God, but
that takes us right back to the
00:16:19.30\00:16:23.54
cross again and right back to
the victory at the cross and the
00:16:23.58\00:16:28.18
promise of what the cross is and
that is that Jesus says that He
00:16:28.22\00:16:32.79
died that our sins would be
covered and all we have to do
00:16:32.82\00:16:36.17
is receive that gift. But the
other half of that promise is
00:16:36.21\00:16:39.98
that he will carry our pain and
our suffering, our pain and our
00:16:40.01\00:16:44.04
sorrow and by His stripes we are
healed and that means body, soul
00:16:44.07\00:16:48.06
and spirit. We just
need to take God at his word.
00:16:48.10\00:16:52.65
And as we're taking Him
at His word to recognize
00:16:52.69\00:16:57.17
2 Corinthians 5:17 says we are
new creations in Christ whether
00:16:57.21\00:17:01.66
we feel like it or not. Romans
4:17 says he calls things that
00:17:01.70\00:17:06.12
are not as though they
already were. With this covenant
00:17:06.16\00:17:10.53
keeping God it's obvious you
want to be in relationship with
00:17:10.57\00:17:13.89
Him. How do we enter
into covenant with God?
00:17:13.93\00:17:18.84
Well, Shelley, we need to
take hold of His power and His
00:17:18.87\00:17:22.77
resources and by taking hold of
His power and resources we need
00:17:22.80\00:17:28.05
to obediently follow His
prescription for doing that and
00:17:28.09\00:17:32.79
we just read it here. It says
here by these great and precious
00:17:32.82\00:17:37.63
promises. So we need to do our
part by claiming the word of God
00:17:37.67\00:17:42.03
and allowing Him to enable us
because God never asks us to do
00:17:42.06\00:17:46.02
anything He's not willing to
help us do. So if He wants us
00:17:46.05\00:17:49.81
to be in covenant relationship
with Him He's going to enable
00:17:49.85\00:17:53.58
us to be in covenant
relationship with Him.
00:17:53.61\00:17:55.62
He's going to enable the
obedience. We need to surrender.
00:17:55.66\00:18:00.09
We need to allow Him to fill
us. We need to give ourselves to
00:18:00.12\00:18:05.69
Him. Sometimes we have to
say Lord I'm willing but help my
00:18:05.72\00:18:11.22
unwillingness or we have to say
Lord I don't know how. Do it in
00:18:11.25\00:18:15.49
me, do it through me.
00:18:15.52\00:18:16.49
So it really does start...
say that there's someone who's
00:18:16.52\00:18:20.41
watching us or listening to
our voices right now who doesn't
00:18:20.45\00:18:25.05
know God. It starts with that
coming to Him recognizing that
00:18:25.08\00:18:29.78
we are a sinner and that He
is God and just surrendering
00:18:29.81\00:18:33.92
control of our lives to Him
saying Lord forgive us of our
00:18:33.96\00:18:37.56
sins. I want to accept Christ
as my Savior. Please send your
00:18:37.59\00:18:41.37
Holy Spirit to live in me,
because that is how he empowers
00:18:41.41\00:18:45.12
us is through the transforming
power of the Holy Spirit and the
00:18:45.16\00:18:49.83
transforming power of the word.
But then what I understood you
00:18:49.86\00:18:54.95
to say just then, our part
in doing this if we are to enjoy
00:18:54.99\00:18:59.56
the covenant relationship we
need to understand the covenant
00:18:59.60\00:19:04.05
promises. It's like, Okay Lord,
now that I have become your
00:19:04.09\00:19:08.13
child by adoption, and what a
privilege it is to be a child of
00:19:08.17\00:19:13.37
God, I need to know who I am
in Christ. I need to know what
00:19:13.41\00:19:18.06
promises belong to me and 2
Corinthians 1:20 says ALL of
00:19:18.10\00:19:22.68
God's promises belong to you if
you are in Christ Jesus. But our
00:19:22.72\00:19:27.98
part is to get in here and let
God... He can't put in our minds
00:19:28.02\00:19:33.19
nor can the Holy Spirit bring
to remembrance scripture that we
00:19:33.23\00:19:38.36
haven't looked at before can he?
00:19:38.40\00:19:40.02
Right. I think the other piece
of that too, Shelley, is the
00:19:40.06\00:19:43.82
importance of getting into
scripture and finding out who
00:19:43.86\00:19:47.56
God really is. So many people I
00:19:47.59\00:19:51.16
meet have this illusion
00:19:51.19\00:19:53.16
of this
tyrannical God and that's
00:19:53.19\00:19:56.19
why this is such a passionate
00:19:56.23\00:19:59.16
subject for me that God just
pours Himself out for us over
00:19:59.20\00:20:04.80
and over to prove His love,
to prove His desire for our
00:20:04.84\00:20:09.31
happiness, to prove how he wants
to bless us and I want to help
00:20:09.35\00:20:14.31
dispel this idea that there is
this tyrannical God that is out
00:20:14.35\00:20:18.87
to just cut us off at the knees
every time we do something that
00:20:18.91\00:20:22.99
might offend Him. That just
isn't true. You know, God wants
00:20:23.02\00:20:27.24
to come along side of us as
we allow Him to, but God is a
00:20:27.28\00:20:31.15
gentleman. He's not going to
force Himself on any of us. But
00:20:31.19\00:20:34.57
as we allow God to He wants
to come along side and empower
00:20:34.60\00:20:39.53
us and enable us and walk with
us and help us in this journey
00:20:39.57\00:20:44.47
of life. Did you
grow up in the Adventist
00:20:44.50\00:20:47.29
church? When I was
a young teenager, as
00:20:47.32\00:20:50.04
a child I did not. We had
some knowledge of the Adventist
00:20:50.07\00:20:54.21
church but we actually didn't
start attending church until
00:20:54.25\00:20:59.20
when I was about 12 or 13.
But I did go to church with
00:20:59.23\00:21:04.14
girlfriends prior to that.
00:21:04.18\00:21:05.46
I know that in the denomination
00:21:05.49\00:21:08.30
in which I grew up which was not
00:21:08.33\00:21:11.07
Adventist I was taught
00:21:11.11\00:21:14.02
basically... the picture of God
00:21:14.05\00:21:17.64
the Father that was painted
for me was that He was this
00:21:17.68\00:21:21.70
tyrant who was watching
me ready to zap me when I did
00:21:21.74\00:21:25.83
anything wrong. Now see I grew
up in a church that did preach
00:21:25.86\00:21:31.11
Christ crucified and I was
in love with Jesus Christ, but I
00:21:31.15\00:21:36.05
feared the Father, not with a
healthy fear, not that perfect
00:21:36.09\00:21:40.96
fear, the perfect love
that drives out fear, but with a
00:21:40.99\00:21:44.41
trembling fear and it
was Hebrews 1:3 that changed
00:21:44.44\00:21:49.71
everything as far as me seeing
the picture of God. It says that
00:21:49.75\00:21:55.47
Jesus Christ is the exact
expression of the Father's
00:21:55.50\00:22:01.34
nature and when I thought
about how tender and loving and
00:22:01.37\00:22:07.33
compassionate and patient that
Christ was and I realized this
00:22:07.37\00:22:13.29
is God in the flesh. He is
the exact representation, the
00:22:13.33\00:22:17.36
outflowing, the affluence of
the nature of God, it changed my
00:22:17.40\00:22:22.54
whole outlook toward the Father.
00:22:22.57\00:22:24.41
Oh absolutely. You can go
back to the example that I just
00:22:24.45\00:22:27.49
shared a few minutes ago about
the children sitting on the
00:22:27.53\00:22:31.31
sofa. I mean, what kind of a
Father would we have if that's
00:22:31.34\00:22:35.37
the kind of life we lived
and we felt that way and we were
00:22:35.41\00:22:39.25
under such fear that God
was going to hurt us every time
00:22:39.28\00:22:43.05
we made a wrong move. How could
we be happy children of God?
00:22:43.09\00:22:46.82
And how could we be good
witnesses, because who would
00:22:46.86\00:22:49.99
want to have
that kind of a Father?
00:22:50.03\00:22:51.76
It occurs to me there are
several scriptures in the Bible
00:22:51.79\00:22:56.03
that say that God keeps
covenant with those who keep
00:22:56.06\00:23:00.90
keep covenant with
Him. So part of our covenant
00:23:00.94\00:23:04.51
contract with him is to
walk in obedience that He's
00:23:04.54\00:23:09.37
empowering us to. Sometimes
people get this idea of
00:23:09.40\00:23:13.93
obedience as being a duty.
I think of the privilege of
00:23:13.97\00:23:18.46
obedience. But it's
more than just obedience,
00:23:18.50\00:23:22.95
it's that personal relationship.
Derry, I know from just
00:23:22.98\00:23:26.98
the short while that I've
known you that you have a strong
00:23:27.01\00:23:30.97
personal
relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:23:31.01\00:23:33.18
How did you develop that
and how do you maintain that?
00:23:33.21\00:23:38.44
I developed it by personalizing
00:23:38.47\00:23:42.75
scripture, Shelley. I mean it's
00:23:42.78\00:23:44.54
that simple. Before I learned
personalization of scripture
00:23:44.58\00:23:49.65
which proves God as a personal
God. I Bible studied, I read,
00:23:49.68\00:23:54.74
I thought I was living a
Christian life and I was to
00:23:54.78\00:23:59.28
some effect but I didn't
know Jesus Christ as me personal
00:23:59.31\00:24:02.96
Savior. I thought that miracles
were just for missionaries
00:24:03.00\00:24:05.97
across the sea, you know.
I didn't realize I could live
00:24:06.01\00:24:10.76
a life of miracles every day.
But I had developed not only
00:24:10.80\00:24:16.06
the need to commune with God,
and commune is a two-way street,
00:24:16.09\00:24:20.52
you know. You can't just talk
to God. You have to be willing
00:24:20.55\00:24:24.95
to listen to God until you
recognize his voice and you
00:24:24.98\00:24:28.32
know that when you recognize
his voice you need to follow
00:24:28.36\00:24:31.63
that voice. That has come
by my daily devotionals, it's
00:24:31.66\00:24:35.81
come by claiming
promises daily, it's come by
00:24:35.85\00:24:38.73
journalizing
and in my journal...
00:24:38.77\00:24:41.01
That's so amazing. No
wonder we were such friends.
00:24:41.05\00:24:44.12
We didn't discuss this
but no wonder we were such
00:24:44.15\00:24:47.15
fast friends because your
track and my track... I mean
00:24:47.19\00:24:51.28
that's exactly the way the
Lord led me was to claim his
00:24:51.31\00:24:54.53
scriptures and personalize
them and pray them back to
00:24:54.56\00:24:58.57
Him, to sit at His feet and
listen and learn that prayer
00:24:58.61\00:25:02.58
was a two-way communication,
to journal my prayers.
00:25:02.62\00:25:05.57
I mean if people haven't
tried this they don't know
00:25:05.60\00:25:08.52
what they're missing do they?
00:25:08.55\00:25:09.72
I get more out of my
time with God when I journal.
00:25:09.76\00:25:13.37
Maybe it's because I can
listen better because I'm
00:25:13.40\00:25:16.97
really listening
to hear what He says.
00:25:17.01\00:25:18.72
You're focused
better. It filters out all the
00:25:18.75\00:25:21.69
distractions. And
then you write that down
00:25:21.73\00:25:24.60
and you can go back to it
later. So I love the journaling
00:25:24.63\00:25:27.25
because when you have
down times then you can go back
00:25:27.28\00:25:29.98
and you can read what
God has said to you and the
00:25:30.01\00:25:32.53
lessons you've learned or
the answers to prayers that
00:25:32.57\00:25:35.05
you've had and it's
buoying you know during
00:25:35.09\00:25:38.86
some of those
more difficult times.
00:25:38.90\00:25:40.50
I know we're getting
kind of near our closing time
00:25:40.53\00:25:44.46
and I just wanted to
share my own covenant story
00:25:44.50\00:25:48.13
if I could for a minute.
When I went back to school
00:25:48.17\00:25:51.72
I was several months
into doing my school work and
00:25:51.75\00:25:55.23
I was trying to prioritize
things in my life and it was
00:25:55.26\00:25:58.47
always God first, my
family next and then my studies.
00:25:58.51\00:26:01.00
But I was getting by
with very little sleep, just
00:26:01.04\00:26:03.83
a few hours a night and
God would just fill me and
00:26:03.87\00:26:06.91
refresh me and revitalize
me. But during that period
00:26:06.94\00:26:09.94
of time I certainly
didn't take on any extra
00:26:09.98\00:26:12.32
responsibilities at home;
doing deep cleaning or you
00:26:12.35\00:26:15.44
know, I just did the
nominal things so that I could
00:26:15.48\00:26:19.23
concentrate and focus. It
was Mother's Day and my two
00:26:19.27\00:26:23.41
precious boys, two of my
sons, came in and brought me a
00:26:23.45\00:26:27.56
Mother's Day gift and
it was a parakeet. They had
00:26:27.60\00:26:31.00
heard stories of when I
had had a parakeet when I was
00:26:31.04\00:26:34.05
a very young girl and all
these fun things that I had
00:26:34.09\00:26:37.07
done with this bird. But
I tell you truly when they
00:26:37.10\00:26:40.05
brought that parakeet
in to me at that moment
00:26:40.08\00:26:41.83
although part of me was so
thrilled I thought to myself
00:26:41.87\00:26:45.85
oh no, one more thing
to take care of. How am I
00:26:45.88\00:26:51.21
going to do this. I was
so overwhelmed I just looked
00:26:51.25\00:26:54.93
at the children and I just
said Oh I can't believe you
00:26:54.96\00:26:58.39
did this, because I
couldn't you know, and I didn't
00:26:58.43\00:27:01.85
know what else to say.
I'm usually pretty spontaneous
00:27:01.88\00:27:06.01
about coming up with names
and I couldn't come up with
00:27:06.05\00:27:09.77
a name for this parakeet
for three days. Three days
00:27:09.81\00:27:13.22
into having this little
bird in desperation I sat down
00:27:13.25\00:27:16.63
with a baby book and I
started going through the
00:27:16.67\00:27:19.05
alphabet. As I was in about
the Cs looking for a decent
00:27:19.08\00:27:22.63
name for this bird I
thought I heard God say Homer
00:27:22.66\00:27:26.65
and I said Homer, Lord that's
a horrible name for a bird.
00:27:26.68\00:27:31.79
God said, Really, look it
up. When I looked it up it said
00:27:31.82\00:27:37.11
sacrifice covenant. And
God said your sons sacrificed
00:27:37.15\00:27:41.60
for you to get this bird,
you're sacrificing to obey me
00:27:41.64\00:27:46.06
and I covenant with
you to see you through.
00:27:46.09\00:27:48.28
Praise the Lord.
We're out of time.
00:27:48.31\00:27:50.58
Derry, thank you for
being here and I just want to
00:27:50.62\00:27:53.79
thank our
audience for joining us
00:27:53.82\00:27:57.87