Defining covenant relationships and their role in the Kingdom of God

Relationship mean a lot of things to a lot of people. There are many different kind of relationships. We have close relationships and not so close relationships, and everything in between. Whether you are a complete pagan or a Christ declaring believer, everyone longs to be relationally connected. Relationships are the vehicles that God created to exchange love, acceptance, and affirmation into His people. However, because love deals with the heart, relationships can be just as dangerous and disappointing if we do not understand the dynamics and kingdom protocol on how we properly relate to each other. God initiates covenant relationship on order to accomplish His desire and purpose on the earth. This is the biblical wineskin God uses to mediate His Spirit (wine).

Biblical references for this value:

A. Defining covenant

Covenant is the means in which God connects himself relationally and carries out His purposes. Knowing this, we need to define what covenant really is:

1. The Hebrew words for covenant are ‘b(e)rith and ‘hesedh’ they mean “to bring together.” The term is as agreement between two parties in which they pledge themselves in loyalty to one another. It differs from the modern concept of contract. Covenant is a bonding of the heart, not an external obligation. It deals with the inward “will”. Covenant literally means “to cut”. It refers to the splitting of an animal and the spilling of its blood as the symbol of a covenant agreement(the bond) between two parties. The clear meaning is that the shedding of blood is the extent to which each party will go in order to maintain their relational commitment. All covenants are established in blood. GOd revealed this with Adam, Abram, Moses, and now through Christ. If a covenant is broken by one of the parties, all covenants will be reestablished by the blood of the innocent in an attempt to pursue relationship with the one who betrayed covenant.

Defining Covenant Relationships:

1. Covenant relationships are a "by product" of a covenant relationship with God himself. Through the blood of Jesus we have an intimate relationship with Father. We respond to His initiation through obedience to His ways. Mt 22:37 " Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all our soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." When we obey this commandment we put loving God above any other relationship. In loving and fearing God, we lose co-dependence from others. This creates a healthy demand free environment for people to relate.
2. Covenant relationships have the sovereignty of God woven into center of them. They are initiated by God for the purpose of His glory. If God is not at the center of these relationships, they are vulnerable to the extremes of co-dependence or indifference. In the same way we did not pick our natural family, we also let God pick our spiritual family.
3. Covenant relationships are a result of the second commandment. Mt 22:39 "And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself." God demands reciprocity of His divine love, mercy, and forgiveness through the cross. Walking in forgiveness and love is not optional. In fact, if we do not walk in this way God says He will not forgive us. (Mt 6:14-15) Our forgiveness from God is conditional to the forgiveness we extend to those close to us....something to ponder! The cross must always be between people.
4. Covenant relationships are a means to an end for the great commission. (Mt4:19) "Follow Me , and I will make you fishers of men." These relationships facilitate a missional purpose. The family becomes a unified army.
5. Covenant relationships have biblical government. Elders (spiritual mothers and fathers) oversee and bring biblical government to those entrusted to them. Without proper authority and divine order, irresponsible relationships and behavior goes unaccounted for.
6. Covenant relationships have both responsibilities and rights. However just like in anything, the doorway to the rights must be responsiblity! If a person wants the right and priviledge of driving a car, they must show themselves to be to be competent in the abilities to drive, and prove their responsibility to the state in a driving test.

Responsibilities-The doorway to Kingdom Relationships

• To live passionately for the glory of God/ Fear of the Lord/ Lifestyle of worship
• To hear from the Lord who God desires you come into covenant with for His purpose
• Unconditionally forgive and walk in mercy towards others
• To love others deeply from the heart
• Receive truth in love/ speak truth in love
• Deal with offense and conflict in a biblical manner/ not tri-angulate
• Keep accounts extremely short at all times/ communicate in a timely manner
• Live a lifestyle that is pleasing to the Lord/ constant pursuing of the Lord
• To desire things from people and not demand them/ nobody owes you anything
• To be a part of the solution and not just give opinions passively
• Honor and respect God's delegated leadership in your life
• To be responsible to those God directs you to. (give out, disciple)
• Confess sin/ maintain accountability in your own personal life.
• Embrace and serve the kingdom vision of the covenant family/ 2 visions is division
• Bring tithes and offerings to the apostles feet-biblical protocol
• Pursue your own healing and deliverance/ sanctification
• Embracing servant hood and humility/ considering others more highly than yourselves
• Communicate any concern or danger to leadership

Rights

• Be accepted and loved unconditionally
• Be fought for
• Be taught the word and ways of the Lord
• Be protected from heresy and ungodly leadership
• Be equipped for your calling and life
• Be prayed for
• Receive encouragement and hope
• Feel welcomed and received
• Be heard without judgement
• Partake in the corporate favor or discipline of the Lord
• Receive ministry as God directs
• Enjoy the fellowship with other believers
• Express and carry the glory of God through your gift mix
• Be Christlike in your character

The "message" and the "means"

Hey everybody!

Well this our first ever blogsite. I know this isn't like Kortni and I to do somehing like this but I have had this desire in my heart to dialogue about this Kingdom revolution taking place around the world. I know there are literally millions of people out there who genuinely love God and desire for Him move in a way that affects everything around us (especially us as individuals). But usually in our pursuit of the Lord we find ourselves getting "stuck" in a "traditional model" of church that fosters pacivity and superficiality. This tends to make us spectators rather than legitimate sons and daughters who move in spirit as a lifestyle conducting the life of Jesus 24-7 .

I believe one of the key reasons we have not seen a great expression of this magnitude is due to the way, or model of church that we communicate the gospel. I believe that a relevant gospel demands a relevant "means" or way to express the gospel. If the "message" and the "means" are not congruent, we will find oursleves short of revealing the authentic gospel of the Kingdom that Jesus preached and died for.


PART ONE

Our starting point: God revealed as Father

• If God wanted His church to be something other than a spiritual "family" He would have called Himself something other than a "Father." I think this is critical for us to understand how God builds His Kingdom. The "means" to the message must be spiritual family! The word"Father" is a very relational term. Despite many of our natural experiences with our fathers, the term "Father" speaks volumes of how He desires Himself to be viewed. He does not want to be known as a stoic taskmaster nor some distant force that doesn't have emotions, feelings, or compassion. So if He is a Father, and we are His children, the church should not be an institution but a bonified family who loves each other covenantally from the heart. The spiritual family is an everyday community that walk out all of the "one another" passages in the New Testament. Here are some some sciptural references for the church represented as a family with delegated spiritual fathers: 1 Cor 9:2, Acts 2:42-47, 1 Cor 4:14-17, Gal 4:19, 2 Tim 1:2,18, Titus 1:4, Phil 2:19-25, 1 Thess 2:6-12.