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God's 3 Covers!
(Ever noticed God likes 3's, 5's, 7's and 40's? It's not smart to get too wrapped up in numerotology, but these observations cannot be denied, and there are degrees of truth in such throughout the Bible, as long as we don't start setting dates on our own, which is not wise at all!)
Most people are covered in their beds by 3 layers: 1) A Sheet, 2) A Blanket of some kind and a 3) Comforter or Bedcover or Quilt.
Every local church, and thus every believer, NEEDS three kinds of covers:
1. Pastor Cover
2. Prayer Cover
3. Praise Cover
Without these three covers, the enemy will find a crack or crevice to exploit.
Without these three covers, a believer cannot become whole and mature. Try as they may their own way, many Christians will never reach their full potential in the Lord because they neglect one or more of these covers.
WITH these 3 covers there is warmth and safety!
WITH these 3 covers a Christian can grow at an exponential rate. If any one of these covers is missing in the believer's life, then their spiritual growth will be stunted at best.
Without these 3 covers the Christian makes an easy target!
When I was a child I got in trouble with mom if I didn't make up my bed before leaving for school. Question: HAVE YOU MADE UP YOUR SPIRITUAL BED BY APPLYING ALL THREE COVERINGS to your life?
1. PASTOR COVER
Someone long ago wisely observed, "WHEN GOD HAS A PLAN, GOD HAS A MAN!"
Every local church must be birthed by a SET MAN.
Every local church must be sustained by a SET MAN.
Not everyone is SET into the body of Christ as a leader. According to 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Ephesians 4:11, GOD HAS SET only some into the church to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.
It is NOT healthy when a church is led by a WANNA-BE(s) instead of a CALLED-TO-BE.
Likewise it is NOT healthy for a church to be run by a lay board of some kind composed of men and/or women who are not called and separated by God to the Gospel ministry. Pastoring is a HIGH CALLING, not a chosen profession!
Similarly, it is NOT healthy for a church to establish a pastoral search committee and go without a called and anointed pastor for months or years on end.
God didn't so love the world that He sent a committee! He sent His Son! Committees and teams may have their place, but a true MAN OF GOD must be in place for a local church to move forward!
Don't kid yourself, watching Christian television or watching a satellite feed from another church is NOT THE SAME as showing up in person and receiving an impartation from your pastor face to face. We are commanded in the book of Hebrews to ASSEMBLE! Watching is NOT assembling! Viewing is NOT ASSEMBLING! Face to face is where the ultimate impartation occurs!
2. PRAYER COVER
The pastor must be in constant prayer over his flock and his city and/or region. 1 Samuel 12:23 (KJV) - Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way.
The members must be in constant prayer for their pastor and leaders. 1 Thessalonians 5:25 (KJV) - Brethren, pray for us. 2 Thessalonians 3:1 (KJV) - Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you. Hebrews 13:18 (KJV) - Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.
Their must be regular CORPORATE INTERCESSORY PRAYER offered up to God by small groups, staff, and by the whole church. Intercession for the local church. Intercession for the city or community. Intercession for the region. Intercession for the state. Intercession for the nation. Intercession for the nations of the world. Isaiah 62:6-7 (KJV) - I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, 7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (KJV). I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. Matthew 9:38 (KJV) - Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
3. PRAISE COVER
Worship in spirit and truth INVOKES the very tangible presence of God... The Shekinah Glory!
Just because a church uses contemporary music doesn't mean they are engaged in true worship.
Worship is a HEART THING and a YIELDEDNESS THING! Many today confuse style of music with worship. But one can have all the right sounds and right lyrics, but unless the congregants are trained in heartfelt praise and worship it is just an empty shell! Heartfelt worship is not necessarily hype or emotion, but it is sincere expression to the Father.
For every acceptable sacrifice of praise and worship their is a divine response! If there are never any divine responses in a church service, something is wrong! Either the saints are not worshipping wholeheartedly, or the leaders are placing a lid on how the Holy Spirit can manifest in response to any given service.
Sad to say that many leaders and many congregations QUENCH the presence of God and won't let the Spirit move in their midst. Sometimes they do this out of fear of the extreme. (They've seen abuses so they overreact!). Sometimes they do this out of doctrinal legalism and dryness. And other times they do this unwittingly, not on purpose, but out of pure unfamiliarity with the manifest presence of God and what to do with it when it comes! LOL!
Praise is THE PLOW! Judah means "praise" or "plow." Praise cleanses the atmosphere over a church and over individual believers. Praise breaks up the fallow ground in people's hearts and releases God's presence in a real and tangible fashion.
Without a church moving in cutting edge praise and worship - letting God show up and show out in the services, a church is at a huge disadvantage!
While we praise and worship with reckless abandon, God ambushes our enemies as in 2 Chronicles chapter 20.
If we truly worship we are AUTOMATICALLY placed in a position of unity and ONE ACCORD. We CANNOT get into unity with one another by our own power and cleverness. We only possess unity with one another as we come into unity centered on Him! As we sing the same thing with sincerity out of our hearts, we are AUTOMATICALLY brought into unity with one another... effortlessly! Trying to legislate unity by uniformity is an exercise in futility! Only PRAISE COVER can accomplish this! We're not talking about man's own unity and cooperation here, but SUPERNATURAL UNITY that can only be generated by the Lord Himself!
Praise GOES BEFORE US like a wedge, making a way where there was no way before!
Praise disinfects the atmosphere around us! Casting down imaginations, pulling down strongholds, casting out demons!
Praise invites the GLORY! And GLORY makes the work of God easy... a sheer pleasure.
It's when we work without the GLORY, that serving Him becomes arduous. But the MANIFESTED GLORY IN OUR MIDST and on our lives is the oil that smooths and softens the work!
Too many don't WAIT before they WORK!
Too many don't LINGER before they LABOR! (Thus they become subject to burnout!)
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