From The Pastor’s Desk
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Bishop Randy Barnett, Oklahoma
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COVENANT VS
RELIGION
The
covenant we enjoy with God is a wonderful thing indeed! Our covenant
relationship with Him makes us one of His children, and that is a tremendous
thing to contemplate. Just think about it – you and I are His kids!
Of course,
you know the devil is not exactly happy about your covenant with God, and he
does everything in his power to disrupt it and to undermine your faith in God
and in His faithfulness to you through the covenant. That is why it is
mandatory for you to rise up and exercise your spiritual authority over him,
using the power of God to drive him from you. You must not listen to his
deception.
I believe
one of the most effective weapons used by Satan against believers is this thing
called religion. Religion is actually the enemy of our covenant with God. In
fact, religion is counterfeit relationship. A look at the Pharisees of Jesus’
day reveals what religion is really all about. It emphasizes performance and
works, and it attempts to gain righteousness through them. It places manmade
traditions and church “doctrines” above truth in direct violation of the nature
of God. To the religionist the well-being of people is secondary to proper
religious protocol and practices; there is an over-emphasis on sin rather than
on the love and the grace of God. Religion is actually man-centered rather than
God-centered. Our covenant with God is a simple and beautiful relationship that
is based on mutual love and trust.
A study of
Church history reveals that as religion was given place within the Church, the
power of God that flows through a personal relationship with God has continued
to diminish. Now, the result is an organized religion distinguishing itself as
the Church. The real Church does indeed still exist, but it exists in the heart
of God and is comprised of His family members who stand in covenant with Him.
The Church is simply people, regardless of denominational affiliation or
peripheral doctrinal beliefs. The Church is still powerful through the Spirit
of God who indwells us, and we continue to be the conduit through which God’s
power and love flows to this earth-realm.
You and I
must clearly understand this evil thing called religion and work hard to
destroy it and to displace it with truth within the Church. The truth is this,
we stand in covenant with God, and that means we are family members and
religion has no place in a family environment. We must grasp the dynamics of
family living rather than adherence to certain church practices and codes of
behavior that are of little value. We must rise into the revelation that we are
the righteousness of God in Christ; we are not just sinners saved by grace; we were sinners and we are now saved by
grace. (That is a huge difference!) We must open the truths of the blood
covenant so the power of that knowledge can keep us from deception that cloaks
religion. We can do this since we are anointed by the Spirit of God to do His
work within His Church.
I encourage
you to stay before God in the Spirit until you receive rhema about your covenant with God and about this enemy called the spirit
of religion. I declare that this evil spirit will bow its knee before
the Lamb of God and His Church will arise in His glory and this veil of
ignorance will be cast off. Amen.
Randy Barnett Ministries
