A timeless promise

"I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you." - Gen 17:7

Although this verse has been used umpteen times in sermons, time and again it has not failed to remind me that the God that covenanted with Abraham is still the same God that is walking with me today. Such faithfulness, such consistency only leaves me with greater awe for my God. On the other side of the covenant, I am also reminded that it is mine to keep and uphold. In the same manner that the Lord has spoken to Abraham, he also said to "walk before me and be blameless" (Gen 17:1)

"If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell." - Matt 5:27

For a brief moment, I hesitated to put up this verse, but I decided that I needed to put me up as a reminder to myself. As a young man, I have my struggles with lust, more so than the other laws that have been preached in the passage, and, if there is any one verse that speaks to me most outrightly, Matthew 5:27 would be it. Much as the stance against sin is hard-lined in this verse, I know that is God is full of compassion and love, and that He will provide the grace to help me to repent and appear blameless before Him when I turn my heart completely to Him.

PRAYER:
Dearest Father in Heaven, would you help me to be blameless in all my ways before you, as being so will bring you no greater joy and pleasure.

Although it has been only been barely six days since I've renewed my Covenant with God on the eve of 2009, I find myself quickly falling short of His grace and hence I'm putting up the Covenant that I have made with God that night to serve as a regular reminder for me to uphold the Covenant.

Lord, make me what You will. I put myself fully into Your hands: put me to doing, put me to suffering, let me be employed for You, or laid aside for You, let me be full, let me be empty, let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and with a willing heart give it all to Your pleasure and disposal.

Forgive my unfaithfulness in not having Your will, for You have promised mercy to me if I turn to You with my whole heart. I here from the bottom of my heart renounce them all, covenanting with You that no known sin shall be allowed in my life. Against Your Will, I have turned my love toward the world. In Your power I will watch all temptations that will lead me away from You. For my own righteousness is riddled with sin, unable to stand before You.

Before all heaven and earth, I here acknowledge You as my Lord and God. I take You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for my portion, and vow to give up myself, body and soul, as Your servant, to serve You in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life.

Lord Jesus, I do here on bended knees accept You as the only new and living Way, and sincerely join myself in a covenant with You. O blessed Jesus, I come to You, hungry, sinful, miserable, blind, and naked, unworthy even to wash the feet of Your servants. I do here, with all my power, accept You as my Lord and Head. I renounce my own worthiness, and vow that You are the Lord, my righteousness. I renounce my own wisdom, and take You for my only guide. I renounce my own will, and take Your will as my law.

I do here covenant with You, O Christ, to take my lot with You as it may fall. Through Your grace I promise that neither life nor death shall part me from you.

I do here willingly put my neck under Your yoke, to carry Your burden. All Your laws are holy, just, and goo.d I therefore take them as the rule for my words, thoughts and actions, promising that I will strive to order my whole life according to Your direction, and not allow myself to neglect anything I know to be my duty.

O God, You know that I make this covenant with You today without guile or reservation. If any falsehhood should be in it, guide me and help me to set it aright. And now, glory be to You, O God the Father, whom I from this day forward shall look upon as my God and Father. Glory be to You, O God the Son, who have loved me and washed me from my sins in Your own blood, and now is my Savior and Redeemer. Glory be to You, O God the Holy Spirit, who by Your almighty power have turned my ehart form sin to God. O mighty God, the Lord Omnipotent, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, You have now become my Covenant Friend. And I, through your infinite grace, have become Your covenant servant. So be it. And let the covenant I have made on earth be ratified in heaven. AMEN.

Postscript: The last I've checked there were no copyright to the bulletin, so I took the liberty to put the Covenant prayer up here. Any copyright infringement of the publication is purely unintended.