covering · opened—an opening of eyes that ushered all of humanity into a world of iniquies....

KINGDOM DOMINION MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL

DR. JOSEPH & MRS MERCY OLOWE - HOSTS

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COVERING

Part NINETEEN Continued

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Kingdom Dominion Ministries IntʼlK I N G D O M F R I E N D S | | 0 5 1 2 2 0 2 0

“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard

of my Father I have made known unto you.” (John 15:14-15 KJV)

INTRODUCTIONOver the last couple of months, we have been considering the 8 quali�es which are intended to cumula�vely produce COMFORT in any rela�onship. Here are the 8 quali�es again:

1. COMPANIONSHIP 2. COMPASSION3. COVERING 4. CORRECTION 5. COMMITMENT 6. CONFIDENCE 7. CONNECTION 8. CARRIAGE

We have been able to look at COMPANIONSHIP and COMPASSION extensively considering their purpose, power and provision. Today, we will begin to consider the third quality: COVERING.

THE PURPOSE OF COVERINGCompanionship and compassion, as we have established, are meant to be founda�onal to any rela�onship. They provide a good basis for the next quality we are about to consider: COVERING. For us to study this quality effec�vely, it is highly impera�ve to understand the meaning thereof.

First, what is a COVER? According to the English dic�onary, a 'cover' speaks of placing something over or upon something else, as for protec�on, concealment, or warmth. It speaks of protec�ng or concealing something with a material or to bring (something) upon oneself. To put it succinctly, it speaks of shielding what will otherwise be exposed.

The interes�ng fact is that everyone needs a covering at one point or the other. It does not ma�er whether you are rich or poor, we all have areas of our lives that need to be shielded from avoidable exposure. There are three major types of covering that we will focus on in this episode, namely: SPIRITUAL covering, HUMAN (or bodily) covering and MATERIAL covering. I am yet to meet anyone who doesn't need these three types of covering at one �me or the other in their life�me.

1. SPIRITUAL COVERING In Genesis 3:10, Adam said to God, “l heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” What a profound statement! All along, Adam and Eve have been enjoying their fellowship with God and not one �me did they know that they were naked un�l a�er they ate the forbidden fruit. Genesis 3:8 tells us, “the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” For the first �me ever, this special couple realized that they were naked.

Of course, they have been naked all along but they did not realise it because their nakedness was covered. How? In a sense, it was covered by companionship and compassion. Right from the beginning, we were told that God will come in the cool of the day to have fellowship with them; they enjoyed an unhindered companionship with God. Besides, in His compassion, God planted a garden eastward in Eden and provided them with all they could ever need.

The devil, however, was successful in piercing through this covering by his tricky manoeuvres and this couple—and all of humanity in their loins—fell and became naked and uncovered. Their eyes were




opened—an opening of eyes that ushered all of humanity into a world of iniqui�es. Naturally, by reason of the nakedness they felt, both Adam and Eve a�empted to make a covering for themselves, but they found out that the covering they made did not make them feel covered. As they procreated, they gave birth to children who are born 'naked' and desperately in need of a spiritual covering.

How are you covering your spiritual nakedness? Paul brilliantly establishes in the first three chapters of his classic epistle to the believers in Rome that there is no human a�empt at covering that spiritual nakedness that had ever been or can ever be adequate. Judaism, nominal Chris�anity (church membership), Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Baha'i Faith, Jainism, Shinto, Confucianism, Rastafari, Taoism, Tradi�onal African Religions, Tenrikyo, Chinese folk Religions, Modern Paganism, Gnos�cism, Hellenism, Atheism and many other a�empts at covering this spiritual nakedness all fall short!

As a result of their nakedness and insufficient covering, Adam and Eve quickly realized how vulnerable they were. They eventually lost their house (the first foreclosure in history) making them not only spiritually naked but also materially naked. While God Himself made them a covering (as Genesis 3:21 tells us) of 'coats of skins', it became obvious that was neither an adequate covering for their soul albeit a symbol of the true covering that is to be made manifest in the fullness of �me, even Christ.

Indeed, at the appointed �me centuries down the line, Christ came and He paid the ul�mate price for the spiritual covering which all of humanity needs. This covering found in the finished work of Christ on the cross of Calvary has become an important ingredient in Kingdom Friendships because it takes a friendship in which both of you are spiritually covered to yield the kind of eternal comfort that friendships are intended to provide. That is the kind of friendship where both of you can effec�vely help one another to develop into the FULL MEASURE OF CHRIST.

Apostle Paul reminds us that all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (no thanks to Adam and Eve). In other words, all of us are spiritually naked and in need of a spiritual covering. Jesus came to provide this as a free gi� of God—eternal life in Christ Jesus. It is the only sure covering for our spirit and soul. And as we come to realise our individual nakedness and receive this blessed covering, let us, out of compassion and companionship, locate others in our world and introduce them to this same free gi� of priceless covering! This is what Andrew did a�er he met Jesus.

“One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being

interpreted, the Christ.” (John 1:40-41 KJV)

2. HUMAN COVERING “Two are be�er than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9 KJV)

This scripture introduces us to another dimension of covering. It underscores the fact that one person cannot provide adequate covering for himself or herself. The Preacher went on further to tell us the importance of this covering which comes by way of companionship and compassion:

“For if they fall, the one will li� up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm

alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:10-12 KJV)

We will never know how crucial this kind of covering is un�l we fall vic�m of a circumstance beyond our control. A story in the bible that readily brings this to light is the story of Noah's brief episode of drunkenness. Noah never intended to expose his nakedness but it all started with a drink. And them some more. And some more… As the story unfolded, he became naked and the episode ended with him placing a




curse on one of his sons.

The main take-away from the story is that we will always need someone to cover us when we are down. While we may never struggle with such alcoholism that will expose our nakedness as was the case with Noah, we all have various struggles which makes us feel vulnerable and exposed. At such �mes, how precious are the gi�s of friends who can be to us as a covering!

In Noah's story, there were three people who had the opportunity to cover his nakedness; while two chose to do so, one chose to mock. He would rather expose his father's nakedness even more so that he could amplify the shame. He ended up being cursed. The other two sons (Shem and Japheth), however, did four instruc�ve things in covering their father's nakedness:

a. They took a garment.Human covering is so important that without it many have commi�ed unimaginable acts that led them down the nega�ve spectrum of life. The first thing to know about human covering is that if you don't have it, you can't give it. These two sons 'took a garment' to cover their father's nakedness because 'they had it already'. Indeed, if you a�empt to give what you don't have, both of you will end up more vulnerable. For you to be able to offer genuine and las�ng covering spiritually, you must be born again; and to give human covering, you must be in a posi�on to do so physically and mentally.

b. They went backwards.In providing human covering for a naked brother or sister, it is very important to walk 'backwards'. By this, I mean that our immediate and primary goal must be to get their nakedness covered, not to busy ourselves with wan�ng to have all the details about why and how they became naked. Indeed, such details may prove helpful but our resolu�on must be to walk backwards to help that man or woman lying helplessly regardless of what brought them down.

c. Their faces were backwards .In other words, they were careful not to judge or condemn the naked person (in this case, their dad). If we approach the naked with our faces looking forward at them, we may naturally tend towards being judgmental and condemning and this can become an obstacle to us hindering us from moving forward to cover their nakedness. This, however, is not to urge us to act blindly, but to act cau�ously and graciously, not by judging the situa�on before having all the facts. Whatever you do, act with your heart and not your sight.

d. They never saw the nakedness of their father.In other words, the focus of their vision was not on the 'nakedness' but on 'covering it'. This must be our approach, too.

Of course, at the end of the day, Noah recovered from his nakedness—and people do get over whatever knocked them off. However, when it's all said and done, they will not forget who did what. Blessed are those that cover the nakedness of others, and woe to those who mock at the nakedness of others without doing anything about it.

3. MATERIAL COVERING To put it simply in the language of our contemporary world, material covering speaks of 'money'. Was it not the wisest man that ever lived who said “MONEY ANSWERS ALL THINGS”? If we put it in context, we will discover that he has a point. Material covering, therefore, addresses financial nakedness. We are all exposed to different degrees financially, some�mes as a result of our own doing, some�mes as a result of circumstances beyond our control, and some other �mes, as a result of genera�onal misalignment.

The story of Mephibosheth (son of Jonathan) comes readily to mind. While Jonathan and David were in�mate friends, Jonathan unfortunately died on the ba�lefield leaving a young son behind. However, as a




result of the companionship he shared with David in his life�me and as a result of David's compassion, the son that Jonathan le� behind enjoyed material covering.

Mephibosheth's nurse had mistakenly dropped him while the news of his father's demise became public and the boy became lame from his waist down. However, when David finally rose up to power, he remembered him and brought him to the palace and gave him a seat at the king's table, providing adequate resources to care for him for the rest of his life.

“And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. And the king said

unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo–debar. Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of

Ammiel, from Lo–debar. Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's

sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table con�nually. And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a

dead dog as I am?” (2 Samuel 9:3-8 KJV)

When you provide material covering for a purposeful person, you are simply moving them from Lodebar (A PLACE WITHOUT PASTURE) to the palace. You are providing pasture. May God make you and I this kind of person who is so blessed that (s)he becomes a blessing to others, providing them with pasture, in Jesus' name.

CALL TO ACTION— Are you spiritually naked?— Are you humanly naked?— Are you materially naked?— Are you in a place to provide these types of covering to others?— Do you have what it takes spiritually, emo�onally, and physically to provide any type of covering?

Think on these things and we will pick up from here next week.

PONDER THIS: “WHEN DID WE SEE YOU NAKED?”“Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison,

and ye came unto me. When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?” (Ma�hew 25:36, 38 KJV)

Jesus specifically men�oned 'covering for nakedness' in this parable to remind us that providing a covering to others is an act that touches the

heart of God. Endeavor to be a covering to someone today.

Shalom.

PRAYER POINTS1. Father, in my points of vulnerability and exposure, send me kingdom-minded people who will cover my nakedness in Jesus' name.2. Lord, as You con�nue to bless me, make me an instrument of covering to others as well, in Jesus' name.

PS: PLEASE DO NOT FORGET OPERATION TEN SOUL FOR 2020. Reach out or pray for ten souls to be added to the Kingdom in your area. God bless you as you do so.

PS: You can download the illustrated PDF of this episode here: h�ps//hisdominion.org/resources

covering · opened—an opening of eyes that ushered all of humanity into a world of iniquies....

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