Apprehended By Grace: Who's Your Covering?

Apprehended by Grace: Who’s Your Covering?

January 7, 2013 So here goes with our third email regarding our convictions and beliefs in 2013 for Rivers of Eden. I am posting these to walk forward as a ministry with renewed strength, momentum, and clarity.  Day by day I am feeling strengthened by focusing on our foundation and establishing our purpose. Thanks to all of you who are reading these.

Our ‘covering’ is and always will be Jesus Christ. It is not an institution, a denomination, or an apostolic network.

Our accountability, our fellowship, and our lives are intertwined with those whom God brings to us and with whom we walk alongside in ministry. God has been faithful to bring people to us by His Spirit. He establishes us in relationship with wonderful people. We have forsaken the erroneous idea of “covering” in favor of Spirit led connections, formed for the purpose of walking in destiny in Christ.

We are not ‘covered’ by any man or institution. Only God can ‘cover’ and we already are in Christ. In fact, we are more than covered. We are in union with Christ. We are in Christ in the reality of the finished work of the cross and the shed blood of Christ Jesus.

In speaking forth our clear convictions above, let me say this. One is not rebellious, dishonoring, or disrespectful because one forsakes the erroneous concept of ‘covering’. One is not forsaking authority or true Biblical submission when one forsakes the erroneous concept of ‘covering’. The word ‘covering’ and the implications conveyed by the question “Who is your covering” is wrong.

This ministry is founded on relationship – each of us in Christ in God. Then we are accountable in relationship with each other. There is mutual submission one to another in humility and grace on our small teams in Finland and Canada. There is honesty, imperfection, disagreements, love, frustration, and even disappointment among us. This won’t change as God brings more people. Our belief about ‘covering’ by man will also never change. Accountability will flow from relationship – it always does and always will. Rivers of Eden is a ministry in Christ in relationship with one another. In grace, not law. With authority, not control or manipulation.

‘Covering’ to some implies that a minister or ministry is safe. ‘Covering’ to some implies submission and accountability to one another in the safety of a structure or institution. Nothing can be further from the truth. God designed relationship in Christ. Man designed ‘covering’. I was a pastor for several years with a major denomination. Underneath the facade of ‘covering’, I often saw hidden secrets swept under the rug and abuse in many situations. There is no safety just because one is ‘covered’ by a denomination or network.

There is no need to belabor this point any longer. The purpose of this email is to cement the very foundation of Rivers of Eden as we walk forth into 2013 and beyond. And in saying all that I have said above, I realize how much freedom is becoming apparent in my life. God is incredibly wonderful!

In Christ

Debra Westbrook