Monday 12 November 2007

United in the River!

Praise be to God!

In these past 6 months the Lord has been speaking to us individually about how we can enter, stand and walk in the River of Revival. God’s fresh revelation to us has encouraged us to enter in by faith, realize the truth of God’s Word, yield to the Holy Spirit and see what a life looks like that has denied self and has yielded completely to the Holy Spirit.

Yesterday we sensed God begin a new phase in the life of Kingdom Life. The Lord is teaching us what it means to be a spiritual Body. Looking at Ephesians the Lord showed us the following:

  1. Jesus has been appointed to be the Head of the Church (1:22)
  2. Jesus has been given all authority and power over every other power and has been appointed as Head of the Church for the benefit of the Church! (1:20-23)
  3. We are being built together to become a spiritual building (2:21,22)
  4. The Lord appoints leaders to train and equip the Body so that the church reaches full maturity (4:11-16)
  5. When the Church is one in spirit and purpose, she will reveal the manifold wisdom of God to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realm (3:10.11)

In view of these truths, the Lord helped us to see what a spiritual Body isn’t and what it is. He showed us that there are 3 types of Bodies:

1. Physical-Body

A group of people that may look like a church but are really only connected by the fact that they are in the same place at the same time.

2. Soulish-Body

A group of people that are connected through the soul (mind, heart and will).

Everyone gets along as long as there is agreement in selfish mind-sets; selfish needs are met and selfish desires can be executed.

Superficial unity operates until there is an obstacle: disagreement of mind-set; selfish needs aren’t met and selfish desires are not given room to operate.

Once this soulish unity is challenged, the spirit of offense begins to poison the believers so that they must either repent and submit to God’s will, or they leave the local Body to find another soulish Body where they can fit in, or they cause division in the local Body as they poison others, or they remain passive and resort to operating like those in a Physical-Body.

3. Spiritual-Body

A gathering of people who lay down their lives for one another. These people recognize that the only thing that stops one from being one in spirit is self since there is only one Spirit and He doesn’t bring division or disagreement! So they lay down self in submission to one another so that they are one in spirit and purpose.

The Spiritual-Body recognizes that in order for the Body to reach full maturity, God appoints leaders to whom the Body must submit so that the people are equipped and order is in the house as the leader is led by the Holy Spirit to orchestrate the various anointings in the Body and “each part does its work.”

We praise God for what He is showing us and challenging us with.

God is faithful and we were greatly encouraged by reports of His faithfulness in healing people and for His provision. All glory to Him and may we continue to risk for His glory to manifest His presence, power and love wherever we go!

Yesterday evening we joined Treffpunkt Leben to feed the homeless and needy. God is stirring things up with these people and yesterday a Polish-German man gave his life to the Lord and will begin attending either TPL or Kingdom Life. Hallelujah!

Next month we will be providing food for the needy on 3 Sundays: 9, 23 and 30 December. For the Christmas dinner on the 23rd both TPL and KLF will be collecting approx. 200 shoe boxes and filling them with good things for the needy.

I praise God for the way He is truly fulfilling the vision He has given KLF to raise up a people after His own heart, marked by His presence, power and love who reach the lost by risking for His glory!


Quote of the week:

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit.” Ephesians 4:2-4

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