Living in response to God

Glory to God!

Yesterday was very special as the Lord invited us to have fellowship with Him in worship and Communion. We spent time simply enjoying God's presence, making room for Him to minister to us and realising our union with Him. Hallelujah!

The Lord spoke to us about living in faith and how it relates to living in the fear of the Lord. This is what He showed us:

• Both living in the fear of the Lord and living in faith are the believer's response to God. Heb. 11:7
• The believer can believe that Jesus exists and is present but still not respond to Him in faith!
• To live in faith is to rely on the presence of Jesus. When the disciples were caught in a storm on the lake and Jesus slept in the boat, they were afraid even though Jesus was with them because the did not have faith and rely on Jesus. Mark 4:35-41
• To live in faith is to respond to the presence of Jesus. The woman who suffered from bleeding was the only one in the crowd that received healing from Jesus because in faith she responded to His presence. Mark 5:24-32
• To live in faith is to revere the presence of Jesus. When Jesus came to His hometown He could not do many miracles because the people became familiar with Him and did not honour and revere Him. Unbelief is opposite to the reverence that comes from faith! Mark 6:1-6
• Paul exhorts the Corinthians to test whether they are in the faith and to see whether their lives are a response to Jesus in them. 2 Cor. 13:5

We praise God for His revelation to us!

On Saturday, Alexander Blair led a one day seminar on Prophecy and many were blessed as they were taught, trained and equipped in the basics of prophecy. We are excited about what God is developing in KLF and for the school of prophecy that He is leading us to start to help the Body of Christ in Frankfurt to have a biblical and spiritual foundation in the prophetic.

Our small team from KLF is presently in India for a two week missionary trip to support and be part of the work and evangelistic meetings that Hermon Living Water Ministries is heading (more info here...). People are being saved and healed as they encounter the presence of God and hear the Good news. One man came to one of the evangelistic meetings dragging himself on his hands in the morning and in the evening he walked on stage! Yesterday the team baptised 126 people who had counted the cost to follow Jesus and decided to live their lives in response to Him! Glory to God!

Quote of the week:

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realise that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test?" 2 Cor. 13:5

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Walking with God

Glory to God!

On Sunday the Lord spoke to us about reflecting His presence in the difficult and troubled times that the world is increasingly finding itself in. Looking at the example of Noah, the Lord showed us how Noah feared the Lord. This is what God showed us:

• Noah's faith influenced his life as he aligned himself to God and His purposes.
• Noah was spiritually aligned and therefore mentally focused, emotionally connected and physically engaged.
• Noah's faith came out of his walk with God as he lived his life in the fear of the Lord.

As the Day of the Lord hastens on, the Church must reflect the presence of God as she walks in the fear of the Lord and lives by faith.

We praise God for continuing to teach us to fear Him. Lives are being changed in His presence and we are excited about the ever-increasing manifestation of His presence, power and love! Hallelujah! This Saturday Alexander Blair will be leading a Prophecy Seminar. For more info click here

Quote of the week:

"By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith." Hebrews 11:7

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Imitating Christ

Glory to God!

As we continue to learn about what it means to fear the Lord we are increasingly experiencing God's tangible presence! Hallelujah! Yesterday the Lord showed us how Jesus feared God while He was on earth.

• Jesus "made himself nothing" to model the life that the sons of God are to live on earth. Phil. 2:6-8; Heb. 2:14,17
• Jesus lived as a man on earth in complete dependency on God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Luke 4:14,18,19; John 5:19, 30; 8:27-29; John 14:9,10; Acts 10:38
• As followers of Christ, we are to be like Jesus. John 17:18; 1 John 2:6; 1 Cor. 11:1; 1 Peter 2:21; Eph. 5:1,2

• Jesus as the Son of man, feared God. Isaiah 11:1-3
• Jesus relied on the Father, responded to the Father and revered the Father.
• Jesus lived from the Father, because of the Father and for the Father.
• Jesus lived to reveal the Father (godliness) and to be in communion with the Father (fellowship) to do the Father’s work (co-labour).

1. Jesus spent time with the Father. He went to a solitary place. Luke 4:42; 6:12,13; Mt 6:6
2. Jesus communed with the Father continuously (Father-conscious). John 8:29; 11:41,42
3. Jesus never lived independently of the Father. John 8:42
4. Jesus watched what the Father was doing. John 5:19,20
5. Jesus listened to the Father. John 5:30; 8:26
6. Jesus only spoke the will of the Father. John 7:16-18; 14:24; John 12:49
7. Jesus obeyed the Father. John 8:55; Heb. 5:8-10; Matthew 26:39
8. Jesus lived to please the Father and not man. John 5:44; 8:29

Looking at the account of Jesus' raising Lazarus from the dead, the Lord showed us how Jesus lived in the fear of the Lord. John 11:1-44

• Jesus did not react to circumstances but depended on the Father's will and timing. John 11:4-8
• Jesus lived in the light of the presence and knowledge of the Father. John 11:9,10
• Martha had faith for the past and faith for the future but Jesus wanted her to have faith for the present to be able to see God's presence and glory. John 11:21-26
• Jesus said, "I am the Resurrection and the Life"; the One who is now! Jesus wants His people to be aware of His present reality and presence.
• Just as Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, so the believer is resurrected spiritually. John 11:43,44
• Even those who have been born again may still need to be released from bondage just as Lazarus had to be loosed from his grave clothes. John 11:44

• Jesus demonstrated a life that responded to the "invisible". Heb. 11:27
• Likewise, the believer who fears the Lord will have changed his life motive from self to God.
• To live in the fear of the Lord is to therefore live in God-consciousness rather than self consciousness and live in the awareness of God and His Kingdom (the invisible).

To grow in the fear of the Lord, the believer must follow the example of Christ and,

1. Spend time with God. Matthew 6:6
2. Grow in God-consciousness. Psalm 139
3. Stop living independently. 2 Cor. 5:15
4. Be alert to what God is doing. Eph. 5:15-18
5. Be alert to hear what God is saying. John 10:3
6. Find out God’s will to speak it. 1 Peter 4:11
7. Find out God’s word to obey it. Rom. 12:1,2; James 1:22
8. Live to please the Father. Eph. 5:10

God's presence was wonderful yesterday and people received life and were set free as the Holy Spirit ministered to us. Glory to God!

This Saturday, Voice in the City (Suzette Hattingh and Gayle Claxton) have organised a meeting to encourage and equip the saints and we are looking forward to a powerful time in God's presence. For more info click here...

We are also looking forward to an exciting seminar on prophecy and the prophetic that will be led by Alexander Blair on the 26th February. For more info click here...

Quote of the week:

"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him —
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD —
and he will delight in the fear of the LORD." Isaiah 11:1-3

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In His Presence

Glory to God!

We are continuing to learn what it means to fear the Lord and yesterday God spoke to us about revering His presence. This is what He showed us:

• The one thing that distinguishes God's people from the people of the world is God's presence in and with His people. Exodus 33:12-17; 2 Cor. 6:16-7:1
• To live in the awareness of God's presence and in response to Him is to fellowship with God. 1 John 1:3; 2:24,25,27; 3:6
• As King David sought to bring back the Ark of God so the Church must seek the presence of God. 2 Sam. 6:1,2
• As the Ark was carried on a "new cart," so the Church, which is created new in Christ, is the habitation of God. 2 Sam. 6:3,4; Eph. 2:22
• As David and the people of Israel celebrated before the Lord, so the Church can rejoice in the presence of God. 2 Sam.6:5; Psalm 16:11
• God's presence must be honoured and never treated as common! 2 Sam. 6:6,7
• The Church must not confuse avoiding being "religious" with irreverence! 2 Tim. 3:2
• The Church must honour what God considers holy. 2 Sam. 6:9
• In God's presence there is blessing. 2 Sam. 6:10-12
• God wants the Church to revere His presence no matter what the cost. 2 Sam. 6:13-15
• Religious people are more concerned with appearances than responding to God's presence. 2 Sam. 6:16
• Just as David prepared a tent for the presence of God, so the believer must prepare his tent to be the habitation of God's presence. 2 Sam. 6:17; 1 Cor. 3:16,17
• The believer's response to the presence of God will be generosity! 2 Sam. 6:18,19
• When the presence of God is the believer's priority, he will "dance before the audience of One." 2 Sam. 6:21,22
• The believer must remain in God's presence and revere His presence to be fruitful. 2 Sam. 6:23; John 15:4

As a church, we are pursuing the presence of God and seeking to live continuously in His presence. Consequently we are learning to live in the fear the Lord as we rely on, respond to, and revere His presence.

In the evening we had another special opportunity to minister God's presence to the poor and needy in Frankfurt at our monthly soup kitchen. Glory to God!

Quote of the week:

"God wills that we should push on into His presence and live our whole life there."
A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

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