Forgiveness

Glory to God!

The Lord is speaking to us about living in the fear of the Lord and as we live from God, because of God and for God, we will bear the fruit of the Spirit. As believers in Christ Jesus we are joined to God and to His people to manifest God's nature and will on earth as it is in Heaven. As the believer is rooted in Christ, he will bear the fruit of God's love.

Yesterday the Lord spoke to us about forgiveness and how the believer is required to forgive others as he is forgiven by the Lord. God's unfailing love (Agape) is revealed through forgiveness and those who are rooted in God's love are those who forgive. The Lord showed us three principles that reveal His heart and the urgency for believers to forgive one another:

1. Forgive those who sin against you. Matthew 6:12
2. Forgive and be forgiven. Matthew 6:14
3. Don't forgive and you won't be forgiven. Matthew 6:15

Forgiving others bears witness to the power and love of God at work in our lives!

We praise God for teaching us how to love as He loves us and for the revelation of His unfailing love! Hallelujah!

We are looking forward to our Healing Presence Seminar from 10 - 13 November with Dr Richard Maybery. Click here for more details.

Quote of the week:

"Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget." Prov. 19:11 (MSG)

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Passionately Committed

Glory to God!

Jesus is building His Church and of the increase of His government there will be no end. Jesus is reigning over His Kingdom forever because He is passionately committed (zealous) to accomplishing his purposes (Isaiah 9:6,7; Matthew 16:18,19)!

Through faith in Christ, the believer becomes part of God's purposes on earth. The believer is joined to the Lord and to His people and is delivered from a state of separation to a state of union with God and His Body, the Church (Eph.2:12-22; 3:10,11). Tragically there are believers who return to their original state of separation from Christ and His Body! In Revelation 2 we read,

"But I have this complaint against you. You don't love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first." Rev. 2:4,5

In the original Greek, Christ is literally saying, "You have divorced your First love and His Body!" The believer's first love is Christ and His Body, the Church. One cannot separate one's relationship to Christ and one's relationship to His Body. Our relationship to God's people reflects the reality of our relationship to God Himself (see Matthew 25:31-46; 1 John 4:19-21). Those who separate the two walk in deception (see 1 John 2:9-11).

Yesterday the Lord showed us how the dismembering or divorce process can happen in one's relationships, whether it be husband and wife, believer and local church, brothers and sisters in Christ etc.

The Dismembering Process

Delightfulness phase

In any new relationship there is much excitement and joy. Everything seems "ideal" and all apparent "faults" are overlooked. This is a wonderful phase of new beginnings and great expectations.

Drabness phase

As one gets to know one another, one can gradually become familiar with one another and take one another for granted. During this phase things become a little boring and common. 

Disapppointment phase

As one stays in relationship one realises that the other person or people are not perfect. One begins to recognise that the other person is imperfect and the first grumblings and criticisms arise.

Disillusionment phase

As one continues in a relationship there comes a point when one recognises that there is no such thing as an ideal partner and one's unrealistic expectations are exposed. The bubble is burst and one becomes disillusioned.

Dilemma phase

At this point one realises one is faced with a choice. Either one works through the imperfections or one runs away. This is a crisis phase and the decisions one makes at this point will determine the outcome of the relationship!

Dislocating phase

If one decides to give up on the relationship and walk away, one first becomes independent and dislocated - one is still hanging on superficially but one's heart is already separated.

Dismembering phase

Isolation - the outcome of a heart that has decided to leave the relationship to look for a better one in the hope of finding an ideal partner. Driven by unrealistic expectations this person severs his relationship to the other in pursuit of his illusion.

Sadly the dismembering process is all too common in people's relationships in the world and in the Church! Christ's answer for those who are in the dismembering process is "Repent and do the things you did at first!"  

God is calling His people to return to their first love - 

Christ and the Church! 

To avoid the dismembering process one needs to be passionately committed to one's partner. Passionate commitment or sacrificial devotion is the driving force that will fulfill God's purposes on earth and when we passionately commit ourselves to one another, we will become part of God's eternal purposes for our relationship with Him and His people!

Passionate commitment is the key to fulfilling God's eternal purposes in our lives! 

Agape love produces lasting fruit!

We praise God for showing us how to be part of His eternal purposes and how to avoid becoming divorced from our first love!

Quote of the week:

"He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." Isaiah 9:7

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Building God's Kingdom

Glory to God!

Yesterday's meeting was buzzing with excitement right from the beginning as we celebrated our King and worshipped Him together. During a very special time with God, He ministered to His people with prophetic words and touched many people who needed healing.

The Lord is speaking to KLF about the fear of the Lord and how His people respond to Him when they fear Him. Motivated by God's love, the Lord is calling the Church to devote herself to God's presence, to God's people and to God's salvation purposes. These 3 p's are the essence of living the Kingdom life. 

In response to God's word to us, we are once again emphasising the importance of church membership as an expression of one's devotion to God's presence, people and purposes as well as the importance of belonging to a Life Group to connect with one another, to care for one another, to grow together and influence together.

The Lord then spoke to us about building His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven and this is what He showed us:

Your Kingdom come!

• The believer's daily prayer should be for God's Kingdom to come. Matthew 6:10
• God's Kingdom comes as His will is done on earth as it is in heaven. 

The nature of a kingdom

• A kingdom is made up of a king who rules and the subjects that obey their king.
• Every person belongs to a kingdom, whether it is the kingdom of Satan, the kingdom of this world, the kingdom of self or the Kingdom of God.
• Every person has someone sitting on the throne of his life and lives in subjection to that person whether it is Satan, self or God!
• The one who rules in our lives is the one we subject ourselves to and are obedient to. Eph. 2:1-3
• Jesus confronted those who claimed to have God on the throne but were subjecting themselves to another. John 8:31-51; Matthew 16:23
• Jesus expects those who have subjected themselves to His Kingdom to produce the fruit of His Kingdom. Matthew 21:43
• To worship God is to serve Him in obedience as a subject of His Kingdom. Matthew 4:10; Rom. 1:25; 1 Thess. 1:9

Conflict of the kingdoms

• Jesus is the King of kings and is Lord of all. However, we do not see everything in subjection to Him yet. Heb. 2:5-8
• Only those who live in obedience to their King, produce the fruit of the Kingdom.
• Satan tempts man to disobey God by getting man to do his own will. Eph. 2:1-3; Matthew 16:23
• The revelation of God's Kingdom requires a response. Either the believer will change the way he thinks and behaves in obedience to God's will or he will disobey and continue to live according to the kingdom of self. Rom. 8:5, 12-14
• In order not to blatantly disobey God, the believer tries to form another standard that does not accuse his disobedience (an excuse). This standard is self-created and appears spiritual but is contrary to God's revealed will. 1 Sam. 15
• God wants the believer's obedience and not a self-created "sacrifice" (spiritualised disobedience).

Spiritual Trojans

• Similarly the kingdom of self can seek to do its will in the church by veiling self with a spiritual appearance (spiritual trojan).
• Spiritual trojans will only serve in the church if they can do what they want to do and the way they want to do it. When spiritual trojans are corrected or not permitted to do their will, they become offended and accusatory because self cannot get its way.
• The spiritual servant is willing to serve God and His people in any capacity and without selfish agendas. However the spiritual trojan is only willing to serve on his own terms.

Building God's Kingdom

• God's Kingdom is established and extended in and through the believer's life as he submits to his King and obeys His will.

The Lord is showing us how our name, Kingdom Life Frankfurt, is both our identity and our purpose - to bring God's Kingdom in Frankfurt as it is in heaven as we live the Kingdom life in obedience to our King.

We are looking forward to our Healing Presence Seminar with Dr Richard Maybery and our joint meeting with Charity Church on the 13th November at Eastsite 15.

Quote of the week:

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, 

your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:9,10

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Agape

Glory to God!

Yesterday's meeting was wonderful. The Lord is speaking to us about spiritual love and this is what He showed us:

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Eph. 5:1,2

Divine love

• God is love and we are called to love as He does. Eph. 5:1,2
• The believer can only love as God loves if he remains in God and has revelation of God's divine love. 1 John 4:15-17
• God demonstrated His love through Jesus. John 3:16
• As spiritual love is contrary to the sinful nature, the believer must choose to love and live according to the Spirit. John 15:17; Gal. 5:17
• As dearly loved children we are called to live a life of love - a life that remains in love. Eph. 5:1; 1 John 4:16

The nature of spiritual love (Agape)

1. Spiritual love is costly. It cost Jesus His life to demonstrate the extent of God's love. 1 John 3:16
2. Spiritual love is intentional. The Father was purposeful and intentional in giving the world His Son. Jesus demonstrated His love and we are called to do the same. 1 John 3:16-18
3. Spiritual love is unconditional. Spiritual love is not dependent on the response of the object of its love. God's unconditional love is revealed by His unfailing and unchanging love. Rom. 5:8; 1 John 4:19
4. Spiritual love is uncomfortable. Jesus left the place of glory to live as a servant in complete obedience to the Father. Phil. 2:1-8
5. Spiritual love is inconvenient. Jesus stepped into darkness and He calls us to do the same - to enter into someone else's darkness to give impart faith, hope and love. John 1:1-14
6. Spiritual love is unpopular. Jesus made himself of no reputation and lived to please the Father and not man. Phil. 2:6-8; Gal. 1:10
7. Spiritual love is risky. We risk rejection, humiliation, being misunderstood and being persecuted.

The reward for spiritual love

• Spiriual love glorifies God. Eph. 5:2; 2 Cor. 4:15
• Spiritual love benefits the Church. 2 Cor. 4:15
• Spiritual love benefits the lost. 2 Cor. 4:15
• Spiritual love brings eternal reward. 2 Cor. 4:17

We praise God for revealing His agape love to us and for giving us knowledge of this love that passes understanding so that we are filled with the fullness of God (Eph. 3:17-19)!

In the evening we had another special time with the homeless and needy in Frankfurt at our monthly soup kitchen. 

We are looking forward to our Healing Presence seminar with Dr Richard Maybery from 10 - 13 November. All meetings will take place at KLF, Salzschlirferstr.15. 

Quote of the week:

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Eph. 5:1,2

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