The Kingdom of Grace

Glory to God!

The Lord is speaking to us about living the Kingdom life wherever we are. For us to live the Kingdom life, we need revelation of the nature of God's Kingdom and yesterday the Lord showed us that His Kingdom is a Kingdom of grace! Looking at Romans chapter 5, this is what He showed us:

1. Adam's sin caused all of mankind to become sinful by nature. Rom. 5:12-14
2. The symptom of the sinful nature is sin which leads to death. Rom. 5:12-14
3. The consequence of man's sinful nature is judgment, condemnation and death. Rom. 5:16
4. God dealt with the root of the problem as well as the symptom - He dealt with man's sinful nature as well as the fruit of that nature by giving us His Son. Rom. 5:8,15
5. Those who trust in Jesus receive a new nature! God replaces the old sinful nature with a righteous nature so that those who are in Christ become righteous by nature. Rom. 5:17; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21
6. The gift of righteousness provides the believer with wonderful privileges! 

The Privileges of Righteousness

1. The believer has access to God's abundant grace. Rom. 5:2; Heb. 4:16
2. The believer can stand in God's abundant grace. Rom. 5:2
3. Grace reigns in the believer's life. Rom. 5:21
4. Grace empowers the believer. Heb. 13:9; 2 Tim. 2:1
5. Grace enables the believer to overcome temptation and sin (Titus 2:11-14; Rom. 2:4) and to reign in life (Rom. 5.17).

• Just as Jesus came full of grace and truth, so the believer is to produce the fruit of the Kingdom of grace. John 1:14, 16, 17
• The key to being gracious like Christ is to live in intimacy with the Father. Just as Jesus came from the Father's heart full of grace, so the believer must stay close to the Father's gracious heart (Gr. kolpos = bosom, heart). John 1:14, 18; 13:23

We become gracious as we are soaked 

in the gracious presence of God!

We praise God for His wonderful revelation to us and for His amazing gift of righteousness and grace! Hallelujah!

Important dates and events:

  2 June: G.O.D. (Global Outreach Day). Click here for more information

17 June at 3pm: KLF meeting @ EFG Frankfurt-Nordwest (Haeberlinstr.3, F-Eschersheim)

  8 July at 3pm: KLF meeting @ EFG Frankfurt-Nordwest

Quote of the week:

"When the king smiles, there is life; his favour refreshes like a spring rain." Proverbs 16:15

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Producing a Kingdom Crop

Glory to God!

Yesterday the Lord spoke to us about the heart being the key to the Kingdom of God. The Father showed us that the condition of our hearts will either hinder the manifestation of the Kingdom or produce the fruit of the Kingdom.

A merciful heart

In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus is asked by an expert in the Law who his neighbour is. Instead of answering the expert's question, Jesus questions the condition of the lawyer's heart by asking, "Which one of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" (Luke 10:36). The lawyer's question as to who his neighbour is, revealed a judgmental and unmerciful heart. Jesus addresses the condition of the lawyer's heart and commands him to be merciful (Luke 10:37).

A generous heart

Likewise, those who ask how much they should be giving or tithing are asking the wrong question. It is not about how much we give but about the condition of the heart, whether it is generous or not. Those with a generous heart will seek to reveal the Father's generous heart. The early Church produced the fruit of the Kingdom as they "had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need" (Acts 2:45). The right heart reveals the Kingdom of God and the Lord's generous heart.

A hard heart

The Lord then showed us that many find themselves in the desert, not because He is testing them but actually because they are testing God with their hard hearts. In Hebrews 3:7-4:11, we read about those who had unbelieving and disobedient hearts that could not enter God's promise of rest because of the hard hearts. The condition of the heart that wanders in the desert is rebellious and unbelieving. Those, however, with hearts of faith that submit to God, enter the finished work of God and enter the Lord's rest. The condition of the heart will determine whether we enter the Kingdom of God and enjoy the finished work of God or whether we will remain in the desert, unbelieving and disobedient.

A good heart

Looking at the parable of the sower in Luke 8:4-15, the Lord then showed us what hinders the manifestation of His Kingdom and what produces the harvest of His Kingdom. The hard, unbelieving and disobedient heart receives the word but because of the condition of the heart, the devil snatches the Word out of the heart. The Word that is sown in the heart that is shallow and doesn't allow God's Word to penetrate deeply, has no effect in the person's life. The Word that falls on a heart that is focused more on the concerns of their circumstances and the pleasures of this world is quenched and cannot produce the fruit of the Kingdom. However, the heart that is good, is a heart that is teachable and submissive and receives the Word, clings to it and perseveres with it until a harvest is produced that is a hundred times more than was sown! The believing heart therefore receives the Word and holds onto it until the fruit of the Kingdom is produced.

A submissive heart

The Lord also spoke to us about our heart attitude toward authority. He showed us that what we are in the natural is a reflection of what we are in the spirit. John addresses the same issue in his first letter when he writes, "For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen" (1 John 4:20). A loving heart loves God whom we don't see and others whom we do see. Likewise, those who genuinely call Jesus, "Lord" have a submissive heart toward authority in their lives and honour those whom God calls them to honour. If the believer does not submit to natural authority, how can he say he submits to the authority of the Word and the Lord? Either we have a rebelious heart or a submissive heart. The way we treat those in authority reveals the condition of our hearts.

A good heart receives God's Word, submits to its authority and clings to it until it produces the fruit of the Kingdom that is a hundred times greater than what was sown!

We praise God for His revelation to us and for helping us enter His rest and produce the fruit of His Kingdom.

Important dates and events:

  2 June: G.O.D. (Global Outreach Day). Click here for more information

17 June at 3pm: KLF meeting @ EFG Frankfurt-Nordwest (Haeberlinstr.3, F-Eschersheim)

  8 July at 3pm: KLF meeting @ EFG Frankfurt-Nordwest

Quote of the week:

"But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, 
who hear the word, retain it, 
and by persevering produce a crop." Luke 8:15

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Good Seed

Glory to God!

Yesterday's meeting was very powerful indeed. As we worshipped in song, the Lord was present to heal and the Father ministered healing to many who responded in faith. God's Kingdom was being manifested in our midst! The Lord then spoke to us about living the Kingdom life wherever we are and this is what He showed us:

• Jesus mainly spoke of the Kingdom of God. Matthew 4:23; 6:33; Acts 1:3
• Those who are "born from above" become "sons of the Kingdom." John 1:13; 3:1-8; Matthew 13:38
• Just as the farmer sows good seed into the field to produce good fruit, so Jesus positions the sons of the Kingdom in the world to produce the fruit of the Kingdom. Matthew 13:23,24; 37,38; 21:43
• The sons of the Kingdom are like yeast as they influence and overcome the kingdom of darkness with the Kingdom of God. Matthew 13:33
• In order to overcome the spirit of this world, the believer must overcome it with the Spirit of the Kingdom. 1 Cor. 2:12; Rom. 12:21; Gal. 5:16
• Unless the believer is overcome with the Kingdom, he will not overcome with the Kingdom! Unless the believer is influenced by the Kingdom, he will not be able to influence with the Kingdom.Rom. 12:14-21
• In order to be an influence for the Kingdom of God, the believer must see the Kingdom, enter the Kingdom and manifest the Kingdom. John 3:1-8
• Seeing the Kingdom means having our minds and our hearts focused on the Kingdom. Col. 3:1,2
• Entering the Kingdom means entering the experience of the reality of God's Kingdom. Rom. 14:13
• Manifesting the Kingdom means producing the fruit of the Kingdom: peace, joy, righteousness, love, mercy, grace, truth, etc..

As sons of the Kingdom we are sown in the world to influence like yeast and produce the fruit of the Kingdom.

We praise God for showing us what it means to live the Kingdom life wherever we are.

In the evening we had another opportunity to influence with God's Kingdom as we ministered to the homeless and needy at our monthly soup kitchen. After sharing the good news of the Kingdom, many responded by giving their lives to Jesus and being born from above! Hallelujah!

Important dates and events:

2 June: G.O.D. (Global Outreach Day). Click here for more information

17 June at 3pm: KLF meeting @ EFG Frankfurt-Nordwest (Haeberlinstr.3, F-Eschersheim)

8 July at 3pm: KLF meeting @ EFG Frankfurt-Nordwest

Quote of the week:

"The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom." Matthew 13:37,38

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