Monday 21 May 2012

From Faith to Faithfulness

Glory to God!

Yesterday the Lord spoke to us about faithfulness and this is what He showed us:

Faithfulness is not valued in the world.
The spirit of this world encourages independency and faithlessness. Psalm 21:1; Matthew 4
God's people must overcome the spirit of this world with the opposite spirit!
God is faithful and the fruit of His Spirit is faithfulness. Ex.34:6; Lam. 3:22,23; Gal. 5:22; 2 Tim. 2:11-13
God's faithfulness is revealed in that,
  • He has committed Himself to His people. 1 Cor. 11:23-26
  • He doesn't give up on us. Heb. 13:5
  • He does not treat us according to what we deserve. 2 Cor. 5:19
  • He is always gracious toward us. 2 Cor. 12:9
God commends those who are faithful. Gen. 5:24; 6:9; Numb. 12:7; 1 Ki. 9:4 etc
Faith can be temporary but faithfulness is permanent.
God wants His people to move from faith to faithfulness.
God's people are called to imitate Him and be a faithful people who,
  • commit themselves to God, His people and His purposes
  • don't give up on God, His people and His purposes
  • don't treat God, His people and His purposes according to what they think they deserve
  • make every effort to be continuously gracious 
Without faithfulness there is no temptation - commitment is costly.
Faithfulness produces suffering as our faithfulness is tested. Heb. 2:18; 5:8
God's people can consider the testing of their faith as an opportunity to grow in faithfulness. James 1:2
Faithfulness is a choice! Psalm 119:30

Let us move from faith to faithfulness and be prepared to suffer the consequences of living unconditionally for God, His people and His purposes.

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:

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22,23

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Monday 14 May 2012

Responding to God

Glory to God!

Yesterday's meeting was very powerful as we encountered God in worship and interceded for others in His presence. The Lord is speaking to us about living the Kingdom life wherever we are and showing us what it means to live a holy life, set apart for God and His purposes.Yesterday the Lord showed us that God's holy people are sanctified by faith in God and His Word.

  • Faith is the conviction of both the present and future reality of God and His Kingdom. Heb. 11:1
  • Faith is not based on what is seen but on the invisible. Heb. 11:1; 2 Cor.4:18
  • True faith is always accompanied by a response to God's presence and His Word. John 14:15

The believer's faith is as real as his response to the presence and will of God!

  • Faith without action is dead. James 2:26
  • Jesus responded to the present reality of the Father. He did what the He saw the Father doing and spoke what He heard the Father saying. John 5:19,30
  • Christ's obedience to the Father set Him apart to become the Author of salvation. Heb. 4:8-10
  • Christ sancified Himself to be able to sanctify those who would believe in Him. John 17:19
  • Through faith and obedience to God's presence and His Word, the believer lives a holy life. John 17:17; 1 Peter 1:14-16
  • As God's holy people we are called to live the Kingdom life - a life set apart by our response to God's presence, His Word and the hope of Christ's return.

We praise God for His revelation to us and for setting us apart for His glory!

This week we are praying for the city of Frankfurt to be protected from the planned "Blockupy" protests that have been accompanied by vanadalism and violence in the past. As God's people we are standing together against the forces of darkness that seek to destroy our city! 

Quote of the week

"I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but hat you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified." John 17:14-19

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Monday 7 May 2012

Kingdom Authority

Glory to God!

The Lord is teaching us what it means to live the Kingdom Life wherever we are and He has been showing us that to live the Kingdom life is to be holy just as God is holy (1 Peter 1:15). Our Sunday meetings have been very powerful as God has been revealing His holiness to us and helping us understand and experience His holiness so that we know what it is to walk in holiness.

These past two Sundays the Lord has shown us how holiness relates to our relationships with one another and with God. Walking in holiness means aligning ourselves with God's will and purpose on earth as it is in heaven. God is calling His people to return to His Kingdom order so that relationships and families are restored. In particular the Lord is calling the men in the Church to take up their godly roles and responsibilities as the head of the family to restore holiness to the family and society. In a powerful sermon on God's will to restore our families and to heal the brokenness and hurts caused by ungodly fathers and men, Alexander Blair revealed the Father's heart to realign His people to His will for the family and relationships with one another.

Yesterday the Lord spoke to us about what it means to be a holy people and God's purpose for holiness. This is what He showed us:

  • God is holy and He calls His people to be holy. 1 Peter 1:15
  • As God's holy people we have been purchased with the blood of Jesus to be God's possession. Rev. 5:9; 1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Pet. 2:9
  • Living in holiness means living as God's possession. As God's possession, we belong to God and are set apart for Him and His purposes. 2 Cor. 5:15
  • God calls His people to live holy lives so that He is revealed to the nations. Ezek. 36:23-32
  • Jesus walked in holiness as He walked in complete submission to the Father; therefore revealing the Father and walking in the authority of the Father. Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:21-28; 1 John 3:7-10
  • Living as God's possession reveals the believer's absolute submission to God's authority and therefore the believer is able to walk in God's authority to overcome the works of the devil. Mat. 10:1,7,8; Luke 10:9, 17-20; Luke 11:14-28; John 17:14-19
  • Unless the believer walks under authority, he cannot walk in authority! Luke 7:1-10
  • Disobedience gives Satan a foothold that hinders God's authority and power in the believer's life. Eph. 4:26,27; 1 John 3:21-24
  • Living as God's possession is demonstrated by the believer's life -  his attitude toward authority, his use of his body, time, money, and resources. 
  • Living as God's possession means every part of the believer's life belongs to God - the believer lives as a steward of what God has entrusted to him.
  • God's holy people therefore tithe, fast, abstain, share, give, etc. 1 Cor. 7:5; Mark 9; Isaiah 58
  • The purpose of living as God's possession is to reveal God and overcome the kingdom of darkness!

We praise God for showing us what it means to live the Kingdom life so that God's Kingdom is manifested on earth as it is in heaven through His holy people. 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:

"You are a chosen people, a royal priesthod, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9

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