Communicating God

Glory to God!

The Lord is continuing to show us how to live the Kingdom life wherever we are. Yesterday the Lord spoke to us about three principles of the incarnation that apply to the Church. This is what He revealed to us:

• Jesus is the incarnation of God - the embodiment of the essence of God. Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3
• Jesus took on the form of man to communicate God to mankind. Phil. 2:6-8; Heb. 2:17
• Christ's purpose was to lead people into "the way of peace." Luke 1:79
• The incarnation involves three principles: essence, form and purpose.
• The apostle Paul lived an incarnate life as he carried the Truth (essence), and became all things to all men (form) so as to lead people into "the God-saved life" The Message (purpose). 1 Cor. 9:19-23
• The Church is called to be uncompromising in essence and flexible in form so as to lead people into the way of peace.
• A religious people are inflexible in form and create a barrier between the believer and the world.
• The Church is called to communicate the Truth (essence) in whatever way (form) so as to reach the lost and the needy with God's love (purpose).
• Looking at Gary Chapman's "Five love languages" we saw how people communicate love (essence) in different ways (form) in order to impart love to others (purpose).

The Church is called to be uncompromising in essence and flexible in form so as to reach people with the Father's love.

Quote of the week

"Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life." 1 Cor. 9:19-22, The Message

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Being light in the darkness

Glory to God!

Yesterday we had a brilliant time with God and one another as we worshipped together and enjoyed a BBQ together after the service. It was a wonderful opportunity to get to know one another a bit more and to meet new people to the church.

The Lord spoke to us about not just looking like a Christian but being a Christian in this world. Looking at the life of Jesus here on earth we noted the following:

• Jesus left His place of glory and entered the darkness of mankind. Luke 1:78,79; John 1:1-9
• Jesus came as an ordinary man. Isaiah 63:1-6; Phil. 2:6-8; Heb. 2:17
• Jesus changed His form to reach into the darkness. John 1:14
• Jesus came to reveal the Father and to minister the Father's love to man. John 17:26
• Jesus' priority was not to look like a religious leader but to communicate the Father's love to man.
• God calls the Church to be flexible in form but uncompromising in essence - we are called to reveal God and communicate His truth and love but in a way that won't separate us from the darkness but rather enters the darkness for man's sake and God's glory.
• The Church must not be so rigid in form that the form becomes a barrier to reaching into the darkness.
• The apostle Paul was flexible in form but uncompromising in essence. 1 Cor. 9:19-23
• The Church is called to be incarnational - the embodiment of God's truth and love. John 1:14
• When the Church becomes a sub-culture because of its form, it's form becomes a barrier to reaching the lost. 
• When the Church is flexible in form but uncompromising in essence, she can reach into the darkness with God's truth and love to bring people to the path of peace. Luke 1:78,79

We praise God for His revelation to us and for helping us to be light in the darkness as we live the Kingdom life wherever we are.

Quote of the week

"Because of God's tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace." Luke 1:78,79

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Reflecting God's Glory

Glory to God!

Yesterday's meeting was wonderful! As ambassadors of the Kingdom of peace we agreed with heaven and gave glory to God and proclaimed peace on earth (see Luke 2:14). The Lord then showed us that His desire for us is to not only have peace with God and man but to have peace with ourselves. This is what He showed us:

• Man is made in God's image. Gen. 1:27
• Adam, as the pattern of Christ, revealed God and could walk with God in His glory. Gen.2:25; Rom. 5:14
• Sin distorted the image of God in man and caused man to become negatively self-conscious. Gen. 3:10
• Sin caused man to fall short of the glory of God and to veil the image of God in man. Rom.3:22,23
• Jesus came to reveal God's image and to restore mankind to his original state. Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3; 2 Cor. 5:17; 2 Cor. 4:3-6

• God reveals Himself by revelation. Matthew 16:17
• As the believer receives revelation and knowledge of God so God reveals who s/he is! Matthew 16:18
• The greater our knowledge of God, the greater our knowledge of who we really are as we are created in His image!
• In Christ, the believer is restored to the image of God and is transformed into the fullness of His likeness from glory to glory. 2 Cor. 3:17,18
• In Christ, the veil is removed so that the believer can accept and approve of who he is and see that it is good. Gen. 1:31
• God wants His children to see themselves as He does and to stop being negatively self-conscious.
• God removes shame as His people stop judging themselves negatively and begin to love themselves as God loves them. Matthew 22:39

We praise God for His awesome revelation to us and for helping us to be at peace with ourselves as we appreciate how we are made in His image and are made new in Christ to reveal Him and glorify Him.

In the evening we had another opportunity to minister to the homeless and poor in Frankfurt at our monthly soup kitchen.

Important dates

19.08. - Church meeting and BBQ at CZF

05. - 07.10 - Church retreat at Rot am See

Quote of the week

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Cor. 3:18

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Walking in Supernatural Peace

Glory to God!

These past two weeks the Lord has been speaking to us about His supernatural peace. He has been showing us that because He is the God of peace, His Kingdom is a Kingdom of peace! Consequently Jesus came as the Amabassador of the Kingdom of peace so that God's peace would rule and reign on earth as it is in heaven (Is.9:6,7). Jesus came to introduce a heavenly and supernatural peace in which His people could enter into by faith (Matt. 11:28-30; Heb. 4:1-11). This peace is divine and surpasses human understanding (John 14:27; Phil. 4:5-9). The peace of God is the shalom of God that is the agent of sozo (salvation, healing and deliverance). Shalom essentially means to be whole, and it is the shalom of God that leads the believer into full salvation (sozo). Last Sunday we saw that God wants us to walk the way of peace (Rom. 3:17; Luke 1:78,79; Eph. 6:15). The believer can walk the way of peace by trusting in Christ, the Prince of peace and fixing his eyes on God (John 16:33; Acts 10:36; Rom.15:13). God's presence and peace go hand in hand so that as the believer remains God-conscious, he can abide in supernatural peace (Ex. 33:14; Is. 26:3).

Important date

19.08 - Church BBQ @ Eastsite 15, Salzschlirferstr.15, F-Fechenheim

Quote of the week

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3

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