Established!

Glory to God!

These past few weeks, the Lord has been speaking to us about growth and fruitfulness. God's will is that we become mature and grow into the fullness of Christ and bear much fruit (Eph 4:13; Jn 15). In his message entitled "Remain unmoved!," Prem spoke to us about how the believer can grow to remain unmoved. He showed us that the journey to maturity is a process of learning to be governed from the inside out and living from the Spirit and truth of God rather than reacting to physical circumstances (see Gen 49:22-24; Acts 27:23-26 - Paul remained unmoved because he knew he belonged to God, he served God and he trusted in God's faithfulness). For the believer to mature, s/he must learn to receive, believe, feed on, meditate on and apply God's Word until s/he remains unmoved in challenging circumstances, living from the reality of God's truth over and above the natural realm (Prov 4:20-22; 1 Pet 2:2).

God's will is that we grow individually and as a church. In his sermon entitled "Principles for church growth," Richard showed us 5 principles that we can learn from how the early church grew as described in Acts 6:1-7:

1. The organisation must serve the organism - as the church grew, structures were put in place to support the ever changing dynamic of the church body as people were added and different practical challenges arose. Acts 6:1
2. Decisions must be governed by godly values - the church dealt with issues and challenges according to godly values. Acts 6:1
3. Responsibilities must be shared - the church worked together to find the right people for the right jobs so that responsibilities were shared. As responsibilities are shared, each area of ministry can be more focused and effective. Acts 6:2, 7
4. Criteria for choosing leaders must be right - people were chosen for leadership responsibilities who were already producing the fruit of being filled with the Spirit and wisdom! The fruit of people's lives determined whether they were suitable to take responsibility for any given area of ministry in the church. Acts 6:3 (see also Heb 13:7; 1 Tim 3).
5. Roles and responsibilities must be established - once the leaders were chosen by the church, the elders prayed for them and laid hands on them to establish them in their responsibility, anointing, authority and calling. Acts 6:6

In response to God's Word, the elders gathered all KLF's ministry team leaders and prayed and laid hands on them to establish them in their respective responsibilities in KLF.  Following the church service, we met as a church for our church "business" meeting in which Richard, Frances and Alexander shared what has been happening since the previous church meeting, how we are using our financial resources and what we sense God doing now and in the future. There is a definite sense that God is establishing KLF in our,

1. Identity - who we are and who those are who belong to KLF and are building with us.
2. Values - our priorities and what is important to us - that we be a spiritual, relational, maturing, healing, serving, generous, outward-focused, creative and multiplying community.
3. Organisation - the way we organise ourselves in order to support the church as a changing and growing organism.
4. Purpose - that we help people live the Kingdom life wherever they are individually and as a church both locally and beyond.
5. Position - a place where God wants us to build a home and a base where we can be a habitation for God's presence and where we can influence the local community.

We ended the meeting with a time for anyone to ask questions and it was great to feel the excitement and interest within the congregation as we respond to the Holy Spirit and move forward together.

Looking at John 1:1-13, Richard shared a message on Sunday entitled, "Indwelling Word" in which we looked at how we need to respond to Jesus and His Word in order for spiritual conception to take place in our lives. Using the analogy of our lives being our home, Richard challenged us to exmine our response to Christ or His Word knocking at our door (Rev 3:20):

• do we peek through the spy hole of the door to observe from a distance behind a closed door?
• do we invite Him or His Word in as a visitor for a temporary stay as we put on our temporary best for our temprary guest?
• do we invite Jesus and His Word into our homes to live with us so that He has access to every room in the house at all times?

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." Col 3:16

Jesus, the Living Word wants to take residence in our lives!

Upcoming meetings and events 

Christmas at KLF: 16:00 at L60 on the 24.12. No meeting on the 25.12.
5-7.05.2017: KLF's 10th Anniversary Celebration

Four Pillars of the Church

Glory to God!

As God continues to renew our thinking according to His truth and the revelation of who He is and who we are in Christ, both individually and corporately, we are growing in our inderstanding of what it means to live the Kingdom life.

As part of the series on How to live the Kingdom life, Richard spoke to us on Sunday about how God views the Church, showing us Four pillars of the Church from 1 Corinthians 12:12-28. As believers, we are joined together to God and one another to form a group of people who are connected spiritually, relationally, practically and purposefully.

Spiritual: a people connected to God and one another and led by the Holy Spirit.
Relational: a people who belong to one another and are called to live in relationship with one another.
Practical: a people arranged together by God to work together according to God's gifting and order.
Purposeful: a people who are significantly part of the fulfillment of God's vision and purpose for the church.

All four pillars must be in place for the Church to grow and be effective. We praise God for His revelation to us and for what He has purchased with the blood of Jesus - a people from every tribe and tongue for the praise of His glory (Rev 5:9,10; 1 Pet 2:9,10).

Upcoming meetings and events 

Tuesdays from 19:00 - 21:00: Bible Study - a journey through the letter to the Romans at Leipziger Str.60 (L60).
Fridays from 7:00 - 8:00: Men's Prayer Breakfast at L60
03.12.: Welcome Coffee from 15:00 - 17:00 at L60
5-7.05.2017: KLF's 10th Anniversary Celebration

Fit together

Image, human gear design by feelart, used with permission from freedigitalphotos.net

Glory to God!

As we continue to look at what it means to live the Kingdom life, the Lord is showing us that we need spiritual revelation of who He is, who we are individually in Christ and who we are as the Body of Christ.

Two Sundays ago David shared a message entitled, Fit-ness, in which he showed us how God sees the Church and how the Lord desires us to be. Comparing the Church to a bicycle, David demonstrated how God calls us to fit together (Eph 4:16); how God fits us together for purpose (Eph 4:11) and how God calls us to live the Kingdom life as those who have been fitted together (Eph 4:2-6).

On Sunday, Richard spoke to us about how God wants to transform every believer into His image as our minds are renewed according to God's revelation of who He is, who we are individually and who we are as the Church (Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 3:18; Matt 16:13-19). In his message entitled, Transforming Revelation, Richard showed us that God wants us to live in His best (His good, pleasing and perfect will) but that transformation will only come about as we live our lives according to our new identity in Christ as children of God and as the Church. Richard emphasised that we must grow in our knowledge of who we are as the Body of Christ as we seek spiritual revelation and understanding of God's view of the Church and the truth of what Christ accomplished for His Body (Eph 1:17-23; 1 Pet 2:9,10).

Upcoming meetings and events 

Tuesdays from 19:00 - 21:00: Bible Study - a journey through the letter to the Romans at Leipziger Str.60 (L60).
Fridays from 7:00 - 8:00: Men's Prayer Breakfast at L60
03.12.: Welcome Coffee from 15:00 - 17:00 at L60
5-7.05.2017: KLF's 10th Anniversary Celebration

Living in the fear of the Lord

 Image used with permission from Uwe Keller Photography

Glory to God!

As we pursue living the Kingdom life, God is showing us the why (motivation), the how (method) and the what (manifestation) of Kingdom living. A few weeks ago Richard spoke to us about the most important question every believer needs to ask himself or herself if s/he desires to truly live the Kingdom life, namely: Is Christ supreme in my life? In his message entitled The Supremacy of Christ, Richard showed us from Romans 11:36 where it is written, "For from him and through him and to him are all things" that when Christ is truly Lord in the believer's life, s/he will live from God, through God and to God. We live from God as we derive our identity, significance and security from God. We live through God as we depend on the Holy Spirit to empower us to live a godly life and we live to God as we devote our lives to God, living a life set apart for His purposes and glory.

Christ is supreme in our lives when we live from Him, through Him and to Him.

In his message entitled, "Who do you say I am?" Alexander spoke to us a couple of Sundays ago from Matthew 16:13-35 and Malachi 3:16 & 17 about the importance of what the believer says since the believer will have to give an account of what was spoken and the believer has the power to change the atmosphere wherever s/he is as s/he releases the truth of heaven on earth. Alexander pointed out that the fear of the Lord is manifested as God's people respond to the revelation of God with their speech, their behaviour and their lives.

God is calling His people to a lifestyle of holiness in the fear of the Lord 

as we respond to the revelation of His lordship and holiness.

On Sunday Frances shared a message entitled, "Trust and obey" which followed on from her message given a few weeks ago entitled, "The rewards of obedience" in which she showed us how obedience to God releases the anointing and brings pleasure to the Father. Continuing with the theme of obedience, Frances pointed out how important obedience is to God (John 14:15 & 21); how even Jesus had to learn to be obedient (Heb 5:8,9); how the believer cannot live the Kingdom life without submitting to and following the Holy Spirit; how the believer must be led by the Holy Spirit to make right choices and the believer must learn to hear God's voice, trust Him and obey Him.

"It is God's holy presence, consciously abiding in us, 

that keeps us from disobeying Him." Andrew Murray

We praise God for His revelation to us and for teaching us how to live the Kingdom life.

This coming Sunday Richard, Wesley, Elizabeth, Denis and Jane will be taking part in the Frankfurt Marathon and will be raising money for KLB's ministry to the street children and orphans in Butuan (Philippines).


Upcoming meetings and events 

Tuesdays from 19:00 - 21:00: Bible Study - a journey through the letter to the Romans at Leipziger Str.60 (L60).
Fridays from 7:00 - 8:00: Men's Prayer Breakfast at L60
03.12.: Welcome Coffee from 15:00 - 17:00 at L60
5-7.05.2017: KLF's 10th Anniversary Celebration

Living the Kingdom life

Glory to God!

It is always a very special occasion when believers follow Christ's example and obey God's will for them to be baptised. Three weeks ago 7 people testified to their faith in Christ and their commitment to follow Him as we celebrated their new lives in Christ at our baptismal service in the EFG church in Eschersheim. Frances shared a message from Matthew 3:13-17 entitled The Rewards of Obedience in which she showed us how God blesses obedience (James 1:22-25), how obedience releases the anointing and how obedience brings God pleasure. After the baptisms many people brought powerful and specific prophetic words for each of those who had been baptised. It was very special indeed!

A couple of weeks ago Prem shared a message entitled The Encounter with the Father (II) in which he spoke to us from the parable of the lost son (Luke 15:11-32). Prem focused on verses 24 and 32 and showed us why the father celebrated and how he celebrated, revealing the possessive nature of our heavenly Father and how He loves to celebrate with us as He divides the spoil with us (Is 53:12). Hallelujah!

On Sunday Richard spoke to us about How to live the Kingdom life. As an introduction to a series on Kingdom living, Richard showed us from Romans 12:1-21 that in order to live the Kingdom life, the believer must understand why s/he is pursuing Kingdom living (motivation), how s/he is to pursue Kingdom living and what Kingdom living looks like (manifestation). Looking at Romans 12, we saw that the believer must be motivated by God's mercy and that in order to manifest the life of the Kingdom, the believer must be transformed by aligning his or her thinking to God's truth and obeying his "good, pleasing and perfect will." God's word to us is a call to remember His mercy, to renew our minds and to respond in obedience to His will.

Upcoming meetings and events 

Tuesdays from 19:00 - 21:00: Bible Study - a journey through the letter to the Romans at Leipziger Str.60 (L60).
Fridays from 7:00 - 8:00: Men's Prayer Breakfast at L60
03.12.: Welcome Coffee from 15:00 - 17:00 at L60
5-7.05.2017: KLF's 10th Anniversary Celebration

Spreading God's Fire

Glory to God!

Our Mango Mission Team has returned from their trip to the Philippines and two Sundays ago they gave a report of their exciting time with Kingdom Life Butuan and of what God is doing in and around Butuan City. The team of 6 people shared moving testimonies and pictures of their time ministering together with KLB to street children, orphans, youth, prisoners in the local jail, different churches, the police at the Butuan police headquarters, pastors, leaders and people during home visits. It was exciting to hear how God moved powerfully through them to bring salvation, healing and freedom to many people and how God used them to encourage, equip and train KLB to continue their effective ministry in Butuan under the leadership of pastors Julius and Roszel Regala. The team reported how enriched they were by their visit and what a blessing it was to see God's love and joy manifested through the children they ministered to. We praise God for KLB and the wonderful work they are doing and we look forward to seeing God continue to bring revival fire to the young people of Butuan City! Hallelujah!

Jesus baptises with the Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11). On Sunday Richard showed us that the baptism of fire not only applies to Christ's return when He will come in blazing fire to judge the earth (see Matthew 3:7-12; 2 Peter 3:10-14) but also to the immersion into the fire of God's presence that is the manifestation of His holiness (Gen 3). Looking at the properties of fire we saw that just as natural fire:

• exposes whatever is beneath the surface and removes every facade or superficiality
• tests the quality of a substance to reveal whether it is genuine
• refines gold and removes all impurities
• empowers as a source of energy,

so the fire of God's Holy Spirit:

• exposes every falsehood and pretence by leading into all truth (Jn 16:13; 1 Jn 2:27)
• tests the quality of the believer's faith and work (1 Cor 3:10-15)
• refines the believer by convicting of sin and bringing impurities to the surface (Jn 16:8)
• empowers the believer as s/he fans the gift of His presence into flame (2 Tim 1:6)

Richard showed us that the baptism of fire in the believer's life serves as preparation for when Christ returns and that the believer should welcome the Holy Spirit's fire on a daily basis!

God is looking for a people who are burning with His Spirit - a holy people, set apart for His purposes who will spread His fire and be ready for His return! Hallelujah!

This Sunday KLF will be meeting in the Baptist Church in Haeberlinstr.3 in Eschersheim and not at East Site 15. We are looking forward to another special New Life Celebration as we baptise our new creations in Christ!

Upcoming meetings and events 

Sunday 18.09. from 15:00 - 17:00: New Life Celebration at Haeberlinstr.3, F-Eschersheim.
Tuesdays from 19:00 - 21:00: Bible Study - a journey through the letter to the Romans at Leipziger Str.60 (L60).
Fridays from 7:00 - 8:00: Men's Prayer Breakfast at L60
03.12.: Welcome Coffee from 15:00 - 17:00 at L60
5-7.05.2017: KLF's 10th Anniversary Celebration

Unlocking Heaven

 

Image courtesy of stockimages at freedigitalphotos.net

Glory to God!

The Lord reveals Himself to us so that we can grow in our knowledge of Him, experience Him in that revelation and imitate Him. In his sermon entitled The unmerciful servant, Richard showed us the nature of God's abundant grace and the Lord's purpose in revealing His nature to us. Looking at the parable in Mt 18:21-35 we saw the extent of God's forgiveness and how He expects His children to be like Him and how upset He is when we don't pass on what we have freely received.

In his message entitled With God there's more than enough (part 1), Alexander showed us from the account of the feeding of the 5000 in Mt 14:13-21 how God can move us from a place of scarcity to a place of abundance as we take hold of 4 principles revealed in the account. Alexander pointed out the following:

• we must understand the challenge we are facing (location, time/season, needs, resources)
• we must understand the options we have (avoiding the challenge or committing oneself to the solution)
• we need to break down the problem into managable pieces
• we must appreciate and apply the available resources

Applying these principles will help the believer unlock the resources of heaven and move him or her from a place of lack to a place of abundance!

In the second part of his message entitled With God there's more than enough, Alexander continued looking at the account of the feeding of the 5000 and showed us that God must be our source for every need; that we must give if we want to receive and that we must expect a miracle when we sacrifice what we have. God cannot multiply what we hold on to but as we rely on God as our source, release what we have and have faith in God's ability to multiply what we entrust to Him, we will see God pour out more than we can possibly ask for or imagine! Hallelujah!

On Sunday, David spoke to us from John 21:1-14 in his message entitled 153 fish and showed us how God restores us into His calling because of His desire to recommission us into His purposes regardless of whether we have failed or how we feel;  how we need to allow God to speak into every area of our lives, particularly those where we think we know it all so that God can speak into our "business as usual," and how God assures us that He will always be our Provider.

We praise God for His revelation to us and for giving us keys to unlock the resources of heaven!

Kingdom Citizens

Glory to God!

These past weeks God has been speaking to us about the Church's identity, purpose and power.

Heavenly Citizenship - In her message, Frances showed us how the believer belongs to God's Kingdom and has a new citizenship that is distinct from citizenship in the world. Frances explained how true citizenship is not just the possession of a country's passport but the revelation of the country's culture to which the person belongs that is demonstrated by one's appearance, speech, behaviour, perspective etc. Likewise, as citizens of God's Kingdom, the Church is called to reveal which kingdom she belongs to and to be distinct from the culture of the world.

Making God Famous - David spoke to us about how the world's culture is influencing the Church and how we need to identify and resist worldliness. Looking at 3 areas in particular: things, people and truth, David showed us how consumerism (always wanting the newest thing instead of valuing what one has);  people (following the most popular "celebrities") and truth (adopting the world's relative truth and tolerance that goes against God's absolute truth) are the ways of the world that the Church must resist if she is to be distinct from the world! David challenged us to be a people who reject worldliness and live to reveal God and His Kingdom wherever we are.

Supernatural Peace - In his message, Richard spoke to us about the nature of God's peace and how God wants His children to live in His peace as they fix their eyes on Him and trust in Him (Isaiah 26:3). Richard showed us that God's supernatural peace is not the absence of trouble (Jn 16:33), nor the absence of need (Phil 4:11-13), nor the absence of enemies (Ps 23:5). God's peace rules and reigns in the Church as the Prince of peace dwells in her. As we take hold of God's supernatural peace, we will overcome the world, the flesh and the devil until the God of peace crushes Satan under our feet (Rom 16:20)! The unstoppable zeal of the Lord will accomplish this (Isa 9:6,7)!

The Victor's Spirit -  On Sunday Richard spoke to us about the four qualities of Christ's victorious spirit that dwells within each believer. In his message we saw how the victor's spirit is focused (Lk 9:31), steadfast (2 Thess 3:5), destructive (1 Jn 3:8), and completes the task entrusted to him or her (Jn 5:36). We were encouraged to realise that we have received the Spirit of Jesus - His victor's Spirit, and that the Father's zeal will help us to complete His purposes for us in our generation! Hallelujah!

We praise God that He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness, made us citizens of His Kingdom of peace and given us Christ's victor's Spirit so that we can live lives that are distinct from this world as we seek to make God known wherever we are in the power of Christ's victor's Spirit! Hallelujah!

Weekly meetings are taking a Summer break and will resume in September.

Abundant Grace

Glory to God!

As the Holy Spirit continues to give us spiritual revelation and knowledge of what God has freely given us (1 Cor 2:12), we are being immersed into God's realm of grace: His unlimited, unconditional kindness towards us. In these past weeks God has been showing us the nature of His grace through the following messages:

A clean slate - Frances showed us that when God forgives our sin, He doesn't just put a stamp of forgiveness over our sin but wipes them away completely, subsequently seeing us and treating us as though we had never sinned! As we grow in our knowledge and understanding of God's grace and apply it to our lives, we will grow in our convictions that will influence our behaviour. Therefore, the more we grasp God's grace, the more we will apply it to our lives and be gracious to others.

The encounter with the Father - Prem spoke to us about the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-24) and showed us how the story reveals the believer's spiritual journey with the Father. The account is a revelation of the Father's huperballo generosity, love and grace and Prem described the son's journey from the time before he returned to the Father, the time when he encountered his father face to face and the time after his encounter with the father and how the son responded to the father's extravagant love and favour.

Be strong in grace - Alexander spoke to us about being strengthened by God's grace, showing us that God gives grace for the believer to persevere through difficult circumstances and suffering. Looking at 1 Peter 1:1-10, Alexander showed us 5 principles concerning difficult circumstances - they are temporary, God uses them for His purposes, they bring grief, they come in various forms and they should not diminish our joy! Looking at the lives of Joseph and Esther, we saw how God's grace carried them through difficulties and helped them persevere.

We praise God for His revelation to us but as Frances says, "Revelation is about depth of revelation. We can spend a lot of time chasing after new revelation when all we really need is to dig deeper into the revelation that we already have until it is a growing reality in our own lives and is touching and transforming those around us."

This coming Sunday KLF will be meeting for a Church Picnic at the Nidda Park from 12:30 and not at our usual venue in Salzschlirfer Strasse.

Upcoming meetings and events 

Tuesdays from 19:00 - 21:00: Bible Study - a journey through the letter to the Romans at Leipziger Str.60 (L60).
Fridays from 7:00 - 8:00: Men's Prayer Breakfast at L60
03.09., 03.12.: Welcome Coffee from 15:00 - 17:00 at L60
5-7.05.2017: KLF's 10th Anniversary Celebration

Effective Grace

Glory to God!

On Saturday we had another of our quarterly welcome coffees at L60 where we had the opportunity to meet some new people at KLF and for them to get to know a few of our leaders and members and to find out more about who KLF is, our vision, our history and our structure. The next welcome coffee will be held on the 3 September.

As God continues to speak to us about fruitfulness, He has been showing us that one of the keys to fruitfulness is a deeper understanding of His grace - His limitless, unconditional kindness towards us (Col 1:6). On Sunday Richard spoke to us about the purpose of God's grace and showed us that if we don't grow in our understanding of God's grace we can receive it in vain (2 Cor. 6:1). By the grace of God the believer receives a new position (sonship and authority), power to overcome the work of the enemy and a new purpose in living for God and His salvation purposes. Richard showed us that the believer receives grace in vain when s/he tries to earn his or her position in Christ (Gal. 5:2-4); when the believer doesn't use God's grace to be strengthened to overcome temptation and sin (Heb. 4:14-16; Titus 2:11-14) and when the believer doesn't use God's grace to reach out to others to reconcile them to the Father's love (1 Cor. 15:9,19; 2 Cor. 5:17-6:2). 

We praise God for the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus and we pray that we will not receive His grace in vain.

Upcoming meetings and events 

Tuesdays from 19:00 - 21:00: Bible Study - a journey through the letter to the Romans at Leipziger Str.60 (L60).
Fridays from 7:00 - 8:00: Men's Prayer Breakfast at L60
03.09., 03.12.: Welcome Coffee from 15:00 - 17:00 at L60
5-7.05.2017: KLF's 10th Anniversary Celebration

Come and drink!

Glory to God!

Faith is the key to entering the realities of God's Kingdom and all that is available to the child of God in Christ Jesus. In these past weeks, the Lord has been showing us what every believer has received in Christ and encouraging us to live in the fullness of what we have received.

In his message entitled, "Do you have a drinking problem?", Richard spoke to us about how a believer's hunger for God can actually be a desire for an emotional experience to confirm God's love and existence. We saw how believers can be waiting for God to reveal Himself instead of living in the fullness of what they have received in Christ by faith. Richard showed us that every believer receives fullness in Christ and is given a new position, power and purpose in Jesus (see Jn 6:25; Col 2:9,10; Eph 1:3; 2 Pet 1:3). Those who live in fullness of life, live their lives according to their new position - their authority and identity in Christ, the power that is within them to overcome temptation and sin and to live godly lives, and their new purpose as those created in Christ to do good works which God has prepared for them to do. God invites every believer to drink deeply from the fountain of life and to live in fullness of life (Isa 55:1,2; Ps 36:8-10).

Faith immerses itself in the reality of God

In our new position as children of God, we have a wonderful new relationship with God as our Father. To live in fullness of life is to enjoy intimacy with the Father and to partake of all the privileges that are ours as God's children. In his message entitled, "The 'Father' you will go", David showed us how children of God have received a new inheritance, have access to the Father, have access to the Father's house, know that the Father wants the best for them, know that the Father's love is constant and that they can expect good things from the Father. David encouraged us to enjoy the privileges of sonship and to gain the Father's perspective concerning His children so that as we grow in our relationship with the Father we will seek to do His will and live lives that please Him.

On Sunday, Richard shared a message entitled, "Huperballo Grace" in which we explored the nature of God's grace: His unlimited, unconditional kindness towards us (Rom 5:17-21; Eph 2:4-9; Titus 3:3-7). Richard showed us that everything concerning God is "huperballo" or beyond the boundary of our understanding and therefore greater than anything we can ask for or imagine (Eph 3:20)! Consequently, we need the Holy Spirit to help us understand the nature of God's grace (1 Cor 2:12) in order to be fruitful (Col 1:6). God's grace is in the realm of His otherness that can only be truly understood by the Spirit. As we looked at God's unlimited and unconditional kindness toward His children, we noted how the choices we make in life are often governed by our limitations (real or perceived). When all limitations are removed, it becomes the person's responsibility to choose what s/he will do with the unlimited resources available to him or her. God's grace releases the believer into the freedom and responsibility to make right choices. Rather than being governed by law, sin, and guilt, etc, the believer is set free to run in the paths of God's commands (Ps 119:32). Hallelujah!

We praise God for fullness of life in Christ and for the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus!

Upcoming meetings and events 

Tuesdays from 19:00 - 21:00: Bible Study - a journey through the letter to the Romans at Leipziger Str.60 (L60).
Fridays from 7:00 - 8:00: Men's Prayer Breakfast at L60
Saturday, 04.06: Welcome Coffee from 15:00 - 17:00 at L60
5-7.05.2017: KLF's 10th Anniversary Celebration

Kingdom Life Family

Glory to God!

It was a great joy to have pastors Julius and Roszel Regala with us from Kingdom Life Butuan (KLB) in the Philippines. We regard KLB as an extension of our KLF family and are purposeful in strengthening our relationship with them by bringing KLB's senior leaders to Frankfurt and taking a team from KLF once a year to Butuan to encourage, build, equip and be part of the life of the church. Julius and Roszel are doing an amazing job, investing their lives in the young people in Butuan and using the limited resources available to them to touch the lives of the poor and needy children living on the streets in Butuan as well as orphans and children who live on the local garbage dump. Raising a church of people with their own emotional, physical and spiritual needs that will minister to others is a huge challenge but we are seeing how Julius and Roszel's devotion to the Lord and their compassion for these needy children is driving them to fulfill God's vision for KLB with untiring love. It is a privilege to know them and work with them to extend God's Kingdom in the Philippines!
During their visit, they spent time being part of the life of KLF and getting to know us more, starting new relationships and strengthening existent ones.

Two Sundays ago, after a special time of worship with Wes Haney, Julius shared a powerful message on godliness that you can listen to here. Julius showed us that godliness is about taking God seriously and being passionate about the things of God and His Kingdom. We saw how God has given us everything in Christ to live godly lives as we turn from the things of this world and make every effort to add godliness to our faith (2 Peter 1:1-6). Julius' word is timely for us as a church and the Church in Frankfurt and a very clear call for God's people to take God seriously! We praise God for the lives of pastors Julius and Roszel and are excited about the journey we are on, together with them to birth, establish and influence a generation that lives the Kingdom life wherever they are. Hallelujah!

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3

Yesterday KLF turned 9 years old! (Mark your diaries now: KLF will be celebrating her 10th anniversary over the weekend of 5-7 May 2017). Yesterday was a day to not only celebrate and bless our mothers on Mothers' Day but also a day to celebrate God's faithfulness to us as a church over these past 9 years, and it seemed that God was ready to pour out His goodness upon us. As we worshipped the Lord in His goodness, He began to manifest His goodness to us in a very tangible way. Consequently we spent time dwelling in His manifest goodness and receiving His presence and goodness over and in our lives. Many testified after the meeting to literally experiencing God's goodness and being significantly affected by it. Hallelujah!

Alexander then shared another very powerful message that tied in with Julius' word to us from the previous week, entitled "It is time to get serious" which you can listen to here. Alexander spoke to us about refocusing our lives in order to run the race that God has called each one of us to run and to get rid of every external and internal hindrance that is keeping us from finishing well. Alexander showed us how distractions are the enemy of direction and how our internal struggles and insecurities can not only hinder our finishing well but can have disastrous effects on others and the generations to come! God's Word to us was both challenging and inspiring as He calls us to a life of godliness by His own goodness and glory!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run the race with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1

We praise God for His revelation to us and for pouring out His goodness upon us, strengthening and enabling us to live godly lives as we take God seriously and fix our eyes on Jesus to run the race He has called us to finish!

Upcoming meetings and events 

Tuesdays from 19:00 - 21:00: Bible Study - a journey through the letter to the Romans at Leipziger Str.60 (L60) will take a break until June.
Fridays from 7:00 - 8:00: Men's Prayer Breakfast at L60
04.06.,03.09., 03.12.: Welcome Coffee from 15:00 - 17:00 at L60
5-7.05.2017: KLF's 10th Anniversary Celebration

A taste of heaven

Glory to God!

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” Rev 5:9,10

This past week has been a taste of heaven as we have had gatherings of people from many nations to glorify God. Pastors Julius and Roszel Regala of Kingdom Life Butuan in the Philippines are visiting us for two weeks and on Saturday we had a special church meeting to be encouraged in God's Word, to worship the Lord together, to interview our guests from Butuan and to spend time during food and fellowship to get to know each other better. Richard shared a short message from Revelation 5:9,10 in which we contemplated the reality of heaven, looking at how Jesus has purchased us with His blood from every nation to serve God and how the Church has been made to be a kingdom - the people God rules over; a priesthood - the people God rules through; and rulers - the people God reigns with. We had a powerful time of worship and proclamation as we declared the lordship of Jesus over our cities and nations, followed by a fun and informative time as we interviewed Julius and Roszel to find our more about them, their life in Butuan and Kingdom Life Butuan. It was a great afternoon together!

On Sunday KLF did not meet at her usual venue but together with Tobias von Stosch and our Kingdom Life family we organised a meeting under the Friedensbrücke in Fankfurt for the homeless and needy. We provided food and clothing and a taste of heaven as we worshipped together, served one another, shared God's love, prayed for people and shared God's Word. Apart from having cool jazz music in the background, played by our musicians who changed the atmosphere and turned the rather cold place into a cosy jazz cellar, a precious team of hairdressers offered free haircuts for those who wanted one. It was a joy to see the rather scruffy looking guys be transformed into freshly groomed people who were valued and cared for in a way they hadn't experienced for a long time. It was a very special afternoon and it was simply a blessing to be a blessing and to be able to give people who are less fortunate than us a taste of heaven!

 Upcoming meetings and events 

Tuesdays from 19:00 - 21:00: Bible Study - a journey through the letter to the Romans at Leipziger Str.60 (L60)
Fridays from 7:00 - 8:00: Men's Prayer Breakfast at L60
04.06.,03.09., 03.12.: Welcome Coffee from 15:00 - 17:00 at L60

Wrestling in prayer together

Glory to God!

Yesterday's meeting was very encouraging as we heard testimonies of answered prayer and a message entitled, "Wrestling in prayer" in which Richard shared the following:

• Sometimes we don't experience breakthrough because of the reality of our fight against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Eph 6:10-12
• Although the believer has the authority and power in Christ to resist the enemy, there are situations where we need prayer support as others wrestle with us in prayer until we experience breakthrough. James 4:7
• Just as the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh helped their brothers until they possessed the land and found rest, so we must help one another to take possession of what is rightfully ours in Christ until we find rest. Joshua 1:12-15
• Epaphras was a man who wrestled in prayer for the saints that they would stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. Col 4:12
• To wrestle in prayer is to agonize (Gr. agonizomai) or contend in prayer until victory.
• In order to pray effectively, we must stand firm by realising our union with Christ (Christ our Truth, our Righteousness, our Peace, the Author of our faith, and our Salvation) and pray in the authority of Christ by His Spirit and by the Truth of God. Eph 6:13-18
• God's promises, His truth and His Word to us are the land that He has given every believer to possess, occupy and find rest in. Hebrews 3:7-4:11
• God calls us to help one another and to wrestle in prayer together so that everyone in the Body possesses the land and finds rest in what is rightfully ours in Christ, such as: freedom (Gal 5:1; John 8:36), peace (Phil 4:4-7; Is 9:7); healing (Isa 53:5); power (2 Tim 1:7; Acts 1:8; Luke 10:19), etc

We praise God for the victory that is ours in Christ and for the power of prayer! Halleluja!

This week pastors Julius and Roszel are arriving and will be spending two weeks with us. We are looking forward to having them with us as we strengthen our relationship with them and Kingdom Life Butuan and spend time as a church encouraging one another in our faith and in the work we are doing to further God's Kingdom together.

Upcoming meetings and events 

Tuesdays from 19:00 - 21:00: Bible Study - a journey through the letter to the Romans at Leipziger Str.60 (L60)
Fridays from 7:00 - 8:00: Prayer Meeting at L60

23.04. at 17:00: Church meeting - a time of worship, an opportunity to get to know pastors Julius and Roszel Regala (Kingdom Life Butuan) and a time of fellowship and food (potluck) afterwards at Eastsite 15.
24.04. from 15:30 - 17:00: Church with the Homeless in Frankfurt under the Friedensbrücke (no meeting at Eastsite 15 on this day).
04.06.,03.09., 03.12.: Welcome Coffee from 15:00 - 17:00 at L60

Contemplation

Glory to God!

Contemplation is the key to growing in our relationship with God and strengthening our faith. It is the privilege of being able to enter God's presence by the blood of Jesus and living our lives there in order to reflect the glory of the Lord (Heb 10:19,20; 2 Cor 3:18). Contemplation is about seeking God until His revelation affects us and transforms us. What a privilege and what a necessity!

Two Sundays ago Prem shared the third part of his message entitled, "Revelation of the Father's heart" in which we spent time contemplating the love of the Father as revealed in the parable of the lost son in Luke 15:11-32. Prem showed us that the Father plants good seed in our lives so that we can make the right moral decisions; that the Father wants to see the seed He has planted in our lives bear fruit and that the Father celebrates with us when He sees the seed He planted bear fruit. Furthermore we saw how the Father plants the best in us so that we are blessed; that the Father desires that we be a blessing by colabouring with Him and that the seed that the Father plants in His children is Christ Himself, so that we produce the fruit of Jesus, the manifestation of His life in us! Halleluja!

Yesterday, after a very powerul time of worship in God's presence, Richard spoke to us about the substance of faith in his message entitled, "Psalm 27: The Prayer of Faith." Looking at Psalm 27, we identified 7 aspects of faith that are important for the believer to grasp and exercise:

1. The declaration of faith. 27:1-3
2. The focus of faith. 27:4
3. The assurance of faith. 27:5
4. The response in faith. 27:6
5. The request from faith. 27:7-12
6. The root of faith. 27:13
7. The source of faith. 27:14

Richard reminded us of the importance of fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, in order to strengthen our faith. Psalm 27 is a Psalm that is steeped in the culture of faith in the midst of trouble and reveals the substance of faith that is birthed and strengthened as the believer contemplates the glory of God - gazing upon the beauty of the Lord all the days of our lives. We praise God for His revelation to us and for the privilege of contemplation!

We are looking forward to having pastors Julius and Roszel from Kingdom Life Butuan (Philippines) with us next week for 2 weeks and for the special meetings we will have with them as a church.

Upcoming meetings and events 

Tuesdays from 19:00 - 21:00: Bible Study - a journey through the letter to the Romans at Leipziger Str.60 (L60)
Fridays from 7:00 - 8:00: Prayer Meeting at L60

23.04. at 17:00: Church meeting - a time of worship, an opportunity to get to know pastors Julius and Roszel Regala (Kingdom Life Butuan) and a time of fellowship and food (potluck) afterwards at Eastsite 15.
24.04. from 15:30 - 17:00: Church with the Homeless in Frankfurt under the Friedensbrücke (no meeting at Eastsite 15 on this day).
04.06.,03.09., 03.12.: Welcome Coffee from 15:00 - 17:00 at L60
 

Arise for He is risen!

Glory to God!

On Good Friday we filled our rooms in L60 as we met for a time of fellowship, worship, communion and a short devotional that reflected on the cross. Christ's death on the cross reveals the depth of God's unconditional and sacrificial love for mankind. We considered how God does not just say that He loves us (Jer 31:3; Jn 15:9) or just show us His love (Jn 1:14; 17:26) but that He sacrifices Himself to demonstrate the extent of His unconditional love (Rom 5:8; 1 Jn 4:9,19)! We noted how true love sacrifices itself to meet the need of another and how God calls us to love one another in the same way He loves us (1 Jn 4:11).

On Sunday we celebrated the greatest day in history - the day Jesus rose from the dead! After a powerful time of worship and communion, Richard shared a message entitled, "Arise for He is risen!" Looking at Paul's letter to the Romans chapter 1, verses 1 to 6, we noted the following:

The revelation of a changed life. Rom 1:1; Phil 3:8

• Paul's description of himself and his calling reveal a radically changed life from the life he lived prior to his encounter with the risen Lord.

The revelation of Christ's victorious life. Rom 1:2-4

• Jesus' death and resurrection was prophesied, demonstrated and declared!

The call to live a new life in Christ. Rom 1:5,6

• A life through Christ: because He lives and empowers us
• A life for Christ: because He is Lord of all
• A life anointed: because the Anointed One lives within us
• A life appointed: because all authority has been given to Him
• A life of faith: because He is risen from the dead
• A life of obedience: because He has overcome sin and death
• A life of belonging: because we are included in Him

We praise Jesus for His death and resurrection and for His victory over sin and death so that we can live new lives in Him!

Upcoming meetings and events 

Tuesdays from 19:00 - 21:00: Bible Study - a journey through the letter to the Romans at Leipziger Str.60 (L60)
Fridays from 7:00 - 8:00: Prayer Meeting at L60

23.04. at 17:00: Church meeting - a time of worship, an opportunity to get to know pastors Julius and Roszel Regala (Kingdom Life Butuan) and a time of fellowship and food (potluck) afterwards at Eastsite 15.
24.04. from 15:30 - 17:00: Church with the Homeless in Frankfurt under the Friedensbrücke (no meeting at Eastsite 15 on this day).
04.06.,03.09., 03.12.: Welcome Coffee from 15:00 - 17:00 at L60

The Gospel Truth

Glory to God!

In a world of uncertainty, insecurity and trouble, God is revealing His sovereignty, authority, power and purpose to encourage His people, the Church to depend completely on Him and to stand firm in Him. Looking at Revelation chapter 5, Alexander showed us two weeks ago how the Holy Spirit is taking KLF into the revelation and knowledge of God's kingly authority. In his message entitled, "What's going on?" Alexander showed us how the revelation of Jesus as the Lion (strength, sovereignty, subtlety), the Lamb (sacrifice, submission, simplicity) and the Root of David (source, beginning and end, son of David/Son of God), at the right hand of the Father, has the right to open the scroll with seven seals because of His righteousness, authority and power. This revelation is an encouragment to us to recognise that God's apparent weakness is His strength, that God has a plan for mankind and that He is in control! Halleluja!

On Sunday Lilly and Wes gave us a report on their 6 month discipleship training school with YWAM, Gold Coast, Australia. They both gave powerful testimonies of how God touched the people on their outreaches in Papua New Guinea and the Philippines and what it was like for them to be amongst the poor, the imprisoned and the local people.

Richard then shared a message with us entitled, "Why do people reject the truth?" Answering Pilate's question, "What is truth?" in John 18:38, Richard showed us that the resurrection of Christ is proof that Jesus is the truth! However, people reject Christ as absolute truth for the following reasons: ignorance, blindness, unbelief, sin/rebellion, worldly thinking, fear of man, pride, natural-mindedness, fear of consequences, fear of getting it wrong, disappointment, deception, hypocrisy, and inferiority. Richard encouraged us to stand firm in the truth and not to give in to the thinking of the world that regards truth as relative and rejects absolute truth. The Lord is calling the Church to stand firm in the authority of His truth, as those sanctified by the truth (John 17:17), and not to give in to the pattern of this world!

Upcoming meetings and events 

Tuesdays from 19:00 - 21:00: Bible Study - a journey through the letter to the Romans at Leipziger Str.60 (L60)
Fridays from 7:00 - 8:00: Prayer Meeting at L60
25.03. at 15:00: Good Friday Service at L60
23.04. at 17:00: Church meeting - a time of worship, an opportunity to get to know pastors Julius and Roszel Regala (Kingdom Life Butuan) and a time of fellowship and food (potluck) afterwards at Eastsite 15.
24.04. from 15:30 - 17:00: Church with the Homeless in Frankfurt under the Friedensbrücke (no meeting at Eastsite 15 on this day).
04.06.,03.09., 03.12.: Welcome Coffee from 15:00 - 17:00 at L60

Depending on God

 Glory to God!

As the Lord continues to speak to us about fruitfulness, He has been showing us what it means to truly remain in Him and to depend on Him. Two Sundays ago, David shared a message from Psalm 32 which you can listen to here. In his sermon, David showed us how the Lord delivers us from sin (32:1-5); protects us from trouble (32:6,7) and guides us along right paths, not forcing us but showing us His ways and watching over us (32:8-11).

This week we started our new Bible study series on Tuesday evenings on Paul's letter to the Romans. We will be working through the letter to grow in our knowledge of God, understand God's salvation purposes, examine Paul's life and apply God's Word to our lives. This Bible study is an open group so you are welcome to attend whenever you can.

On Saturday we had our first Welcome Coffee in our KLF rooms in L60. It was a great time of fellowship, an opportunity to reconnect, to meet new people, to meet some of KLF's leaders, and to hear about the history, the purpose, the vision and the structure of KLF. Our Welcome Coffees will be offered once a quarter and are a great opportunity for our new people to become part of our church family.

Yesterday we had a powerful time of worship and communion as we responded to the revelation of Jesus and reflected on all that was fulfilled in His death on the cross. Richard then spoke to us about God's perspective on weakness, showing us how opposite the world's mindset is to God's will. You can listen to the message entitled, The prayer of the weak here. This is what noted:

• The world glorifies strength and looks down on weakness but God looks down on man's self-dependency and is glorified through man's weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). 
• God's definition of weakness is man's complete dependency on Him.
• Weakness is choosing to do God's will despite the consequences. The prayer of the weak is, "Not my will but your will be done." (see Matthew 26:39)
• Weakness is choosing to get out of the way so that God can move through us. The prayer of the weak is, "I will not so you can." (see Judges 6,7)
• Weakness is complete dependency on God in times of trouble and darkness. The prayer of the weak is, "I cannot but you can." (see Psalm 13)
• To remain in Christ is to depend on Him completely as we lay down our own efforts and strength and choose to become weak so that Jesus can be all in all.

Upcoming meetings and events

Fridays from 7:00 - 8:00: Prayer Meeting at Leipziger Str.60
23.04: KLF Church Day with Pastors Julius and Roszel Regala (Kingdom Life Butuan)
24.04. from 15:30 - 17:00: Church with the Homeless in Frankfurt at the Friedensbrücke
04.06.,03.09., 03.12.: Welcome Coffee from 15:00 - 17:00 at Leipziger Str.60

Journey to Maturity

 Glory to God!

The Lord has been speaking to us about fruitfulness and the last two Sundays He has been addressing our need to mature as disciples of Christ in order to produce the fruit He expects from us. In his message entitled, Grow up! Prem spoke to us from Ephesians 4:13-24 which you can listen to here. Prem showed us how God desires that we mature by growing in our knowledge of what Christ has done for us, by growing in our knowledge of who God is (His character and will), by increasingly being like Jesus as we respond to our knowledge of Him and by learning to completely depend on Jesus to grow to fulness in Christ.

Yesterday's meeting was very powerful indeed! During worship the presence of God became so tangible that many responded in fresh surrender to Him and were deeply touched by the Lord's holiness and love. Frances then took us on a journey through the Song of Songs and showed us how the book reveals the believer's journey to maturity. You can listen to her message entitled, A journey through the Song of Songs here and for the accompanying notes click here. Frances encouraged us to study the Song of Songs as a prophetic revelation of the journey the Lord wants every believer to go on with Him. She emphasised that the Song of Songs is often neglected when it is only read in the natural but that once the believer receives revelation of the depth of God's desire to see His Bride mature in Him, the book becomes a powerful motivation for the believer to move beyond immaturity onto a journey of greater intimacy and power in Christ.

Upcoming meetings and events

Fridays from 7:00 - 8:00: Prayer Meeting at Leipziger Str.60
05.03., 04.06.,03.09., 03.12.: Welcome Coffee from 15:00 - 17:00 at Leipziger Str.60
23.04: KLF Church Day with Pastors Julius and Roszel Regala (Kingdom Life Butuan)
24.04. from 15:30 - 17:00: Church with the Homeless in Frankfurt at the Friedensbrücke

Abiding in Christ

Glory to God

It is always encouraging and exciting when we come together "and everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation or an interpretation" (1 Cor. 14:26) for the strengthening of the church. Throughout yesterday's meeting God was speaking to us through the prayers, the sharing of His Word, the Lord's Supper, and revelation, communicating His desire for us to enter His presence and remain in Him.

The Lord is speaking to us about being a fruitful people and yesterday we looked at what it means to remain in Christ in order to bear lasting fruit (John 15:5). Richard shared a message entitled, The evidence of remaining which you can listen to here. In his sermon, Richard showed us how the believer can know that s/he is remaining in Christ. Looking at a section of Psalm 16, quoted by the apostle Peter in Acts 2:25-28, we saw the consequence or evidence of remaining in God. We can identify whether we are remaining in Christ when:

1. We are aware of God's abiding presence. Acts 2:25
2. We feel secure and are able to stand firm because we know God is near. Acts 2:25
3. We are satisfied in God and content in Him. Acts 2:26
4. We overflow with worship in response to God. Acts 2:26
5. We abide in hope. Acts 2:26,27
6. We know the way to fullness of life. Acts 2:28
7. We are filled with joy in God's presence. Acts 2:28

Upcoming meetings and events

Fridays from 7:00 - 8:00: Prayer Meeting at Leipziger Str.60
05.03., 04.06.,03.09., 03.12.: Welcome Coffee from 15:00 - 17:00 at Leipziger Str.60
23.04: KLF Church Day with Pastors Julius and Roszel Regala (Kingdom Life Butuan)
24.04. from 15:30 - 17:00: Church with the Homeless in Frankfurt at the Friedensbrücke
 

On the Road

Glory to God!

A people saturated with God are always stirred to action! On Saturday a group of our people met together in the centre of Frankfurt to speak to people on the street. Apart from having a lot of fun together as a group, it was a great experience for the adults, youth and children to overcome their fears and approach total strangers to share the Gospel and inform them about KLF. Yesterday the group shared testimonies with much joy and with the knowledge that seeds were sown for the advancement of God's Kingdom and for His glory! Halleluja!

As God continues to speak to us about fruitfulness, He is showing us how to bear much fruit that will last. Yesterday, Frances spoke to us about The Road to Freedom which you can listen to here. In her message, she showed us how the believer is set free in order to walk in freedom and be fruitful. As long as the believer is a slave s/he cannot be fruitful. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free and it is as we walk in freedom that we will be most fruitful (Gal 5:1)! Frances showed us how Christ has set us free from the power of death (Heb 2:14,15), the power of sin (Rom 6:6,7), the power of the world (Jn 17:16-19; Rom 12:2) and the power of the past (2 Cor 5:17). However, in order to realise the freedom that Christ has purchased for us, we need to grow in intimacy and obedience to Him.

We praise God for His revelation to us and for showing us the road to freedom and fruitfulness! Hallelujah!

The Fruit of Kingdom Life

 

Glory to God!

The Kingdom of God is advancing and the increase of Christ's rule and reign will never end because the zeal of the Lord will accomplish this (see Isaiah 9:6,7). The Father is passionate and zealous to fulfill His purposes on earth. Nothing will hinder the advancement of God's Kingdom! The passion and the power that is behind the advancement of God's Kingdom is the same zeal that is behind the Father's desire for His children to produce the fruit of His Kingdom. Just as Jesus was consumed with the zeal of the Lord in clearing the temple to restore Kingdom order and honour, so the Father wants us to participate in His zeal to see His Kingdom established on earth as it is in heaven as we produce the fruit of His Kingdom. Hallelujah!

Having looked at the motivation (why?) and the method (how?) for fruitfulness last week as we studied John 15, yesterday we examined what the fruit is that God has called and appointed us to bear (Click here to listen to the sermon entitled: The fruit of Kingdom Life). Each of the following branches of Kingdom Life require particular seed to be sown in order to produce the fruit of the Kingdom. Each branch is based on Jesus' commands to the Church and will produce the fruit of His Kingdom as we remain in Christ and obey Him.

Spiritual: a people who depend on God, live for God and are governed by Him.
Jesus' command: "Remain in me." John 15:4
Seed: praying, studying God's Word, worship, being led by the Holy Spirit, faith, etc

Relational: a people who are committed to one another in love.
Jesus' command: "Love one another as I have loved you." John 15:12
Seed: reconciliation, forgiveness, connecting, caring, being a significant part of the Church, etc

Maturing: a people who are growing in their knowledge of God, in Christ-likeness and love.
Jesus' command: "Go and bear fruit." John 15:16
Seed: studying God's Word, applying God's Word, renewal of the mind, etc

Healing: a people of hope who bring restoration.
Jesus' command: "Heal the sick." Matthew 10:8
Seed: accepting, listening, caring, ministering the healing power of Jesus, speaking truth and hope into people's lives, encouraging, exhorting, etc

Serving: a people who sacrificially help others.
Jesus' command: "Wash one another's feet." John 13:14
Seed: serving in the church, helping others, meeting needs in Jesus' Name, etc

Generous: a people who give beyond expectation.
Jesus' command: "Freely you have received. Freely give." Matthew 10:8
Seed: giving beyond the tithe, being merciful, being gracious, giving beyond with one's time and energy, etc

Outward-focused: a people who reach out to the unsaved and needy.
Jesus' command: "Be my witnesses." Acts 1:8
Seed: testifying about Jesus, feeding the hungry, visiting prisoners, clothing the poor, etc

Creative: a people who celebrate their gifts for God's glory.
Jesus' command: "Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16
Seed: using one's gifts to glorify God, dance, literature, music, art, etc

Multiplying: a people who influence with, birth and establish God's Kingdom wherever they are.
Jesus' command: "Go and make disciples." Matthew 28:19
Seed: teaching, mentoring, church planting, leadership training, initiating, etc

As we remain in Jesus and seek to be a spiritual, relational, maturing, healing, serving, generous, outward-focused, creative and multiplying people both individually and corporately, we will produce the fruit of God's Kingdom and be part of the establishing and advancing of God's Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Hallelujah!

Preparing for Fruitfulness

Image courtesy of satit_srihin at freedigitalphotos.net

Glory to God!

This will be a year of abundance as we apply God's Word to our lives!

The Lord has been speaking to us about sowing seed and fruitfulness. Two Sundays ago Alexander shared a message entitled What is your increase strategy? which you can listen to here. Alexander looked at the principles related to having an effective strategy for increase and showed us the following:

• Know the state of your assets (seed) - what has God given you to produce with? (Proverbs 27:23-27)
• Know your environment (soil) - understand your location, season, and the conditions (Matthew 13:1-9)
• Know God's vision for your life (harvest) - what will the fruit be that God wants you to produce? (Jeremiah 29:11)
• Make wise choices - learn to be an investor (delayed gratification) rather than a consumer (instant gratification)

• God gives specific seed for specific fruit.
• God will use what you already have.
• For a continuous supply of fruit you have to continue to sow.
• Pay more attention to the seed than to the fruit.
• Fruit grows constantly, not suddenly.

Yesterday we studied John 15:1-17 as Richard spoke to us about Fruitfulness, which you can listen to here. In his message, Richard showed us the following:

The Motivation for Fruitfulness (Why should we be fruitful?)

• The believer is created in Christ to be fruitful.
• Jesus has chosen and appointed us to be fruitful.
• The Father is at work in our lives to make us fruitful.
• Fruitfulness glorifies the Father.
• Fruitfulness demonstrates that we belong to Jesus and are His followers.
• Fruitfulness influences the effectivity of our prayers.
• Fruitfulness leads to joy.

The Method for Fruitfulness (How are we to be fruitful?)

• We must depend on Jesus and remain in Him.
• We must know the will of Jesus - His Word must remain in us.
• We must do the will of Jesus.
• We must pray according to God's will and in Jesus' name.

The Nature of the Fruit (What is the fruit?)

• The fruit that we are to produce is the manifestation of God's nature - His love, joy, peace, etc
• Fruitfulness is the manifestation of the disciple's obedience to God.
• Fruitfulness is the manifestation of being like Jesus and doing His works.

We praise God for His revelation to us and for His passion to make us fruitful for His glory!

A Year of Abundance!

Glory to God!

"2016. Sow what?!" was God's Word to us last Sunday which you can listen to here. In his message, Richard spoke to us about sowing and reaping and showed us how God wants us to pay attention to what we sow and how much we sow. This is what we noted:

• Every person sows either to please self or to please God and will reap what s/he sows. Gal. 6:7,8
• Sowing to please the Spirit does not come naturally as the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit are in conflict with one another. Gal. 5:17
• The Spirit is willing but the body is weak, and so the believer must learn to overcome the weakness of the body to sow to please the Spirit and to reap fullness of life.
• Just as Jesus "learned obedience" and overcame his emotions, his will and his physical tiredness in Gethsemane to do the will of the Father, so the believer needs to learn to overcome the flesh and sow to please the Spirit. Mat 26:36-46
• If we want to reap generously, we must sow generously. 2 Cor 9:6
• As stewards of what God entrusts to us, whether finances, gifts, responsibilities, relationships, time, etc, we are expected to use these wisely.
• Jesus teaches us that we must sow to invest wisely before He returns. 
• Jesus calls us to sow in order to be ready (Mat 25:1-13), in order to multiply what He gives us (Mat 25:14-30) and in order to bless those in need (Mat 25:31-46).
• All three parables in Matthew 25:1-46 deal with stewardship and the consequences of wise investment whether for ourselves, for others or for God's Kingdom.
• Generosity is commended because it reflects the heart of the Father.
• If we are to reap a harvest of righteousness, the fruit of sowing to please God, we need to consider what we want to reap with regard to: our relationship with God, our relationship with others, the lost, the needy, the church, work, etc.
• Nothing will change unless we sow the right seed and sow it abundantly!
• The assurance we have as we seek to sow generously to please the Spirit this year is the following:

"Each man should give what he has decided to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Cor 9:8

We praise God for His revelation to us and for the assurance of abundance this year as we sow generously! Hallelujah!