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