The Power of Praise

Photo by James Coleman on Unsplash

Glory to God!

In these past weeks the Lord has been speaking to us about the power of praise. In his message, entitled, "The power of praise," Alexander showed us the difference between praise and worship and how praise brings us into the presence of God, gets our eyes off ourselves and onto God, is a response to what God has done in our lives, is a weapon against the enemy, produces activity in the spiritual realm, allows God to cut off things in our lives, produces a divine shield around us, positions us for the harvest God has prepared, creates freedom and opens doors that only God can open.

Yesterday, Alexander showed us seven Hebrew definitions of praise in his message entitled, "Seven ways to praise God." Looking at the different words used in Hebrew that are translated, praise in English, we saw how varied our praise to God can be. The Hebrew words yadah (to extend the hand), halal (to shine, to rave), tehillah (to sing with thanksgiving), barak (to kneel down in adoration), zamar (to touch the strings), shabach (to shout loudly) and towdah (to offer a sacrifice of praise) are all translated praise in the English language but carry a rich variety of meanings that help us to understand how we can praise God.

These past two weekends we had two exciting events. Two weeks ago, Karin led a creative session for people to express their worship to God through painting as they were led by the Holy Spirit and on Saturday, Alexander led a seminar on Redeeming conflict and managing frustration that helped people understand the nature of conflict, the reasons for conflict, biblical examples of conflict and how believers are called to be peacemakers as sons of God.

Our senior leaders, Richard and Frances attended Kingdom Faith's leaders' conference in Horsham, England, last week and were able to connect with Kingdom Faith leaders and other leaders from different nations. It was a powerful conference that has inspired and refreshed our pastors and we look forward to seeing how God wants us to continue our relationship with Kingdom Faith.

Upcoming Events

27.03: KLF Prayer at L60
13.04: Proverbs & Jazz at the Awake Café
05.05: KLF Anniversary
25.05: Proverbs & Jazz at the Awake Café
09.06: KLF Talent Night
14.06 - 16.06: Conference with Edgar Mayer
23.06: Eastsite Celebration - joint meeting with CZF at 10:30 

Kings and Priests

Photo by Matteo Vistocco on Unsplash

Glory to God!

Jesus is God's vision for the Church! As we grow in our understanding of the truth of our identity in Christ both individually and as the Church, we sense the Lord stirring us more and more to reach up, reach in and reach out. Two weeks ago Richard shared a message entitled, "A Royal Priesthood" in which he showed us how our identity in Christ determines our responsibility as believers. This is what he shared with us:

• Jesus is the highest authority. Eph 1:18-23; Mt 28:18
• Jesus is our great high Priest. Heb 7:23-26
• As those who have Christ the King and Priest dwelling in them, the Church is God's royal priesthood. 1 Pt 2:9,10; Lk 22:29,30; 1 Cor 1:26; Rev 1:6; 5:9,10
• As kings and priests, the Church is called to exercise her kingly authority in Christ and to serve God in representing man before God and God before man. 
• As kings and priests, the Church has the power to build or destroy.
• God's royal priesthood is called to build up the people of God but to destroy the works of satan. 2 Cor 10:8; 13:10
• The problem is that we can misuse the authority and power entrusted to us when we destroy one another and build satan's kingdom! James 3:9-12; Eph 4:29-32
• God's royal priesthood has the responsibility to be good stewards of the authority, power and intercessory anointing given to them to build God's Kingdom, to destroy the work of the enemy and to pray!

Identity determines responsibility!

In response to God's revelation, we spent time around the Lord's Table to examine our hearts and to confess any cursing of others and dishonouring of God's people, the Body of Christ. It was a powerful time that the Holy Spirit then led into a time of prayer and intercession as we stepped into our authority in Christ as His royal priesthood. Hallelujah!

Yesterday was another powerful time in God's presence as we worshipped Him and made room for the Holy Spirit to lead the meeting. Worship in song turned into intercession as we sensed the Lord breaking strongholds and obstacles in people's lives that were preventing them from stepping into all that God has prepared for them. It is evident that as we realise our identity and responsibility as a royal priesthood that we are going to see more and more people set free, healed and saved in our midst and wherever we go. Tobias then shared a message entitled, "The creative God" in which he showed us the awesome creative power of our God and how He wants us to speak His Word to release His creative power! In response Tobias encouraged us to prophesy and speak God's truth over one another. It was a wonderfully encouraging time as we used our authority to build one another up. Hallelujah!

Notices 

31.10 - KLF Prayer Meeting at 19:30 at Leipziger Str.60 (L60)
17.11 - Proverbs & Jazz from 18:00 at the Awake Café, Frankfurt
01.12 - Connect Café from 15:00 - 17:00 at L60 for the church and newcomers

2019 
16,17.01 - Joint prayer meetings as part of the Allianz Gebetswoche 
01.02 - 03.02 - Prophetic Encounter with André Bronkhorst
14 - 16.06 - Experiencing the Holy Spirit with Edgar Mayer 

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!

Rebirth Dance Network

Glory to God!

On Sunday we had the privilege of having Daniel with us - an anointed dancer from Rebirth Dance Network (www.rebirthdance.com). After sharing his testimony with us, Daniel demonstrated part of his story with a very moving and powerful dance. As a church, our desire is to express our love for God with the gifts He has given us in a great variety of ways and creative forms. We are starting a creative arts ministry to encourage people to develop their gifts for God's glory. These include dance, photography, poetry, song-writing, painting and much more. As God's masterpieces created in Christ to do good works we want to see God glorified with the manifold gifts in the Church. We are excited to have been introduced to Daniel and his ministry in London and we are looking forward to seeing our relationship develop to particularly touch our young people.

The Lord is speaking to us about His extravagant love and on Sunday He spoke to us about His kindness. Looking at the account of Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9, the Lord showed us His heart toward us despite the things that have "crippled" us in life. The Lord is giving us greater revelation of His love that is beyond and above anything we can possibly ask for or imagine. Hallelujah!

Starting next week we will be running another 8-week KLF discipleship course. We have already run 3 courses and are aiming at taking the whole church through this foundational course on "Living from the Spirit." We are receiving wonderful testimonies of changed lives from those who have gone through the course! Praise God!

Upcoming events

08.12. - KLF Christmas Musical @ 15:00 at Eastsite 15
24.01. - 26.01. - Worship seminar with Francois Botes 

Quote of the week:

"Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?" 2 Samuel 9:3

God through you!

Hallelujah!

It has been another awesome week with God! We are experiencing more and more of the Lord's presence and power in all our meetings and we're thrilled with where He is taking us! This past week the Lord has been emphasising the need for the church to pray for the leaders of KLF - for wisdom, power and protection. On Tuesday evening at KLF's prayer meeting, the Lord encouraged us with Acts 4:23-31 and chapter 12 - an awesome testimony of the power of corporate prayer (4:24; 12:5)!

"So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him." Acts 12:5

Right from the beginning of KLF, God has emphasised the need for us to pray for the leadership of KLF in order for the Body to push through into new realms of the spirit (Psalm 84:8,9)! On Friday, at our men's prayer breakfast, we were visited by a pastor from Ghana who inspired us with his testimony of total abandonment to God and the fruit of his life. Again we were led to pray for leadership and we had an incredibly powerful time of intercession and prophetic prayer. God is raising up His people and has appointed us "over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant" (Jer.1:10) and He needs leaders who are covered in prayer to lead the way (Ex 17:8-13).

"Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us." Hebrews 13:17,18 (Emphasis mine)

Yesterday's meeting was amazing! Pictures of the meeting can be viewed here. As we worshipped, the Lord revealed His holiness more and more with the result that we had to stop and respond to Him in confession and repentance. God is holy and He calls His people to be holy (1 Peter 1:15,16)! After truly encountering God, we continued in His presence as our guest speaker, Suzette Hattingh brought a very powerful Word for the Church and showed us the following:

1. Man is made in God's image. Gen 1:26
2. God made man to co-labour with Him. Gen.1:26; 2:19,20; Rom. 8:28
3. Even though God's presence accompanied formlessness and void, it was His word that aligned creation to His will. Gen. 1:1,2
4. God has chosen man to co-labour with Him to align creation with His will by speaking His word and will over creation. 1 Ki.18:42-45; Mt. 17:29; Rom. 8:28
5. God has given man creative power as he speaks God's word that will not return void without producing the fruit God intended it to produce! Is.55:10,11

God is calling the Church as His co-labourer to exercise the creative power of His Word through prayer to produce the fruit of His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven!

We then ended the meeting by prophesying and declaring Psalm 84:6 over Frankfurt!

Quote of the week:

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:10-11

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