Christmas Reflections

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Glory to God!

As we come to the end of this year, having celebrated the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ and reflecting on God's faithfulness throughout 2015, the Lord has been encouraging us to reflect on the reality of who Jesus is and reflect on our own lives as we allow the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts. Two Sundays ago, Alexander shared a message entitled, Christmas: an issue of worship, in which he showed us the importance of responding to the reality of who Christ truly is in order to influence others around us. Comparing how our culture celebrates Christmas and the truth of Christ's birth and surrounding events, Alexander demonstrated how one can lose sight of the glorious inauguration of God's Kingdom through Christ's birth and how the people responded to Jesus in worship at the time. Alexander challenged us to re-evaluate our apprehension of Christ's greatness in order to be the worshippers God is looking for.

On the last Sunday of the year we always take time to give God glory and thanks for His faithfulness to us in the past year. Yesterday we heard testimonies of God's supernatural provision, salvation, healing and liberating power. It was awesome and very encouraging indeed! Richard then shared a message entitled, The God scan, in which he showed us the importance of allowing God to search our hearts and examine our lives. Looking at Psalm 139, we saw how we can trust God to scan us thoroughly in love because He knows us (139:1-4), He is with us (verse 139:5-12), He made us (139:13-16), He thinks about us (139:17,18), He causes us to hate what He hates (139:19-22), He examines us (139:23) and He will lead us (139:24).

We praise God for His revelation to us and for His faithfulness to us this past year. We are looking forward to an amazing 2016 in which we trust God to continue to do what He began this year in us and through us for His glory and for the advancement of His Kingdom! Hallelujah!

The God of Peace

Glory to God!

Yesterday's meeting was amazing! The presence of God was tangible! We gave the Holy Spirit room to do what He wanted and as we followed His lead we were richly blessed. Hallelujah!

Looking at Psalm 23, we were invited by the Lord to know and experience Him according to the revelation David had when he wrote the Psalm. As we reflected on the Psalm, the Lord ministered His peace to us and He encouraged and strengthened our faith. The Lord showed us how He wants us to rest in Him and dwell in Him. We then prayed, using the Psalm as the revelation of truth for our lives. It was very powerful indeed!

This week we feel led to pray for Israel. Our desire is to know God's heart for Israel and how he wants KLF to be part of His purpose for Israel.

Quote of the week:

PSALM 23

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

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Entering the Glory

Glory to God!

Yesterday the Lord spoke to us about worshipping Him in the splendour of His holiness (Psalm 29:2) and this is what He showed us:

Worship

• Worship is the response to the revelation of God. Rom. 12:1; Isa. 6:1-3; Rev. 4:8-11
• True worshipers worship what they know. John 4:22

Holiness

• God is holy. 1 Peter 1:16
• Holiness means wholeness, completeness, pefection.
• God is perfect, unique and unchanging. Mt 5:48; Ex. 15:11; Deut. 4:39; Mal. 3:6
• Holiness describes the essence of God.

Glory

• The revelation of God's holiness is His glory.
• Splendour or glory are the manifestation of God's holiness. Ps. 29:2; John 2:11; 11:40

Revealing God's holiness

• Jesus is the Mediator of God's holiness. 2 Cor. 4:6; Heb. 1:3
• The believer is filled with God's holiness - the essence of God - the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor.3:16
• The fruit of the Spirit is the manifestation of God's holiness. Gal. 5:22
• The believer is called to be holy and to reveal God's holiness. 1 Peter 1:16
• The believer can only make God known by staying close to His heart. John 1:18 (NLT); John 15:5

Entering God's glory

• The believer no longer falls short of the glory of God and can enter into the presence of God and the manifestation of His glory through dependence on God's mercy and grace by faith in Christ. Rom. 3:23; Heb. 10:19-22
• God calls the Church to worship Him in the splendour of His holiness - the revelation of His holiness - God's glory! Psalm 29:2

We praise God for continuing to give us such amazing revelation and for helping us to enter into His glory yesterday! Hallelujah!

This week we are hosting the Sound of Heaven Conference - a series of exciting God encounter meetings with Steve Porter. For more information please click here...

Quote of the week:

"Worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness." Psalm 29:2

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Immersed in God!

Glory to God!

We are excited about what God is doing! He is drawing people together from different nations and from different socio-economic circumstances and building a church that is learning to live in the fear of the Lord. Consequently, a Kingdom culture is being developed that manifests God's Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven and is marked by His presence, power and love! Hallelujah!

Yesterday the Lord spoke to us from Psalm 61 and He showed us how the Psalm reveals the principles of living in the fear of the Lord as He has been teaching us.

Godliness

• We rely on God by living from God to be like Him. Gal. 5:22,23; 1 Cor. 1:30
• David sought the Lord because he depended on God completely. Psalm 61:1-3
• The believer must seek God to be filled with the knowledge of Him rather than the influence of the world!
  

Fellowship

• We respond to God by living because of God in obedience to Him out of our fellowship with Him. 1 John 1:5-2:6; Psalm 139
• David lived in fellowship with God and out of an intimate relationship with Him. Psalm 61:4-7
• God wants His children to not only know Him but also experience Him!
• Secret areas in our lives will hinder intimacy with God.
  

Co-labour

• We revere God by living for God and doing what pleases Him. 2 Cor. 5:14,15; Rom. 12:1
• David lived to do God's will and to please Him out of His intimate relationship with God. Psalm 61:8
• A desire to do the will of God to please Him must come out of the believer's intimate relationship with God and not in order to grow in intimacy with God.

Using the analogy of being at a public pool to describe the Church, God showed us the following:

• There are those who go to the public pool just to be noticed and seen and never get into the water. These people are at the pool to be seen rather than to experience being in the water.
• There are those who go to the public pool to spend the day relaxing on the grass but only occasionally get into the water. These people experience a measure of being in the pool but will leave the place if the weather is not suitable to stay.
• There are those who go to the public pool to swim and be immersed in the water. Those who are in the water are not concerned about what the circumstances are like above the water!

God wants us to be immersed in His presence
so that we experience Him
and live beyond our circumstances!

Many lives were touched again and some people gave their lives to the Lord and some recommitted their lives to Him. These are exciting times! We praise God for "arresting" us until we all understand what it means to live in the fear of the Lord and walk in it!

Quote of the week:

"I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. For you have heard my vows, O God; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name." Psalm 61:4,5

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