Monday, 12 October 2009

Living from the truth

Glory to God!

The Lord is continuing to speak to us about the convictions He wants us to have that will affect our way of life. God is showing us that faith is having convictions based on the truth that change the believer's way of life. Just as faith without works is dead (James 2:26) so are "convictions" without action. True convictions will always be visible. The fruit of the believer's convictions will be evident in his/her daily life. When the Word of God is received and becomes a conviction in the life of the believer, s/he becomes a demonstration of the truth and the Kingdom of God (1 Thess. 1:2-10). The Lord is exposing every "form of godliness" (2 Tim. 3:5) and leading the Church to live from the truth and not from church culture. God is stripping the Church of all superficiality and raising her up to sincerely live from the truth and be the witness of the Kingdom He has called and set her apart to be (1 Peter 1:15,16).

Yesterday we had another opportunity to minister grace and love to the poor and needy at our monthly soup kitchen. The place was packed and yet the peace of God reigned and lives were being touched with God's presence, power and love. Everyone left satisfied, having eaten well and having been in God's presence. We praise God for opportunities such as these to bear the fruit of our convictions! Hallelujah!

Quote of the week:

"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Tim. 3:14-16 (emphasis mine)

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Monday, 8 December 2008

The Church and the Kingdom of God

All glory belongs to our King!

We are in awe of what God is doing and what He is showing us. Yesterday He gave us the following prophecy:

I am preparing you for breakthrough!

The Lord then gave us insight into where He is taking us and how we will get there by teaching us the difference between identity, purpose and goal. This is what He showed us:

  1. In the world one's identity is based on what one does. Our purpose becomes our identity.
  2. In the Kingdom one's purpose is based on one's new identity in Christ. Our identity becomes our purpose.
  3. Our goal is to fulfill God's will on earth as it is in heaven.

Looking at Matthew 16:13-19 the Lord showed us that,

  1. We need a spiritual revelation of who God is and who we are in Him. Matthew16:17,18
  2. God builds His Church with Man. Matthew 16:18
  3. Jesus builds His Church. Matthew 16:18
  4. The Church that Jesus builds will penetrate the kingdom of darkness. Matthew 16:18
  5. The Church has been given the keys to establish God's Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 16:19

Therefore KLF's identity, purpose and goal is as follows:

  1. Identity - sons and daughters of God, the people of God, the Church, the Body of Christ, the revelation of God on earth as He is in heaven. Gal. 3:26,27; Eph.1:22,23; 1 John 4:17
  2. Purpose - to live as sons and daughters of God, the people of God, the Church, the Body of Christ, and to reveal God on earth as He is in heaven. Eph. 3:10; 4, 5
  3. Goal - the goal of the Church is to "uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow" the kingdom of darkness and to "build and plant" the Kingdom of God. Jer.1:10; Eph. 6:10-20

God is setting His people (identity) apart to reveal His glory (purpose) and to destroy the kingdom of darkness by establishing God's rule and reign on earth as it is in heaven (goal).

Yesterday evening we had another wonderful opportunity to minister to the poor and needy in Frankfurt. It's just awesome to see how people change as they encounter God through worship, the Word and love. God's Light penetrates the darkness and gives people hope, love, strength and healing! Hallelujah! What a wonderful God we serve!

Quote of the week:

"His (the son of man's) dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." Dan. 7:14

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Monday, 10 November 2008

Seeking God's Face

Praise God!

This past week has been profound, ground-breaking and very significant. We have been extremely blessed to have Richard Maybery visit us and take us through a series of teaching on Seeking God's Face: living from the inside out. The essence of what God was showing us is how He wants His people to move from Eros to Agape; from man-centredness to God-centredness; from living for self to living for God (the sessions have been recorded and are available at KLF). Having Richard visit us for a whole week always takes us to a new level of intimacy and encouter with God but also a renewed zeal and passion for God and His purposes are imparted! Hallelujah!

Yesterday's meeting was awesome as we met with God and He spoke to us through Richard about the Spirit-shaped life. The Holy Spirit then ministered to each of us as Richard prophesied over us and we received from the Lord.

We are excited that doors are beginning to open up for KLF to serve the Church and the people of Frankfurt. We now have 2 regular slots every month to serve the poor and needy and the Lord is giving our worship team opportunities to minister to the Church in Frankfurt next year at different events.

We praise God for Divine relationships that He orchestrates for His purposes! Hallelujah!

Quote of the week:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Cor. 13:4-8

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Monday, 6 October 2008

The Keys of the Kingdom

Praise God!

Having a church in Frankfurt means we have the exciting privilege of being a connecting point for many believers and ministries across the globe. Almost weekly we have guests from all over the world who are passing through Frankfurt and have chosen to worship with us. The Lord is using us to build a network of contacts to further His Kingdom. Hallelujah.

Yesterday we had a guest from Australia, Chris Peterson, who has come to Frankfurt for a week with his team in response to a prompting from God. Chris encouraged leaders and pastors at the monthly international pastors' meeting on Saturday with key principles that will help the churches in Frankfurt establish the Lord's rule and reign in this city. Chris has a heart to see churches and leaders move from a tribal mentality to a Kingdom mind-set and the Lord has graced him to impart some important biblical truths to set leaders free from maintaining to conquering.




Yesterday Chris spoke to us about the keys of the Kingdom (note: not the keys of the Church) and how we as believers have been given the keys that represent God's authority and power to release Heaven on earth. Chris also reminded us of the fact that Jesus is coming back for a bride that is radiant, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless (Eph. 6:26). That means that by grace, through the blood, with His Word and by His Spirit we, the Church, are more than conquerors (Rom.8:37) and are enabled to bring Heaven on earth as we further His Kingdom using the keys of the Kingdom! Hallelujah!

This Saturday, David Rowe (KLF worship leader), will be leading our next EQUIP seminar and workshop on worship and encountering God. KLF is arranging EQUIP meetings to help the people of God know God and make Him known. We are excited about this week's meeting as it will help KLF and visitors to not only learn about God but to also encounter Him. David is an anointed worshipper with the grace upon his life to usher God's people into His presence. In order to bless our German speaking brothers and sisters we are providing translation.

God is adding to our number and it was amazing to see so many different nationalities together in one place, worshipping God together. We had people from Germany, England, Scotland, Camaroon, India, Australia, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Korea, and China, just to mention a few. Jesus is truly the barrier breaker who is building His Church to establish His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven (Eph. 2:11-22). Hallelujah!

Quote of the week:
"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." Eph. 4:11-13

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Monday, 21 April 2008

Living in the Glory!


Glory to God!

Yesterday was awesome! God is blessing us with His presence as we meet with Him and worship Him. We are excited about the new songs He is releasing during the worship and the way He is ushering us deeper and deeper into His presence and glory. Hallelujah!

It was very special yesterday as two more people became covenant members of KLF. Covenant membership is about relationship - committing one's life (spirit, soul and body) to one another to fulfill the purposes of God in and through us as His people. It means:

  1. Establishing our unity in spirit
  2. Establishing God's call on one's life to be part of the local Body
  3. Establishing one's commitment to one another to live in true fellowship
  4. Expressing one's agreement with the values, beliefs and vision of the local Body
  5. Expressing one's shared passion for God's purposes in and through the local Body
  6. Exercising one's commitment to serve the local Body

As Kingdom Life is further established, the Lord is raising up leaders to equip the people for works of service and to become fully mature in Christ (Eph. 4:11-16). Therefore we appointed two leaders who have been called and anointed to lead God's people. We are excited about how God brings the different parts of His Body together so that we complement one another to express the manifold wisdom of God (Eph. 3:10).

The Lord is continuing to speak to us about suffering and yesterday He spoke to us about how we are to respond to circumstances and living in this world whilst not being of this world. He showed us that there are two ways in which we can relate to our environment - we either react or we respond.

  • To react is to allow self and the flesh to rise up and be mastered by one's circumstances.
  • To respond is to deal with circumstances according to the will of God.

"Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God." 1 Peter 4:1,2

As the believer chooses to respond to circumstances God's way, he will need to be prepared to bear the consequences of living for God, for the sake of others and for God's glory, i.e. to suffer.

The Lord also spoke to us about how we need to follow His example of obedience to the Father and bear the consequences just like Jesus did (1 Peter 2:21). In particular the Lord revealed the extent of His forgiveness to us that we are called to imitate by showing us that Jesus not only paid the penalty that we owe for our sin but that He also bore our sin in His body (1 Peter 2:24). That means that Jesus dealt with our sin and the consequence of our sin. Jesus took upon Himself our disobedience and what our disobedience deserves. That means that true forgiveness is not only cancelling the debt of sin but also the very sin itself. We are therefore called to forgive as Jesus has forgiven us. Therefore Peter writes,

"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:9

As we live for God and are prepared to bear the consequences for the sake of others and for the glory of God, the glory of the Lord is upon us (John 17:22; 2 Cor. 3:17,18; 1 Peter 4:12-16; Is. 60:1-3). God is showing us that as we remain in Christ and respond His way, God's glory is revealed in our lives! Hallelujah!

We give God all the glory for the wonderful things He is showing us and encouraging us with. What an awesome God we serve!


Quote of the week:

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." Isaiah 60:1-3

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Monday, 25 February 2008

Kingdom People

Glory to God!

This past week has been wonderful! It has been a time of growing in fellowship with one another. On Saturday evening the women got together specifically to build relationships, to pray with one another and to encourage one another. This was an important step in the life of KLF to put into practice what the Lord is teaching us about concerning loving one another and laying down our lives for one another.

As we weren't able to meet at TPLF yesterday, we used the opportunity to meet in two homes. Both groups had a great time worshipping together, praying together, breaking bread together, sharing the Word together and eating together. The Lord is teaching us to have and maintain a Kingdom mind-set as opposed to a church mind-set.

  1. A church mind-set sees the church as an organisation rather than as a people.
  2. A church mind-set has its identity in the denomination or name of the church rather than in one's citizenship in heaven.
  3. A church mind-set passes its responsibilities on to the church as an organisation rather than living out of one's identity and responsibility as a believer.
  4. A church mind-set separates the spiritual and the secular rather than continuously living with Divine consciousness.
  5. A church mind-set is possessive and gives what is comfortable rather than recognising that we are stewards of everything we are and have because we belong to God.
  6. A church mind-set has its focus on the world and on the Kingdom rather than only on the Kingdom.
  7. A church mind-set seeks to bring people to the church rather than bringing people into the Kingdom.
  8. A church mind-set seeks to do good works to please God occasionally rather than being obedient in order to release the Kingdom for God's glory.

Being a Kingdom people means:

  1. We live in the Kingdom of Light. Col 1:13,14; Eph. 5:8,9
  2. We are citizens of heaven. Phil. 3:20
  3. We are in this world but not of this world. John 17:16
  4. We live for one thing: the Kingdom. 1 John 2:15-17
  5. We give everything for the Kingdom. Matthew 13:44,45
  6. We fix our eyes on the Kingdom. Col. 3:1,2
  7. We live according to the Kingdom. Rom. 8:5-15
  8. We live to release the Kingdom. Matthew 6:9,10

The Lord spoke to our other group about being a Kingdom people of faith. A people who are led by the Holy Spirit and who work with Him rather than doing things in their own wisdom. The example was given of Abraham and how Ishmael is the fruit of trying to fulfill God's promises in one's own wisdom rather than trusting in God's wisdom, the fruit of which was fulfilled in Isaac. As a Kingdom people of faith we are called to trust in the Lord every step of the way and to rest in His promises; not rushing ahead and not laging behind!

We are seeking the Lord as to what the next steps are for KLF and we are exploring the possibility of renting a house in Frankfurt that will be both a home and an ideal meeting place for the church for mid-week meetings. Our large meetings and conferences will be held at TPLF or other locations. This new possibility is exciting as it emphasises God's call on KLF to build a true spiritual community - a people who selflessly share their lives with one another for God's glory.


Quote of the week:

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:42-47

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