Holy Spirit and Fire

"John answered, saying to all, 'I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.'" Luke 3:16,17

Baptized with the Holy Spirit

Pentecost marks the birth of the Church, the day on which Jesus baptized and saturated all those who believed in Him with His Spirit of holiness. Pentecost is also the fulfilment of the first part of what John prophesied concerning Jesus, that He would clean out His threshing floor and gather the wheat into His barn. The Church is God's "gathered ones," set apart by His Spirit to dwell in Him for eternity.

Baptized with fire

Pentecost is also the evidence that Jesus will fulfill the second part of John's prophecy. When Jesus returns, He will indeed baptize with fire and condemn those who have not been gathered into His barn - the chaff that will burn with unquenchable fire.

As the Church celebrates Pentecost let us be reminded that we are Christ's gathered ones, filled with His Spirit, who belong to Him and are set apart for Him but let us also be reminded that those who have not believed will also be baptized, not with the Holy Spirit but with fire.

My prayer for us, as the Church, is that we would respond to the One who is mightier than us with reverence and awe as we recognise that He has the power to baptize with the Spirit and with fire. Let us be saturated with the Holy Spirit but let us also be filled with compassion and urgency to reach those who have not yet been gathered into His barn.

2016. Sow what?!

As we enter the new year, I am sure many of us want to see change in our lives. Obviously if we continue to do what we have done in the past we cannot expect a different outcome in the future. Someone once said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results." In other words, if you keep sowing the same seed, you cannot expect to reap a different harvest!

What will you sow into?

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." Galatians 6:7,8

The seed we sow will either be destructive or constructive. If we sow seed to please our sinful desires, we will reap the negative consequences but if we sow to please the Holy Spirit, we will reap fullness of life.

Sowing to please the Spirit does not come naturally. The apostle Paul even says that the desires of the sinful nature are contrary to the Spirit and that they are in conflict with each other (Gal. 5:17). In order to sow to please the Spirit, the believer must make a disciplined effort to overcome his or her natural desires. A great example of this is found in Matthew 26:36-46 where the disciples gave in to "sleeping and resting" instead of "watching and praying." Jesus said that "the spirit is willing but the body is weak" and so we need to understand that in order to sow spiritual seed, we must overcome the weakness of the body. In Gethsemane, Jesus overcame His emotions (26:38), His will (26:39) and His physical tiredness (26:40) to fulfill the will of the Father. If Jesus "learned obedience" then surely we need to as well (see Hebrews 5:7-10)!

All of us sow seed. The question is, "Are we sowing seed to please ourselves or to please the Holy Spirit?"

How much will you sow?

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." 2 Corintians 9:6

We must sow generously if we what to reap generously. In order to sow generously we must be prepared to sow beyond natural expectations and boundaries. Supernatural harvest comes from supernatural investment - sowing that is beyond the natural.

As stewards of what God entrusts us with whether gifts, talents, finances, time, energy, relationships, revelation, etc, we can use these for ourselves, to bless or to invest. We see these three principles in Matthew 25:1-46 where Jesus teaches on the believer's need to be ready (25:1-13), the believer's need to invest (25:14-30) and the believer's duty to bless (25:31-46). All three parables deal with stewardship and the consequences of wise investment whether for ourselves, for others or for the Kingdom. Generosity is commended because it reflects the very heart of the Father toward all creation. God gives beyond the boundary and those who are of Him will do the same! If we sow generously, we will reap generously!

So as we enter 2016, consider what you will sow into and how much you will sow to determine what you want to reap and how much you want to reap!

Consider what you want to reap in the future and how much you want to reap concerning:

• Your relationship with God.
• Your own life: spiritually, physically and emotionally.
• Your family: salvation , care, reconcilliation, provision, honour.
• Your relationship with others: forgiveness, reconcilliation, care, support, investment.
• The salvation of the lost: prayer, sharing the Gospel, caring, supporting.
• The needy: provision, support, love.
• Your church: serving, investing, supporting, honouring, spiritual gifts.
• Your work: attitude, colleagues, honour.

"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 Corinthians 9:8

May God bless you richly as you generously sow into what the Spirit desires in 2016!

2016. Wie säen wir weiter?!

Gerade jetzt, ganz am Anfang des Neuen Jahrs, bin ich sicher, dass sich viele von uns Veränderung in ihrem Leben wünschen. Es ist aber klar, dass keine veränderten Ergebnisse erwarten können, wenn wir weiterhin das tun, was wir in der Vergangenheit auch getan haben. Jemand sagte einmal “Es ist geisteskrank immer und wieder dasselbe zu tun und andere Resultate zu erwarten!“ Mit anderen Worten, wenn Du weiterhin denselben Samen aussäst, kannst du nicht erwarten, eine andere Ernte einzubringen!

Wo hinein wirst du säen?

"Irrt euch nicht, Gott lässt sich nicht verspotten! Denn was ein Mensch sät, das wird er auch ernten. Denn wer auf sein Fleisch sät, wird vom Fleisch Verderben ernten; wer aber auf den Geist sät, wird vom Geist ewiges Leben ernten" Galater 6:7,8

Das Saatgut, das wir aussäen, wird entweder destruktiv oder konstruktiv sein. Wenn wir das säen, was unserer sündigen Natur gefällt, werden wir negative Konsequenzen ernten; aber wenn wir das säen, was dem Heiligen Geist gefällt, werden wir die Fülle des Lebens ernten.

Das zu säen, was dem Geist Gottes gefällt, liegt nicht in unserer menschlichen Natur. Der Apostel Paulus sagt sogar, dass die Wünsche der sündigen Natur konträr zum Geist sind und dass sie miteinander im Konflikt stehen. (Gal. 5:17). Um aber dem Geist Gottes gefallend zu säen, muss der Gläubige sich diszipliniert bemühen, seine eigenen, natürlichen, Wünsche zu überwinden. Ein großartiges Beispiel dafür finden wir in Matthäus 26:36-46 wo die Jünger sich hängen ließen und "schliefen und ruhten" anstatt zu "wachen und beten." Jesus sagte dazu: "der Geist willig, aber das Fleisch ist schwach". Und so müssen wir verstehen, dass wir, um geistliche Samen zu säen, die Schwachheit unseres Leibes überwinden müssen. In Gethsemane, hat Jesus all seine Emotionen (26:38), seinen Willen l (26:39) und auch seine physische Müdigkeit (26:40) überwunden, um den Willen des Vaters zu erfüllen. Wenn selbst Jesus "Gehorsam lernte”  dann müssen wir das sicherlich auch (siehe Hebr. 5:7-10)!

Wir alle säen etwas. Die Frage ist “Säen wir, um uns selbst zu gefallen, oder um dem Heiligen Geist zu gefallen?“

Wieviel wirst du säen?

"Erinnere dich an dies: Wer sparsam sät, wird sparsam ernten; und wer segensreich sät, wird auch segensreich ernten." 2. Kor. 9:6

Wir müssen großzügig säen, wenn wir großzügig ernten wollen. Um großzügig zu säen, müssen wir bereit sein, über unsere natürlichen Erwartungen und Begrenzungen hinaus zu säen. Eine übernatürliche Ernte kommt von einem übernatürlichen Investment – Alson das säen, was über das Natürliche hinausgeht.

Als Verwalter dessen, was Gott uns anvertraut – ob nun bezüglich unserer Gaben, Talente, Finanzen, Zeit, Energie, Beziehungen, Offenbarung, etc., können wir diese Dinge für uns selbst, zum Segen anderer oder als Investition nutzen. Wir sehen diese drei Prinzipien in Matthäus 25:1-46, wo Jesus darüber lehrt, dass die Gläubigen bereit sein (25:1-13), investieren (25:14-30) und segnen (25:31-46) sollten. Bei allen drei Gleichnissen geht es um Verwalterschaft und die Konsequenzen von weisen Investitionen; ob für uns selbst, für andere oder für das Königreich. Großzügigkeit wird empfohlen, weil dies das Herz des Vaters für seine Schöpfung wiederspiegelt. Gott gibt uns über alle Grenzen hinaus und die, die von ihm abstammen, tun dasselbe. Wenn wir großzügig säen, werden wir großzügig ernten!

Nun in 2016, bedenke, wohinein du säen möchtest und wie viel du hinein säen möchtest – den das wird festlegen, was du ernten möchtest und wieviel! Bedenke, was du in folgenden Bereichen zukünftig ernten möchtest und wieviel: 

• Deine Beziehung zu Gott.
• Dein eigenes Leben: Geistlich, physisch, emotional.
• Deine Familie: Errettung, Fürsorge, Versöhnung, Versorgung, Ehre.
• Deine Beziehung zu anderen: Vergebung, Versöhnung, Versorgung, Unterstützung, Investition
• Die Errettung der Verlorenen: Gebet, das Evangelium weitergeben, Unterstützen, Fürsorge
• Die Bedürftigen: Versorgung, Unterstützung, Liebe.
• Deine Gemeinde: Dienen, investieren, unterstützen, ehren, geistliche Gaben.
• Deine Arbeit: Haltung, Kollegen, Ehre.

"Jeder gebe, wie er sich in seinem Herzen vorgenommen hat: nicht mit Verdruss oder aus Zwang, denn einen fröhlichen Geber liebt Gott. Gott aber vermag euch jede Gnade überreichlich zu geben, damit ihr in allem allezeit alle Genüge habt und überreich seid zu jedem guten Werk."  Korinther 9:7 und 8
Möge Gott euch reichlich segnen, so wie ihr großzügig in das hinein sät, wonach sich der Geist Gottes in 2016 sehnt!

The Joy of True Fellowship

 Image courtesy of Photostock at Freedigitalphotos.net

"We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make (y)our joy complete." 1 John 1:3,4

True fellowship with one another comes out of the fellowship each one of us has with God.  At the same time, true fellowship with one another is hindered when we don't have true fellowship with God.

"God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." 1 John 1:5-7

The fruit of fellowship with God should be that the believer lives by the truth.

"The man who says, 'I know him,' but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 1 John 2:4

When believers don't live by the truth, they will hinder true fellowship with one another. The greatest joy is found when believers walk in the light and together have unhindered fellowship with God.

As much as I believe that God always works despite us, I also believe that God is looking for a people who are committed to fellowship with Him and fellowship with one another.

Unity is a very powerful thing. Where there is true fellowship, God will pour out His Spirit (Psalm 133). Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is inexpressible joy. The joy and love we experience when we are reconciled to those we love will be poured over a people who are committed to living in unity and love.

My prayer is that the Church would receive revelation, would experience and would live according to what Christ has purchased for us by His blood. The truth is that Christ's death has opened the way for man to have true fellowship with God and one another (Ephesians 2:14-22). Through faith in Jesus, the believer is made one with God and with every other believer. This is a divine mystery that could only be accomplished by God. To live "by the truth" is to live according to the reality of our union with God and one another. The question is, "Will we live according to this amazing truth and be devoted to fellowship with God and one another?"

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." John 15:9-12

The anarchy of the soul

 Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The oxford dictionary defines the word anarchy as:

1. a state of disorder due to absence or non-recognition of authority or other controlling systems
2. absence of government and absolute freedom of the individual, regarded as a political ideal.

Origin: mid 16th cent: via medieval Latin from Greek anarkhia, from anarkhos, from an - 'without' + arkhos 'chief,ruler'.

The Bible makes it clear that society is moving towards a state of lawlessness -

"For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work" (2 Thess 2:7).

The power of lawlessness that is driven by the man of lawlessness (2 Thess. 2:3) opposes God and the truth so that people are deceived and "refuse to love the truth and so be saved" (2 Thess 2:10).

"God is not a God of disorder," Paul writes but is the God who is the highest authority and in whom true freedom is found.

James writes, "the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does" (James 1:25).

The deception is in the idea that true freedom is the absence of a governing authority and any controlling system. In the name of tolerance and enlightened thinking, we are developing a society that is turning its back on God's authority and will and we wonder why our young generation is confused, abandoned, dislocated, hopeless and angry. The truth is that when man is left to himself, he moves toward the anarchy of the soul.

Without the governing presence of the Spirit of God within man, sinful man, who is seperated from God, is given over to the desires of the flesh (see Romans 1:18-32)! His mind, his emotions and his will are influenced by every sinful desire and every influence of the world. Left to himself, man experiences the anarchy of the soul that ultimately leads to self-destruction. The prodigal son left the place of authority and order (his father and home) to live a life of freedom. What that led to was the anarchy of the soul that led him to the pigs.

God wants His creation to live in fullness of life. Creation will only experience freedom when it submits itself to the authority and will of God. Creation is waiting to be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God (Rom 8:21)! Those who are governed by the Spirit of God are the sons of God who live in the glorious freedom of God's order (Rom 8:14). Hallelujah!

I believe God is calling His people to renew their trust in His absolute authority and His good, pleasing and perfect will. Only a people who rely on the authority and wisdom of God will experience true freedom and live life as God purposed it for man.

"Trust in the Lord will all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5

Realizing the Unseen Real

"You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain – if it really was in vain?  So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?" Galatians 3:1-5

True Salvation

• Man is separated from God "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
• The glory of God - His goodness, His perfection, His purity, His holiness, etc can never be attained by human effort because man is imperfect by nature. Rom.5:14
• In order to gain access to the glory of God, man needs to be "like God in true righteousness and holiness." Eph.4.24
• Christ came as the Mediator between God and man. 1 Tim. 2:5
• Through Christ's perfect life, His death and His resurrection, God gave man a means to be reconciled to Him. 2 Cor. 5:18,19
• By depending on Christ's righteousness, man is reconciled to the Father and has access to His presence and His Kingdom. It is by depending on Christ's right standing with the Father that the believer has access to the favour and glory of God. Rom. 5:1,2

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained acces by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." Romans 5:1,2

The Realm of Grace

It is therefore not man's efforts that give him access to the Kingdom but dependence upon Christ. This is how the believer begins "by means of the Spirit" (Gal. 3:3). The believer is born of the Spirit as he depends on Christ's righteousness and gains access to the Spirit's realm, the Kingdom of God or the Unseen Real. In other words, through faith in Jesus Christ, the believer has access to "him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Eph. 3:20). Entrance into the realm of immeasurably more, the Kingdom of God, the realm of grace is made possible through dependence upon Christ (John 3:5).

Faith realizes

The apostle Paul rebukes the Galatians for reverting to a life of works and human effort rather than continuing to depend on Christ for their righteousness. Paul not only addresses the issue of righteousness through faith in Christ but also the issue of miracles and the demonstration of God's Kingdom through faith among the believers. Paul asks, "Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?" (Gal. 3:5) What Paul is essentially getting at is that the realm of the Spirit (the Kingdom of God) is seen, received and realized by faith in Christ and His Realm and cannot be produced or earned by human effort (John 3:1-12). 

The Kingdom of God is not realized by the believer trying to twist God's arm by human effort but by praying God's will on earth as he sees it in heaven. Jesus taught His disciples to pray this way when He told them to pray, "Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). Jesus only spoke what He heard the Father say and only did what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19,30).  

Jesus revealed the Father's will on earth as it is in heaven - 
He  realized the Unseen Real!

Pray in the Spirit

To pray in the Spirit is to pray as the Holy Spirit prays.

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Romans 8:26,27 (emphasis mine)

The Spirit prays in accordance with the will of God (John 16:13). When God's will is revealed on earth as it is in heaven, the Kingdom of God is realized. Realizing the Unseen Real is the essence of praying in the Spirit. The believer realizes Christ's righteousness in his own life by faith and learns to realize the reality of Heaven on earth by faith. The believer therefore stops trying to change the natural realm by using human effort and depends on the reality of the Kingdom and calls that which is not in the natural as though it were (Romans 4:17). The believer is called to live for the Unseen Real and to live from the Unseen Real (2 Cor. 4:18; Col. 3:1,2; Heb. 11:24-27; 12:22-28). 

Two perspectives

Either one lives from the natural realm toward the spiritual realm or one lives from the spiritual realm toward the natural realm. The first requires human effort; the latter requires faith. The first is evolutionary; the latter is creationist. The first is earthly, the latter is heavenly. The first tries to attain heaven; the latter lives from heaven. The first tries to become holy; the latter lives as a holy one. The first tries to be righteous; the latter produces the fruit of righteousness. The first works for his salvation; the latter works out his salvation. The first is seated on earth; the latter is seated in heaven.

Kingdom Ambassadors

God is calling His people to live as new creations in Christ and to pray heaven on earth so that His Kingdom is realized in the natural realm. Having begun by receiving the Spirit by faith, let us continue to realize the Unseen Real by faith and see God's Kingdom come!

Are you producing the fruit of the Spirit?

What kind of question is that? Surely I cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit. Is the fruit of the Spirit not His fruit? Is it not the Spirit's work to produce the nature of God in my life?

In my dealings with Christians I have discovered that there are essentially two schools of thought that believers live by. Some believe that the Christian's life is about becoming like Christ whilst others believe the Christian life is about being like Christ. 

Progressive sanctification?

Those who believe that God's children are in a process of becoming like Christ, believe that God is at work in their lives to transform them to become increasingly Christ-like. This process is described as God's sanctifying work that He is doing in the believer's life. Consequently when these believers face challenges, sickness, hardship etc, they attribute their "suffering" to God's disciplining work in their lives to produce Christ-likeness. It is described as God's refining work to produce Christ-likeness. The bottom line however is that God is held responsible for making the believer increasingly Christ-like.

Those who believe that God's children are to be Christ-like, believe that God has sanctified the believer and it is the Christian's responsibility to be like Christ. Challenges, hardship and sickness are attributed to the consequence of living in the world and the work of the Devil. Suffering is understood to be the consequence of obedience to God in this world and punishment is understood as the consequence of disobedience to God. Having received fullness in Christ and the power to be Christ-like (Col. 2:10; 2 Peter 1:3), it is the responsibility of the believer to be like Christ.

The believer's understanding of sanctification will influence and determine the way he or she lives his or her life! Those who believe in progressive sanctification wait for God to do the work while those who believe they have been sanctified do the work according to God's will. For example, the first wait for God to produce His love in them in order to love like Him while the latter have faith in the love they have received and live accordingly in obedience.

The conflict within

Every believer has two desires operating in his or her life. The apostle Paul puts it like this,

"The sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other." Gal. 5:17

There is battle going on in the believer's life and it is up to the believer to choose which desire to fulfill! The child of God must choose to follow the desires of the Spirit in order to produce the fruit of the Spirit. Following the desires of the flesh or self-centredness will produce the fruit of the sinful desires. Who produces the fruit?

That is why Paul says the following,

"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law." Romans 13:8

"Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation - but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it." Romans 8:12

The apostle Paul says the believer has an obligation or a debt (Greek: opheilo) to love. 

It is therefore the believer's responsibility to follow the Spirit's desire and to obey Him and thus reveal the nature of God. The believer doesn't become increasingly loving through progressive sanctification! The believer must choose to live from the Christ within because he or she is sanctified (1 Pet. 1:14-16).

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesians 5:1

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:22-24

Choose to follow Christ within you and produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Since we live by the Spirit let us keep in step with the Spirit." Gal. 5:22,23

 

Are you bringing heaven on earth?

"Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:9,10

The kingdom of God is a present reality

The prayer that Jesus taught His disciples to pray is embedded in His teaching on how to live life on earth according to the kingdom of God (see Matthew 5:1-7:29). Jesus came as an ambassador of the kingdom to teach mankind about the reality of the kingdom of God as well as to reveal the kingdom of God as it is in heaven. Jesus manifested the reality of God's rule and reign in heaven on earth. In Matthew 12:28, Jesus says, "And if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you."

The kingdom of God is a mystery revealed to those who believe

Jesus told His disciples that, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them" Matthew 13:11. Through faith in Jesus the believer is born from above or born of the Spirit, enabling him or her to see the kingdom and to enter the kingdom of God (see John 3:1-8). Once the believer has received the Holy Spirit, s/he is able to discern the things of the kingdom. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 2:14, "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."

The born again believer is a son of the kingdom

In Jesus' parable of the weeds in the field in Matthew 13:36-43, He explains that, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil." Those who are born again and have received the Holy Spirit belong to the kingdom of God for they have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness and brought into the kingdom of the Son he loves (Col. 1:13). 

As sons of the kingdom we are to produce the fruit of the kingdom of God, the manifestation of heaven on earth!

The fruit of the kingdom is produced by those who hear the word of God and understand it. They produce a crop yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown (see Matthew 13:23). Those who believe God's word and apply it to their lives will produce an abundant harvest - the fruit of the kingdom.

How does one produce the fruit of the kingdom?

In order to realise the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven we are to live kingdom lives just as Jesus did. Those who belong to Christ's kingdom will walk as Jesus did and be like Him as He is in heaven (see 1 John 2:6; 4:17). When asked to show them the Father, Jesus simply replied, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father....Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves" (John 14:9-11). Jesus manifested the Father's nature, spoke the Father's words, did the works of the Father and lived in the authority and power of the Father. In other words, Jesus represented the King of heaven and by being His ambassador, Jesus released the King's dominion on earth as it is in heaven.

By revealing the nature of the Father, Jesus manifested the culture of the kingdom of heaven. For example, Jesus came full of grace and truth (John 1:14). We see the realisation of the kingdom of heaven on earth when Jesus forgave the woman caught in the act of adultery (grace) but warned her to leave her life of sin (truth) John 8:1-11. Jesus revealed the King's compassion and holiness, bringing heaven on earth. Likewise, the believer is to imitate God and be holy as He is holy (see Eph 5:1; 1 Peter 1:15,16).

By speaking the words of the Father, Jesus manifested the wisdom of the kingdom of heaven. Everyone was amazed at the wisdom with which Jesus spoke (see Mark 6:2). When we speak God's Word we release heaven on earth. James puts it like this, "The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness" (James 3:17,18). In other words, when we apply kingdom culture to our lives by revealing God's nature and speaking His words, we bring heaven on earth!

By doing the will of the Father, Jesus manifested the culture of heaven on earth (see John 4:34). Without His complete obedience to the Father, Jesus would not have realised God's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Likewise, the believer must find out what the Lord's will is and obey it if s/he is to bring heaven on earth! Obedience releases God's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven!

By doing the works of the Father, Jesus manifested His dominion on earth as it is in heaven. The healing of the sick and the driving out of demons was always done in the context of preaching the good news of the kingdom (see Luke 9:1,2; Matthew 4:23).

By walking under and in the authority of the Father and in the power of His name, Jesus overcame the kingdom of darkness to establish God's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. The same authority and power is given to the believer. Jesus, after explaining that He is the Father's representative, tells His disciples that "anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask for anything in my name, and I will do it" (John 14:12-14). To ask the Father in the name of Jesus is to act as His representative on earth as He is in heaven. The believer is called to continue Christ's work of bringing heaven on earth as a kingdom ambassador "for our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 6:12).

Are you bringing heaven on earth?

I believe as sons of the kingdom of God, we are to produce the fruit of God's kingdom by manifesting heaven on earth as we live the kingdom life that Jesus lived. We are not of this world. We are of God. Let us live as kingdom ambassadors revealing the nature, the words, the will, the works, the authority and power of our King on earth as it is in heaven!

Do you have a religious spirit?

"May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." John 17:23

The unity of the Church is evidence that Christ was sent and that the Father loves the Church even as He loves His Son, Jesus!

It is finished!

Jesus always prayed according to the will of the Father and knew that His death would accomplish the Father's purpose. Paul writes,

"His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord." Eph. 3:10,11

God's purpose in Christ has been accomplished so that the Church is one Body - the unity of believers that is the revelation of the Father's love and purpose. God's wisdom has been revealed to the spiritual realm through joining believers to be one Body in Christ.

Unity attacked!

The Church is therefore God's demonstration of His wisdom, His love and His purpose for man which He accomplished in Christ! It should therefore not surprise us that the unity of the Church is the primary target of the enemy! Satan is all out to bring division in the Body of Christ so that she veils what God has accomplished in Christ! The unity of the Church is at stake!

How does Satan bring division into the Church?

Clearly there are many ways but I believe the primary way is to influence believers with a religious spirit. A religious spirit is an attitude that brings division within the Body of Christ.

Jesus was clear with the Pharisees that their attitude was of the Devil (John 8:44). Their focus was on outward appearance rather than on the attitude of the heart. Jesus spoke sharply against them and said,

"Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." Matthew 23:27,28

The religious attitude is more concerned with outward appearance than with what is on the heart. Paul says the same to the Corinthian church,

"We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart." 2 Cor. 5:12

Form and essence

That which is outward is form whilst that which is on the heart is essence. When there is a form or appearance of righteousness but the heart is wicked, the person is essentially wicked. It is what Paul calls "A form of godliness without power" (2 Tim. 3:5).

Focused on appearance

The religious attitude seeks to look good on the outside but ignores the true nature of his heart. His focus is on external appearance. In the Church the religious attitude criticises the appearance (form) of others such as the way people dress, the way people worship, the way people pray and the way people behave. The religious spirit does not look at the heart of others and immediately judges others based on outward appearance rather than seeking and appreciating the sincerity or heart (essence) of another.

Unity of form?

The religious spirit insists that their way is the correct way and any other form is simply wrong. This demonic attitude is full of pride and extremely divisive. When the church begins to expose the religious spirit and learns to accept one another's essence and not insist on unity of form, she will live in the unity Christ purchased with His blood.

Unity in diversity

Being in an international church, we have people from all over the world with many different cultures and forms. As we value one another because of our essential unity in Christ, we bear with one another and seek to focus on the essence rather than the form of lives in Christ. As we do so, we reveal the unity of our faith that reveals the wisdom, the love and the purpose of God.

Church splits

The primary reason churches split is because people think that unity of the Church is unity of form. Groups split up because each insist that their way is the correct way, rather than appreciating the diversity in the Body without comprimising the essence. Our church is committed to being uncomprimising in essence but flexible in form. That way we learn to value one another's different ways (form) and still enjoy what unites us (essence).

Make every effort!

Understanding what is at stake and what the enemy is up to should cause us to "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" because "there is one body and one Spirit" (Eph. 4:3,4).

Church, be alert to the works of the enemy and don't allow a religious spirit to dominate your attitude toward your brothers and sisters in Christ. Learn to appreciate the different forms and value your unity in Christ. Don't be responsible for veiling what God has accomplished in Christ. Make every effort to keep the unity that has been bought with Christ's blood through the bond of peace. Then the spirit realm will see the fullness of God's wisdom and the world will know that the Father sent Jesus and loves the Church as He loves His Son!

"The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Sam. 16:7

Are you holy?

"But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'be holy, because I am holy.'" 1 Peter 1:15,16

God is holy.

God is holy because of who He is and not because of what He does. God is holy because He is like no other god. He is beyond compare!

"'To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?' asks the Holy One" Isaiah 40:25

It is the "otherness" of God that defines His holiness. He is completely (wholly) good, pure, loving, righteous, just, light, merciful, gracious, etc, because that is His holy nature!

God makes holy.

In the Old Testament we read about how God brings the people of Israel out of Egypt to set them apart from all other nations as His people - a people belonging to God and set apart for Him. God thus makes His people holy by setting them apart. That which is set apart for God is sanctified - made holy.

For example, when the priests were ordained in the OT, they were set apart with blood and oil (see Leviticus 8). Likewise the believer is set apart and made holy by the blood of Jesus and the oil of the Holy Spirit.

Through faith in Jesus, the believer is sanctified by His blood and by the gift of the Holy Spirit! 1 Peter 1:1,2

The believer is therefore holy! He is sanctified. He cannot become holy in his own effort. It is God who sets the believer apart and makes Him holy. Holiness cannot be attained!

The New Testament calls God's people, saints because they have been sanctified and set apart for God. Believers cannot become saints by their own effort. They are made saints by the mercy and grace of God! See Eph. 1:1,15

"This sainthood is not an attainment, it is a state into which God in grace calls men.." W.E. Vine

You are holy!

As a believer, you are holy by nature, regardless of whether you sin or not! Your obedience or your disobedience does not change the fact that God has set you apart for Himself. As God's holy people we are called to live holy lives - lives that express our separateness for God. Paul writes,

"To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy.." 1 Cor. 1:2

The believer is called to live a holy life because he is holy and not in order to become holy!

Made holy to reveal God's holiness

God's purpose in setting apart a people for Himself, by bringing His people out of darkness, is to reveal Himself through them as the only true God - the Holy One!

"..you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." 1 Peter 2:9,10

"Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes." Ezekiel 36:23

Called to holiness.

The believer is called to live a holy life because God is holy. The believer's holiness is expressed by his separateness from the world, the flesh and the devil. As God's holy people, we are in this world but not of this world.

"My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified." John 17:15-19

Through the believer's union with Christ, he is made holy so that he will reveal the One to whom he is joined - the Holy One (see 1John 4:15).

Revealing God.

The way we live holy lives, as God's holy people, is to be like Jesus (1 John 2:6)! We reveal God's otherness as we reveal His nature - His love, mercy, kindness, patience, goodness, grace, forgiveness, etc.

As God's holy people "let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God!" 2 Cor. 7:1

Saints, be holy because God is holy and you are holy!

The key to praying in power

"It is written, 'I believed; therefore I have spoken.' With the same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak." 2 Cor. 4:13

Speak!

The spirit of faith believes AND speaks!

"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45

A heart filled with faith speaks.

The words we speak because of faith have creative power to influence and change the natural realm.

The apostle Paul writes,

"The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Romans 10:8-10

Powerful words

The words we speak that agree with our faith, have power! To confess is to agree.

"From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands rewards him." Proverbs 12:14

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue." Proverbs 18:21

The words we speak have power only when they are in agreement with what we believe. It is not the right words that have power but the words that flow out of a heart of faith!

Faithless words?

Those who use words without faith can get themselves into a lot of trouble!

"Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, 'In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.' Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, 'Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?' Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding." Acts 13-16

Praying with the spirit of faith

The believer must pray the will of God. If we are praying in the Spirit, we will pray in agreement with God's will so that His Kingdom is manifested on earth as it is in heaven (see Matthew 6:10). The Holy Spirit intercedes in accordance with the will of God and so should we, if we want to pray with the spirit of faith (see Romans 8:27).

The key to praying in power

The key to praying in power is to know and believe the will of God and to speak it into the physical realm. This is praying with the spirit of faith!

How to pray with the spirit of faith

A great way to build your faith and to grow in the spirit of faith is to pray God's Word out loud. For example, you can take Psalm 91 and pray it out loud over your own life. Verse one states,

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty."

You can pray, "Thank you, Lord, that as I dwell in your shelter I find rest in your presence! Thank you Lord that I can dwell in your shelter and abide in your presence. Thank you that you overshadow me right now as I rest in your presence."

Faith comes from hearing God's Word (see Romans 10:17)! Therefore, praying God's Word out loud is operating with the spirit of faith and it strengthens your faith at the same time!

I encourage you to develop the "spirit of faith" as you believe and speak God's will on earth as it is in heaven. I pray that you will be filled "with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding....so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." Col. 1:9-12

How to live by the Spirit

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with one another, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law." Galatians 5:16-18

Every believer has an earthly nature and a heavenly nature. Paul says in Col. 3:5;

"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature."

Why should we put to death whatever belongs to our earthly nature? Paul says that in response to the fact that every believer has been joined to Christ and is seated in the heavenly realms with Him (Eph. 2:6). Further he says,

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." Col. 3:1-3

Death to self

In what way has the believer died? Paul says,

"And he (Christ) died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 2 Cor. 5:15

The death we have died is a death to self and a death to living for our own selfish desires.

Now that we are born again as a new creation in Christ with a heavenly nature, we are called to live according to our new nature and no longer live according to our old, selfish and self-centred nature.

We are to move from self-consciousness to God-consciousness.

Self-consciousness vs God-consciousness

Self-consciousness means we are primarily concerned with ourselves and what our selfish nature desires. God-consciousness means we are primarily aware of God and what He desires. Living in response to our selfish nature is idolatry. Living in response to God is to fear God - to honour God and respond to His presence.

The fear of the Lord

Believers who live in "the fear of the Lord" are people who carry an awareness of God's presence in them, with them and around them wherever they are. Because of their God-consciousness, they are sensitive to what grieves Him. They don't live their lives according to principles and rules but rather out of relationship with the Father who dwells in them and with them by His Spirit.

When the believer begins to change his behaviour and desires because of God he begins to live according to the Spirit of God or "by the Spirit" (Gal. 5:16).

Our choice

We have a choice. Either we choose to live according to what we want or what God wants. Either we behave according to our old, selfish nature or we behave according to our new nature in Christ.

"Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation - but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." Romans 8:12-14

Sons of God live according to what God desires.

Why do so many Christians struggle to put the earthly nature to death?

One of the main reasons is that we try to overcome the flesh in our own strength. We try to put a stop to the behaviour that is according to our selfish and sinful desires by prohibiting certain behaviour or actions. The problem with that is that we bring ourselves under law and consequently we break the self-made law because we cannot keep the law.

"..the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so." Romans 8:7

Romans chapter 7 describes this "law of sin and death" that we cannot overcome in our own strength. That is why Paul says we must "put to death the misdeeds of the body" by the Spirit.

How do we do that?

We need to replace our sinful desires by becoming more aware of God's presence - God-consciousness. If I am faced with a situation where my flesh desires what is contrary to what I know is God's will, I don't try to stop the flesh but simply direct my attention to God: "on things above" (Col. 3:1-3). The more I become aware of God's loving presence, the less I want to do my own thing. The more God-conscious I become, the more I see how ugly my selfish desires are and the Spirit begins to change my desires from wanting to please myself to wanting to please my Father.

How do I know if I am living by the Spirit?

It's very simple. Since the believer's life is "now hidden with Christ in God" and he is joined to God, the normal state of every believer should be "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Gal. 5:22,23). The fruit of the Spirit is the nature of God and so when the believer dwells or abides in God, he abides in the heavenly nature. Because God dwells in us and we in Him, it is our right to remain in Him and in our heavenly nature. The world, the flesh and the Devil want to "draw us out" of our new and now, normal, heavenly state. We must choose to remain in God and not allow anything to "move us out" of our heavenly nature. When we allow anything to disrupt our new nature, we are not living according to the Spirit.

Peace

For example, let's take "peace." Since I am joined to Christ who is my Peace (Eph. 2:14) and who is the Prince of Peace, I expect to be in a constant state of peace if I am abiding in Him or living by the Spirit.

"..the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace." Romans 8:6

As soon as my peace is unsettled, I immediately check what is the cause of the disturbance. It is my right to abide in peace, since I am joined to Peace. If it is disturbed, I must check what the cause is. I immediately ask the Holy Spirit what is going on.

Peace disturbers

Some common disturbances are:

• Sin - if I disobey the Lord and grieve Him, I lose my peace. The Holy Spirit will always expose anything I am doing or have done that has grieved Him - not to condemn me but to bring me back to absolute intimacy with Him (see James 1:5).


• Attacks of the Enemy - if I cannot pinpoint why I don't have peace, it usually is the enemy trying to oppress me. The enemy tends to be vague but the Holy Spirit is clear. If I am being oppressed, I simply take authority over the feelings and reclaim my right to live in peace.


• Lies of the Enemy. Sometimes I can receive communication that I misinterpret or is simply not true. These thoughts can disturb my peace because I am believing a lie. The lie must be exposed and made obedient to what I know is the truth (see 2 Cor. 10:3-5).


• Worry. Worrying comes from not trusting God. When I am tempted to worry, I direct my attention to God and reflect on His ability to do immeasurably more than I can ask or think (Eph. 3:20) and I remind myself that God's grace is sufficient for me in every circumstance. God knows!

Living by the Spirit is living in God

John says the same when he writes,

"God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16

I want to encourage you to spend time simply reflecting on the truth that you are in God and God is in you (1 John 4:15). Become aware of His presence in you and with you. Acknowledge God's presence wherever you are, especially when you are likely to be tempted or are being tempted to "move out" of the Spirit (see Proverbs 3:6).

"Live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.....Let us keep in step with the Spirit." Gal. 5:16,25

What are you waiting for (part 2)?

Many Christians are waiting for God to touch their lives. They either seek His touch in prayer or they attend meetings where they hope to be touched by God in the meeting or through somebody. God certainly wants His people to seek His face but I believe that many believers don't have a clear idea of exactly what they are looking for and what they will do once they have found it. Whether we call it "a touch from God" or "a move of God" or "revival" I think we need to have a clear understanding of what that looks like and what it will mean for our lives, once we've experienced it.

I believe we need to honestly ask ourselves why we want to experience God. Here are a few common reasons:

I want to know for sure that God exists
I want to know personally, that God loves me
I want to experience God's power so that I receive His power to do His work
I believe I need an experience to know that I have been filled (baptised) with the Holy Spirit

Unfortunately these reasons are derived from wrong teaching, our interpretation of others' experience, unbelief and a lack of knowledge of God and His Word. Let's have a look these reasons more carefully.

I want to know for sure that God exists

God expects His creation to believe in Him even though we don't see Him in the physical. Creation is evidence enough of His existence.

"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Rom. 1:18-20

"Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Heb. 11:1

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Heb. 11:6

"We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen." 2 Cor. 4:18

"Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.." 1 Peter 1:8

"Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'" John 20:29

"For we live by faith, not by sight." 2 Cor. 5:7

Clearly then, seeking a touch from God for proof of His existence is simply unbelief and doesn't please God.

I want to know personally, that God loves me

Many of us have been in meetings where some people are clearly touched by God in a glorious way and we wonder why God doesn't give us the same experience. Consequently we leave disappointed and left out. However, that kind of thinking is based on the assumption that an experience like that is proof of God's love. It isn't!

God has already proven His love for us in giving us His Son. He demonstrated His love for us when He lay down His life for us.

"God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:8

If we seek an experience from God for proof of His love for us, we are again walking in unbelief. God has already demonstrated His love for us. Why do we need more proof? Was John lying when he wrote,

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are." 1 John 3:1

Either we believe or we don't.

I want to experience God's power so that I receive His power to do His work.

Somewhere along the line many of us have come to believe that the believer needs a "second blessing" or needs to be "baptised in the Holy Spirit" before he can do the works Jesus did. Let me ask you, "Can you receive God without His wisdom?" Then why do some of us believe we can receive God without His power? Jesus said that the believer will receive power when he receives the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) - we cannot receive the Holy Spirit without His power. Either we believe we have received the Holy Spirit and are therefore able to do the work of Jesus or not. Paul reprimands the Galatians for thinking that they had to earn God's power.

"Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?....Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?" Gal. 3:2-5

Seeking God for something you have already received is unbelief. We have received the fullness of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

"..you have been given fullness in Christ.." Col. 2:10

The believer is united to Christ and has therefore received every spiritual blessing in Christ, including His power (see Eph. 1:3; 1 Cor. 1:24; 1 John 4:15; 2 Peter 1:3 etc).

Believe you have received!

I believe I need an experience to know that I have been filled (baptised) with the Holy Spirit.

This is a similar reason to the one just discussed. Jesus baptises the believer into His Spirit - into God! The Christian does not still need more of God but needs to learn to manifest the fullness of God by faith. The believer's life is about "..attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13) and not receiving more of God as though God gives Himself in bits and pieces.

Through faith in Jesus we are joined to Him and immersed into His fullness. Believe you have received!

So we can see that many of us may have the wrong reasons for wanting a "touch from God!" God wants us to seek His face and He wants us to experience Him because we believe in Him and have received His fullness and not in order to believe in Him and in order to receive more from Him.

I want to encourage you to begin thanking God for what you have received and trusting Him to use you as you step out in faith, believing you have received.

Does the Church need another Reformation?

Does the Church need another Reformation?

I believe there are two principles we need to consider before attempting to answer this question. The two principles are essence and form.

Essence and Form

Essence does not change whereas form does. For example, the word "human being" describes essence but the words "male" or "female" describe form. Essence is therefore not the same as form. A kitchen (essence) can look different (form) in every household but is still a kitchen - essence stays the same but form varies.

The distinction between essence and form helps us greatly to accept one another as believers. For example, the believer is called to worship (essence) but how he worships will differ in manner (form). If I focus on essence rather than on form I can worship amongst any gathering of believers. The essence of worship is that we respond to God - that I worship (essence) is important and not how I worship (form). Most schisms in the Church are due to criticism of one another with regard to form. Focusing on the form is the same as looking at the outward appearance and gives rise to a critical and judgmental spirit (see 1 Sam. 16:7).

Form in the world and in the Church

The world is attracted to form. As soon as a new form appears, the world copies what they see. This is predominant in fashion, of course - one celebrity has a new look and soon all the teens have the same look. We see this principle in the Church as well. A church develops an attractive form and has significant growth - it looks good. Other churches see the form and try to copy it in order to hopefully have the same result. Sadly the form or "movement" fizzles out because it was based on form and not essence. Essence lasts but form does not.

Lasting Transformation

I believe God wants His people to come back to the essence so that He can bring about a lasting transformation - a change in form. Romans 12:2 says that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. This transformation comes about as God replaces our thoughts with His thoughts (essence) so that we are truly God's people and not just an appearance or "a form of godliness" (2 Tim . 3:5).

Revival of the Truth

When I consider how the previous Reformation came about, it was a revival of the truth that brought about a change in form. In a sense the Church is continuously being reformed as we are transformed into the likeness of Christ. However this transformation will only take place as we take hold of the truth (essence) and realise it by faith.

Applying the Truth

Once we have revelation of the Truth we will pray differently. For example, many Christians pray for unity in the Church. However, Christ has already paid the price for the Body of Christ to be one in Him (see Eph. 2:14-22)! We don't need to pray for unity but we should repent of bringing division and dividing that which Christ has joined! Once the Church recognises that all believers are one in Christ, then we will be much quicker to repent of judging one another and criticising one another!

So, does the Church need another Reformation? No, not one, but an ongoing reforming as we take hold of the essence and are united in Spirit and in Truth!

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Eph. 4.3-6

_______________________

Do you love me?

This morning as I spent time in God's presence and worshipped Him, acknowledging and confessing His greatness and love, I was arrested as I believe the Lord asked me,

"Do you love me?"

A little surprised by the question, I began to reflect on the question. As I did so, I was reminded of the same question posed by Jesus to Peter in John 21:15-17.

"Do you truly love me?" Jesus asks. Like Peter I was quick to answer, "Yes, of course I love you!" but I realised that Jesus was after something.

God wants my whole heart!

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart.." it says in Matthew 22:37 and the Lord reprimands those who worship Him without their hearts: "These people honour me with their lips but their hearts are far from me" Matthew 15:8.

To worship God is to love Him.

God wants my heart and not just my confession of truth. He wants my emotions! "..draw near to God with a sincere heart.." Hebrews 10:22

To worship God is to worship God in spirit and in truth, by His Spirit and with a sincere heart, full of love for Him (see John 4:22-24).

Could it be that believers have suppressed emotions for fear of lack of "self-control," thinking that it is spiritual not to express emotions?

When Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5, he is talking about the evidence manifested by those who walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh or old nature. "Self-control" is listed as one of the manifestations. In the context, it is clear that Paul is talking about the believer's control over the old nature (the lust of the flesh and self-centredness) and not about controlling one's emotions! Believers confuse self-control with being composed and orderly. How tragic!

If God lavishes His love on us, why shouldn't we lavish our love on Him?
Are we not to imitate Him?
(See John 13:1; 1 John 3:1; Rom. 5:5; Eph. 3:14-19; 5:1)

"We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19). I believe the quality of our love for God is proportional to the love we receive from Him (See Eph. 5:1).

Our hearts are softened as we reflect on God's love for us and we trust in Him. Unbelief and hardness of heart go hand in hand just as faith and love go hand in hand (See Heb. 4:7).

How is your heart today? Is it hard and distant or soft and near?

Draw near to God with a sincere heart and tell Him how much you love Him and what He means to you! Allow God to touch your emotions and don't be afraid of what He does to your heart! Keep your focus on Him and avoid introspection but let Him in!

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Can gifts of the Spirit be imparted?

It seems to me that many believers have the idea that God gives people certain gifts that they are at liberty to impart to others. Believers then flock to men and women with a dynamic ministry, hoping to receive some gift they did not have before. Certainly we can benefit from the manifestation of the Spirit's work through one another, but can gifts of the Spirit be imparted?

What does Scripture say?

• Every believer receives the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus. Eph. 1:13,14


• Every believer receives every spiritual blessing in Christ because the fullness of Christ lives in him. Eph. 1:3; Col. 2:10; 1 Cor. 1:4-7


• The believer lives in the Giver and the Giver lives in him. 1 John 4:15


• Jesus, the Giver, by His Spirit, distributes gifts as HE determines. 1 Cor. 12:11; Eph. 4:7


• The manifestation of different gifts through different believers is the revelation of the work of the Giver through us. Rom. 12:6

What about Timothy?

"..stir into flame the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Tim. 1:6,7 (KJV)

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  Timothy received the gift of the Holy Spirit when Paul laid his hands on him and not a particular spiritual gift (see Acts 8:18 & 19:6). The context shows us that Paul is referring to the stirring up of the spirit of love, power and of self-control - all manifestations of the Holy Spirit in Timothy. 2 Tim. 1:6,7; Gal. 5:22

What about Paul?

"For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me." Rom. 1:11,12

• Paul is saying that he longs to see the Church in Rome to encourage them with his faith. The manifestation of the Holy Spirit in Paul's life was to strengthen and build up the Body of Christ wherever he went. Eph. 3:2; Col. 2:2


• Note that the word translated "impart" here means "to share". Paul shared his gifts with the Church to encourage the Body in their faith.

So, in answer to, "Can gifts of the Spirit be imparted?" I would say, NO. What we can do, however, is encourage one another in our faith to trust God to manifest His Spirit through us as we make ourselves available for "the master's use." Even now I am using my gifts to encourage you to believe that you have received fullness in Christ and that God will use you to be an encouragement to the Body of Christ as you use your gifts to serve others.

Don't run after what you think you are lacking - use what is in your hand and eagerly desire a greater manifestation of the Giver in you!

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