Love is…

Love is not there to fill us, but love is to form us. God is love and therefore when we receive His love we are becoming more like Him. We can only receive love if we accept the love of Christ and in that we are formed into God’s image and likeness.

…I also pray that love may be the ground into which you sink your roots and on which you have your foundation. This way, with all of God’s people you will be able to understand how wide, long, high, and deep his love is and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.
(Ephesians 3:17-19).

In the same light, God knows us by our love in Him. (Like Kelley Varner says, "God is out looking for God")

I know your works and love and service and faith and your patience, and your works; and the last to be more than the first.
(Revelations 2:19).

But concerning the sacrifices to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
(1Co 8:1).

Everyone will know that you are my disciples because of your love for each other.
(John 13:35).

May we learn to give love God’s way and to receive God’s love His way and move away from our worldly mindsets of wanting love for ourselves, just for gratification – We are not in this world to make people "feel" better or to "please" people or to keep anyone "happy". We are here to give "true" and "pure" love from the Father, a love that will bring people into relationship with the father, a love that will edify and strengthen His body. This love is not the "nice guy love" that we know so well, but it is a love that brings truth and correction, brings justice but also gives mercy.

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves another has fulfilled the Law
(Romans 13:8).

 

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Die koninkryk binne in ons

Die skrif wat in my rondraai die afgelope 2 dae is:
*Die Koninkryk van God is binne ons.*

Ek sien die Koninkryk as volg: Jesus het gekom in die vlees en Hy was die Koninkryk met ons. Toe hy gekruisig is, gesterwe het en opgevaar het na die hemel het ons deur in Hom te glo, Hom ontvang, wie die Koninkryk is. Die Koninkryk is binne ons, so ons het dus die geleentheid om creatively dominion te neem op die aarde en te regeer in die wyse wat ons Koning (Jesus) vir ons wys. Dit is dus my visie om hierdie jaar werklik dit wat binne my is net uit te leef en dit is die manier hoe ek dink ‘n mens Sy Koninkryk kan vestig. Die probleem kom in wanneer ons nie in kontak is met God nie, want dan doen ons niks of doen ons dinge uit ons self… maar wanneer ons fokus op sy Koninkryk is (Nie na buite nie, want die Koninkryk is binne ons.) dan kan ons dit uitleef en Sy koninkryk vestig.

Hier is ‘n profound gedagte: Kan dit wees dat ons nie werklik weet hoe om te kommunikeer of in kontak te kom met God nie, dat die aarde is waar dit is, juis oor dit… Dink daaraan, as jy vandag presies kon *sien* hoe *lyk* die hemel dan sou jy geweet het hoe moet die aarde lyk en as jy die Woord van God kon ontvang en die instruksies van die Heilige Gees kon volg dan sou niks onmoontlik wees nie en die Here sal ons kan gebruik op enige sphere en op enige wyse. Maar dinge verander nie werklik soos dit moet nie. Die aarde is meer van ‘n gemors as ooit in die geskiedenis van die wêreld. In ‘n groot opsig het Christenskap van God ‘n afgod gemaak. Hy word ‘n goue kalf in so baie christene se lewens… Dis rof om dit so te sê, maar ek dink ons moet eg wees en vra na wysheid, meer bid, meer doen, meer gehoorsaam wees, meer effort in sit… Ek dink dit is een ding wat ons Christene dalk moet besef… daar is ‘n joke… ons het ‘n gedagte in ons dat ons nie in werke moet gaan nie, dat God sal alles doen…. eish… ek is besig om my denke hier oor te verander.

Om ‘n besigheid te laat werk, verg baie beplanning, harde werk, effort. Ons het ongelukkig nie daardie gesindheid oor die Koninkryk nie. Ons verwag dat die tuin van Eden moet more staan, maar soos Dr. Ben soms gepreek het, ‘it is little by little’… Ons moet dus beplan, strategie uit werk, vergader en bo alles werskaf in die Grond (mense) (kerk; tribe) wat die Here vir ons gee.

Ek het nou die middag gery en net ‘n awesome gedagte gehad!! Ek het die mees wonderlikste saad ooit ontvang vir die mens (Earth)! DIS JESUS!!! Hy is binne in my. Ek moet net luister en die Woord wees en doen (Do the Word) vir die Grond waarheen sy Woord (Koninkryk Vestiging) gestuur word.

Ken Hom in al jou wee

Kruispaaie is soms plekke wat ons vermy, grootliks omdat ons te bang is om die onbekende aan te durf maar soms het ons net nie die geloof om die regte stappe te vat nie.

Ek sien geloof as dit wat van uit Jesus, binne in jou eg en werklik geword het aan die buitekant! Ons moet hom ken!!!. Dit is soos die Woord se, Ken Hom in al jou wee en Hy sal jou paaie gelyk maak! Die ken gedeelte is waarmee ons sukkel. Ken ons Hom werklik in al ons wee en is daar geloof in al ons wee? As ons Hom ken dan is die res ‘n “walk in the park” besluite gaan soveel makliker wees, amper outomaties, want ons stap dan hand-aan-hand met Jesus. Ons Geloof moet ons natuur word.

Kennis en verhouding met die Here is so belangrik, maar waar leer ons die Here ken…

is die Woord en met die Here te praat in gebed maar
is net so belangrik dink ek: Ons verhouding met mense, veral ons naaste om ons!

Mense is deel van ons wee en ek glo dat so baie van die Here opgesluit lê in mense maar trots, selfsugtigheid en allerhande dinge van die sondige natuur staan in die pad om van mekaar te kan ontvang. Liefde is die krag wat sonde oorkom, dit is die mees kragtige evangelistiese ding, nee, eintlik se ek dit verkeerd. Dit is die Evangelie…. Want so lief het God die wêreld gehad, dat Hy sy eniggebore Seun gegee het….. Die klem lê veral vir my op die woordjie GEGEE…. Dit is waaroor dit gaan! Kan jy jou lewe neerlê vir ander in liefde? Dit is wat Jesus gedoen het. Dit is die enigste manier hoe die wêreld gaan sien dat ons van God is… deur ons liefde vir mekaar. Ons moet ons alles insit om verhoudings te bou…. Om jou lewe te verloor is om lewe te vind… Ons glo dit nie, want anders sou ons dit uit gelewe het…

Die Vader het nooit iets in materiale waarde gegee of gesaai nie, maar slegs iets van Homself, Sy eie seun… en wat hy gemaai het is miljoene ander seuns. Ons moet dus onsself ook gee (Christus in my) Dit is die krag van die Evangelie !!!! Maar om te gee moet jy iets hê en om iets te hê moet jy Hom ken!!

Prayer of Surrender

Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess You have given me. I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more.
(St. Ignatius of Loyola)

How do we reveal the Glory of God

The Former Glory

‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. (Haggai 2:9a)

Let’s look briefly at God’s glory revealed in the Old Testament, specifically, at the former glory of God revealed through His Temple.

There are six Hebrew words for glory.
Hader could be translated, "beauty" or "excellence."
Tohar means "purity" and "brightness."
Sebhi has to do with respect for a prominent person.
Adderith means "broad, big, unbounded."
Hodh has to do with the grandeur of God. And finally,
Kabod, which is used most often in the Old Testament, means "heavy, weighty, authoritative, rich, courageous, taking charge."

This is what Haggai is referring to – God coming and taking charge. When kabod comes, God is present with us. God is taking charge. When kabod is absent, God is absent. You are probably familiar with the term ichabod, which means, "the glory has departed." When the glory has departed, God has departed. But when the glory descends, God takes charge. So, the glory of God is simply the presence of God in our midst.

In the Old Testament, when the Tabernacle was built, the glory of the Lord God descended upon it and He communed there with His people. When Solomon built his great Temple, God’s glory descended upon it. In the Bible we read,

When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. The priests could not enter the temple of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled it (2 Chronicles 7:1-2).

God had been meeting with Israel through the Tabernacle from Moses’ day until Solomon’s, and continued to do so in the Temple Solomon built.

But Solomon’s Temple was destroyed and the people of Israel were carried into captivity. Now Zerubbabel had come back to Jerusalem and was endeavouring to rebuild the former house. Thus we have the prophecy in Haggai. God promises, in verse 7, to

…fill this house with glory…

But He also promises, in verse 9, that

…the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former…

Again the people were desiring to come into relationship with God, and He would reward them with His presence by manifesting His glory in their midst.

Following the Lord is relational in nature. God is a Person, and as such He desires to commune with His people. He always has. In the Garden of Eden He walked in the cool of the day with Adam as they enjoyed fellowship with one another. When He called Israel, He set up the Tabernacle to commune with them. Now, Solomon had built his Temple. When that Temple was dedicated, God’s glory came, kabod came. God’s glory was manifested to serve as an encouragement to the people, as a reminder of His strength and provision for them and as a motivation for their worship of Him as the Lord God.

The ultimate fulfilment of Haggai’s prophecy would not come in the rebuilding of the Temple, however. Although there was great glory which God manifested in the Temple, the ultimate fulfilment would not come under the Old Covenant, but in the New. The ultimate fulfilment of Haggai’s prophecy would come in the person of Jesus Christ and through His work of grace in our lives. It is the glory of the New Covenant of grace.

The Present Glory

Let’s turn now to see God’s glory revealed in the New Testament. Let’s look at the latter glory.

The Greek word, doksan, carries the same idea as kabod. We find this word used in John 1:14, where it says,

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

In Christ we see the glory and authority of God. The glory of God is revealed and manifested in Christ Jesus. In the Old Testament, we saw God revealed in a place. In the New Testament, we see God revealed in a person. God is revealed in Jesus Christ.

This is a glorious and precious truth indeed. Through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, we can behold God. Do you want to know what God is like? Simply look at Jesus. Do you want to see the Father? Behold the Son. God, as a great cosmic spirit, is difficult to comprehend. So God sent us Jesus Christ. In Christ, God was made a man so that we could see how God lives as a man. In this man, Jesus, we see the glory of God manifested in human flesh.

Here’s the incredible thing: God not only manifested His glory in Jesus, He also desires to manifest His glory in us. In John 17:10, Jesus says that

…glory has come to me through them… (John 17:10).

Christ desires to be glorified in us. What an amazing thought! But it’s true.

In 1 Corinthians 3:16, it says,

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you (1 Corinthians 3:16)?

In other words, we are a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit of God. Just as God dwelt with His people, Israel, in the Old Testament Temple, so He dwells with His people in a New Temple. The Spirit of God dwells in each of us. We are a temple of God. We are a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. We are a place where God manifests His glory. We are people through whom God manifests His glory.

The Bible teaches that we are to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. That is God’s purpose for us. God is changing us daily into the image of His Son. Now, this image is an inward image, not an outward one. So God gives us His moral attributes: love, peace, purity, justice, fairness, and the like. They are imparted to us as we allow the Holy Spirit to live in and through our lives. This is God’s plan for us. It is His plan for the Church.

At Pentecost, the glory of God fell, even as it fell on the Temple that Solomon built. The Holy Spirit descended into the midst of those early Christians and filled them to overflowing with His power. That power is still present for us today. As we allow God to fill us with His Holy Spirit and to control us by His sovereign power, then we become vessels, filled with His glory. We have no higher calling as believers in Jesus Christ than to be filled with the glory of God and to manifest that glory to this watching world. Just as the heavens above declare the glory of God, so should we declare the glory of God. Just as Jesus Christ manifested the glory of God, so should we manifest the glory of God. But how does it occur?

Let me point you to an important Scripture. It is 2 Corinthians 3:18.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18).

We are invited here to behold Jesus in order to be changed into His image. This is the key to practically manifesting the glory of God in our lives. We must behold Jesus. He must be the centre of our lives. He must be the driving force behind all we do. He must be the passion of our heart. If we would be those who manifest His glory, we must behold Him. We must keep Him ever before our eyes. We must look to Him, surrender to Him, spend time with Him, allow His glory to fill us and His power to possess us.

In Jesus we see the reflected glory of God. It is as if we are beholding in a mirror the glory of the Lord. We could not stand in the presence of His full glory. Jesus allows us to see the glory of God only in such a degree as we can stand. But even beholding the reflected glory of God, the Scripture teaches that we "are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory." It is like sitting before a tanning lamp, receiving its rays. As we do, our bodies begin to change. They become tan and brown as we bask in its warmth. So, we all need to bask in the glory of God in Jesus Christ. We need to sit in His presence and behold Him. We need to cry to Him, "Lord Jesus, change me. Lord Jesus, transform my life. Lord Jesus, make me like you. Lord Jesus, fill me with Your Holy Spirit and help me to live daily for You." And then we need to worship Him, who is our life, with all our hearts. As we do so, we will be changed, from glory to glory, by beholding Him. Have you ever thought of yourself as being the depository of the glory of God? Have you ever considered that God can use you to reveal His glory? That is His desire, and it should be our delight. God has called each of us to be a vessel in whom He can dwell.