On Sunday Pastor Fule drew on a prophetic word spoken over our church last year, comparing the soul of our asembly to the church at Antioch, which was formed by some of the early disciples of Christ, as they fled the persecution in Jerusalem, Judea.
What was the church at Antioch like?
We know that it was filled with committed believers, so committed that they would flee their homes rather than renounce the new covenant to find acceptability in Jerusalem. We know they carried the message of salvation with them and spread it. We read that the hand of God was with them, which means that there was manifest proof of the acts of God as they ministered, just as had followed the ministry of Jesus and the Apostles. Only this time the acts followed ordinary believers or disciples. Jesus had said earlier, "These signs shall follow those who believe....." What signs? Find them in Mark Chapter 16.
We read of some members of the church at Antioch. We see Manaen who was in some way connected or raised with Herod the tetrarch. We can imaginethat there was aristicracy or even royalty among the believers. We also read of Simeon Niger, who was to our imagination black, an immigrant from Africa or India? We are told of the great evangelsists, Barnabas and Paul who were ministers of the gospel and members of the community of believers. We can imagine a vibrant and diverse community of believers.
We know they spent time teaching, minstering and in prayer and fasting. We know they were able to receive the mind and will of God. We also know that they must have had an abundance of the giftings of the Holy Spirit, for in response to a word from God they prayed and released Paul and Barnabas to missions, overland and over seas. They were open to the apostolic minisry, they grew into maturity and into leadership such that sending Paul and Barnabas away was possible without diminishing the church. They must have been givers for they must have supported the mission of Paul and Barnabas financially.
It is interesting that it was in Antioch that the beleievers were first called Christians. What does Christian mean today? Would you say: Christ followers, or Christlike, or little Christ or Christ- people. This is Christ!
As we think of Antioch we will and wish our church to be such a cutting edge church, growing Christians, (from every nationality, community and position) on the word and in prayer and the Spirit of Christ; sending out, doing and suporting missions and good works, as the hand of our God is with us.
Are we challenged to press in toward this vision? Will we particpate by meeting together as the household of Christ, studying, praying and doing the will of God in the good works he leads us to? Will we engage in ministry toward Christ and for our community, including the elderly, the sick, children, friends and neighbours? Antioch is in our vision!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
One River, Two Rivers, Four Rivers
Last Sunday April 6th was Vision Sunday. As a body of believers at River of Life International Fellowship, we gathered to be reminded of the vision of our assembly: as the word says, "Without a vision, My people perish."
The story of River of Life Int. Fellowship, (ROLIF) is an interesting one, born out of the coming together of two works: River of Life Church and Oasis International Fellowship. Two streams coming together to form one.
Instead of one however, the vision we have is of the four rivers, coming out of the one river that flowed out of Eden,(Gen 2:10 ): Pishon, Gihon, Hiddekel and Euphrates. Pishon means change, Gihon means the valley of grace, Hiddekel means a sharp sound and Euphrates means fruitful.
Pishon: As an assembly we aim toward serving God and our fellow man. We envision our church to be a place of change, change for the better; change toward the mind, intent and attitude of God. We remember the charge in the book of Romans, paraphrased, 'Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind to test and prove the will of God.' In His presence we want to be changed to be like Him.
Gihon: We also want our church to be a place which proclaims the grace of God and a place where the grace of God can be received. At ROLIF we pray for grace to dwell in our midst and to bring healing to all who come. May we be a gracious people, carriers of His grace and full of His grace.
Hiddekel: We envision our church to be the sharp sound that draws attention to the will of God. We want to perceive His word and the spirit of His word with clarity. We want to exalt His word so it is able to be effective in our lives and lead always to the grace of God.
The bible says a number of things about God's word:
*The word of God is living and active and sharper than a double edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit......
*He has exalted His word above all his name.
*The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God...
* The letter kills but the spirit is life....
*Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
Euphrates means fruitful. We envision our church to be a place of great fruitfulness. We wish to be found abounding in every good work, walking in the good works prepared for us in advance. The bible says:
*I am the vine and you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him, bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing.
*By this My father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you will be my disciples.
*The least of them shall be a thousand and the smallest a mighty nation!
The source of our river is the throne of God in heaven and the picture of the river in Ezekiel 47 and Revelation 22 is awe inspiring for the power of its flow and the life it brings. May His river course through us bringing life and healing to individuals, families and nations!
The story of River of Life Int. Fellowship, (ROLIF) is an interesting one, born out of the coming together of two works: River of Life Church and Oasis International Fellowship. Two streams coming together to form one.
Instead of one however, the vision we have is of the four rivers, coming out of the one river that flowed out of Eden,(Gen 2:10 ): Pishon, Gihon, Hiddekel and Euphrates. Pishon means change, Gihon means the valley of grace, Hiddekel means a sharp sound and Euphrates means fruitful.
Pishon: As an assembly we aim toward serving God and our fellow man. We envision our church to be a place of change, change for the better; change toward the mind, intent and attitude of God. We remember the charge in the book of Romans, paraphrased, 'Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind to test and prove the will of God.' In His presence we want to be changed to be like Him.
Gihon: We also want our church to be a place which proclaims the grace of God and a place where the grace of God can be received. At ROLIF we pray for grace to dwell in our midst and to bring healing to all who come. May we be a gracious people, carriers of His grace and full of His grace.
Hiddekel: We envision our church to be the sharp sound that draws attention to the will of God. We want to perceive His word and the spirit of His word with clarity. We want to exalt His word so it is able to be effective in our lives and lead always to the grace of God.
The bible says a number of things about God's word:
*The word of God is living and active and sharper than a double edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit......
*He has exalted His word above all his name.
*The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God...
* The letter kills but the spirit is life....
*Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
Euphrates means fruitful. We envision our church to be a place of great fruitfulness. We wish to be found abounding in every good work, walking in the good works prepared for us in advance. The bible says:
*I am the vine and you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him, bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing.
*By this My father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you will be my disciples.
*The least of them shall be a thousand and the smallest a mighty nation!
The source of our river is the throne of God in heaven and the picture of the river in Ezekiel 47 and Revelation 22 is awe inspiring for the power of its flow and the life it brings. May His river course through us bringing life and healing to individuals, families and nations!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
School of Healing: Paying Attention
On Sunday 30th March, River of Life International Fellowship held it's second School of Healing at 6pm in the evening. The word that was shared was Proverb 4: 22-24, that word made famous by Derek Prince in his old radio recordings of God's Medicine bottle.
The emphasis on the word was the directive: Pay Attention!
Pay Attention to God's Word. Stop what you're doing, focus on and give your full and respectful attention to the word.
We spent a while considering the directive, 'Pay Attention!'. We considered whether in our daily lives, we paid particular attention to the word. Do we set time aside for the word'? Do we find a quiet place, diminish distractions , turn off the TV and the music and focus intently for the treasure of the word of God?
It is only if we hold the word in this kind of esteem that we are likely to incline our ear to hear it. In other words by inclining our ear, we submit our mind to the hearing of the word. Are we inclined to accept the word of God as the revealed will and intent of God? The Apostle Paul said, "Let God be true and every man a liar." Only then are we in position to hear within our hearts and to keep the word in our hearts by meditating on it!
In the book of Joshua, the prescription for finding the word is meditating on it day and night. How close are we to finding those choice, powerful and useful words of God? When this first part is done succesfully, only then can we FIND the word in that necessary and useful way where it becomes LIFE within, energizing, invigorating, revitalizing, activating, and pulsing.
And then there is of course that great statement we have been staring at for so long, wondering how the word becomes..."Health to All thy flesh".... from head to toe and every internal organ as well as skin bones and connective tissue. The Word we are told has this power to deliver health, once it is found in such a way that it activates faith. Faith, that substance of hope and the evidence of the unseen.
In our first School of Healing, we learned that when we believe, we speak. As it is written, I believe therefore I speak. We also learned that God calls the things that are not as though they were. We learned that once faith is formed, it declares!
So for this second class, we applied ourselves to finding faith, by finding the word, in our approach to the word and our respect of the word. We learned that the word was powerful on its own to create life and health. Adding last month's lesson to this month's, we declared a number of healing scriptures for our lives in faith.
The word tells of many streams of healing. We know that declaring the word of healing in faith is one powerful stream. This stream is dependent on the word and our own faith to access what Christ purchased on the cross. Therefore Pay Attention to His words and build yourself up on your most holy faith!
The emphasis on the word was the directive: Pay Attention!
Pay Attention to God's Word. Stop what you're doing, focus on and give your full and respectful attention to the word.
We spent a while considering the directive, 'Pay Attention!'. We considered whether in our daily lives, we paid particular attention to the word. Do we set time aside for the word'? Do we find a quiet place, diminish distractions , turn off the TV and the music and focus intently for the treasure of the word of God?
It is only if we hold the word in this kind of esteem that we are likely to incline our ear to hear it. In other words by inclining our ear, we submit our mind to the hearing of the word. Are we inclined to accept the word of God as the revealed will and intent of God? The Apostle Paul said, "Let God be true and every man a liar." Only then are we in position to hear within our hearts and to keep the word in our hearts by meditating on it!
In the book of Joshua, the prescription for finding the word is meditating on it day and night. How close are we to finding those choice, powerful and useful words of God? When this first part is done succesfully, only then can we FIND the word in that necessary and useful way where it becomes LIFE within, energizing, invigorating, revitalizing, activating, and pulsing.
And then there is of course that great statement we have been staring at for so long, wondering how the word becomes..."Health to All thy flesh".... from head to toe and every internal organ as well as skin bones and connective tissue. The Word we are told has this power to deliver health, once it is found in such a way that it activates faith. Faith, that substance of hope and the evidence of the unseen.
In our first School of Healing, we learned that when we believe, we speak. As it is written, I believe therefore I speak. We also learned that God calls the things that are not as though they were. We learned that once faith is formed, it declares!
So for this second class, we applied ourselves to finding faith, by finding the word, in our approach to the word and our respect of the word. We learned that the word was powerful on its own to create life and health. Adding last month's lesson to this month's, we declared a number of healing scriptures for our lives in faith.
The word tells of many streams of healing. We know that declaring the word of healing in faith is one powerful stream. This stream is dependent on the word and our own faith to access what Christ purchased on the cross. Therefore Pay Attention to His words and build yourself up on your most holy faith!
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