4 Words in 1

 

Humility

Jesus humbled himself as an ordinary human man, to reach and fellowship with ordinary humble people.

Maybe we should learn from this lesson that we ought to live where He can have fellowship with us — as ordinary humble men and women who live extraordinary lives only because of our connection with him!

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Faith

What does the term “faith” mean?

How do we define it?

Faith = Agreeing with God.
Faith = Living in union with Christ.

It means that we agree with God and that we choose to live in agreement with what He says, teaches and tells us about Himself and in ways.

Hence we choose to “believe” (agree with) Him and in Him.

Allowing His Holy Spirit to work in us so that we may be conformed to become Who we believe God to be, and also as He wants us to be.

To say that you are a “believer” then, is to acknowledge to others that you choose to live in Union with Christ and in agreement with His will.

When one says, “I confess with my mouth and believe with my heart…” it reaches way beyond putting your “faith” or trust in something, as believing that it will do something for you — It means that you have come to understand Who God is and have come to also see that you have not been living in agreement with Him.

And that in repentance and through salvation, now profess that you and Christ have been joined together to walk in agreement.

And that you are choosing to live your life in Union with Him and in agreement with His will.

THAT constitutes a statement of FAITH!

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Acceptance

In striving to become acceptable to the world — we inevitably destroy our position of being acceptable to God.

“Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world (seeking acceptance and relevance in this world) makes himself an enemy of God,” James 4:4.

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Simplicity

There is something about simplicity that attracts God in a way that the attractiveness of man-made extravagance, never can.

Simple men, simple women, simply worshiping from a pure heart in simple places with humble hearts — has been a magnet for The Holy Spirit throughout the ages.

It is when men build their own palaces of praise, that The Holy Spirit disappears in the splendor of human effort and is hidden behind the glamour and talents of men.

The disciples prayed in a simple, humble house, as ordinary as any, and The Holy Spirit was so pleased in their private prayers that He shook the whole house as an evidence of His joy and approval.

God chose ordinary men whom Jesus went to go and find, led of the Spirit of His Father within Him. They so pleased God that He used them to “turn the whole world upside down“.

Could it be so that in our striving to impress men with our best — we end up sacrificing god’s best for them?

Could it be that in taking pride in our accomplishments done “In his name”, we fail to experience his power at work in us and through us, that evidently can produce a million more supernatural accomplishments through us, than we could ever imagine to achieve in our own strength and power?

Could it be that the very lavishness of our spectacular “Knowledge”, accreditations, degrees, titles, auditoriums, spectacular lights and disco smoke machines — that all of these things brought in to create the right “atmosphere” — have done nothing more than to substitute the sweet aroma of his presence — able to do “exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond more what we can ever imagine” — for our artificially created environments?

Could it be that the more we do — the less God is present to work in our midst?

Yes I suspect so – in fact, on second thought – I am sure of it!

“For [simply] consider your own call, brethren; not many [of you were considered to be] wise according to human estimates and standards, not many influential and powerful, not many of high and noble birth.

[No] for God selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame.

And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are, So that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God,” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.

 

~ Johann van der Hoven

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Johann van der Hoven has been in service of the Lord since 1991 and has hosted numerous mass revival meetings in South Africa and abroad and is a published author. He is the visionary of Fellowship of the Believers, host to “Eagle Food” Apostolic & Prophetic Seminars, and currently pioneers “Deeper Life” Revival School International, from South Africa where he resides. For more info visit www.sonsofsovereignty.com

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