5 Words in 1

 

The Message

Wherever the Gospel is celebrated as a popular Message, it is most likely so that the full Gospel is not being presented.

Serving Christ is something He causes us to do by the inner working of His Spirit and Power, at the expense of death to self, the flesh and the world, in order to know His Life more abundantly in ours.

Are you following popular preaching, or are you following Christ?

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The Sign

The surest sign of the flesh being nailed to the cross is being content with who you are (who Christ chose you to be), where you are (where you are positioned to serve Him in the body), and how you are (your present status in life and in the hierarchical order of the Spirit).

People who constantly chase after greater and loftier objectives are more likely to lead their own way, than to be led in following the leading of the Holy Spirit.

When our focus becomes God and being well pleasing to Him, He arranges our footsteps and we are always happy and content with wherever the journey would lead us to go!

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God’s Presence

The greater the Authority, the meeker the man.

Great Authority leads to great meekness.

Note the capital “A”, because Heavenly Authority comes from only One Source – By being flooded with God’s Presence!

The less the Authority – The more the need for a man or a woman to make themselves visible, celebrated and central to the adoration and the dependency of others upon them.

A man or a woman of great Authority counts themselves among “the least of the least” for Christ to be seen, heard and adored in celebration of His people.

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His Presence

The process towards the top of the mountain has many challenges to face, much difficulties to press through and many obstacles to overcome. Sometimes vision becomes blurry and the way up seems to be difficult to see and to follow.

All of these things are however essential for us to pass through in order to finally stand at the top of the summit, to breathe the fresh crisp air and to have a panoramic view that is unobstructed in any way.

For us to fully come to understand the beauty of God, we have to allow Him to mould us along the way. To be the clay in the hand of the Potter, being moulded over and over again, until we become what He had in mind.

Don’t quit along the journey of feeling as though you are confused and as if you are lost and cannot clearly see the way forward.

Stay the journey and keep to the course. All God’s roads leads into His Presence!

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Unhappiness Amid God’s Provision?

“There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years. So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them. So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’” Hebrews 3:9-11.

Constant unhappiness amidst God’s miraculous provision and hand visibly displayed in your life, may eventually annoy and irritate His patience to the point where He is angered enough by your ungreatfulness and spoiled self-centred behaviour, that He will cause you to live and die in your complaints and never enter into the place of total happiness and fulfilment that He had prepared for you to experience and to enjoy.

The constant complaints of a people who were daily fed from His hand, protected by His Presence, who drank water from stone, who’s clothes never wore out, nor their sandals, and yet, amidst His miracles, constantly found something amiss and not to ‘their liking’, caused God’s grace to cease and His heart to grow cold against them, and in His anger He swore that they will all die in the state of complaining and unhappiness!

Live with gratitude and grace will be multiplied in your heart and your life!

Live through God’s eyes and you may see the rainbow on the other side of your storm, and the silver lining in your clouds. When our hearts live in Him, we see His Goodness in every situation and circumstance, and we know that it is all working together for our good and towards the Canaan of our promises that flow with milk and honey!

Don’t be an unbeliever – Live in God and in contentment in the unfolding of His plan.

What He promised you – you will see – If you remain faithful to the end, and believe in Him, until morning breaks over your night and the warmth of His Presence lights your day!

Live a content life – Reach your Canaan – Die happy and fulfilled!

 

~ Johann van der Hoven

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Johann van der Hoven is in South Africa. He has been serving the Lord in ministry since 1991 and has hosted numerous apostolic revival meetings in South Africa and in South America. He also currently pioneers a organic church planting movement across South Africa. For more information about him and his ministry visit www.sonsofsovereignty.com or Revival.

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