Due to the popular coverage this blog message from our files (2009) are receiving over the past few months, I have decided to translate it also into English for purposes of all our international visitors to the website.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The message below is also an excerpt from the message that I have preached on the 23rd<\/sup> May 2009 at the Metanoia Assembly in Hercules, Pretoria of South Africa.\u00a0<\/p>\n Introduction: <\/strong><\/p>\n The week before the Mighty Men Conference (MMC-09) of Angus Buchan in 2009, the Lord Jesus explicitly gave me a vision with the scripture below and He dealt with me about the baptism of the Holy Spirit (or some prefer the Holy Ghost according to KJV) during the weeks thereafter: \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBeing therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 <\/span><\/em><\/strong>(Act 2:33\u00a0 ESV) <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I was so excited and looking forward to a mighty outpouring of the Spirit of God (a fresh new outpouring of His true Spirit<\/em><\/strong>) on the men of South Africa.\u00a0 This would brought forth not a \u201crevival\u201d but a mighty transformation <\/span>of men\u2019s lives, causing a wide and significant impact in South Africa when more than 200 000 men return home (filled with the Spirit of God) and to their various churches and denominations.\u00a0<\/p>\n And believe me, the spiritual hunger and thirst was there because thousands of men would go to the open air site even 3 hours<\/span><\/strong><\/span> before the time, just to find a seat as close to the stage as possible. Nobody complained about the straw bales used as seating, or the cold wind or the cold showers.\u00a0 Everybody who was there came with an expectation and thirst.\u00a0 Even after the first service the men were ready to receive more and to sing praises to the Name of Jesus Christ for hours on end \u2013 but unfortunately the organizers\/musicians were not on the same page as they left the stage a half hour after the service.\u00a0 Maybe the Church has lost a golden opportunity? \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Prior to bringing the message, the Lord laid it upon my heart that we (the Church) should confess first, that: <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Transformation or Revival? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n By word of mouth from various preachers, we all agree that we should not be looking for \u201crevival\u201d \u2013 because history has shown that it is only temporary and won\u2019t last.\u00a0 We are looking\/seeking \u201cTransformation\u201d<\/em><\/strong> which are brought forth through the Gospel and is birthed IN <\/strong>the power of the Spirit of God. That is faith based and it will be everlasting!<\/p>\n The Word of God nowhere refers to \u201cRevival\u201d \u2013 but only to the fact that a soul is re-created (a new creature) through the power and spirit of God.\u00a0 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.<\/span> (<\/em>2Co 5:17 ESV)<\/strong><\/p>\n The Azusa-street revival in 1906 was brought about by the hunger and thirst of the members<\/span><\/strong> who seeked a deeper relationship of God and His Spirit.\u00a0 By they received more. They received a deeper understanding of the Word and being in relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, but unfortunately it was the church leaders who later on smothered and suppressed the flow of the Spirit of God, through their organizational and internal laws and programs.\u00a0 The same principle applied when the 10 leaders of the tribes of Israel brought back a negative report to Moses about the promised land, and therefore the whole complement of Israel had to spend 40 years in the desert.\u00a0<\/p>\n From further insight over the past years, I would like to add the following to this message:\u00a0 Seeing that the majority of leaders of the Church of today are also bringing a \u201cnegative report\u201d;\u00a0 they are either preaching only the \u201cgood news syndrome\u201d, or they stifle the flow of the Spirit of God with their archaic programs and internal laws.\u00a0 The leaders should awake from their slumber and comfort zones and be filled again with a new anointing.<\/p>\n The Scripture for the evening was: <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201c<\/em><\/strong>It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/span> (John 6:63 ESV) <\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The Lord Jesus spoke these words within a framework of two days and where quite a lot of things had happened around Him, such as:<\/p>\n But in Verse 54,<\/span><\/strong> He declares they should eat from His flesh<\/span> and drink His blood<\/span> to have eternal life.\u00a0 This declaration must have sunk a lot of people in His time?\u00a0 \u201cDoes He teach about cannibalism? And our Law is completely against such things!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 But His words meant nothing else than that you should become One with Christ<\/span><\/strong> when you accept His sacrificial offer on the Cross and when you celebrate it through the Lord\u2019s Supper.\u00a0<\/p>\n Scripture reveal that many had left Him.\u00a0 His words were too hard and too direct and maybe not understandable for some and today many people still leave the Church because they do not understand the true meaning of salvation and grace and the Rigtheousness of Christ.\u00a0 And the answer is quite simple:<\/p>\n People who are not born again (not been transformed yet), will not be able to discern between the physical (flesh) and the Spiritual aspects.\u00a0 Being transformed mean you are not “adjusted”<\/em><\/strong> to be a better caterpillar (worm), but\u00a0you are completely recreated through the Spirit of God as a new creature (seen in the transformation process of the catterpillar and butterfly).\u00a0 You will think differently, act differently and even your priorities and personal agendas will change according to the Word and will of God.\u00a0 In Verse 63<\/span><\/strong> (John 6:63) the Lord Jesus Himself declares:\u00a0\u00a0\u201c<\/em><\/strong>It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.<\/em><\/strong>\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n When we read this, we come boldly to the conclusion we cannot serve the Lord in the flesh.<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 People who serve Him in the flesh are those:<\/p>\n And I am not condemning anyone.\u00a0 Unfortunately this is the hard facts of the situation! \u201cIt is the Spirit who gives life;\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>Therefore it is so much more important that everyone be baptized (filled) with the Holy Spirit AND<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Power (fire\/boldness) \u00a0from on high.\u00a0 It is only through the Spirit of God that you can have a relationship (especially that intimate loving relationship) with the Lord Jesus Christ and to grow to maturity in faith. Paul affirm that we are baptized into the Body of Christ through the one Spirit of God.\u00a0<\/p>\n That means there is only one approach to find access to the Body of Christ \u2013 and it does NOT <\/span><\/strong>include the following:<\/p>\n The English translation says\u00a0 \u201cand all were made to drink of one Spirit\u201d,<\/em><\/strong> <\/span>but the Afrikaans translation has another word in here which I feel describes the process of being filled by drinking from the one Spirit a little more clearly.\u00a0 It uses the word \u201cdeurdronge\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/span> which basically means \u201cbeing saturated with\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span> And this is exactly what the Church needs today: To be once again saturated with the One Spirit of God!<\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 There are too many \u201cspirits\u201d and personal opinions flowing and moving in and through the Church which is not the Spirit of God, such as:<\/p>\n The time has come that the Church should go back to the \u201cbasics\u201d.\u00a0 There where the Lord has circumcized our hearts through His Spirit so that we can be changed\/ transformed to the image that God originally intended for His Bride.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the second part of our theme scripture\u00a0of John 6:63, the Lord boldly claims \u201c…\u00a0 t<\/em><\/strong>he words that I have spoken to you are spirit<\/span> and life.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n There is only one Gospel and one Lord Jesus Christ and one Savior and He speaks today through His servants all over the world and His Word \u201c…that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n If the Church overall confesses that so many members (the majority) are filled with the Holy Spirit and they experience the movement\/flow of the Spirit of God in their services, why:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Where is the problem? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n In our local church in Danville, Pretoria we adopted the slogan from the USA Marines, that \u201c<\/em><\/span>We leave no one behind<\/span> <\/span><\/strong>!\u201d <\/strong>It is the responsibility of each brother and sister to look after each other.\u00a0 The other day I listened again to the famous song someone wrote: \u201cHe ain\u2019t heavy, he\u2019s my brother\u201d.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 Sometimes it is necessary to forget about your own circumstances and see how you can carry your brother or sister.\u00a0 (and this is figuratively speaking)<\/em><\/p>\n The fact remain:<\/span><\/strong> God implemented the congregation <\/span>with the 5-fold ministry (authorative structure)\u00a0 and gifts to equip and empower the saints for their work \u2013 and not men and women camps.\u00a0 Understand me correctly, I do not have a specific objection to such camps, but some of them are being run by ill-equipped and sometimes even immature people who provide or allow false teachings to be provided to people who are already hurting – and we have to focus on the Word and the principle in discussion that Jesus established the congregation as an assembly. \u00a0These camps and courses started off and gained momentum over the past 12 years due to the massive need that exists in churches and because the Church overall is not fulfilling her role as the Bride of Christ!\u00a0\u00a0 And people are also making money (it has become a \u201cmoney spinner\u201d)\u00a0 in the process by hosting these camps.\u00a0\u00a0 I truly want to urge the leaders to restore the true Spirit of God in your congregations and allow the Spirit of God to reign in your services!<\/span> <\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n
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