Revival: Our Work
The post Revival: Our Work appeared first on Kingdom Revolution.
Hear Now Little Sparrow
Behold the sparrow –
trampled little sparrow –
exhausted little sparrow –
in the Father’s loving hand.
Longing for the sky,
with broken wing –
still with song to sing –
in the Father’s loving hand.
Mercy and grace
are found
in the bosom
of El Shaddai
The God who feeds the nations
sees all of His creation
Nursing the Wild
There is healing for the sparrow
longing for the sky –
like arrow longs to fly –
Soon little sparrow.
For now…
Find rest ‘neath Father’s
mighty wing.
Soon you’ll fly one more
and take the song you sing
cross height and depth
and length and breadth –
all across the earth.
His eye is upon you,
little sparrow –
exhausted sparrow –
trampled little sparrow –
So do not fear,
as He draws you near
little sparrow –
loved little sparrow –
Soon you’ll fly again.
Skatte in die Hemel
Matteus 6:19-21:
(Sien ook: Luk. 12:33-34)
19“Moenie vir julle skatte op aarde bymekaarmaak waar mot en roes dit verniel en waar diewe inbreek en dit steel nie. 20Maak vir julle skatte in die hemel bymekaar, waar mot en roes dit nie verniel nie en waar diewe nie inbreek en dit steel nie. 21Waar jou skat is, daar sal jou hart ook wees.”
Waar maak jy jou skatte bymekaar? Waar lê jou prioriteite vandag?
Het die Here vandag die hoogste plek in jou lewe?
Wat meen dit om die Koningkryk eerste te soek?
Baie keer is dit maklik vir ons om op die verkeerde goed te fokus – op die fisiese, die materiële, die vleeslike. Ons fokus op die situasie. Ons fokus op die storm. Ons fokus op dit wat ons het en nie het nie.
Die huisvrou bou haar familie, gee haar lewe vir haar man en kinders, en dan gaan loop hy rond… Dan loop hy weg… Die nes loop leeg… En alles is in skerwe.
Die besigheidsman bou vir jare aan sy koningkryk, en dan op ‘n dag sluk die wêreld hom heel in en word hy bankrot verklaar.
Die bodybuilder werk aan sy / haar liggaam – sit die werk in, ure, dae, weke, maande – jare van reg eet en gym toe gaan – en dan slaan siekte of ongeluk en die lyf hou op werk. Die ledemate is lam, die brein rebelleer, die organe gee op…
Die welvaart wat ONS bou is maar tydlik, kortstondig en onseker.
Alles verander, maar Jesus nie!
Ek wil jou aanmoedig, vandag nog, sit die Here eerste in al jou kom en gaan. Maak vir jou skatte bymekaar daar waar die vyand geen inbraak maak nie.
Vind jou skuiling, jou voorsiening, jou welvaart vandag nog in die Here – in Hom is vrede wat die verstand te bowe gaan, liefde sonder grense en perke en genade wat die in slawerny vrymaak.
Kies vandag om al jou bekommernis aan die voet van die Kruis te lê. Kies vandag om die swaar kleed van sonde, angs en vrees uit te trek. Kies Jesus vandag. Sit Hom eerste en jy sal sien hoe Hy in jou lewe kom beweeg.
Sit Hom eerste en selfs die sterkste storm wind sal nie jou vrede verwaai nie, die vuur sal nie jou vreugde verteer nie, en die vloed sal jou nie oorweldig nie. Sit Hom eerste!
My gebed vir jou is dat, soos jy Hom soek, Sy liefde en goedertierenheid jou sal omvou – dat jy snoesig in Sy hart verberg sal wees, en dat Sy aangesig op jou sal skyn. Dat Sy vrede en vreugde jou krag sal wees en dat jy sterk sal staan op die Rots van jou Verlossing vandag.
In Jesus naam.
As jy gebed nodig het, of meer wil leer van Jesus, sien asb die kontak besonderhede hier onder.
Jesus het jou lief.
If you need help in the process, prayer or would just like to know more about Jesus call or whatsapp:
Men’s contact: Andre Labuschagne 065 370 3806
Ladies’ contact: Kailie Labuschagne: 079 037 4024
For professional counselling: 066 290 6339 / info@raphacontact.co.za
For help with addiction issues / pastoral counseling: 065 370 3806 / andre@adlabuschagne.co.za
The Creative Life: A Prophetic Calling
As Christian Creatives we have been endowed with a prophetic calling.
One thing I have learned from observing my friend Bruce Van Patter is that the Christian Creative life is really about seeing God in the mundane and pointing it out.
It is about seeing God in the everyday, in the ordinary – and sharing that revelation with those hearts and minds we have been entrusted with (our audience) as vividly as possible.
This is what I mean when I say ‘prophetic’. It’s about seeing the Mystery of God and making it relevant, translating the sound and vision of Heaven into a more understandable medium.
This medium takes various forms – from film, animation and photography, to painting, sculpting, drawing, sketching – the written and spoken word, music in all its forms, and performative arts – drama and dance – artists are artisans building the Tabernacle of God’s praise.
In Exodus 31 we read about a man named Bezalel: Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent— 8 the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, 9 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand— 10 and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, 11 and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you.”
Rabbinical tradition teaches us that the wisdom of Bezalel – who was just thirteen at the time of this great work (Sanhedrin 69b) – is that he immediately understood the blueprint that God gave Moses for the Tabernacle – apparently, even better than Moses himself – so much so that Moses exclaimed that Bezalel must have been in the ‘shadow of the Almighty’ when He was sharing the blueprint.
Many interpret this scripture – verse 3 – to imply that Bezalel was taught by the Lord – that the Holy Spirit endowed Bezalel with the ability – not only to produce through the work of his hands, but to reproduce through teaching – to build a fitting place for the God of Heaven and Earth to abide in.
His craftmanship and artistry was so impressive that there is a school of art and design named after him in Jerusalem as well as an art movement in the Middle East.
God gave him the ability to see the designs of Heaven and translate it into the tangible.
This is a work of co-creating with the Holy Spirit.
It is the practice of listening to the guidance and leading, the unction of the Spirit, and translating it.
Your art is meant to be more than just an empty vessel – your art is meant to be a vehicle for the presence of God. The Tabernacle was moveable. It went from place to place as they wandered in the desert. Art likes to move. Your art is supposed to be a movement. Your art is supposed to be the Tabernacle of God’s praise carrying His presence into dry and barren places.
Your art is meant to be a form of praise.
Your art is meant to be a form of worship.
God inhabits the praises of His people.
Your art is meant to be full of God.
Your art is meant to be a testimony, an epistle to both the believer and the unbeliever. In the Old Testament whenever God did something for His people they would build altars of various shapes and sizes. Your art is meant to be a testimony – the story of God’s grace and mercy and love in your life. The testimony of how Heaven has invaded your life.
Your art is meant to be full of God.
Your art is supposed to be transformative – speaking to the dry and barren places in the lives of others and bringing streams of life and abundance, stirring up hope and renewal.
Your art is supposed to be reformative – it is supposed to make bold statements. It is supposed to challenge the extant culture (inside and outside the Church) and, where it might have strayed, point it back to God. As you sculpt and mould your word, your sound, your image – may God make it a work that sculpts, moulds and shapes culture.
Jesus uses the ‘Our Father’ to teach the disciples how to pray. One of the key phrases is ‘Thy will be done, Thy Kingdom come, on Earth as it is in Heaven…”
This should be our mindset when creating any sort of piece – that the Kingdom of Heaven might come alive in us, through us and around us.
My prayer for you, my fellow creative, is that the work of your hands will glorify our Creator.
That as He inspires you – breathes into you – that you will exhale – faithfully express what God has entrusted you with.
Be bold in your expression. Announce the Kingdom, proclaim the Good News, propagate the Gospel using whatever brush, instrument or tool God has placed in YOUR hand.
David was given a sling and some stones. Let your voice (however that voice might look) as your sling and your art as your stones and you will see giants falling in the lives of those around you. If you faithfully wield the weapon that God has placed in YOUR hand you will slay dragons. You will overcome evil – we will take new ground.
God gave you your art to build His Tabernacle – to make His invisible qualities known, to make known His glory and His beauty and to translate the sound and vision of Heaven into something tangible – so that our longing for Him, our desire for Him and our knowledge of Him might increase.
He inspires you to inspire others towards action.
Take action today.
My brother, my sister – do not hide your light under a bushel. Pick up the tools of your trade.
Create something awesome and full of God today.
If you need help in the process, prayer or would just like to know more about Jesus call or whatsapp:
Men’s contact: Andre Labuschagne 065 370 3806
Ladies’ contact: Kailie Labuschagne: 079 037 4024
For professional counselling: 066 290 6339 / info@raphacontact.co.za
For help with addiction issues / pastoral counseling: 065 370 3806 / andre@adlabuschagne.co.za
Renovation of the Heart
Romans 12:1-2: Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Growing is often accompanied by groaning. Heart transplants hurt. Change is often painful.
Sometimes the renewing that Paul is talking about feels a little bit like a renovation. Things need to be broken down, broken out. Supporting walls are knocked down so that negative and unhealthy structures can be removed. Often a room or even the whole house will be gutted – bad wiring ripped out, rusty pipes pulled out, and outdated fixtures taken away – so that something new – something better can be put in its place.
God’s Word hurts sometimes. The Truth hurts sometimes.
Sometimes God’s Word is sent to overthrow, knock down, demolish and even destroy certain things. This might feel like you are being ‘gutted’ as He removes the faulty wiring, rusty pipes and outdated fixtures of your old life…
But rest assured. God is a good God. A loving God.
As His Spirit convicts us of sin He also convicts of righteousness. He leads us into the chambers of His heart (His Word) where we learn from Him.
Through His Spirit and through His Word God performs His renovation.
The pain is not for nought.
God wants you to push through that discomfort. Push through that pain.
Paul admonishes Timothy – and us – with the following: 11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Tim 6:11-12)
In the book of Hebrews (12:11-13:) we are encouraged to push through. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,”[b] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Leaving the old behind hurts. Leaving people, places and things so that you might better set your eyes on Him hurts.
But the result is worth it.
Choose God today.
Let Him do His work in you.
Yes, He might be demolishing certain things in your life right now, certain ways of doing, certain ways of thinking. He might be demolishing certain things in your life right now – removing certain things – but it is to make way for SOMETHING BETTER.
It is to make room for MORE of HIM.
He wants to take your ashes and give you beauty. He wants to work all things to your good and your benefit – because He loves you (Romans 8). He wants to rewrite His life with His mercy.
I’ve had friends over the years who have had to have tattoos from their old life covered up with new ones or removed. The old tattoos were reminders of a life left behind. In other cases it was the signs and symbols of gangsterism and it had to be ‘blacked out’. In a lot of cases the cover up / removal was not pleasant.
Sometimes the rewriting is not pleasant. It very much is like getting old tattoos covered up.
But He wants to turn your mess into a message. He wants to make history with you – He wants to write His story using your life.
Trust Him. In the pressing, in the crushing – in the renovating.
The end result is going to be awesome.
If you need help in the process, prayer or would just like to know more about Jesus call or whatsapp:
Andre: 065 370 3806
Kailie: 079 037 4024
Or come visit us at church @ Love Beyond Church