John Wasserman Podcast

Today, we delved into the profound significance of Christ's resurrection, exploring how it transforms our lives as believers. The central message revolves around 2 Corinthians 5:17, reminding us that in Christ, we are new creations - the old has gone, the new has come. This powerful truth challenges us to embrace our renewed identity, leaving behind past hurts, wounds, and sinful patterns. The resurrection isn't just a historical event; it's a present reality that empowers us to walk in newness of life. We're called to forgive, to let go of excuses, and to live victoriously. The resurrection provides us with endurance through trials, freedom from fear - especially the fear of death - and a hope-filled life even in a broken world. As we reflect on this, let's ask ourselves: How are we allowing the resurrection power of Jesus to transform our daily lives? Are we truly living as new creations?

On this solemn Good Friday, we're invited to reflect deeply on the profound significance of Christ's sacrifice. The crucifixion narrative, pieced together from all four Gospels, paints a vivid picture of Jesus' final hours - from the Last Supper to His death on the cross. This ultimate act of love fulfills ancient prophecies and reveals God's eternal purpose. We're reminded that the cross is not just a historical event, but a personal invitation to experience reconciliation, redemption, and transformation. As we partake in communion, we're challenged to approach with reverence, discerning Christ's body and receiving the full benefits of His broken body and shed blood. This isn't just about remembering, but about actively participating in the new covenant and allowing it to rewrite our personal histories. The cross demands a response from each of us - will we live in the light of its truth, trusting in Christ's finished work, and worshipping Him for who He is and what He's done?

In our journey of faith, we're called to cultivate wisdom that's rooted in a deep reverence for God. This wisdom isn't just head knowledge, but a transformative force that shapes our character and actions. The book of Proverbs reminds us that 'the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.' This fear isn't about being afraid, but about having a profound respect and awe for God's authority and love. As we grow in this wisdom, we become more teachable, open to correction, and quick to obey. It's a process that requires humility and a willingness to submit to God's rightful rule in our lives. When we live out this wisdom, it becomes visible to others, bearing fruit in righteous living and discernment. Our journey isn't always smooth - trials and challenges refine our wisdom, teaching us perseverance and deepening our faith. As we face life's ups and downs, let's remember that true wisdom is lived out, not just learned. It's in these moments that we have the opportunity to move from theory to reality, allowing God to shape us into mature, complete believers who lack nothing.

In our journey of faith, we're called to develop strong convictions rooted in God's Word. The story of Daniel and his friends in Babylon teaches us the power of standing firm in our beliefs, even in a hostile culture. Just as they refused to compromise their dietary laws, we too must establish non-negotiable principles based on Scripture. This isn't about being rigid or judgmental, but about honoring God in every aspect of our lives. The fear of the Lord - not a trembling fear, but a deep reverence and awe - is the foundation of true wisdom. It shapes our decisions, guides our actions, and helps us resist the pressure to conform to worldly standards. By developing convictions before we face challenges, we equip ourselves to remain faithful in difficult times. This message challenges us to examine our lives: Are we living to please God or people? Are we guarding our hearts and minds? Are we giving Jesus first place in every area? As we cultivate these convictions, we become powerful witnesses in a confused world, shining as beacons of God's truth and love.

In this powerful message, we're challenged to examine our understanding of the fear of the Lord and how it impacts our daily walk with God. The central theme revolves around perfecting holiness out of reverence for God, as mentioned in 2 Corinthians 7:1. We're reminded that while we are declared righteous in Christ, we're still called to actively pursue holiness in our lives. The message emphasizes the danger of presuming upon God's grace and living carelessly in sin, highlighting the importance of obedience and submission to God's word. We're encouraged to view our relationship with God not as a negotiation, but as a loving response to His lordship. This teaching invites us to reflect on areas where we might be testing God through our actions or attitudes, and calls us to cultivate a deeper reverence for Him that transforms how we live.

Today, we delved into the profound concept of the fear of the Lord and its connection to wisdom and holiness. Drawing from Proverbs, we explored how the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One leads to understanding. This isn't about being terrified of God, but rather having a deep reverence and awe for Him that shapes our actions and decisions. We reflected on how Jesus Himself walked in the fear of the Lord, demonstrating its importance in our spiritual lives. The message challenged us to examine our own hearts - are we truly living in reverence of God, or are we taking His grace for granted? It's a call to move beyond casual Christianity and embrace a life of genuine holiness, not out of obligation, but out of love and respect for our Creator. This teaching invites us to reconsider our approach to faith, urging us to seek wisdom through a deeper, more reverential relationship with God.

Johnathan Phyfer reminds us that no matter the challenges we face, God is always good. We are called to worship Him, keep a positive mindset, and stand firm in faith. Hebrews 12:1-2 encourages us to run the race with perseverance, fixing our eyes on Jesus. Church is more than just a gathering—it's a vital part of our spiritual growth, where we support one another and learn to walk in patience and love. Giving is also a spiritual discipline, teaching us to trust in God's provision rather than material wealth. Are we truly excelling in the grace of giving as Paul urges in 2 Corinthians 8:7? This message challenges us to step out in faith, pray without ceasing, and embrace the transformation God has for us. It's time to move forward, break free from distractions, and fully commit to God's calling. Watch now and be encouraged to run your race with endurance!

In this life-transforming message, we are reminded that we are created in God's image and called to reflect His nature, power, and dominion in every aspect of our lives. This sermon reveals how God is peeling away limitations, false identities, and anything holding us back from fully stepping into His purpose. Learn how to walk in divine authority, align with God's will, and embrace His supernatural provision and blessings. The kingdom of God is always advancing, and He is calling His people to a higher level of faith, obedience, and holiness. Don't miss this prophetic word that will ignite your spirit and shift your destiny!

Worship is more than just music—it's a response to God's holiness, a gateway to intimacy, and a way to experience His power. Chireen challenges us to move beyond routine and embrace true worship from the heart. Worship isn't about performance or technology; it's about reverence, gratitude, and prioritising God above all else. In this message, Chireen emphasizes:

In our exploration of divine encounters, we're reminded of the profound impact they have on our spiritual lives. Moses' experience with the burning bush teaches us about God's holiness and the transformative power of His presence. This encounter shaped Moses' entire ministry and led to the revelation of God's law. As we reflect on this, we're challenged to consider: How do our encounters with God shape our own lives and callings? The fear of the Lord is emphasized as a crucial element in our spiritual growth. It's not about being scared, but rather having a deep reverence and awe for God's majesty. This reverence acts as a fountain of wisdom, protecting us from the snares of sin and guiding us towards righteous living. In our modern world, where casual approaches to faith are common, we're called to rediscover this holy fear and allow it to deepen our relationship with God.

In this powerful message, we're challenged to examine the depth of our relationship with God. The central theme revolves around the concept of 'revelation becoming manifestation' - it's not enough to simply hear God's word, we must live it out. This echoes James' exhortation to be 'doers of the word, not hearers only.' We're reminded of Jesus' Beatitudes in Matthew 5, where blessings are promised not just for belief, but for action - for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, who are peacemakers, who are meek. This message urges us to move beyond casual Christianity and into a life of active, intentional discipleship. It's a call to rediscover the reverence and awe of God, to prioritize our relationship with Him in practical ways - through our time, treasures, talents, and testimony. As we reflect on this, let's ask ourselves: Are we truly living out the revelations God has given us? Are we allowing Christ to be Lord of all aspects of our lives?

In this powerful message, we're challenged to seek a deeper, more authentic encounter with God. The central theme revolves around the profound experiences of biblical figures like Moses, Isaiah, and Paul when they truly encountered God's holiness. These encounters weren't just feel-good moments, but life-altering revelations that left them trembling in awe, acutely aware of their own sinfulness, and completely transformed. We're reminded that true revelation isn't just cerebral knowledge, but a transformative experience that changes how we live. The message urges us to move beyond superficial spirituality and pursue a genuine revelation of God's holiness, which should lead to putting Him first in every aspect of our lives. This challenges us to examine our own faith journey: Are we truly encountering God, or merely going through religious motions? Are we allowing His holiness to transform us, or are we content with a comfortable, convenient faith?

This was the day of celebrating Pastors John and Bev's 40 years of ministry (the time span of a generation) in Airport Christian Fellowship. He is talking about many of the lessons learned during their years of service. If there is any one sentence that could be applied to this ministry, it will be the one from Lamentations 2 – “Great is Thy Faithfulness”. One of the things that define God's faithfulness, is that it comes out of his goodness and absolute, steadfast and consistent love. Pastor John's prayer is that this goodness, steadfast love and faithfulness of God will continue to be experienced by the generation presently part of the ministry, as well as the ones following, both corporately as well as individually. There are certain things concerning the nature and character of God, which cannot be comprehended or entered into by a person who is isolated and separated from the Church. The faithfulness of God is often clothed in skin. It is the continued faithfulness, involvement, sacrifice, serving, and support of the members which enables a church to be built and grow. Like with Israel in the wilderness, God constantly proves his faithfulness, in that even when we fail a test, He will reset the same circumstances until our hearts are changed, humbled, offences dealt with, and we have grown in that area to pass the test successfully. We need to embrace the pruning that comes through the tests. We need to hear from God, be led to Him, doing things his way, because then we will be provisioned and enabled to fulfil the plan for our lives. Vision is important and powerful, and it is essential to have vision for all areas of life, seeing and speaking it. That is when God starts to supply the provision towards fulfilment. Walking with God and trusting him bring challenges, but every challenge that is responded to correctly, results in growth, especially in the areas of love and forgiveness. Our walk with God is a journey of sanctification, to change us into the very image of Jesus. On this journey we learn to put God first, love and forgive our enemies, believe in and adhere to God's principles. We have to also learn that there is a timing in the vision God gave us and not try and rush the fulfilment by doing it in our own strength and time, but to wait for God, without pre-conceived expectations. Upon reflecting on the faithfulness of God, the automatic response is to renew commitment, to each other and to God.

New year's resolutions are something we usually fail to adhere to, but with the right attitude, this could perhaps change. Sadly, the general trend in our culture is to put spiritual wellbeing at the very bottom of their list of priorities for the new year. We, as Christians, should be careful to not fall into the trap of this mindset when we get to face difficulties, but be determined to keep our eyes on Jesus, our righteousness. New year's resolutions are good, but it is important to have God at the top of that list, and for him to consistently remain there. To accomplish this, we need to develop new, godly routines in our lives. Although at first the creation thereof may be difficult, but perseverance will bring good results. This first thing to do in putting God first in our lives, is to develop a trust a Him regardless of circumstances and while knowing that He is your foundation, realize that He will make a way, look after you, protect you, give you're the desires of your heart, give your peace, and spiritual growth. We need to still keep depending on God, even when circumstances become positive. Seeking His kingdom is putting God first and in doing this, we will freely receive those things that we need in life, without having to constantly focus on them like the gentiles to. Seeking His Kingdom is living under God's rulership and principles. The values we take on then are love, humility, faith, righteousness, forgiveness, peace, joy, generosity, justice, compassion, faithfulness, servanthood, obedience, and holiness. Seeking His Kingdom is letting go of anxiety and radically trusting God, it is modelling the ministry of Jesus because the Kingdom is inside of us. We also need to seek for God's righteousness, his perfect moral standards and values, pursue a life that reflects His holiness and justice, and model that through our way of life. Practically speaking, putting God first by the creation of new routines could be things like starting the day with Bible study, making prayer a priority, regular church attendance, obeying God's commands, serving others, faithful giving, surrounding yourself with Godly influence, fasting, sharing your faith, committing to grow spiritually and daily surrendering your anxieties and struggles to God. We need to be committed to speak God's will and plan for us this year. His purposes for us are to know the fulness of his love and find peace in his presence, to seek out the lost and weary and offer them salvation and rest for their souls. He purpose is to work all things together for the good of those who love him, creating beauty from ashes and purpose from pain. He purposes to display his glory through creation, calling every heart to marvel and worship. He is unchangeable, yet his mercies are new every morning. His faithfulness endures and this will be the year of restoration and glory.

A history of God's faithfulness and supernatural provision before and during Pastor John Wasserman's forty years of ministry in Airport Christian Fellowship. This church in Bonaero Park was known as the black hole and the pastor's graveyard, since about 15 pastors who took on this church crashed and burned during the first 20 years of its existence. God's faithfulness has been the foundation or bedrock carrying Pastor John for the forty years of his ministry in this church, and that is also true for us in every area of our lives, whether it be in our jobs, businesses or personal spiritual walk with God. God's faithfulness stops us from being consumed by difficulties, his mercies never fail but are new every day. Faithfulness is a core attribute of God, part of his nature, and it is established in heaven. It is unchanging, regardless of circumstances. His promises are certain because his character is steadfast. God's faithfulness is of covenant nature wherein He is completely committed to his promises and is unable to break his word. His promises are kept throughout a thousand generations. It behoves us to be faithful in our generation to model to the ones following us this covenant relationship. His faithfulness is demonstrated in the way He preserved Israel throughout the generations. He is also doing the same for the Church of Jesus Christ. We can also testify that God has been faithful to the church, ACF, as well as towards individual members. That faithfulness of God is not only a foundation, but it also sets the course for great assurance and faith in Him for the next forty years. God's faithfulness has shaped our personal walk with Him. Faithfulness is a landmark of maturity for believers because it reflects the character of God. The faithfulness of God should inspire in us a greater commitment to- and deep gratitude in our hearts towards him.

Most of the prophecies for 2025 that one can see on social media are actually for the congregation, to which that person bringing it, is a minister. However, one must keep in mind that the fulfilment of all the wonderful promises and prophecies for the year 2025 is conditional on our response to and walk with God. The focus for our local church in this year is that we need to be focusing on the supremacy of Christ, getting a fresh revelation of his kingship. This supremacy consists out of three aspects, his majesty, magnificence and might. His majesty is about his greatness, glory, and sovereign authority – Christ as king – He is King of kings and Lord of lords. His kingdom is everlasting. Jesus has received his kingship from the Father because of the price paid on the cross. If we have a deep revelation of the majesty of Christ and live in it, we will be able to overcome the things of this world, as we surrender to his supreme authority in every area of our lives, since He is above all earthly powers and circumstances. The magnificence of Christ talks about his beauty and splendour and the grace revealed through his person and works. His supreme splendour is overwhelming. His magnificence is not only in what He has done, but also in who He is, his humility, wisdom, and love. He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born son over all creation, which is his inheritance. Through and for him all things have been created and are held together, He sustains the universe by his power. He is magnificent in his person, position, purpose, passion, perfection, patience, perseverance, and power. Everything we claim for 2025 is included in the majesty and magnificence of Christ, as we make time to meditate on, reflect and consider Him, his life, death, resurrection and current ministry. This will inspire us to a deeper gratitude for his presence and provision for us in the past year. Witnessing to others will also deepen our experience of his magnificence. Christ is also immeasurably powerful, (his might) because all authority in heaven and on earth has been bestowed upon him by his Father when He was raised from the dead. The power of his resurrection is the assurance of his ability to sustain- and give us victory over all of our challenges, including sin and death. To see this power at work in us, we need to trust, and rest in the promise of his power, understanding that his power is made perfect in our weakness. This not automatic, but when we go to him with our weakness with honesty and confess and give it over to him, that is when his power is made perfect. In this year we need to worship more fully, study the Word deeply, live gratefully, and walk through this year with boldness and fearlessness.

Right at the foundation of Christmas is the amazing love of God. This message and Jesus, the gift that God gave, is making inroads in many levels of society, for instance in the lives of hardened criminals in jail and many, many, people in the entertainment industry who have become powerfully converted and saved. There are three main foundational aspect of Christmas, and those are righteousness, peace and joy. Righteousness is that through the birth of Christ God initiated his plan to make us right with him. By us simply believing in the perfect sacrifice of Jesus, it opened up the only way for us to get in right standing with God. That rightness with God produces something that everybody desperately seeks for, but hardly ever find, and that is peace. True peace can only come from knowing God and understanding that we are right with him. This peace is both internal and external, it is not only peace with God, but also the peace of God which fills our hearts. It is a peace which is not temperamental or conditional and a peace that surpasses understanding. It is not based on circumstances. The fruit of righteousness and peace is joy. The tidings brought to the shepherds by the angels said that it was an occurrence of great joy. This is a joy that comes from knowing that we are loved, redeemed and secure in Christ. It is the spiritual and emotional fulfilment that comes from living in alignment with God's will, experiencing peace with God, others and oneself and reaping the blessings of righteousness. This sequence, righteousness, peace and joy is consistently found throughout the Bible. These three things, righteousness, peace and joy, are also part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit within us. It is the true foundation of Christmas.

It is part of the culture in traditional churches to have a prelude or build-up of weeks before feasts like Easter, Pentecost, Ascension Day, and Christmas, to prepare people's hearts for the celebrating of that particular event. When Jesus was born, kings (magi, or mighty men) from the East came, to bring gifts and bow before- and worship The King, totally ignoring the Israeli king of the time. Because of their diligent seeking (or preparation), they received divine revelation of the King that had been born. We need to, in preparation to celebrate the birth of our Saviour, humble ourselves in diligently seeking to get to know him better, and get a greater revelation of the power outflowing from out of his whole life. This diligent search for him, done in faith and truth, is pleasing (like a gift) unto him, and the result is his blessing upon us. May we discover, as we prepare for Christmas, a fresh understanding of the eternal rule and reign of Jesus and submit to his kingship and worship him as such. May we, as we prepare our hearts, come to a place where we receive him afresh, believing in him, understanding the power and authority that He has given us to be Sons of God. Let us not get lost in the trappings of Christmas, but find a way to seek Jesus, thereby honouring him. Let us share his true identity with others. Let us surrender our fears, frustration and failures and trust in the King who offers eternal peace and hope. The fact that God first announced through angels the glorious message of the birth of Christ to lowly shepherds, reveals his character, that being to reveal himself to the humble and lowly of spirit. The meek will inherit the earth and the hungry are filled. The poor in spirit receive things that those who are self-sufficient do not. In our preparation we need to re-visit humility in simplicity and surrender, because that is a prelude to worship. The description which Isaiah gave about who Jesus is, explains that He is sufficient to cover every situation which we could face, since He is wonderful, councillor, mighty God, everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. We need to remember at the time of the festivities around Christmas, that the Kingdom is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Peace and joy are an automatic outflow of being right with God. Let us prepare ourselves spiritually, relationally, missionally, and commit ourselves to serve others practically.

The golden vines adorning Herod's temple were a symbol of the fact the Israel was meant to be God's vineyard. These adornments had been donated by individuals, signifying their devotion to the temple, the place where they connected with God. It also served as a reminder of the responsibility which had been placed by God on this nation to bear fruit, which Israel failed to do, despite God's continuous calls on them to return to him. It was in the sight of these adornments on the temple that Jesus was proclaiming that He was the true vine. He was saying that it was in being connected to him, that fruit would be born, since He had fulfilled every requirement from God to do so, in the face of Israel's failure. We as Christians are required to bear fruit, which is only made possible by a heart change coming from abiding in the true vine, Jesus. Abiding in Him makes the bearing of fruit something that is effortless. When the branches of the vine grow downwards in a vineyard and become dusty and contaminated, the farmer will lift them up and dust them off to enable the forming of fruit. God is today desiring to do the same for us, dusting off everything that prevents us from bearing fruit. For us as Christians, being in Christ shapes our identity, purpose, our relationship with God and the world around us. It is important for us to fully realize and have a biblical worldview that we are abiding in Him. This assures that we are living in his power, life and strength, free from condemnation, guilt and shame. There we are blessed with every spiritual blessing. To keep the fact alive that we are abiding in the vine, we need to spend time in the Word of God, worship, and prayer, obey his commands, love one another, depend on the Holy Spirit, be an instant confessor, repenting and forgiving yourself, neglect not the fellowship with one another, witness and share the love of Jesus with others, have a thankful heart, rejoice in hope, and endure trials and tribulations with fortitude. Let us work together with God to see that required fruit come forth.

The Kingdom of Christ is eternal, and shall never ever be overshadowed by any other, regardless of how mighty they may seem to be. Its values are in stark contrast. contradictory to- and upside-down from those of worldly kingdoms and cultures. There are many ways in which this is manifested, for instance there is a reversal of the power dynamic found in the Kingdom, since the meekness and poverty of spirit which God interprets as greatness is interpreted by the world as weakness. In the Kingdom blessings come to the meek and lowly. Jesus' teaching to love your enemies is also seen by the world as being upside-down. In the Kingdom there are riches in being poor in spirit and the principle to prosperity here is that to give results in gain, and not get to gain. Dying to self leads to life and the first shall be last, the last first. The focus in the Kingdom is internal transformation in contrast to external conformity to the laws of a country. In the Kingdom sacrifice is elevated above self-preservation. Self-preservation is typified by self-justification. The Kingdom way of life is a challenge to the believer, because it is so radically different to that of the world. It demands that we prioritize spiritual- over material values, humility over pride, selflessness over selfishness, and living a life that reflects God's grace and love, even when it goes against the grain of what is normal to society. Jesus, although King, was a servant, obedient, respectful, loving, and willing to lay down his life for us. The call on- and strength of our Christian Walk is serving others like He did, using the grace we have received thereunto. A lifestyle of serving the Body of Christ is nothing else but adopting His mindset and, in this way, we are also serving Him. The Kingdom of God is a kingdom of divine power, in speech and action, based on the authority given to us. In Christ we have authority over sickness and to forgive sins, based on repentance. Christ had authority and power over creation, evil, sin and temptation, laying down his life and taking it up again. We therefore have the authority to speak life to people in His name. We have the power and authority to live and proclaim the Kingdom in all the world and change it to be the right side up.

Instead of just thanking God for his purposes in our lives, we are to also be doing whatever He lays upon our hearts to fulfil those purposes. An example of this is reaching out to someone when they come up in your mind, thus combatting the dangers of members of the Body of Christ becoming isolated. This is being naturally supernatural, being responsible with, honouring, and applying God's Word and instructions to us. It is essential that we do not relate with each other with masks on but be real, open and vulnerable. We present our bodies to God as a reasonable act of service, have our minds transformed and thereby proving our faith. Every aspect of our lives is to be lived from God and prayer should be our default in every difficult situation. We need to realize that God is the immovable mover and by being open to him, stopping our resistance and surrendering to Him, we will see him moving in our lives. We also need to be open to others. By loving God fully, we can also love others. I Corinthians 13 is not suggestions, but instructions which are to be applied. We need to ask God how we can practically change people's lives. We must live generous lives, sharing our time, skills and presence with people, while being helped and led in this by the Holy Spirit. We need to readily recognize what God wants from us and quickly respond, for us to experience maximum effectivity, development, and well-formed maturity. Let our lives have a Godly ripple-effect to those around us, instead of the opposite. The acronym for open is O is offer, P is our posture of readiness, E is for execute, and the N stands for now. May the strength, life, power and love of God flow through our open arms to the communities and families around us.

The Kingdom of God, or the Kingdom of Heaven, is not a physical place but a divine reality and it is made up out of every individual who has made the decision to repent and submit their lives to Jesus Christ. Since they have been born again or born from above, the Kingdom is present here on earth in their hearts. At the same time it is yet to come when the King will have returned to be here physically – an endless Kingdom here on earth, not in heaven. Earth is the domain where God needs mature sons, princes and kings, to reign under the Lordship of Jesus, bringing heaven to earth. Earthly kingdoms are often defined by power, wealth, military force, corruption, manipulation, domination, and intimidation but in contrast Jesus' Kingdom is spiritual, not depending on political structures or physical borders. It exists where his will is being carried out. It is marked by His presence, values and activities which have been instilled in the hearts of his people. To enter the Kingdom means more than just believing for salvation but to grow in faith. Although this treasure is mysterious and hidden, the Kingdom is accessible to those who are hungry and looking for it and by paying the price, as Jesus showed in the parables about the Kingdom. The Kingdom of Heaven is a realm defined by values. These are selflessness, humility, alignment with Godo's will, righteousness, justice, mercy, grace, love, peace and joy. These values reflect God's character, and it is his intention for us to not only live like this with him but also in the same harmonious manner with one another. We need to grasp the reality of the kingship of Christ and live it, having our hearts transformed by a relationship with the King. The sermon on the mount was Jesus' kingdom manifesto and foundation. It spells out being poor in spirit or humble, being broken about sin and turning to God for salvation, meekness, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, purity of heart, making peace, suffering and enduring persecution because of righteousness, and resisting everything that is not the Kingdom while pursuing everything that it is. The Kingdom is a theocracy, and all are invited to enter, but the qualification to have a rich entrance ministered unto us, is to be converted to become like a little child. That means to be humble, the opposite of proud, arrogant, and self-sufficient. To sum up, the conditions for entry into the Kingdom are: repentance and humility, continued faith and obedience to Jesus, growth in holiness, peace with God, being in a totally committed relationship with him and prioritising him, becoming a child of God with a mission to glorify him and to be about the same mission that He is. This mission is to preach the gospel of the Kingdom in all the world, telling people that the cost to them will be to lay everything down to obtain this precious pearl.

The magi from the east saw a heavenly sign of a king being born, and following that star, came looking for Jesus. Although Jesus was born as the king of the Jews, in effect He has always been king, and will be king forever, from eternity to eternity. The star which the magi followed was not only a sign in the heavens of the birth of a great leader, but it also was a symbol of how the Holy Spirit would lead people to Jesus. Because the magi were not Israelites, the star was a symbol of how God was opening the door unto his Kingdom to people from every nationality and race as well. The star was a symbol of hope, of the light and redemption of the world who had come, piercing the darkness. Although there were those who reacted against the birth of The King manifesting the spirit of the Ant-Christ, his Kingdom has come on this earth, and it will last for ever. Everything against it will pass away, as the dream about statue in the Book of Daniel showed. An example of the eternal Lordship of Jesus was when king Nebuchadnezzar rebelled against The King and as a result lost his mind. When he came to himself, he had to acknowledge and bow down to the eternal kingship of God. There are many more examples of this eternal kingship being written about in Scripture, for instance, in Paul's doxology in his letter to Timothy, and the description of the everlasting kingdom in the Book of Revelation. God is working with intentionality and purpose towards establishing his Kingdom of loving leadership and followship where every knee in heaven, on earth and under the earth shall bow and confess Jesus as King. We have the privilege to voluntarily submit our lives to Jesus and confess him as King. The practical application of this submission is that we recognize Jesus as the ultimate authority in our lives, above every other authority, including our own desires. In doing so, we are believing, trusting, and are confident and assured that his plan and purposes for us will prevail. His plan for redemption and justice will ultimately be fulfilled. The meek shall inherit the earth, and the wicked will not be part of his land. Every enemy shall be defeated, even death. This is the future for us, as well as for the entire universe – a total rebirth at the appearance of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Recognising Jesus as King motivates believers to live missionally and according to the Kingdom mandate. It inspires our worship and adoration of him. Worship, not only through singing, but of a life lived in obedience and gratitude him. The kingship of Jesus is a call to believers to align their lives with the holiness, righteousness and love of Jesus, striving to reflect their king's character. It does involve repentance; it demands spiritual growth and absolute reliance on the Holy Spirit. Knowing the kingship of Jesus results in his peace and rest being the believer's portion because his sovereignty, providence and the fact that He is responsible for the citizens of his kingdom has become a reality. Being our king, He is involved and interested in every detail of our lives. He loves us and cares for us.

Getting baptised is obedience to Christ's command, a public declaration of faith, and an identification with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Approaching baptism with faith removes it out of the realm of typology or symbolism and makes this identification with Jesus a living reality to the believer. Water baptism is essential, vital and part of the salvation package. It is not an option, but a necessity. Water baptism is of vital importance, because God expects it from the believer. By being obedient to his instruction in this expected and appropriate response, the believer is giving proof of having the same faith by which they have been saved. Actions need to demonstrate our faith in every area of our lives, not only in water baptism. The first principal of baptism is that it must be approached with faith. The second principal is obedience, fulfilling righteousness as Jesus did when He was baptised by John. After the believer has been obedient to this instruction from God, it must be followed up by receiving teaching in how to obey every other command to walk with God. Being baptised is being baptised into the character of God, Christ and the Holy Spirit, resulting in change. One is then in a place of being enabled to receive greater revelation and understanding. Therefore, refusing to follow God's principles, is a self-imposed hindrance to further progress in him and in reaching his purposes for your life. Water baptism is the doorkeeper of obedience to the rest of a person's Christian walk.

We can choose whether we want to be part of the first, second, or third generation. However, there also is a fourth generation. The purpose of those who volunteer to be part of this fourth generation, is to rule over light and darkness and divide it. Looking at the number four in the Bible and the first four books in the Bible, the literal meaning of their titles are as follows – Genesis – in the beginning, Exodus – names, Leviticus – and he called (God called Moses into the tabernacle) and Numbers – in the wilderness, as well as counting (to count or to remember, appoint). Abraham, having been called by God to leave his life (die to it). crossed over a boundary into a new life and was thus the first person to be called a Hebrew. The next person who was called by this name was Joseph, the fourth generation from Abraham. Abraham was dwelling in tents, but God's promise to him indicated that the fourth generation from him would have that land as a permanent inheritance. Moses was also part of a fourth generation and because the enemy was aware of the prophetic word over the fourth generation, he started killing the babies born at the same time as Moses, trying to avoid this word's fulfillment. When Moses returned to Egypt to fulfil his mandate from God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, and Pharaoh responded by making their lot even harder, they questioned Moses and developed a victim mentality by complaining and murmuring. The Hebrew word for murmur also means ‘to lodge for the night'. In essence it means, “we know that God wants to take us to the light, but we are comfortable here in the darkness, so let us remain here”. This murmuring attitude was as a result of having no ‘heart' relationship with God, but rather a self-centred one which cannot accept temporary imperfect circumstances, and does not understand God's heart, purposes, and counsel. The nation of Israel could not attain their inheritance before all those who had murmured against God because they failed to understand His purpose with them, had died. Let us not focus on our problems and trials, but rather on Jeus and God's plans and purposes for this earth, prophesying that into being. We should seek God's counsel to know what these purposes are and resist the temptation to murmur when our circumstances are not ideal. No matter what challenges we face, let us be the fourth generation, not giving way to a victim mentality and, dividing between light and dark, rule in every circumstance.

One person walking with God is passing down blessings upon a thousand (a great number) generations of his descendants. Every parent has a desire to see their children be blessed of God. Regardless of what our predecessors were like, we are already blessed because of the fact that we are Christians. God, who is our father, promised Abraham that all the families of the earth will be blessed through his seed (singular) and that seed being Christ, we are heirs, partakers and perpetuators of that blessing because we are in and of that seed. We have the authority to speak and prophesy blessing over our children as well as ourselves. For a positive generational impact, it is important for us to make the right decisions, keep imparting and teaching the Word of God to your children, and regularly attend church services with them, where they can experience the presence and works of God. They need to be fathered and mentored unto spiritual maturity. There is an influence upon us coming from the cloud of witnesses who had served faithfully throughout their generations. To open up the wells of generational blessing, it is essential for us to not only realize that we are already blessed in Christ, but to accompany it by fervent and continual prayers, especially for the next generation. The prayer of a righteous person has great power, and it is possible that a vision and prophetic word will only be completely fulfilled in the next generations, as was the case with Abraham. The next generation needs teaching, encouragement, guidance, sound warnings and admonitions. Mentors, or spiritual parents can help recognize, unlock and give leadership into generational blessing. There is a call upon all of us to be willing instruments in God's hands to spend time with and impart wisdom to the next generation. Let us be intentional about finding out how to bridge the gap and communicate with them. Our children, and generations unborn, are already blessed because we love and obey God and He is faithfully maintaining this covenant to a thousand generations.

The first generation experiencing a move of God has a deep, loving relationship with Jesus, resulting in a moral and righteous lifestyle. The generation after them has the same lifestyle without the relationship, and the third generation sees a form of godliness in their parents but without the power, which results in them casting off all restraints. We see examples of this phenomenon throughout the Bible. Whereas the previous week's word on this topic was directed towards people from the first generation, this week's is geared towards those who are part of the second generation. There is a responsibility on the first generation to make sure, by not only walking and modelling a lifestyle, but also to pray and make sure that the next generation has a vital, living relationship with Jesus. It is important for the second generation to tap into the same passion and vision of the first generation and avoid the trap of just maintaining a certain lifestyle, as well as the Hezekiah syndrome. In the Old Testament we read about Nehemiah refusing the third-generation phenomenon. He stood up and was counted in challenging and resisting the apathetic, unprincipled, lawless, and godless lifestyle of the third generation of that time. He saw it as essential that the Israelites recover their identity as God's people. In the same way, there must be a difference between the Church and the world, we have a responsibility to impart, build up and preserve in every generation a strong sense of identity and what it means to be a Christian. Every generation needs to know who they are in Christ. Our children need to be taught how to be strong in their convictions and be enabled to have answers to challenges and to withstand persecution. Like Nehemiah did, we need to tell the next generation of our history with God, so that they would understand our mandate as well as their individual purposes in the Body of Christ, enabling them to live intentionally. They must be encouraged to have a personal faith-walk with, and obedience to God. It is essential to teach the next generation ‘the Faith', i.e. what we believe and why we believe it. The next thing that needs to be passed on the following generation, is a burning passion for Jesus by perfectly modelling it. The next generation needs to remember the previous one and be able to consider the outcome of their way of life, imitating their faith. We read in the letters that Paul wrote to Timothy how he encouraged Timothy to fan into flame the faith that he had seen in his grandmother Louis and his mother Eunice, proof that it is indeed possible for three consecutive generations to walk and live in the same passion of faith. It is the third generation's responsibility is to keep feeding the flame of faith and passion that has been passed on to them.

There is a phenomenon in the world, called the three-generation curse. This is where a first generation will have the vision, drive and purpose to generate tremendous wealth. The second generation, although having seen the way in which the wealth was generated by the previous generation, grow up in comfort, and lacking the vision, passion and drive, only manage those inherited riches. The third generation following, only manages to spend the wealth until it is gone. Something similar is unfortunately true of the Kingdom of God. Looking at the Church, it is recorded that there have been many revivals which would end up fading away, causing gaps or breaches. Our task is to be the healers of these breaches because God's purpose is for revival to be continuous, flowing from one generation to the next. This generational phenomenon is seen right throughout the Old Testament as well as in the Church where we see that the first generation following a meeting with God in the Old Testament, or a revival in New Testament times, has a living, vital, dedicated and faith-filled relationship with God. They are involved, and passionate. The second generation is characterised by the word ‘compromise' because the vital living faith of their parents has somehow not been communicated to them. The third generation is then characterised by the words ‘conflict' or ‘indifference' because all they have seen in their parents is a form of Godliness, lacking the power. In the Bible we also see what is called the Hezekiah syndrome, where people are only concerned about what happens during their lifetime, which is wrong. God is working intentionally, with a purpose and a plan spanning over all of the generations. We, as a church, must take responsibility to walk with God in such a way that we can impart to those younger than us that living vital faith by which we are living, to the point where they will have their own relationship with Jesus, living with the same faith in him. There does not have to be this three-generation phenomenon in the Church. The question is, how do we impact the generations following us? We need to constantly and actively be speaking about the vision as well as live it, live our faith and relationship with Jesus, communicating it to our children. Model authentic faith inside, as well as outside of church. We need to speak, prophesy and declare to our children their destiny and purpose to counter the confusion of this age, instead of criticizing them. Teach them the faith and engage in discipleship and mentorship. Adopt a member of the youth and commit to pray for them. Cultivate a culture of prayer in yourself as well as in the next generations. Challenge worldly morals and cultural conformity. Involve the youth in service and missions, as well as having them praying for- and prophesying over each other. Lastly, let us focus on a relationship with Jesus, and not religion.

Before being born again, our lives are formless. dark and chaotic but at our rebirth supernatural light and illumination is shed within, the Spirit of God and Christ comes to dwell inside of us. But, despite that, our flesh life is still very real and alive and that is the issue the Apostle Paul and the other writers of the New Testament are concerned and passionate about – that we should experience spiritual growth and be transformed, in other words, Christ to be fully formed in us. The nation of Israel had been raised up to bring forth the seed, Christ, and once that happened, they were supposed to put their faith in Him and abandon the Mosaic Law. That is why Paul was concerned and astonished that the Galatian Church deserted Christ who had called them to live in his grace and instead started to adhere to portions of the Law. He called this a different, and actually no gospel at all. He saw them as being weak, miserable slaves, having lost something of the Christ within. The Apostle Peter called them people who went back to the Law adulterers. It is the destiny of every believer to have Christ formed within, and although the outward ‘do's' and don'ts' form part of it, it is the inner heart transformation which is the most important in the process of Christ being formed in us. We should be noticeably different from the rest of the world, manifesting the character and nurturing attitude of Christ. The provision has been put into place for us to be like this, for as far as God is concerned, we are already predestined, called, justified and glorified, and as far as we ourselves are concerned, we are in a process of becoming. The Holy Spirit is strengthening us in the inner man, causing Christ to dwell in our hearts by faith. Added to the faith we need the increasing knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. The Holy Spirit never stops working in us towards this goal and purpose, and we need to keep on co-operating with Him in this regard, because the process is not automatic. We live in the faith of the Son of God, which is not only the inner faith, but also living according to the body of faith (teaching) which He has delivered, and hearing and applying that Word which becomes a gift of faith. Our transformation is of grace, because of what He has done, and by grace when we co-operate with Him. Spiritual transformation to maturity requires a growing faith in Christ, a living, vital relationship with him, and realizing that it is an ongoing process. When we go through difficult times of testing, and can respond right by God's grace, then these are the times when we exponentially grow in Christ the most, because that requires exercising faith.

During the incredible NOW conference every individual received something from the Lord. God is not a man, who would lie, and watches over his word so that it will perform what He has spoken it for. However, if we want to step into our ‘now' we also have a part to play in the fulfilment of God's word and promises to us. Our part is that we keep doing the good works which we have been involved with and stay flexible for change where God wants to stretch us and enlarge our capacity. It is possible to miss the ‘now' moment if you do not realize, recognize or perceive that it has arrived. The ‘now' moment could look like repentance and forgetting the past, a greater willingness to sacrificially serve in the various departments and activities of the local Church, attending all the services, personal prayer and Bible study, and to start studying in the direction your prophecy was about. This all is instrumental in forming and protecting a theonomous (God) culture where the truth, values and moral laws originate from God, and we follow his guidance and commands. The theonomous culture is in contrast to the Heteronomous culture where groups of people control the morals and ethics of others, like we see in Eastern and Middle Eastern cultures, and the Pharisees and Sadducees in Bible times. This culture is oppressive, consists of empty traditions of men and is worldly. The other culture which we find in the secular world is the Autonomous culture where individuals define their own truth and moral values, independent of divine and external authority, it is all about the self. This is a futile, sick, deceitful and foolish culture. These three cultures are also comparable to a three-generation principle, where the first one loves and follows God, the second starts compromising and the third is totally away from God. To step into our ‘now' and grow spiritually, we need to stick to and protect the theonomous culture, also in our personal lives, not only in church. Again, this culture is developed by studying and obeying God's Word, following good examples, worshipping and honouring God, integrating biblical values in everyday life, creating a community of grace and truth, making decisions based on biblical principles, serving the Body of Christ with the gift that He has placed inside, and, very importantly, teaching the next generation to know, love, and serve God. Serving reflects the heart of Christ, and it is important to not allow the ‘ow' which is sure to come, to result in offense which causes you to run away. This will only rob you in causing you to miss out on your ‘now'.

God saw our works of committing to draw near to him, and his response to that was a shift that took place in the Spirit over the conference weekend. The Holy Spirit brought change in each one, to the measure in which we responded to him. It is only when change had taken place in our spirits, that it starts to manifest in the natural. That is what happened in this conference and our expectancy is to see the spiritual shift also manifested in the natural as we see new doors opening, and new opportunities coming. After being informed by God of the new thing that He is doing, everyone who heard has the responsibility to respond. A lack of response will result in a loss of that which was heard. The way to respond to God at times of a Kyros moment, is, firstly, to avoid sin and disobedience. The next response is to keep doing your part and take responsibility for whatever assignment God allocated to you, however impossible it may seem to be. We are to proceed in this with greater faith and that faith with all of its components. We also need to stay flexible, allowing God to fulfil his word in the way that He wants to do it, and stay flexible to do exactly what He tells you to do. It is also important to keep doing the basic things of a normal Christian Walk, and even better than before. Keep holding on to all of the promises that God has given to you. It is also required of us to walk in complete, immediate and spontaneous obedience and with a good attitude. There will be battles, win them. We also need to help each other to step into our destiny. The final response is to not be afraid, despite the battles, but to be strong and proceed in the incredible peace of God.

God said that we have held out trough the night, but now was the time, like the Angel of the Lord told Jacob, to let go, and let God… Jacob refused to let go and asked for a blessing, and his name was changed to Israel, the God struggler. It is alright to be a God struggler, it is what He calls his people, because we have struggled with God and man and have overcome. Jacob saw God face to face (presence to presence) there and his life was changed. Positioning yourself is putting your life where God's face would burn you. After staying and struggling through the night, God says “it is time” at daybreak, meets with us, and changes us. We go through stages, first coming to church, the house of God, then we meet up with his presence, the face of God, and then come the realization that we serve the God of the House, bringing it all together. Looking at the history of Ruth and Naomi, we see that Ruth's name means friend or companion and by going back to Israel with Naomi and completely identifying with her new nation, she was exactly that. Being in difficulties, these two widows positioned themselves there where everything could be solved, first by gleaning on the edges of the fields and eventually Ruth laid down at the feet of her redeemer, Boas, in the evening. When he awoke in the middle of the night, she requested that he, being her redeemer, spread the corner of his garment over her and make right that which was wrong. In the same way we put our presence and lives in God's presence and have him, as our redeemer, spread his garment over us, and make everything right which is wrong.

When a ‘now' moment arrives, it has been preceded by a build-up. Many have been in the process of dealings from God, not realizing that they are pregnant with God's promises while going through difficulties and pain, but He is bringing them to a place of completion and birth. The first thing God has to deal with in us, is our ‘no' to him, because you never get a ‘now' from a ‘no'. There is often a move of God waiting in our spirits, and while we assume that it may not be God's time for fulfillment yet, it could be our lack of progress in God instead, which is causing the delay. The most prevalent reason for Christians saying ‘no' to God is fear because God often requires from us to do something that goes against the grain, but obedience to what He asks us to do, will kill the fear and build the Christ within. We do not need a character transplant, but to trust God, and in hearing and humbly obeying, we will find that we are only half a degree from a kingdom outbreak. Our ‘now' is wrapped up in getting rid of our ‘no'. Our ‘now' will also arrive when our ‘ow' has sorted out our ego, when the pity party had stopped and all that is left is love, care, and compassion toward those in pain, presenting to them Jesus, the one who brought beauty into the pain. To be like Jesus, we will have scars, even as He does. Leaving when in pain is easy but staying and constantly saying ‘yes' is lining yourself up for the ‘now's' of heaven. Regardless of the scars, we are still winners and there will be a time when every tear is wiped away. Every pain eventually achieves and is rewarded with more glory and power. The ‘ow' leads to the ‘now'. The very threshold of your ‘now' often has pain attached to it because the enemy wants to distract you from the fact that this is the moment of blessing. When you find purpose and pain intertwined, do not be distracted out of your ‘now' by the ‘ow'. When God comes to you in the midst of pain and rescues and vindicates you and proves your calling, remember that we have not nearly gone through what He did, in rescuing us. Take your eyes from your pain and thank God for his kindness and care through it all. It is time for joy, time for the harvest.

The first time the word ‘now' appears in the Bible, is in Genesis and it was when Eve was created from Adam's rib. The meaning of the word used there is rhythm, so that men and women can walk together in rhythm, manifesting complete authority in the marriage and family. It is also important that the Church be in rhythm. When we walk in unity, the Holy Spirit will enable us to take the city for Christ. The Holy Spirit is a spirit of rhythm and wherever He finds people in one mind, accord and vision, He is right there to move alongside. Wherever there is unity, the result is prosperity and an unstoppable church. It is important to constantly echo the vision of the house where God has placed us, to avoid division. The word ‘now' is also a shifting word, an extremely powerful word. It is the word which shifts or transitions a person from one season to the next. Whenever one has a ‘now' moment with God, it changes everything permanently when you respond with a “let it be according to your word, Father”. God revealed himself for the first time to Moses as Jehovah, and He can reveal himself to us at any time in a way never seen before, to meet the present need. However, for Him to reveal himself in this new way, we need to trust Him so much, that we have the attitude that we are willing to go bankrupt to see this manifestation. We certainly do not know everything about God, He is constantly releasing new things into the earth, and we need to get hungry for these new things. God is the only answer to the problems of the whole world and there is a move of God coming which is going to fill the whole earth. Let us not be a generation that gets satisfied with something, who has stopped pressing in by faith to the fulfillment of all of God's promises. The word of God cannot return to him void, and we must be like Joshua, who being a humble servant of Moses, got the mantle to take possession of Canaan when Moses failed to do so, thus fulfilling God's word. The now faith for today is that Jesus is our substance, source, and power, making us the evidence to the world of a powerful God. We must expect to receive blessing to be a blessing to those around us, since money is currency, something that flows.

The gathering of this conference is apostolic and prophetic, divinely aligning, launching, positioning and activating everyone with anointing and mantles. The call went out to be awake, to recognize, be alert and to respond as the Holy Spirit was giving individuals unique opportunities to move into what God has for their lives. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places. We are in him, seated at the right hand of majesty, but He is also in us, which are two different places or realms. By being in him, we step out of time into an eternal realm, where there is life independent of time. Scripture instructs us to worship God in spirit and truth, which does not mean in tongues. Spirit is location in heavenly atmospheres. The eternal is always a glorious and present ‘now'. Through faith we lay hold of what is eternal, and it will manifest itself in a power superior to all the fluctuations of our minds and emotions. This will convict us of that which is impossible, and project us therein. The first invitation, therefore, is to step, with faith, into Christ (who is the sole expression of God), outside of time (the confinement of our minds and reasoning), so that He can step into our present within time, bringing change in every area. Going into this realm we will do, speak, obtain, open, close and return freely, finding pasture. Through Jesus, the door, we have access to the eternal realm and the Father. We should not spend our time worrying about small things, because we have access to eternity, the Kingdom, which is already within us. The fullness of Christ is being formed within us by this divine, eternal, and self-sustaining power, regardless of whether we are aware of it or not. Our lives are filled with Kairos-moments, where our choices have eternal effect. The second invitation is to yield and respond to the Spirit during this conference weekend, being steadfast, patient and enduring to fulfil the will of the Father and see the beginning of divine-inspired events in our lives.

The sons of Issachar understood the time and therefore knew how to act. There was a call to invest in this conference by prayer, attending, and preparing an offering. The theme of the conference has been confirmed repeatedly and it is about something being in the heart of God for this moment, this time that we are in. The question is, what is it that this moment in time so special? Looking at time, one must realize that God lives outside of time. Time had to be created by him and time began when God started creating the cosmos. Time had a beginning, will have an end (it is finite), it is linear, quantifiable, measurable, and will cease when its purpose is completed. In the Old Testament the prophets were all looking forward to the fulfilment of certain times and events which have been ordained by God, or prophetic eschatology. In the New Testament the sense of time becomes apocalyptic eschatology, or the time of fulfilment. God has set the time for certain things in history, for instance the birth of Jesus, the coming resurrection and judgment, and the Kingdom of Heaven. There are two words for time in the Greek, the first being Chronos, meaning all of time (quantitative). The second word is Kairos (qualitative) or an opportune moment in time or Chronos. Because of qualitative moments of responding to God it has now become a Kairos moment for ACF, when heaven will intersect our space-time continuum or God will step into our experience. God has gathered the moments and set the time to visit his people as a witness. Multiple Kairos moments will become a season of God encounters. We are to set our hearts to accept it, as well as believe that this is to be the appointed time of God's favour regarding anything that we have been reaching out to God for. Jesus was walking according to Chronos time to be crucified, buried and resurrected so that our time of visitation can be at any time. Jesus, as well others throughout history, have laboured for us to reap a harvest at this appointed time of blessing. It will be the end of the postponement and delay of visions, breakthroughs and every other thing what we have been waiting on God for, they key thereto being expectation igniting now-faith. We need to awaken to the fact that things are nearer now than when we first believed, and that change is eminent. We must be wise, and not miss this Kairos moment when heaven is intercepting earth.

The Holy Spirit is at work within us, freeing us progressively from sinful traits, developing in us a Christ-like character. The Holy Spirit is a minister to us. He bears witness with our spirits, assuring us that we are sons and heirs, co-heirs with Jesus Christ of God, after he had initially convicted us of sin, righteousness and judgment. The Holy Spirit witnesses to our spirits by giving us a taste of the fulness to come. The Holy Spirit was instrumental in the birth and ministry of Jesus and strengthened him to bear the cross. Even so, He will do the same things in us too. Not only did Jesus function under the power, anointing and by the ability of the Holy Spirit but after His resurrection God gave him the Spirit, making him both Lord and Christ, so that He could now pour the Spirit out on us. We receive life from the Spirit. God has anointed us with the Holy Spirit, sealed us and gave the Spirit as a down payment, a guarantee of our full redemption and the time is coming when even our bodies will be saved. This seal is the guarantee that we are genuine Christians, and it means that we are protected from destruction by the enemy. We can bring the powers of the age to come closer the more we walk in and with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit witnesses by making the Word of God in general a reality in our lives, thus proving that all the promises of our adoption are true. The Word and the Spirit are co-dependant unto the application of the Word in our lives to give us life. The Holy Spirit not only assures us of the fact that we are Sons of God, but also teaches us what that means. The Holy Spirit witnesses to us that Christ came by water and by blood. The water is the baptism of Jesus which did not take place because He had sin, but it was a foreshadow of our baptism, depicting our death, burial and being raised as sons. The blood of Jesus is that which He had shed to give us forgiveness of sins. The Holy Spirit is co-witnessing with the witness we already have in our hearts that we have life because we have the Son of God, making that sure and solid in our lives. The end result is then that we have a revelation and certainty of our intimate relationship with God and can say “abba, father” from deep within our spirits.

The Holy Spirit is at work within us, freeing us progressively from sinful traits, developing in us a Christ-like character. The Holy Spirit is a minister to us. He bears witness with our spirits, assuring us that we are sons and heirs, co-heirs with Jesus Christ of God, after he had initially convicted us of sin, righteousness and judgment. The Holy Spirit witnesses to our spirits by giving us a taste of the fulness to come. The Holy Spirit was instrumental in the birth and ministry of Jesus and strengthened him to bear the cross. Even so, He will do the same things in us too. Not only did Jesus function under the power, anointing and by the ability of the Holy Spirit but after His resurrection God gave him the Spirit, making him both Lord and Christ, so that He could now pour the Spirit out on us. We receive life from the Spirit. God has anointed us with the Holy Spirit, sealed us and gave the Spirit as a down payment, a guarantee of our full redemption and the time is coming when even our bodies will be saved. This seal is the guarantee that we are genuine Christians, and it means that we are protected from destruction by the enemy. We can bring the powers of the age to come closer the more we walk in and with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit witnesses by making the Word of God in general a reality in our lives, thus proving that all the promises of our adoption are true. The Word and the Spirit are co-dependant unto the application of the Word in our lives to give us life. The Holy Spirit not only assures us of the fact that we are Sons of God, but also teaches us what that means. The Holy Spirit witnesses to us that Christ came by water and by blood. The water is the baptism of Jesus which did not take place because He had sin, but it was a foreshadow of our baptism, depicting our death, burial and being raised as sons. The blood of Jeus is that which He had shed to give us forgiveness of sins. The Holy Spirit is co-witnessing with the witness we already have in our hearts that we have life because we have the Son of God, making that sure and solid in our lives. The end result is then that we have a revelation and certainty of our intimate relationship with God and can say “abba, father” from deep within our spirits.

We, as the people of God, have an end-goal, which is total holiness. We have promises from God and because of that, as well as our reverence for Him, we need on to move on to that hight calling of holiness by cleansing ourselves of all unrighteousness. There is no better way to increase the holiness of the Church as a whole, than for the increase in each individual's holiness. It is the responsibility of each individual believer to turn away from wickedness in response to the washing of the water of the Word of God. This washing provides the grace unto destroying all uncleanness. No sin, however small it seems to be, must remain undealt with. However, our lives do not only consist out of getting rid of sin, but also continually growing and getting better. There are two forms of holiness: the positional holiness which we obtain when we get saved, and the holiness that we pursue. We firstly pursue holiness because we love God, but because we love our neighbour as well, we also need to encourage each other unto holiness. Our hearts must be good soil to receive the Word to see it grow in our lives. To experience this growth, we must work on the state of our hearts, tilling the ground, watering it by stirring up the fountain within. For the seed of the word to be fruitful and perfected in us, it needs teaching, guidance, correction support. That is what the parable about a harvest of 30, 40, and one hundred percentage is actually referring to. Cultivate holiness by reading and loving the Word. Although it is God's will for us to be holy it requires action and choices from us to fulfil this good purpose in us. By choosing to abide in Christ, we are not only lifted up out of the dust (like the vine), but also pruned unto greater fruitfulness or holiness. We need to ask for the gift of grace to keep killing everything unholy in our lives, and our fruitfulness will fill us with God's joy. Bearing fruit has everything to do with loving one another. Holiness is not the way to Christ, but He is the way to holiness.

The Apostle Paul said in the book of Romans that we become more mature sons of God when we are led by- and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit leads us to understand God in the same way Jesus does, enabling us to say, “my Father”. The Spirit is the guarantee of our future glory and victory in every area. It is impossible for us to fail, since there is intercession going on for our manifestation as sons by Jesus, the Holy Spirit within, praying through and for us, as well as by all of creation. The most effective intercession and prayer happens when we realize that we are weak and cannot do it without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then helps us in our weakness by giving us the wisdom which we lack in what to pray for according to the will of God, and not how to pray. The Holy Spirit quietens our consciences with mercy so that we can pray effectively, without condemnation. The Holy Spirit helps us to pray with a connection to God which we do not possess in ourselves. The Holy Spirit helps us to know the love of God which we cannot contain. He overrides the weakness of our minds when we lose focus when we are praying and comes with inarticulate groanings and vehement cries whereby He intercedes through and for us. When we are weak, we can become strong with his power when we turn to the Holy Spirit and begin to pray. God answers our prayers beyond our comprehension when we allow the Holy Spirit to intercede for us with cries and groanings. This is the most powerful prayer, perfectly understood by God.

The primary role of the Holy Spirit is not to make life easy, but to form Christ in us, to attain to everything that is available to us in Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us an inward assurance of salvation, indwells us to bring change inside and out, illuminates the mysteries of God, empowers us to bear witness, guides us, intercedes for us, distributes gifts in the Body unto its edification, is grieved by and alerts us to sin in our lives, and applies redemption to us. He brings regeneration, life, sanctification, holiness, empowerment, and we are His temple. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is not optional but evidence of a transformed life. This message focuses on the illuminating or enlightening work of the Holy Spirit, based on the Word of God. The illumination of the Spirit happens in the heart, or the centre of a human being. This is wherefrom we understand the hope to which we have been called, the riches of our glorious inheritance and the incomparable great power of the believer. The Church is the fulness of Christ, and being in Him, we have everything underneath our feet. The emphasis on Jesus' miraculous healings of the blind and deaf, is to us a type of the way the Holy Spirit heals us from spiritual blindness and deafness. The Apostle Paul's healing from being blind by Ananias was also an example of how the scales, the blinding work of the law, were removed from his spiritual eyes. The Holy Spirit broadens our understanding of the Word and will of God, enables us to correct errors and He is continually elevating us into that place of the divine love of God. The Word of God is the instrument, and the Spirit the agent, in this great work of continuous illumination unto wisdom and understanding so that we may know God better, to know the things that He has done for us, the hope to which He has called us, our full formation in Christ, and his great power for us. Our glorious Biblical inheritance is us being fully satisfied, being like Christ. We desperately need the illumination from the Holy Spirit to dispel all darkness within us so that we can fully see and understand Christ and his glory, and to be increasingly transformed into his likeness.

All the fulness of the Godhead is inside of us in the person of the Holy Spirit and we have not even scratched the surface of the depths of this mystery within us. The Holy Spirit fills, teaches, reminds, guides and leads us. The Holy Spirit is also searching the deep things of God. These deep things have been destined for our glory (those who love God) from before time began and are now revealed in these last days. These things are only searched out and revealed by the Spirit, because they cannot be fathomed by mental capacity or any other means. Knowing God can only be through revelation of God made by himself. This revelation of God is by the Word and the Holy Spirit giving understanding thereof. God's wisdom is a mystery, and that mystery is Christ in us, the hope of glory. Christ has become for us (both Jew and Gentile) wisdom from God, and that is our righteousness, holiness and full redemption. What are the deep things of God? There is no shallow end to the depths of God, He is unfathomable. What the Holy Spirit is revealing to us are not God's omni-attributes, because we cannot comprehend the depths thereof. The things which He wishes to share with and reveal to us, are God's thoughts about us, about who we are in Christ, and the depths thereof. He reveals the depth of God's love for us through the cross of Christ. He reveals the manifold wisdom of God through the Church to the principalities and powers because we have been positioned in a place of exceptional authority to rule and reign on this earth. God is sovereign, Christ is underneath him and we are positioned just under Christ. We can conquer in every area of life because all things have been placed underneath our feet. What the Holy Spirit reveals of God are his mercy, righteousness, hatred for sin, pardon, reconciliation, blessings, and the future and every-increasing glory until the resurrection and final redemption of all of creation. The angels are astounded at the wisdom of God when they study that which God is working in and through us.

Paul encouraged the Churches to imitate him and walk in the way he did, which would result in obtaining the rest of God. That statement seemed to be arrogant, but how did Paul get to the place where he could say this? We should be able to make the same statement, that when people look at us, they should desire to imitate us, as we walk out our salvation in a practical manner. It all starts with what we are thinking. We are supposed to think about whatever is true, honourable, just, pure, lovely, gentle, commendable, excellent and praiseworthy. The saying is that we are what we think, but random thoughts going through our minds is not an automatic classification of who we are. We are able to control these thoughts and should prevent ourselves from dwelling upon what is undesirable. We should especially avoid having a worldly thinking and rather have our minds renewed and transformed. When one's state of mind is chaotic, find a quiet place and worship God, meditating on his goodness and who is, and regain your peace. Be determined that you mind will not be the enemy's playground but rather be the means by which to communicate with God. The scientists call the process of creating new pathways in the mind neuroplasticity. Ordinary pathways can be created by learning new skills, regular physical exercise, mindfulness and meditation, a healthy diet, mental challenges, and social interaction. We can also create new spiritual pathways in our minds, and the way to do it is to study the Bible, meditate on the Scriptures and memorise it, by praying, being open to the Holy Spirit's guidance, being accountable, being vigilant and discerning about our thought life, rejecting lies and embracing the truth, cultivating gratitude and positivity, setting our minds on things above, and engaging in worship and fellowship. These spiritual pathways will create a default state of mind which is able to handle the hard times in life. When we start thinking right, we will be living right, being an inspiration for others to imitate our way of life.

It is important that we pursue the understanding of, as well as having a relationship with the extra-ordinary Holy Spirit who was given to us as an incredible gift, since He is essential to us in the process of being transformed into the image of Christ. We need constant re-filling of the Spirit to win the race for this world and see the Kingdom of God extended. The Holy Spirit guides or leads us and very often this occurs by his teaching us. Jesus prayed to the Father to send us another helper or advocate. Throughout the Old Testament, the expected Messiah was called the comforter. In the Book of Isaiah we see beautiful prophetic picture language of the future of Jerusalem and the peace, comfort and prosperity which will be her portion. That is all prophetic about the New Jerusalem (the church of Jesus Christ) and her perfect salvation. The Holy Spirit helps us by teaching us, by standing as our counsel, and interceding for us. In the Holy Spirit's role as our advocate, unlike earthly advocates who contend for a ‘not guilty' verdict for their clients, He, who is the Spirit of Truth, fully admits our guilt before the Father. But, as our advocate, He gives the guarantee that He is able to redeem the damage which our sins have caused. This redemption is by the suffering of, and blood shed by Jesus on the cross. That suffering honoured the law of God and thus maintained truth and justice. Our advocate, after having defended us, then gives the assurance to the Father that we will be led into the truth of the Word to not repeat the transgression. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth about Jesus, and about who we are in him because of his sacrifice, as well as what we are yet to experience concerning Christ. He gives us revelation of the Word. He is leading us out of a flesh life into a spirit life in Christ, into sonship. We have been infused with life by the Spirit and the day is coming when our bodies and all of creation, which is now still subject to death, because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, will experience that resurrection power and life. The entire cosmos, including our planet, will be redeemed by Christ and we will be co-workers with him in this process. The end is not gloom, but glory.

How and why we choose to say ‘yes' to God continuously is the result of who we believe in and are connected to, and who our source of life is. It is God's presence and unfailing faithfulness that sustains us. God wants us to be whole-heartedly and consistently connected to him, fully functional and healed. Faithfulness means to remain being loyal and steadfast. It is important to know why we love and are being loyal to God and be willing to pay the price attached thereto. We also are to remain loyal to him in the midst of our trials, thereby seeing our stories become testimonies filled with the glory and faithfulness of God, and us gaining the crown of life. Prayer is that which enables God's people to stay loyal and connected to him as well as enlarging his Kingdom. One of the principles of God to which we should adhere, is the way in which we treat people. We must be careful to really look at people, being willing to help them, instead of just looking in their direction. Another principle of God to which we should adhere, is ethical integrity in ever sphere of life. For instance, ethical integrity at the workplace is an example of God's goodness, grace and mercy, proving that He really exists. Becoming as skilled as possible in our work, and being stewards to serve others, should be part of our work ethics. We are to be diligent in faithfully following God's principles and commands every day, worship Him wholeheartedly, and be steadfastly devoted to studying the Word, which is our manual for life. Bible study gives us a foundational authority, allowing us to apply the Word. It is important to consistently walk in repentance and forgiveness to obtain mercy and become mature in Christ. Faithfulness also means the true facts of the original – being an example of how to follow Christ. A faith-filled life is a result of who we believe in and why we believe these things. It is authenticity in faith, transformation over information (a place of understanding by faith). It is our choice to, because of our faithfulness and faith-filledness, consistently be moving towards God, over and over again, loving and obeying him.

Christians are extraordinary, because of the extraordinary Holy Spirit indwelling us. The Word says that as Christ is in heaven, so are we now in this world. This is what we are growing into, by the power of the Holy Spirit within. Transformation is all about a relationship, more about training that trying. Continuing to look at the verbs describing the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the next one is that He teaches us. He instructs, delivers a discourse and explains truth. He primarily teaches us through the Word, because He inspired the writers of the Bible. Because we have received a heart of flesh when we got born again, we are enabled to understand through the Spirit the truth of this Word which He had inspired. He also illuminates and highlights the Bible to us. It is amazing how He can illuminate a truth with so many pictures and stories to so many different believers, and yet we all get the same point. The Holy Spirit also teaches through the inspired teaching and preaching of the Word, as well as our personal studying of the Word. The Holy Spirit not only teaches truth but enables a person to base their very lives on- and live out that truth. He will teach until the student becomes a teacher. He will teach until truth becomes truth. The Holy Spirit not only teaches but also reminds us of the Word which had been taught or privately read, and that at the appropriate time when you need it, or when you have made a mistake. He teaches us without condemnation, positively, and towards our restoration. He reminds us by re-setting the test we had previously failed. The Holy Spirit also uses the pastor to remind the congregation of the Word, or to bring in discipline where necessary. He also teaches us by the mistakes and examples of others around us. We should take that which the Holy Spirit is speaking to us about seriously, and not resist it and thereby delaying the victory of truth becoming truth in our lives, as well as being transformed into the image of Christ.

Because of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are extraordinary and supernatural beings, born from above. There are verbs in the Bible which describe the actions of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. The first one is that the Holy Spirit fills us. This infilling is continuous, so that we can contain more of his life-giving presence. Filled people are under the control, authority and influence of the Holy Spirit. They are extremely powerful, able to bless and impart to others from the upwelling of the Spirit from within. There are various ways to get filled anew with the Spirit. They are - simply ask and receive by faith. At times of outpouring, when He starts to move on people around you, surrender to him and ask for the same to happen to you. At times of persecution, hardship and opposition He will fill you with wisdom, courage and boldness. Going to church, praying and worshipping with an open heart will result in a fresh infilling. Get filled by the laying on of hands. Another way is to step out in boldness of faith and share the gospel, minister, or give your testimony to people. When you endeavour to walk in godliness and righteousness in your everyday life, He backs up your decision and fills you with his abilities to live right, as well as with righteousness, peace, faith and joy. We cannot live our lives without the Holy Spirit. We should keep on asking for his help in everything we cannot do, and when He enables you in what you asked for, that is a fresh infilling. We need to not only visit but abide in the supernatural realm of the Holy Spirit. Let us walk in the Spirit, constantly relying on him, and become more than conquerors through the amazing Holy Spirit.

God needs men who are manifesting what He had designed them to be. That means being decisive, strong, bold, courageous, reflecting the image of God, and able to make solid decisions and live by them. They are to be able to move mountains in society as well as their families, while serving God wholeheartedly, and being completely focused on God's kingdom. In the Bible mountains were always symbolic of issues, trouble, problems or, on the other hand, a spiritual force. Jesus said that we will have tribulation, but to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world. That means that He has already overcome all of the mountains of trouble that the enemy could bring into our lives, and there are various scriptures in the New Testament encouraging us to believe that we are victorious overcomers in Christ. Each man has been graced by God to deal with his particular issues. Men need to be biblically optimistic and actively walk out and keep speaking the Word of God. We have been created in the image of God, which means that we are (or should be) righteous and holy, creative, beings. We see in many ways how mankind is operating with the creative part of their beings, but the righteousness and holiness of God is absent. This is what God is at present restoring in his Sons. We are in a symbiotic relationship with the Holy Spirit, where there is a divine-human co-operation in the practicalities of walking out the Word, dealing with double-mindedness, indecisiveness, emotional ineptness, procrastination, disobedience, lack of confidence, abdication, and unwillingness to make or take unpopular decisions or actions in every area of life. For example, men who do not deal with these issues and fail to step up to their responsibilities, force their wives into taking the leading role in the household. A woman has not been designed for this, resulting in her losing respect for her husband, and the man becoming resentful, depressed and sullen. A correct marriage relationship is where the husband's role is one of consultative leadership, his wife being the sensitive one, her husband's helpmeet regarding intuitive matters during the process of decision making. The reasons for a person becoming passive and/or abdicating responsibility, are fear of failure, being a perfectionist or a people-pleaser, having lost sight of the bigger picture, a lack of confidence and maturity, and maybe a lack of information. It is good to acknowledge that you are weak and have someone who can be a sounding board and help you to get through your issues. Methods to help in decision making are – make your own decisions and own it, develop your confidence, let go of previous bad decisions, talk it out with a sounding board, look at, and narrow down all the options, outline the pros and cons, flip a coin for small decisions, and avoid questioning your decision but stand by them.

The Holy Spirit plays a pivotal part in us coming to salvation and thereafter in the assurance of our salvation. Part of the process of Christ being formed in us is that the Holy Spirit helps us to put to death the misdeeds of the flesh. He also provides the grace and power to resist temptation, ungodliness and unrighteousness. His help to successfully resist temptation, results in us having authority in that particular area. It is essential that we have a deeper relationship with this awesome third person of the godhead, the Holy Spirit, and not ignore him. We should rather become more aware, sensitive and obedient to his voice, unction, feelings and instructions. While we co-operate with him by doing our part which is to work out our salvation, he is busy working in our lives to become godly. In ourselves we are ordinary, but an extraordinary Holy Spirit has been poured out upon us, which means that at some point we will become extraordinary as well. The Holy Spirit empowers us to be witnesses (or martyrs) for Christ through the death to self. Our relationship with, and how the Holy Spirit operates, is something mystical. It cannot really be explained but has to be walked and lived out. Because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, He is absolutely essential in the process of our transformation into Christlikeness, since He makes everything pertaining to Christ a reality in our lives. Our relationship with the Holy Spirit is symbiotic, and as we obey, He brings life and forms Christ in us, preserving us blameless. He enables us to know what this Christlikeness looks like and how to become that which we already are. We have been gifted with the Holy Spirit and are his permanent dwelling place, making us vessels of glory. He is the one who establishes us in Christ, is our anointing from God, and has been given to us as a seal, a guarantee that we are genuine children of God. We must always keep in mind that we are not own but have been bought with the price of Jesus's blood and thus belong to God. It therefore behoves us to co-operate with him. That is always to our benefit as well as bringing glory to God.

The Holy Spirit plays a pivotal part in us coming to salvation and thereafter in the assurance of our salvation. Part of the process of Christ being formed in us is that the Holy Spirit helps us to put to death the misdeeds of the flesh. He also provides the grace and power to resist temptation, ungodliness and unrighteousness. His help to successfully resist temptation, results in us having authority in that particular area. It is essential that we have a deeper relationship with this awesome third person of the godhead, the Holy Spirit, and not ignore him. We should rather become more aware, sensitive and obedient to his voice, unction, feelings and instructions. While we co-operate with him by doing our part which is to work out our salvation, he is busy working in our lives to become godly. In ourselves we are ordinary, but an extraordinary Holy Spirit has been poured out upon us, which means that at some point we will become extraordinary as well. The Holy Spirit empowers us to be witnesses (or martyrs) for Christ through the death to self. Our relationship with, and how the Holy Spirit operates, is something mystical. It cannot really be explained but has to be walked and lived out. Because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, He is absolutely essential in the process of our transformation into Christlikeness, since He makes everything pertaining to Christ a reality in our lives. Our relationship with the Holy Spirit is symbiotic, and as we obey, He brings life and forms Christ in us, preserving us blameless. He enables us to know what this Christlikeness looks like and how to become that which we already are. We have been gifted with the Holy Spirit and are his permanent dwelling place, making us vessels of glory. He is the one who establishes us in Christ, is our anointing from God, and has been given to us as a seal, a guarantee that we are genuine children of God. We must always keep in mind that we are not own but have been bought with the price of Jesus's blood and thus belong to God. It therefore behoves us to co-operate with him. That is always to our benefit as well as bringing glory to God.

The Church needs revival to remove from her everything worldly and carnal, and return her to purity and holiness. We live in a sin-infested world where we see that people are lovers of themselves. This love is contrary to the Biblical instruction to firstly love God and then your neighbour as well as yourself, and this self-love results in attitudes of being opiniated, self-centred, immoral, unethical, vicious, corrupt, easily offended, and selfish. Many people today are totally confused, yet they insist that they have the right to air what they think. The present generation of young people grew up undisciplined and selfish, not having been taught that there are consequences to doing wrong. Unfortunately, this has been the result of laws prohibiting parents from applying the Biblical forms of discipline. People worldwide are also in a major identity crisis. It is our task, as the Church, to help this generation to address their identity crisis by teaching them who we have been created to be in Christ. Although it will not be easy, we will have to stop ignoring what is going on and courageously stand up and fight that which is wrong. The next revival in the Church will be one of love, because love is the only way to conquer that which is going on in the world. We need to keep building our relationship with God, getting more hungry, thirsty, and desperate for him, to get filled with his pure, unadulterated love. Loving even the most unlovable people will be a natural, unforced, result. Love will heal and fulfil the deep need of every person in the world. We, as the Church of Jesus Christ, have been born, equipped and anointed for this time, to see God's Kingdom established. Love is the ecosystem in which our lives as believers operate and thrive, it is to be our unselfish, prevailing and compelling attitude towards everyone. We need to go out and not only tell about, but also demonstrate to others the unconditional, eternal, and transformative love that we have received from the God, a God to whom nothing is impossible. We need to remember that love is also corrective, and we should, by faith, confront that which needs to change and we will experience the backing of God in every situation. God is calling us to start, wherever we find ourselves, to reach out to people with love – for instance share our testimonies – and it well may be, that we will see revival break out in this nation. Let us step out of our comfort zone and love with the eyes, ears, hands, feet, reputation of Christ.