And around the throne I saw twenty-four thrones. And on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white clothing. And they had crowns of gold on their heads…  And whenever the living creatures gave glory and honor and thanks to Him who sat on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fell down before the One sitting on the throne. And they worshiped Him who lives for ever and ever, and threw their crowns before the throne, saying, O Lord, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You created all things, and for Your will they are and were created. Rev 4:4, 9-11
 

The Lord laid it upon our hearts to start a brand new series on the 24 Laws of Life. During this series we will dig deeper into the depths and riches of God’s Word and wisdom.

In Revelation we read about the 24 elders sitting on thrones around God’s throne (Rev 4:4), and worshipping Him. Do you want to rule reign in life, live abundantly and be enthroned by taking up your rightful heavenly place? (Eph 2:6)

As there are natural laws and principles such as gravity, etc which are constant, there are spiritual laws which are extraordinary in their beauty, elegance, harmony, unity and ingenuity. These laws are not religious laws, but spiritual laws and principles, born not by the letter which kills, but by the Spirit which gives life (2 Cor 3:6). God says that His people are destroyed by a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6).

You will learn about the Law of the Ass, the Law of Preparation, the Law of Patience, the Law of a New Name, the Law of Jethro, the Law of Threes and Trees, the Law of Liberty to name but a few, and their practical application in your life. By knowing the laws and principles of true life, you will be able to apply them to your life, and thus be prepared and empowered to live the life God has purposed for you.

Come and feast on the 24 Laws of Life - it will nourish your inner man and be sweet, like honey, in your mouth… (Eze 3:3)
 

Faith Action

If you want to help someone to live the abundant life, bless them by forwarding this message or subscribing them to 24 Laws of Life.

Subscribe to receive this series

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Eph 6:10

For every one of us it is a time to be courageous and bold in the LORD. In order to be courageous you need encouragement to keep going and to grow stronger. However, sometimes everything will be against you; you will be all alone and there will not be anyone to strengthen and encourage you.
David felt like that when he and his men came back and found their wives and children captured by the Amalekites; he was discouraged and sad but also all alone as the people spoke of stoning him.

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him… but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. 1 Sa 30:6

When feeling like this, it is time to dig deep into the storehouse of God’s love and power and to strengthen yourself in the LORD, to become more mature in Him. David could choose to feel depressed and sorry for himself and to give up. Instead he chose to encourage himself in the Lord, and with God’s help he won a major victory, in the midst of overwhelming odds stacked against him! What will you choose?

Like almost everything in life, input will be needed, a process will follow after which output will be evident. Input (in the form of being and resting in the LORD) is required from you. The process of receiving revelation during your time of resting in Him, and believing and receiving it will follow. This will lead to the output of being strengthened in Him and running again with faith and joy, manifesting His power and strength.

You can only give what you have received. To be able to strengthen and encourage others, you need to be strengthened and filled yourself, so that from the abundance of Jesus Christ, the Hope of Glory (Col 1:29) strength and encouragement may effortlessly flow and manifest itself, first in your own life and then through you into the lives of other people.

During the next 9 weeks we will look at 9 practical tools to strengthen yourself in the Lord during the three phases of resting in Him, receiving restoration and revelation and running again with joy.

Read 1 Sam 30 this week. Then look at your own life and identify the situations in which the odds are stacked against you. Make a firm commitment to strengthen yourself in the Lord concerning these during the next 9 weeks, and victory will be yours…

Subscribe to receive this series

The Lord gave Johan Fourie from God with Us Ministries a vision in 2003 about awesome worship events to be held, filled with joyous worship, His children ministering unto Him 24 hours a day like the sons of Zadok. Since then Johan & Marié have moved and trusted the Lord for every step taken to make that happen. They firmly believe that God wants to manifest His fullness in and through all of His children through anointed Spirit-driven WORD, joyous WORSHIP and supernatural WONDERS. 

“Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” (Ps 16:11) 

 -   BEN DUNN (http://www.joyrevolution.com/)  &  JOHAN FOURIE (www.godwithusmin.com/)

Benjamin & Stephanie Dunn carry the mystical phenomena of the Bliss of Salvation! They are two Jesus Lovers that travel around the world splashing the extravagant message of the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Benjamin & Stephanie had an awesome encounter with the Lord while they were hitchhiking and hopelessly wandering through out California. The Lord showed up mightily for them and forever captured their hearts.

Their obsession is to see people all over the earth collide with the greatest pleasure of all…JESUS! They are abundantly satiated with the fatness from the sacrifice of His house and he makes them to drink of the river called pleasure. Psalm 36:8

Through intimate, joyous, worship and a message of the incalculable, exhaustless, unsearchable riches of Jesus, Benjamin & Stephanie minister a massive drink of the Truth! God forbid that they boast about anything or anyone but the Cross of Jesus Christ!

Johan & Marié Fourie, are the founders of God With Us Ministries. He is anointed to minister the fullness of Jesus Christ. He has a passionate love for Jesus, the Word of God, and Spirit-driven revelation knowledge of the Word and that people should see Jesus in every Scripture and in every experience.

Besides discipling, going on outreaches and doing missionary work, and writing, Johan and his wife, Marié, ministers both locally and internationally, and have a vision to empower every member of the Body of Christ to come to the fullness and full stature of the indwelling Christ.

They firmly believe that God wants to manifest His fullness in and through all of His children through anointed Spirit-driven WORD, joyous WORSHIP and supernatural WONDERS. 

We trust it will be the first of many anointed and awesome WWW conferences.

Dates: 8 Feb 2010 @ 19:00; 9 Feb 2010 @ 19:00  Venue: Graham Beck Community Hall, Robertson, SA

Email: info@godwithusmin.com  Tel: +27 (0)23 626 5376

The conference is free, love offering will be taken and books, cd’s as well as products from Chosen by God Ministries will be available.

Soooooo …   GET INTO THE SPIRIT & PUT YOUR PARTY SHOES ON…. YOU ARE IN FOR THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE!! COME JOIN US IN THE WINE BARREL & TASTE THE BLISS !!!!

SPREAD THE WORD, and SEE YOU THERE! 

Like Mary sang over the holy seed within her and magnified the Lord (Luke 1:46-55), the Holy Spirit within cries out, and creation waits in earnest expectation (Rom 8:19) for you to start manifesting the full stature of Christ and to let the Christ-like life flow through you through Jesus Christ living in us. Does your soul sing over the incorruptible seed of Jesus Christ within?

Paul said he travailed in birth until Christ be formed in believers (Gal 4:19). Likewise you and I have to travail until Jesus Christ be fully formed in us, and other believers, and manifested through us and other believers. Do you labor and strive, preach, warn and teach yourself and every man in all wisdom, so that you may present yourself and every man perfect in Christ Jesus? (Col 1:28-29) Today’s Faith Action Make time to read and meditate on Luke 1 and let your soul sing over Him that lives within you, and who wants you to manifest His fullness and full stature!

Subscribe to Monday Mood Food

Do you remember the time after you made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life? That zeal, tenderness, love, peace, seriousness and earnest prayers? Do you remember the first love He has placed in your heart, that one thing that you wanted to do for Him with everything within you?
 
 What occupies your thoughts now when you begin a new day? What things in your life takes up most of your time and energy? Is it the first works He has placed in your heart, or the cares of the world (Mark 4:19)? Have you perhaps allowed the cares, disappointments and painful experiences to steal your zeal, your vision and calling?
 
 On Saturday afternoon, we attended a meeting held by Angus Buchan, of the film Faith Like Potatoes (of which more than 330 000 DVD’s were sold in the United States alone), in Worcester where 20 000 people attended. What an awesome sight to see so many people for the first time publically declaring Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior!

Oom Angus, a farmer, is a perfect example of someone who kept following his calling of a evangelist and doing the first works, even amidst personal tragedy in his family early in his life. Who would have known he would turn the men in South Africa around, minister worldwide and attract 200 000 men (Mighty Men Conference  April 2009) and 400 000 men (as expected for the last Mighty Men Conference to be held in Greytown in 2010)? But he was faithful in the least (Luke 16:10) and more than 40 years later, close to 70, his harvest is evident for all.

Friends of ours blessed us with tickets and we, in turn could bless 3 of our young disciples Gerald, Janine and Frenelee, with tickets for the event. They testified this morning what a blessing it was, and how the Lord spoke to each of them.
While worshipping with thousands of others, amidst the crowd, totally focused and in his own world, a little boy (with the orange t-shirt on the picture above) playing with a stone, caught Johan’s attention - he was oblivious of everything around him, and occupied with one thing only - playing with this stone. Are your attention focused on that one thing, doing that first works, and do you sometimes choose to be oblivious of every negative thing coming against you and your calling?

Is there a song or a book in your heart that is not written yet? Is there a loved one that does not know Jesus yet? Is there a husband of wife still to be met, or a child still to be born? Is there a passion or longing to bring the Gospel to a nation or people somewhere on earth? Whatever the Lord has placed in your heart, keep your vision and calling, return to your first love and first works. As you are faithful in the the small things (Matt 25;21), God will work with you (Mark 16:20) and multiply it far above your wildest imagination!
 

Take time today to go and write down or review that what the Lord has placed in your heart, and make a commitment to keep your vision and calling.

Are you experiencing difficulty with dealing with disappointments, hurt, painful experiences, etc that happened in the past, or even sins you committed yesterday, and does it hinder your boldness and moving on to a life filled with joy and happiness? The answer lies in Phil 3:14: “…but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before…”  And what are the things which are before? The high calling which is to be found in only one thing: Jesus Christ and Him in you (Heb 3:1).
 

Don’t camp around your sins, failures, pain, etc or allow the enemy to accuse you. Choose to believe your Heavenly Father by looking away from everything that distracts you and  focusing on Jesus (Heb 12:1-2) Don’t see yourself and all your failures and sins when you look in the mirror, but behold Jesus Christ and you will be changed from glory to glory(2 Cor 3:18). Decide today to accept the fact that you are a new creation and the day you were baptized one new man/woman in Christ was born: fully holy, fully sanctified and fully empowered and sealed by the Holy Spirit and Christ within!

Jesus came to earth for one thing: to die on the Cross for you and me so that we can be set free and have eternal life. By His own blood He entered only once, to obtain redemption for you and me, and by that one thing, that one offering, He perfected and sanctified you and me forever! (Heb 9:12, 10:10,14)

The one thing we, as His Body, can all focus and agree upon, by putting away all theological differences, is Jesus Christ (Heb 12:1-2), the wisdom and power of God. This one thing alone will bring unity, oneness and make us of one mind, allowing us to walk by the same rule (Phil 3:15-16)

On a more personal level, there is one thing, one passion and calling God has placed in your heart. Follow and pursue that one thing with all your might - the accomplishment thereof will bring fulfillment and joy untold, not just to you personally, but to multitudes of people.
 

Embrace your new man/woman in Christ today and make a firm resolve to focus on Jesus Christ, and not on your own failures and disappointments.

Subscribe Monday Mood Food

Jesus invites you today: “Come and walk on the water with Me… You will not fail! ”
 

Make time today to  become quiet and to ask God to stir you up with new passion for the vision He has placed in your heart, and the wisdom how to accomplish it.

Subscribe to Monday Mood Food

Last week we meditated on the words in Him and what we have in Him. This week it comes closer to home as we meditate on what dwells in us, and more specifically in you.

Do you know and believe with your whole heart that Christ, (in all His splendour, power and might), the Hope of glory dwells in you? (Col 1:27) Sometimes it is amazing and mind-boggling to think that the great Creator of heaven and earth dwells in you and me! If we are honest we have to acknowledge the fact that sometimes when we look at ourselves and our struggles in a human way, it nearly feels and seems impossible and untrue.

That is because we start to focus on ourselves and our difficulties instead of focusing on the One who dwells in us, who is Jesus, the Word… In times like that we have to lift our vision higher and heed the invitation in Revelation 4:1 to come up higher and to think, seek and set our affection on the things above (Col 3:1-3), because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).
 

But there is infinitely more! Not only does Christ dwells in you, but the Holy Spirit also dwells in us, in you and me!(Romans 8:9,11) Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you (1 Cor 6:19). The Kingdom of God is in you (Luke 17:21). The anointing which you received from Him, and who teaches you, abides in you (1 Jn 2:27). The Word of God, which is Jesus Christ, abides in you (1 John 2:14). Everlasting life abides in you (2 Cor 4:12). God’s mercy dwells in you, in your heart which has become the mercy seat of God as He does not dwell in temples made with hands, but in you and me (Acts 7:48).

What does other people see in you? Can they see the fullness of Christ, the Hope of Glory, life, fruit, the Word of God, the anointing, the Kingdom of God, the power and mercy of God flowing from within you?
 

Remind yourself and proclaim every morning as you wake up this week, that Christ, the Hope of Glory, dwells in you. Also share it with other fellow believers, either personally or by forwarding this message.

Subscribe to Monday Mood Food

Contrary to the belief amongst some Christians that prophecy is only meant for believers, God wants to use the prophetic in the lives of unbelievers too, as He used Joseph in the life of an unbelieving king, Pharaoh.Prophetic evangelism is defined as a personal word of wisdom and knowledge about the past, present or future, imparted to unbelievers, and often lead to opportunities to evangelize them. God can use believers like you and me, to impart it, or He can impart it directly to the unbeliever,eg Jesus appearing to Muslim people.

Prophetic evangelism is not just for a few elect prophets, but is another powerful tool for any believer wanting to share the message of salvation with the world. If we ask God to use us and declare ourselves available, He will use you and me to reach the world. You may be a bit hesitant and perhaps immediately decide this is not for you. Many believers testify that they thought they could not prophesy, until they started using the gift with unbelievers. Then they suddenly realised they could, and so can you and I! Remember, Paul encouraged us in 1 Cor 14 to desire to prophesy, more than any other spiritual gift. Do not feel intimidated - all of us are called to be His witnesses, to be salt and light and to spread the message of hope and salvation wherever we go.10 good reasons to start using prophetic evangelism

• It is a method used in the Bible by men like Joseph, Elijah, Peter, Paul, etc.
• Jesus used it with Peter (Luke 5:1-11), Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10).
• We have the power and the ability to do it (Acts 1:8)
• It speaks to and softens peoples’ hearts towards the Gospel.
• It penetrates the defences people put up against God, for it cannot be explained logically. They know it is supernatural.
• God takes the initiative, and we followe His leading. He knows who are ready and what they need to hear to open up their hearts.
• It exposes secret sins, habits, fears, and hurts and bring it into His light.
• It penetrates a person on all 3 levels: spirit, soul and body: a hostile mind, a stubborn will and hard heart, and a unbelieving spirit. It creates a spark of light in their spirit  because they realise God is both alive and personal and cares about them.
• It is what God is saying and is part of His plan for His Body on earth. In a time like this people need a supernatural word from God.
• It cuts across and exposes the wrong places people are looking for answers, eg mysticism, etc, and grabs their attention.

How do I become a prophetic evangelist?

• Make evangelism a personal priority and cultivate compassion for the lost - look at every person with mercy and compassion, reminding yourself that you could be the only one standing in the gap for that lost soul. As ou start to intercede and develop a compassion for the lost, the opportunities for prophetic evangelism will increase.
• Ask God and desire to become more prophetic, attend prophetic conferences and read books. As you learn more and read the wonderful testimonies, your faith will rise up and you will be able to say: I can do it!
• Maintain a state of being sensitive and open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
• When you feel the prompting, be obedient.
• Practice by ministering to believers first, in a safe environment - be honest and open and trust God that He is speaking through you.
• Do not let the enemy stop you - remember, boldness has a great reward, and the blessing you will experience will far outweigh you feelings and fear of making a mistake!
• Keep you heart and life pure and humble - as we grow in the prophetic it is very easy to start feeling pride and become almost blase about hearing God’s voice 100% accurate all of the time. We are human and are fallible, and will make mistakes; but God’s grace far outweigh those mistakes, and He wants you to step out in faith even if you make mistakes, rather than never doing something for fear of making mistake! As the saying goes, those who want to walk on water must get their feet wet.

Remember, we have a cloud of witnesses cheering us on (Heb 12:1-2), God is on our side, the Holy Spirit is leading us - we have only to boldly step out and open our mouths. Let us decide today to enter every public place with a sense of expectancy and obedience that God is going to use us to touch the hearts of people!   

About 3 weeks later we had approximately 500 mm of rain in 3 days, which lead to extensive flooding and damage on several farms. We were again reminded of this dream and stood in awe of the power of water that takes away everything in its path. The Spirit revealed to us that this physical rain and floods were symbolical of what the Lord is doing spiritually - washing away all false doctrine, strongholds and unbelief and making a way for His mighty River of Living Water!

As soon as the water started subsiding, Johan had a powerful conviction to do a prophetic action, i e doing a physical action that will have profound spiritual meaning. As God has used prophets, God has never just given they fiery words to say, God has given them graphic symbols to display - walking around naked to display the shamefulness of God’s people, wearing an ox yoke to symbolize the burden God’s people were placing on others, Hosea marrying a prostitute as a way to convey God’s love of Israel the whore, and so on. 

One Saturday morning we donned our hiking boots, armed with 3 bottles containing pure olive oil, clean fountain water and a bottle of our hand-made red wine respectively, and a piece of bread, and went bundu bashing to the largest and highest lying dam on our farm.

There we broke the Bread, and took the Cup, and prayed and proclaimed healing, anointing and a fresh move of God’s Spirit all along the river as we emptied the water (His Living Water), the wine (His blood and redemption) and the oil (fresh anointing) into the river just below a waterfall originating from our dam.

We know that something has shifted in the spiritual realm.