Hello my kindred bloggers! Don't you just love it when someone asks for your opinion? Well, this is your chance to share it. I have a question for you all that will hopefully lead to great dialogue. The question is this:
Is the power of the sword greater than the power of the cross?
(This is not a trick question. I know it's vague, but I am going somewhere with it!)
Quote from Brandon:
"The kingdom of this world changes culture to change people, the Kingdom of God changes people who change a culture!"
Give Pray Love leads to transformation.
Brandon
P.S. If this is your first visit, scroll down to the bottom of the page to get the full scoop on what this blog is and why it looks like it does. Oh, and Welcome!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The End of Strife
Hey blog family! What a tight knit group we are! Thank you for accepting me into the sisterhood so far. Where are all the male bloggers? We need some testosterone in this group, no offense ladies. Real men blog, bottom line. Sounds like a great sermon title...
Like I said in our first blog we will be featuring different people's insight on our Give. Pray. Love. blog. This week we will be submitting Francesca Hafner's dialogue on strife. Francesca and her husband Billy have been active and faithful members of Kingdom Life Fellowship almost since the beginning. They have a beautiful family that is growing all the time. Right now, the Hafner's are spending lots of time staring lovingly into the eyes of their newest member, Madeline. And wow, did I mention that Fran can write? She is an insanely gifted writer. Not only that, but what she says is extremely revelatory. Enjoy!!!
Give. Pray. Love.
Brandon
The End of Strife
by Francesca Hafner
My goal right now is to be at peace within myself. I want my spirit to be at peace with my body. I want my spirit to be at peace with my soul. There has been strife between my spirit and my body and my soul for some years now. My spirit could not be at peace with my body while my body fulfilled the desires of the flesh. My spirit could not be at peace with my soul while it was unrenewed. This strife has caused unrest, fear, condemnation, shame and guilt when it is for FREEDOM that Christ has set us free.
Strife is defined in the Strong’s as electioneering or intriguing for office. When there is strife within a believer it is because an election is going on. In the natural world we have seen many elections. They are normally dirty. Each “candidate” is trying to undermine the others and make their ways seem like the best. They try to always put their best foot forward, but inevitably the truth comes out.
Consider your spirit, soul and body candidates for office within you. All want to be the leader, but only one can. The soul wants you to bow to every emotion and give in to every desire of the will. Your soul makes you believe that you should just do what you feel like doing, what you want to do. This will make you happy.
Your body wants you to obey it. What are its limits or its desires? This is the deciding factor. Is your body tired? Then submit to it. Is your body sick? Then submit to it. Is your body out of control? Then by all means let it lead. This is what your body wants.
But last, there is a better way. You spirit also wants to lead. Your spirit, the part of you that connects deeply to the heart of God. Your spirit is the part of you that can see into the heavenlies, into the future and into the potential of man and yourself. Your spirit is the part of you that lives in heavenly places.
If we live from our soul or body, we lived from the part of us that is flawed. But, when we live by our spirit, we live by the part of us that is perfect. If I have the opportunity to live from perfection, I want to meditate on that. I want to press on towards that. We have the power and authority through Christ to determine how we live out life. But, our flesh is like an unruly kid. If you give it an inch, it will take a mile. I am tired of living life out of the flawed; I want to live out of the flawless. I want to do, be, and attain everything God has stored up for me. But, first, I want the end of strife. No more campaigns, no more elections. The polls are closed. A leader has been chosen.
Like I said in our first blog we will be featuring different people's insight on our Give. Pray. Love. blog. This week we will be submitting Francesca Hafner's dialogue on strife. Francesca and her husband Billy have been active and faithful members of Kingdom Life Fellowship almost since the beginning. They have a beautiful family that is growing all the time. Right now, the Hafner's are spending lots of time staring lovingly into the eyes of their newest member, Madeline. And wow, did I mention that Fran can write? She is an insanely gifted writer. Not only that, but what she says is extremely revelatory. Enjoy!!!
Give. Pray. Love.
Brandon
The End of Strife
by Francesca Hafner
My goal right now is to be at peace within myself. I want my spirit to be at peace with my body. I want my spirit to be at peace with my soul. There has been strife between my spirit and my body and my soul for some years now. My spirit could not be at peace with my body while my body fulfilled the desires of the flesh. My spirit could not be at peace with my soul while it was unrenewed. This strife has caused unrest, fear, condemnation, shame and guilt when it is for FREEDOM that Christ has set us free.
Strife is defined in the Strong’s as electioneering or intriguing for office. When there is strife within a believer it is because an election is going on. In the natural world we have seen many elections. They are normally dirty. Each “candidate” is trying to undermine the others and make their ways seem like the best. They try to always put their best foot forward, but inevitably the truth comes out.
Consider your spirit, soul and body candidates for office within you. All want to be the leader, but only one can. The soul wants you to bow to every emotion and give in to every desire of the will. Your soul makes you believe that you should just do what you feel like doing, what you want to do. This will make you happy.
Your body wants you to obey it. What are its limits or its desires? This is the deciding factor. Is your body tired? Then submit to it. Is your body sick? Then submit to it. Is your body out of control? Then by all means let it lead. This is what your body wants.
But last, there is a better way. You spirit also wants to lead. Your spirit, the part of you that connects deeply to the heart of God. Your spirit is the part of you that can see into the heavenlies, into the future and into the potential of man and yourself. Your spirit is the part of you that lives in heavenly places.
If we live from our soul or body, we lived from the part of us that is flawed. But, when we live by our spirit, we live by the part of us that is perfect. If I have the opportunity to live from perfection, I want to meditate on that. I want to press on towards that. We have the power and authority through Christ to determine how we live out life. But, our flesh is like an unruly kid. If you give it an inch, it will take a mile. I am tired of living life out of the flawed; I want to live out of the flawless. I want to do, be, and attain everything God has stored up for me. But, first, I want the end of strife. No more campaigns, no more elections. The polls are closed. A leader has been chosen.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Hey family, Brandon here. This is my second post in the blogworld or the blogosphere, don't know what to call it because I didn't receive any comments on my first post. Hint, hint. Definitely not helping my need for affirmation. It is my #1 need on the emotional needs assessment test, affirmation that is...
You may be wondering "Why the Militant Theme?" or "Whats up with the agressive camo background?" What's all this "Give Pray Love" stuff, HUH?"
At KLF, we feel like God has called us to wage the greatest offensive strike our world has ever seen. We have the grenades, the pistols and the bombs in place, ready at a moments notice. The "Give" grenades are being prepared, the "Prayer" pistols are getting polished, and the "Love" bombs are getting special attention. God is raising up an army of believers who are ready to use radical measures that include the most violent forms of weaponry created, Giving, Praying and Loving. This war that is being waged is not an upheaval caused by political provocation or armed advances, but the beautiful violence of the Kingdom of God. It's the result of God's order shaking up relationships, households, cities, and nations by the entry of the Holy Spirit's power. That power, is being brought from Heaven to Earth through the fruits of the Spirit and the giftings of God's Spirit working through you, God's People!!!
We are calling forth all world changers, reformers, revolutionaries, (carpenters, housewives, college students, retired folks and everyone in between) to a lifestyle of radical abandonment to God's reign.
The Vision of KLF is to transform our city, region, and world. We want to bring Heaven to Earth in Clyde, the Big Country, Texas, United States, and the Nations.
The Mission of KLF is this: Operation: Give. Pray. Love. We believe God has called us to meet the Physical, Spiritual and Emotional needs of the people. We want to be a people who give radically, pray unceasingly, and love sacrificially at the greatest levels.
This is the war we want to wage. A Give. Pray. Love WAR you could say!!!
Operation: Give Pray Love will feed the three basic needs that people have...
1. Physical Needs (Give) feeds the Body
2. Spiritual Needs (Pray) feeds the Spirit
3. Emotional Needs (Love) feeds the Soul
To answer the question about the aggressive camo background. The responsibility for that lies on the shoulders of our KLF blog creator, Pam Park. Pam is the supervisor and editor of this blog so if you don't like the aggressive, militant camo background, talk to her. If you do like it, I have the inside track that she's fond of Starbucks! I personally like it because God has called us to violently advance His Kingdom. Not with physical violence but with a spiritual intensity that helps us promote the attributes of our Savior Jesus.
If you are ready to engage, please enlist (army talk for "leave me a comment"). Until next time, soldiers.
Give Pray Love,
Brandon
You may be wondering "Why the Militant Theme?" or "Whats up with the agressive camo background?" What's all this "Give Pray Love" stuff, HUH?"
At KLF, we feel like God has called us to wage the greatest offensive strike our world has ever seen. We have the grenades, the pistols and the bombs in place, ready at a moments notice. The "Give" grenades are being prepared, the "Prayer" pistols are getting polished, and the "Love" bombs are getting special attention. God is raising up an army of believers who are ready to use radical measures that include the most violent forms of weaponry created, Giving, Praying and Loving. This war that is being waged is not an upheaval caused by political provocation or armed advances, but the beautiful violence of the Kingdom of God. It's the result of God's order shaking up relationships, households, cities, and nations by the entry of the Holy Spirit's power. That power, is being brought from Heaven to Earth through the fruits of the Spirit and the giftings of God's Spirit working through you, God's People!!!
We are calling forth all world changers, reformers, revolutionaries, (carpenters, housewives, college students, retired folks and everyone in between) to a lifestyle of radical abandonment to God's reign.
The Vision of KLF is to transform our city, region, and world. We want to bring Heaven to Earth in Clyde, the Big Country, Texas, United States, and the Nations.
The Mission of KLF is this: Operation: Give. Pray. Love. We believe God has called us to meet the Physical, Spiritual and Emotional needs of the people. We want to be a people who give radically, pray unceasingly, and love sacrificially at the greatest levels.
This is the war we want to wage. A Give. Pray. Love WAR you could say!!!
Operation: Give Pray Love will feed the three basic needs that people have...
1. Physical Needs (Give) feeds the Body
2. Spiritual Needs (Pray) feeds the Spirit
3. Emotional Needs (Love) feeds the Soul
To answer the question about the aggressive camo background. The responsibility for that lies on the shoulders of our KLF blog creator, Pam Park. Pam is the supervisor and editor of this blog so if you don't like the aggressive, militant camo background, talk to her. If you do like it, I have the inside track that she's fond of Starbucks! I personally like it because God has called us to violently advance His Kingdom. Not with physical violence but with a spiritual intensity that helps us promote the attributes of our Savior Jesus.
If you are ready to engage, please enlist (army talk for "leave me a comment"). Until next time, soldiers.
Give Pray Love,
Brandon
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Hey blogworld! Brandon here. This is my maiden voyage into the blogosphere. Bear with me. I don't know whether to use world or sphere. Are they interchangeable? Which is it? You let me know, okay!
Welcome to the Kingdom Life Fellowship blog. I want this to be a place where people can come to feel the pulse of the office staff of KLF and also for us to feel the pulse of you, the family. This isn't just a place to find out what's going on at KLF, but also a place to get to know one another. We will be discussing things that God lays upon our heart, and proposing questions you can weigh in on. There will also be other contributors, so check back often for the latest scoop.
So until next time, GIVE, PRAY, LOVE Brandon
Welcome to the Kingdom Life Fellowship blog. I want this to be a place where people can come to feel the pulse of the office staff of KLF and also for us to feel the pulse of you, the family. This isn't just a place to find out what's going on at KLF, but also a place to get to know one another. We will be discussing things that God lays upon our heart, and proposing questions you can weigh in on. There will also be other contributors, so check back often for the latest scoop.
So until next time, GIVE, PRAY, LOVE Brandon
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