THE FATHER’S BUSINESS
Apostle Cruise Westerlund shared a message on the need for believers to be focused on the Father’s business. Many times, believers have gotten carried away building and pursuing their own desires and dreams and have failed to accept or neglected running with what God is asking of them.Apostle Cruise said, “Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem with 12-year old Jesus amongst family and relatives who were travelling with them for the Passover festivities in Luke 2:42-49. On their return back home, after about a day’s journey – they realized that Jesus was missing and had to go back to Jerusalem in search of him. In those days they did not have vehicles or transport like we do now. And as a mother – Mary would have been worried. Imagine the anxiety that rose in her heart knowing that their son was lost. Scripture says that Joseph and Mary searched for Jesus for three days in Jerusalem! We’ve been to Jerusalem and I can tell you that it is a very easy place to get lost in. Finally, Joseph and Mary found Jesus at the temple. He wasn’t playing PlayStation. He wasn’t playing volleyball or rugby. But was sitting with the teachers learning and asking questions. He was so occupied that it had been three days, while his anxious parents had scoured the city in search of Him.” LUKE 2: 41-49 –[ His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. 43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; 44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously. 49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”] “Well obviously, in response to verse 49 -Jesus was supposed to go home with Joseph and Mary, but here He was in the temple learning. What was He doing? He was preparing for when He would be 30 years old and walk into ministry, fulfilling the purpose and call on His life.See, preparation time is never wasted time. Some of us want to be preachers, want to be launched, want to be anointed already for the call -but we haven’t yet gone through the process to get there. I love Jesus’ response to his mother – it doesn’t make sense, but even at 12 years old, He was so Kingdom minded and all about the Kingdom of God! He was just preparing Himself. He knew His agenda; He knew His mission and mandate. Jesus answered, ‘Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?’” Another example of the cost of being at the Father’s business is the story of Elijah and Elisha. 1 Kings 19:19-21 –[So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” 21 So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.] Apostle Cruise explained, “When the call of God comes on your life, that must take priority. Elisha left his family and followed Elijah and served under him for a long time. Elisha didn’t ask for the double portion at his introduction to Elijah, but asked when he had served his time, and by the time Elijah was going to be translated from earth to Heaven, Elisha was mature and ready to receive. See, we need to go through the process, we need to go about our Father’s business. And for Elisha – the Father’s business was Elijah’s business. That’s the cost we should be prepared to pay to follow Christ. Remember when Jesus called his disciples, they were in their fishing boats tending to their family business which was their livelihood, their sustenance. And Jesus told them to follow Him, and they just left, leaving their dad in the boat. If you understand the calling then you know the worth. Its worth everything. It will cost everything. You and I must be about the Father’s business before we go and build our family business or our own business. We need to be about God’s business. 1 Samuel 2:30a-[…But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me.] Psalm 37:4 – [Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.] You must delight in God’s business. Jesus at 12 years old delighted so much in the Father’s business and stayed focused knowing the call. That’s what the Father wants of us – we must be about His business! Do you want the double portion? Pay the price! It is not cheap. So be faithful!#TheFathersBusiness #KingdomFocus #KingdomMinded #BeLikeJesusYou can watch this message on the LIVE replay here : https://www.facebook.com/supernaturalfellowship/videos/899460414164423
24/03/21
LIVING OUT HIS PURPOSE
Apostle Cruise Westerlund shared a message last Wednesday on the choice that believers have to live for the sole purpose of Christ in their life, or to live for their own will and desires.
He said, “Jesus was made manifest ultimately because He was the Savior of the world. Scripture says that Jesus was made manifest to destroy the works of darkness (1 John 3:8) and He lived everyday in sync with the Father’s plan, will and for His purpose.”
Recapping on his message the week prior, Apostle Cruise went back to the example in Mark 1:32-34 when Jesus taught, delivered and healed many sick people in the village.
“After a whole night of ministering to this whole crowd, what did Jesus do? It says (Mark 1: 35) he got up early the next morning and went to a secluded place to pray. Why? Because Jesus’ divine instructions were so important to Him that He would get up early specifically to hear what the Father wanted to say on that day. He would leave the multitude to prioritize what was on the Father’s heart.
As pastors, we aren’t trained that way, we are trained to accommodate the crowd. But because He was in perfect unity with the Father, He pursued God’s plan and purpose each day of His life.
One of the things we notice about the life of Jesus is that He lived His life in total dependency on God’s direction. So wherever God directed Him, that is where He went and what he did. “
[Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”]
Luke 19:1-7 NKJV
“God is a rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him. I believe that the crowds came because they had heard of all the things that Jesus had done, but on the faith of one man (Zacchaeus) who would defy social norms and climb a fig tree for a glimpse of Jesus, it caused the Son of God to stop by and and visit his house. Your hunger and pursuit of God will cause Him to stop by.
There is so much more work we need to do in order for us to fulfil our God-given journey. We endeavor to live how He lived and do what He did.”
[..except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.]
Acts 20:23-24 NKJV
Apostle Cruise shared about the cost obedience to God’s purpose had for Apostle Paul. He said, “The Holy Spirit prompted Paul to go to Jerusalem. It was part of God’s purpose and direction for his life. Did you know that even the church told him not to go? (Acts 21:4)
This was part of the story of the early church in Acts 21. But the Apostle Paul carried on with the mission God had given him. Not his own will, but God’s will would be done. I believe that the others urged him not to go because they themselves were not willing to pay that price. You can only exhort someone according to the measure that you have.
Paul wasn’t like that. He wasn’t a typical church goer. He wasn’t like me or you, he was very different. Amen.
[For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.]
Galatians 2:19-20 NKJV
Apostle Paul wasn’t just a good writer, he lived out his calling and purpose of God for his life. This is why he is known as the greatest Apostle by many today.
Paul wasn’t part of the 12 disciples who had been with Jesus, but met Jesus and encountered a radical conversion as he was on the Damascus road ready to kill and persecute Christians.
He wasn’t one of the 12 but was used even more mightily. Some of you cannot pursue your calling because you are still living your will. For God to use us, we need to die to our own will and desires.
Everyone wants to be great, but not everyone wants to go through the process of dying. We want the wine but not the crushing! There’s no other way! You have to go through the pruning. And yes, it hurts!
It’s not enough to just go to church. It’s not enough to just read your Bible. It’s not enough to just have your daily devotion. It’s not enough to just pray over your food. You can do all of that and still live! And have your own desires!
You can do all the outward practical activities that make you ‘look like a Christian’, but still have selfishness, still sin, still swear, still lie and still cheat!
There has to be an inward TRANSFORMATION. And it’s Holy Spirit’s job to transform you if you CHOOSE TO YIELD to Him. 2020 came and is gone, the whole world came to a stand still. I don’t know if you realise that life is too short to not live for God!
Live out His purposes and don’t second guess Him! You need to let go! As Paul the Apostle rightly said, ‘I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me!’.”
To watch this complete message, check out the replay here: https://www.facebook.com/supernaturalfellowship/videos/1072437859919982/
17/03/21
HAVE PURPOSE
During last Wednesday’s Spontaneous Night, Apostle Cruise Westerlund shared a message centered on the need for each believer to commit and purpose in their heart to pursue whatever it is that God has planned for their life. Apostle Cruise explained that each person has a choice to pick up their purpose and calling from the Lord or to let it drop by the wayside and miss out on the amazing blueprint God designed for them. He said, “How many of you believe that God still speaks today? He does. If He did not speak today, then He wouldn’t be called The God that is Alive. If He’s dead, He wouldn’t be speaking. Let me affirm to you today that God is alive and well, on the Throne and He is still speaking to you and me today. Joel chapter 2 talks about how in the last days God would pour out his Spirit on all flesh. Back in the Old Testament, that privilege was only reserved for the King, the Priest, and the Prophet. Not everybody had that privilege. But aren’t you glad that NOW we get to prophesy, we get to hear from the Father ourselves solely because of the shed blood of the Lamb! Joel 2:28-29 –[“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.] I want to focus all my attention, my life, my plan, my all on fulfilling the purpose that God has for me. I remember I got to a season where the Lord would give us (the ministry) an instruction and we would ask: ‘Lord we need more instruction…’ and He was like, ‘I already gave an instruction but you didn’t listen.’. At the time I was so drawn to the prophetic and just wanted to hear God speak, and I forgot that sometimes when He speaks – He instructs. Not only does God encourage us, but He gives us a direction of where we need to go, and at that time you really need to listen. Some of you have received paragraphs and pages of what God is speaking to you and you still haven’t moved! For some of you, that’s why it seems that God is not speaking. He may have already told you what to do so many times. I’m not saying that to condemn you, but to encourage you to get up on your feet and move the moment He speaks! Before you leave this place, you need to establish what God the Father is saying to you tonight. I want you to make sure that you leave knowing your purpose. Not your will, but HIS WILL. As long as you are living in the flesh, you will always have a will, and you will always think you are entitled to one. When you speak with the Father, there is only one will that shall prevail and it’s up to you which will that be. You can choose to reject Him or accept Him, rejecting His purpose or accepting it; it’s completely up to you.So, when you go before the Father and when He gives you instruction, be sure to listen. Sometimes we miss the instruction, and we fail to heed it. Why didn’t Moses enter the Promised land? It’s because he didn’t follow instructions. When I look at that story, (Numbers 20:7-12) I would have let Moses go, he already did so much and was dealing with the rebellious Israelites who were murmuring and complaining. But God did not. Why? Because He held Moses to a higher standard. Sometimes when we are frustrated, we can act out in the flesh. But in order for you and I to not be filled by the lust of the flesh, we need to be led by the Spirit. Just because of that ‘small’ mistake, Moses missed out. Sometimes people don’t arrive at their Promised land because they allow their emotions to get in the way. They get so caught up in their emotions and get stuck. God told Moses to speak to the rock but because of a moment of anger, he disobeyed and struck the rock. God entrusted Moses with the words of life, the Torah – the law of God, and God held him to a higher responsibility. The closer you are to God, the greater the responsibility. You can’t afford to disobey Him when you are close to Him otherwise you might miss your Promised land. The Bible says the path of the righteous shines brighter and brighter (Proverbs 4:18), so the moment you take a leap of faith and you proceed with forward motion what happens is that all of a sudden, the path illuminates and you can take another step of faith. Don’t go staying out in the dark. You need to move. You need to advance. Hide and seek is over. You were called for your purpose.” Psalms 24:3-4 – [Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.] Apostle Cruise then expounded on the life of Christ and what it looked like for Him to walk and live out His purpose, referring to Mark chapter 1. He said, “What was Jesus’ purpose here on earth? Yes, the ultimate purpose was to die for our sins, but what did His everyday life look like when He walked the earth for the three years of ministry?” Mark 1:21-28 – [ They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”“Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.] “We could break down His everyday life 3-fold, teaching, preaching, and demonstration. We live in a culture where we are just teaching and preaching. The demonstration is missing. Jesus taught in the synagogue and because of Him proclaiming the Word of the Lord an unclean spirit manifested and He rebuked it. The Kingdom of God has all authority on Heaven and on the earth. And no weapon formed against it shall ever prosper. That’s the demonstration. When you study the life of Jesus you see that the people who came to encounter Him left better. And I want you to know that Jesus gave authority to the church. If the church does not tap into authority, we are called the church with untapped authority unless we utilize it. Understand your purpose, you were born to win, you are the light of the world. What I really want to emphasize is that it’s one thing for you to have purpose and live pursuing that. But it’s another thing for you to pursue the purpose of God for your life. And that is very important to the Father. Jesus lived in such a way that He didn’t live out His own purpose, but the Father’s. Jesus was in sync with everything He did. He was in sync with the Father and accredited every miracle to Him. The goodness that flowed through the life and ministry of Jesus, He Himself never acknowledged it. He said there’s only one source and it comes from the Father. God wants us to know that the Father has a purpose for us. You can watch this complete message on the LIVE replay here: https://www.facebook.com/364077920465512/videos/1022735241468130
10/03/21
THE POWER OF THE VISION
Peace Aiono shared a message on the significance and need for each person to seek and pursue the vision God has given them for their life on earth.
Breaking down the scripture Habbakuk 2:1-4, Peace also touched on the importance for us to discover God’s vision for our lives while cultivating and working towards it as we go. [I will stand at my guard post And station myself on the tower; And I will keep watch to see what He will say to me, And what answer I will give [as His spokesman] when I am reproved.Then the Lord answered me and said, “Write the vision And engrave it plainly on [clay] tablets So that the one who reads it will run. For the vision is yet for the appointed [future] time It hurries toward the goal [of fulfillment]; it will not fail.Even though it delays, wait [patiently] for it, Because it will certainly come; it will not delay. “Look at the proud one, His soul is not right within him, But the righteous will live by his faith [in the true God].Habakkuk 2:1-4 AMP Peace said, “In the natural, what you see is what you get. What you don’t see, you can hardly obtain. But when God decided to give Abraham the land of Canaan, He gave him a vision of the end result, showing him the promise of what was to come.” [The Lord said to Abram after Lot had left him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are standing, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see I will give to you and to your descendants forever. I will make your descendants [as numerous] as the dust of the earth, so that if a man could count the [grains of] dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted.]Genesis 13:14-16 AMP “When you look, what do you see? Do you see opportunities, blessings, or prosperity? Or do you see a field full of weeds? I hope no one sees that, but when you look, I pray that you will see an opportunity! On another occasion when God wanted to give Abraham a child, He brought him outside and said : […“Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.]Genesis 15:5-6 NKJV”God works with the vision you have of yourself. All great achievers and successful people in business, politics, education, medicine, lifestyle, ministry, etc were all men and women of vision. No man ever did anything worth celebrating without a great vision. People fail and become frustrated in life because they lack the vital element of a great vision. The Word of God says in Proverbs 29:18 AMP : [Where there is no vision [no revelation of God and His word], the people are unrestrained; But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God].No man can escape perishing and failing when he lacks vision for life, but success and happiness in life belong to men and women of vision! Vision is highly essential for survival. When there is vision, the people live and prosper. It can be described as a picture of our preferred future or seeing tomorrow from today. It can also be described as seeing the end from the beginning and seeing the ultimate goal and purpose of God for your life and existence.” Peace explained that some of the importance of seeking God for His vision for us is because it gives us direction like a road map for our lives toward destiny, purpose, and our dreams. “Vision evokes the passion in us, It brings strong emotions. The clearer the vision, the stronger the passion. It also motivates us. Those who lack motivation in life truly lack vision. Whenever I lack motivation, I remember this. A vision disciplines your actions and behavior. 
The pathways to getting a vision: 1. Visions start from your desire for a better and preferable future for something greater. People lack vision because they are satisfied with where they are. They live in their comfort zone and follow the status quo. 2. Pray for revelation for a God-given picture of your future. We cannot find our vision, who we are, and our purpose outside of God. Amen! 3. True vision about your life, ministry, purpose, career, education, marriage, etc comes from what God says about you TO YOU. It doesn’t come from what He says to your parents or friends. That’s why it’s important to have that intimate relationship with God. 4. God speaks the vision into your heart so we need to have a listening ear and the inner eyes to see it, so when we are challenged or reproved about our vision, we will have an unshakable answer. Some strategies for us to cultivate our vision, from Habbakuk 2:1-4 : 
-‘Write the vision down.’ The reason being that an unwritten vision is a soon forgotten vision. -‘ Make it plain upon tablets.’ Interpret your vision into easy, readable language that you can understand. -‘ That He may run with it..’ The ‘He’ is yourself and others. The vision should include the support and help from others. It’s never about you alone, but about you and others and God’s Kingdom.When there is no vision the people perish, but when there are no people, the vision also perishes. Do not neglect that vision that God has given you. -‘ He May’..-Avoid discouragement and embrace courage both from yourself and others. God will send those that must support and run with the vision. When you continue to speak and declare something that God has put on your heart, it will eventually come to pass. -Wait for the appointed time of fulfillment. For every vision, there is a period of conception to the birth and completion of the vision. When it’s delayed, we can become impatient but we have to wait patiently for the coming. [So don’t allow your hearts to grow dull or lose your enthusiasm, but follow the example of those who fully received what God has promised because of their strong faith and patient endurance.]Hebrews 6:12 TPT -At the end, the vision shall speak for itself. Though it seems impossible in the beginning, at the end when it is fulfilled it shall speak for itself. Waiting for the vision while working at the vision is never a waste. Delay in the physical is not denial!” You can watch this complete message on our LIVE replay here: https://www.facebook.com/supernaturalfellowship/videos/188560486377382/
03/03/21
