Life application Testimony relating to interpreting scripture

During Apostle Andre’s time on London he taught at Apostle Paul van Essen’s Bible School on interpreting scripture (see the website for the notes).

Below is an testimony from my life as to how this works: A few months ago we purchased a flat in Beach Rd, Strand and since then we have been struggling financially and going arrears each month.

Two events in my life that has helped us have perspective of this:

1) Emmie was trusting God for a prophecy as to what we should do. God answered her through the following scripture in 2 Corinthians 8 vs 10 -13 : And in this I give my advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; but now you must also complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it; so there also  may be a completion out of what you have.

Where we had no faith to spend more money in our current situation this scripture gave us the faith to finish furnishing  the Strand flat (as had been in our hearts a few months ago when we bought it) so that it would be ready to rent out for holiday accommodation.  We decided to obey what God said to us through our interpretation of the scripture in our situation. The result of this was that a few days after we finished furnishing the flat we had our 1st holiday tenant – praise God, and since then we have had a few more tenants and trust for a steady increase in the future.

2) Due to our having to use our house bond equity over the past year to cover costs we felt bad. Then God used Apostle Aje preaching about Elijah and the drought and widow

(see 1 Kings 17 vs 8 -16) to speak to us and as we interpreted the scripture applied to our lives we had new perspective. This passage tells the story of how Elijah asked a widow to provide water in a cup, then a cake for him – and when she said she had none he prophecied to her saying in vs 14 “For thus says the Lord God of Israel: The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth”. We then see that in vs 15-16 she did according to the Word of Elijah and the bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.

The widow had to trust the prophecy for the entire period of the drought and that God will provide for her.  This spoke to us in that we must see God’s provision in the drought of our lives according to His word. God also then reminded us of how in the story of Joseph there were 7 good years and 7 lean years and how Joseph had stored up food in the good years to carry Egypt through the lean years.  God reminded us of the 6 years we had spent in London where we were able to store up financially and now how this storage was being used in this lean time. This has given us new perspective and has helped tremendously not to lose hope.

Encouragement to embrace hospitality

During Apostle Andre’s recent trip to England he preached at the Elim church in Barking and shared on hospitality (see sermon notes on website)

I was chatting to Morne Van Wyk a few days after this service and he reminded me that we have experienced a similar story to that of the Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4 vs 8-37). So I share it below again as an encouragement and testimony.

Emmie and I had been married 9 years and while we lived in Wimbledon we opened our home to Apostle Andre during some of his visits to London. We had been wanting children for many years but no children had come yet.  We were in the process of fertility treatment. Our first attempt had been unsuccessful and we had just undergone our 2nd attempt. In that time in Nov 2004 Apostle Andre stayed with us during one of visits to some of the churches in the UK and he prophesied to us in our home saying that Emmie will fall pregnant and that we will not need fertility treatment in the future.  The very next month we found out that Emmie was pregnant with Zante. Praise God – miracle baby no1. Then in confirmation of the prophecy a little after one year later Emmie fell pregnant with our son Reegan – with no fertility treatment assistance. Praise God again – miracle baby no2.

I trust that you will be encouraged to open your homes and hearts to the people God sends to the church and also those in the body. Embrace hospitality and if you do not feel like a very hospitable person trust God to change you.

Yours in Christ

Neil Palmer

 

Submitted by Morné van Wyk 

My time in London is coming to an end and I just want to share a report about what God did in Oxford.

Apostle Aje visited London after the Scottish reformation tour and during his time in London he encouraged me to start a Harvester Household or a Mbc Bible cell, so it gave me faith to run with it.

We started a Mbc Bible cell in Oxford in Nomsa Kumalo"s house with a few of our clients that were interested in knowing more about the reformation. The Holy Spirit also reminded me about our vision at Harvester in Acts 20:20 where the believers met publicly and from house to house. So we had meetings once a month in a small room in Oxford. I shared the foundation course with them and also shared with them about what Harvester Cape Town is busy with.

The group was very excited about the reformation alltough it was new to them.  Just before I approached them to start something, one lady testified that she was reading in Isaiah 43:18-19 Do not remember the former things nor consider the things of old, behold I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth. Some of them said that in the last three month's they felt a liberty in Christ that they have never experienced before.

We traveled by train to Oxford and sometimes on our way to there we will meet people on the train and take them to the meeting where they got delivered and healed.

Prophet Graham also came and ministered in Oxford, people were very encouraged after the meeting.

I believe  seed was sown in Oxford and what I have experienced or learned was, because we are sent one's, by making a decision to start something God will add the right people, even if you start just with your own family it will grow. You just need a house to start in and just follow the mould that we have been taught in Church.

Apostle Andre and Prophet Nola made a way for us as a household of Faith by  their travelings and ministering to other nations, I felt it very easy to sow the seed because the soil was ready.

I just want to thank  God for what he has accomplished in Oxford.