The Europe Summer Retreat 2019, which gathered more than 100 attendees from around the world, has concluded on Sunday with a closing service delivered by Pastor Andrew.
The Europe Summer Retreat has seen members from across Europe, as well as YEF International and Elim International leadership teams, unite for a powerful and graceful weekend of prayer, fellowship and Bible studies.
The retreat, titled "The Kingdom Come", focused on the 4 Spiritual Laws, and the closing Sunday Service looked at the commission of the followers of Jesus, and the expansion of the Kingdom of God.
God is the one who chooses and calls us out from the world, and He distinguishes us as a new nation, as the people of God. All participants were reminded how God has guided their lives from the very beginning. It is not by chance that they have come to this place and have received their calling. But our Heavenly Father, knowing everything about us and the condition of our hearts and lives, every desire and every pain and sorrow, chose us and called us out to be distinguished as His people.
To the ones who have received their salvation and the truth of the Word, they come to know the heart of God. From the very beginning of creation, God's will and heart has been for the Kingdom of God - the beautiful world where the knowledge, love and grace of the Lord overflows. When Jesus came to this earth, the thing he spoke about more than anything else was the Kingdom of God, as His will was the same as the will of the Father. And so now, we too, have experienced this amazing rebirth, a death and resurrection as new lives in Christ Jesus, and now we follow this same will for the Kingdom of God.
So where does the desire of our heart lie? It is for mission, for the saving of souls, and the winning of hearts for God - for the expansion of the Kingdom of God, so that the knowledge of the Lord fills the earth as the waters cover the seas.
As we go with the heart to expand the Kingdom of God, the take new land for His kingdom, there is a big spiritual battle that takes place. What's most important at this time is to know how to fight the spiritual battle well. The Bible is the book of wisdom, that is a storage room of every spiritual weapon we need to fight and gain victory in this battle. So members were urged to know their Bibles well - inside out. We must know where to find the correct weapon for each battle, and how the use each weapon at the perfect time. So we are called to meditate on the Word day and night.
God chose and called out Abraham, with the hope of writing a new history following the Fall in Genesis 3. And from this ancestor, the seeds of faith spread, through Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, and a new nation of 70 was born. In the same way, we have been called out and chosen with this same hope. Furthermore, as we go with the heart for world missions, to take new campuses and cities for Christ, we also need to remember the victory has already been won. God has already prepared and chosen someone to be called out. We are just searching for that one seed - that one ancestor from which the seeds of faith can be spread to open up a new nation and take this land for the Lord.
The message looked at Numbers 14 as the people of God looked to enter Canaan Land. Members were urged to meditate deeply on the confession of faith of Joshua and Caleb, and the precious words "If the Lord is pleased with us, He will give us that land."
With a big heart for missions, members were urged to push forwards now by faith, knowing that the battle is won at this point here even before the fighting has begun. If we can just look to the Lord, remember that all this land belongs to Him - not to the people of this world - and just step forward as people of faith, then He will surely give us this land. Let us find the precious souls for Christ, whom the Lord has already chosen and guided to be called out and distinguished as His people to build the Kingdom of God.
