South Africa: Forever Changed

First of all, I would like to thank all of you that helped make this recent opportunity to bless the nation of South Africa possible. Not only were we able to bless many, but our entire team was blessed as well. Each one of you made this possible through your cheerful giving and declarative prayer! It's quite challenging to try and sum up a 3 week missions trip into one page, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, right? :) Let's begin..

At the start of the trip, our overseer and team leader chose myself and 2 other students to help co-lead 20 students, which empowered us to grow in leadership throughout the entire trip. I absolutely loved my group and thoroughly enjoyed witnessing each person's growth from the beginning to the end of the trip.

The first week, we stayed at the Out of Africa Missions base and partnered with a local church called, "Patria Family Church." As you can see from the picture on the right, we led services each night at Patria during our time in George. Each day prior to the services we led, we went to hospitals, clinics, ministries, towns, etc. to preach the Gospel of Grace, pray for the sick, bless the businesses, and simply love the people. 

Some of my favorite testimonies involved going to a local hospital and praying for the sick. We were able to pray for an entire ward and experience 100% healing. Praise Jesus! One lady in particular even received Jesus after all of her shoulder pain left. Every single person that got healed praised Jesus and was ignited with joy. It was such a beautiful experience.

Another favorite was being able to lead every service at Patria Church. Each night, we preached, did words of knowledge, prophesied, prayed for the sick, and experienced God's goodness impact many people. The great thing was, no one knew what they were going to be doing prior to being called up to do it. We just had to be prepared and ready to do anything. This stretched each person and allowed us to grow exponentially. We saw this church ignited and forever changed. 

Preaching at Patria

Spirit Word Ministries

After our time in George came to an end, we traveled to Stilfontein, SA. We had the privilege of sitting under an amazing ministry called Spirit Word Ministries. We got to experience their "healing pool," which happens once a month. People from all over the world come to receive their healing and praise the name of Jesus. It was a bizarre night! We saw people getting out of wheelchairs, people no longer needing their canes/braces, blind receiving sight, deaf ears open, people getting baptized, and several other healings.  (To the right is the stage in the sanctuary at Spirit Word. Below is a man that was 100% deaf that received 100% hearing and the healing pool where people walked through. The canes on the wall are public displays of God's goodness.)

This man was 100% deaf but not anymore:)

Healing Pool

Another favorite included traveling to one of the local townships in Stilfontein to set up a tent revival for that night. Before the meeting, we split up into groups and passed out flyers to the local residents throughout the township. We were able to bless people, pray for healing, preach the Gospel, and see people receive Christ. The tent meeting consisted of praise/worship, encouragement, healing, salvation's, etc. It was incredible! 

Many more things happened, but overall was an amazing experience to see the Kingdom of God released and realized. Even though this short blog doesn't do the trip complete justice, lives were radically transformed, both in South Africa and our team. Each person grew exponentially and Jesus was glorified! This was a life-changing experience in so many ways. Overall, there were over 200 salvation's, hundreds of healings, and radical transformation from churches, ministries, and other places we went. Jesus definitely received more of what He paid for! 

Thanks again for all of your support and love! This wouldn't of been possible without your contribution. Grace and peace to you!

Next Stop: South Africa

Dear Friends and Family,

Wow, Jesus is Amazing!  He is always looking for opportunities to partner with us to show his miraculous intervention into the everyday world around us. I wanted to make you aware of a divine opportunity and privilege to travel to South Africa for my missions trip and to partner with Bethel International, whose heart and passion is to raise up a generation of world changers that will be known simply for their reckless abandonment to see that Jesus is Lord in all the nations and see all that He has paid for. Bethel International’s strategy is to raise up influencers in their own nations so they begin to run with the inheritance that God has freely given them to transform their nation. All of the Bethel School of Ministry trips are partnered with Bethel International’s vision for transforming nations.    

In South Africa, we will travel all over the nation training and equipping people in the Gospel of Grace, releasing revelation on the finished work of the cross, and demonstrating the Kingdom of God and His power through salvations, healings, deliverances, miracles, signs, and wonders. We will be dividing our group of 75 into smaller teams led by co-leaders who have been to South Africa on previous trips. Our teams will be ministering in dumps, orphanages, churches, villages, schools, prisons, homes, and on the streets. Ministry opportunities are endless. I can assure you that after this trip my life will be forever transformed, as I taste and experience heaven invading South Africa. The total cost of the trip is $2,950. The remaining balance that I still need is $2,575. Thankfully, God provides according to His riches, which is an abundance without lack or limit! 

I want to invite you and make it available for you to sew into our trip through financial gifts, which may be made online at ibssm.org. This gift is tax-deductible and you will receive a statement at the end of the year for your tax records. If you wish for your gift to be anonymous, please check the anonymous box. This will allow you to receive an end of year statement, but will not allow the student to see your name. This gift is non-refundable (If online payment is not an option, check donations can be made payable to Bethel Church and mailed to the following address: Bethel International - 915 Twin View Blvd.  Redding, CA 96003. Please include a note with the donation designating which student’s trip you are supporting).

Thank you so much for being a part of my life! I would also love to get an update about what is going on in your life and how I can pray for you. When I return from my trip, I look forward to telling you all the amazing things that you helped make happen! Even though we are separated by distance, it is really important to me to keep in touch with you! Feel free to send me an email at nate.salsgiver@gmail.com if you have a prayer request, great praise, God story, or just to catch up. Let’s keep taking new ground in our glorious journey and union with Christ. I pray that the life changing power of Jesus invades your life and sends encouragement your way today. 

Unmasking the Flesh

First of all, I just want to preface this blog by making you aware that this was inspired by a similar teaching I heard from John Crowder. He is an amazing teacher that has entered into amazing revelations about the Gospel and communicates them with such passion and clarity. So, whenever you get a chance, check out his stuff! Now, let's get this thing started.

Throughout church history, I have always heard of pastors, teachers, or simply just church goers speak about "overcoming the flesh." Personally, before I understood the Gospel, I would have bought into this false misconception and ridiculous phrase that has been tossed around the body of Christ for years. However, after being awakened to the true, authentic Gospel of grace and the finished work, I have begun to question the many teachings that so easily kept me blinded by the law driven mentality of works based salvation and not knowing exactly what happened at Calvary. Basically, to sum it up, I had no idea what truly happened at the cross. I mean, I understood that Jesus died for our sins and made a way for us to spend eternity with Him, but that was about the extent of my knowledge about the death and resurrection of Jesus. Oh how sorely deceived I was.

Anyways, back to the statement about "overcoming the flesh." So often, people get confused because of semantics and cliche' Christian language. Many people today don't really have a clear definition for the "flesh." Most likely, the reason is because the word is used in two different ways in the New Testament. In one usage, flesh simply refers to your physical body. It comes from the Greek word, sarx. There's absolutely nothing wrong with your body. Your body is merely amoral, lying outside the sphere to which moral and immoral judgements apply. It's not evil! It's simply a physical, material vehicle that's driven by the one who owns it.

Think about it. Jesus had a fleshly body, in which He walked in on the earth over 2,000 years ago. In fact, He still has that same human body in a glorified, resurrected form! The same body that walked in Nazareth is raised immortal! Many people believe that just because something is in the physical and material world, it's evil. That is called gnosticism. See, Gnostics believed that any material world thing inherently made it evil, and that all "spiritual" or "unseen" things are good. That's why gnostics denied that Jesus came in the flesh. In their frame of thinking, Jesus could not have had a body, because such physical objects are evil.

That's why the Apostle John stated in 2 John 1:7 that anyone who denies Jesus came in the flesh is of the antichrist. However, John corrects the very lie and argument of gnosticism. How can your body be wicked if your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), which was bought at a high price? If our physical bodies aren't evil, then why do people preach on overcoming the flesh? Well, here's where the second usage of the word flesh comes into play. This usage comes from the Greek word, sarkikos. This usage of the word "flesh" indicates the "lusts of the flesh." It simply refers to being governed by mere human nature, not by the Spirit of God. In the New Testament, it's referring to your old sinful nature, or old man. Lets keep in mind that as born again believers, our old sinful nature was nailed to the cross with Jesus. For God made Christ who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (1 Corinthians 5:21 NASB). As a side note, if you still aren't convinced that your old man is dead, read Romans 6 in light of now knowing.

The "bad flesh" is not your body. It's defined as the carnal nature, relating to its appetites and its lusts. The term is synonymous with the sinful nature, or the old man. It's the old, self-seeking existence that died with Christ at conversion! You don't have it anymore! Your old sinful nature was crucified and buried with Christ. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul is speaking about your old sinful man has passed away through your conversion in Christ! Behold, your new nature has come because it is no longer you that lives, but Christ in you (Galatians 2:20). You have been given the very nature of Christ! You are the righteousness of Christ! Begin to be awakened to your identity in Christ and Christ in you! It truly is the Good News. Next time you think you need to "overcome the flesh" or "beat down your flesh," realize that you are trying to shadow box something that isn't even there. You are trying to resurrect something that was crucified and died over 2,000 years ago. Begin to walk in the fullness of Christ in you!

Begin to read the New Testament in light of this truth and you will begin to understand what Christ did for us and as us. He didn't just pull you out of sin, but He pulled sin out of you! As believers, sin isn't your identity and should never be your expectancy. You were given new, God-centered longings and desires! It was for freedom that Christ set us free (Galatians 5:1a). Begin to walk in the freedom that Christ gave you!

It's Time to Feast

The Lord has been revealing to me such an amazing revelation of His grace through the finished works of the cross and allowing this biblical truth to be the foundational rock of my entire way of life. Understanding the fullness of what Jesus did not only for us, but as us on the cross is imperative to receiving the entire revelation of His perfect grace and being able to accept our true identity as sons and daughters by living in a perfect, divine union with Christ that's instant and effortless. A real oneness with God is only achieved and completed on Christ's cross. Nothing was left undone or incomplete. This is the foundational principle of the New Testament and the cornerstone of the Pauline epistles.

We need to realize that as born again believers, we are dead. Yes, we died over 2,000 years ago when Jesus was crucified. You may ask, "What do you mean by that?" Well, Paul does an excellent job in explaining in 1 Corinthians 5:21 that God made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on OUR behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Do you realize that you were co-crucified, co-buried, and co-raised into a new life with God when you gave Him your heart? You may ask, "What does that mean?" It means that your old "sinful" self is dead. It doesn't even exist! It was crucified with Christ. He bore your sin so that you could become righteous through Him. Paul states it very clearly in Galatians 2:20a, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ in me." Therefore, Christ in you, the hope of glory consumes your very being. You literally have the DNA of Jesus Christ flowing through every part of your being. You have been adopted into a royal bloodline and are now the righteousness of God.

Read Romans 6 with this mindset and see the religious, old covenant mindsets break and flake right off. Believers are dead to sin and alive to God. It's very important to know that all of this comes from NOTHING we did, but EVERYTHING Christ did. It's not about achieving, but it's about receiving. In Joseph Prince's book, "Destined to Reign," He states that, "God's ways are contrary to man's ways. Man thinks that for God to bless him, he needs to deserve, earn, and merit God's favor and blessings by his own efforts. Man thinks God's blessings are based on his performance and good works." The truth is, God's ways are all about receiving. He promised that when we RECEIVE the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, which He made completely available through the finished works of the cross, we would reign in life through a relationship with Him.

Honestly, I could go on and on about this amazing truth. However, this is a blog and most people don't like reading a short novel that poses as a blog. I will not sell the Good News short of anything less than what it truly is. The truth will set you free. We need to awaken to the realization that the fullness of Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven live inside of us as believers. When we come into greater revelations of this truth, we will begin to walk in the full measure of His goodness and grace that has been available since His beautiful death and resurrection. The cross is not a symbol of sadness and sorrow. It's a symbol of celebration and victory! Begin to live in the fullness of Christ, the hope of glory! It's time to feast on the finished works of the cross!

Forever Joyful

Lately, the Holy Spirit has been highlighting different facets, characteristics, and truths about Himself that every Believer should be manifesting and living in daily. The characteristic that He has been teaching me is JOY. Not only is it a fruit of the Spirit, but it's also an internal state of being. See, happiness and joy are two different, yet similar manifestations. They can be easily mistaken to be interchangeable, but in my opinion, they are very different. It is my conviction that happiness is an external manifestation that is produced from the outside in, due to a favorable circumstance or situation. It makes us feel "good" temporarily. On the other-hand, joy is an internal state of being that is manifested from the inside out from an understanding of who we are and what we have obtained through the death and resurrection of Jesus. When we feast on the finished works of the cross, it's impossible not to produce joy. This type of fruit cannot be altered due to conditions or circumstances because it's an internal state of being that isn't temporary, but eternal. The only possible way of not producing this fruit is by not abiding in the true vine, which is Jesus Christ Himself.


If we only do what we feel like doing, we're not believers, we're feelers. With happiness, we tend to need "something" to be happy about, therefore, it's circumstantial. However, with joy, we live from a state of being, not circumstance. See, in the world, feelings precede actions. In the Kingdom, feelings follow actions. So, if you want joy, REJOICE! There is so much to be joyful about. In John 15:11, Jesus says, "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full." God has given us the fullness of joy through His Son, Jesus and has given us complete access of the fullness of HIS joy. Our evidence for things to be true aren't determined by our circumstances but on God's promises. I'm not saying that we shouldn't deny negative facts, but we should focus on a greater reality; God's truth! 


Lastly, we need to understand that we cannot produce this fruit of joy apart from the Holy Spirit. You see, when Jesus speaks about the fruits of the Spirit, we need to understand that it's not our fruit to bear.  It's the fruit OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. It doesn't say the fruit of Nate or the fruit of (your name). We cannot produce or bear our own fruit, but only the fruit of the Holy Spirit. In John 15:5, Jesus clearly states this, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." We cannot produce this fruit apart from Him. The only way we can manifest these fruits is through intimacy and connectivity with the Holy Spirit. If we have a relationship with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to manifest Himself through us, the fruit will flow freely and naturally. 


With that being said, you were designed to be the most joyful beings on this planet and were made to live from a place of complete ecstasy and pleasure! It's such a glorious thing! REJOICE!

A New Hope

First off, I just wanted to apologize for not blogging much at all last semester. I am going to be more intentional about blogging this semester and keeping you all updated on what I am learning, experiencing, and receiving here in Redding, CA at the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry.

The first week being back, I was able to receive such an amazing revelation and impartation of hope that each Believer should be manifesting each day through every circumstance and situation that arises in their lives. There's never a hopeless circumstance or situation, just hopeless people. Our "evidence" for things being true is not according to our circumstances, but according to God's promises. We shouldn't deny negative facts in our lives, but we should choose to focus on a higher reality; God's truth!! That truth is embedded throughout the Word of God and in the person Himself.

See, hopelessness actually empowers a disempowered devil. We shouldn't do for the devil what he can't do for himself! There's always hope in every area of our lives because of the blood of Jesus and as Believers, we are continually washed by His blood. Therefore, hope is continually being washed over us and through us. In fact, if there's anywhere in your life that isn't glistening with hope, then you are believing a lie. Why? Well, Philippians 4:19 says, "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." See, God doesn't supply according to our needs, but according to His riches! His riches are abundant and everlasting, so therefore, you will never lack anything apart from Christ Himself! 

See, hope is the constant expectation that great is coming, and as Believers, we should be glistening with hope in every area of our lives because of what Jesus did for us and through us when we received Him. We are blessed because of what He did, not anything we do. All we have to do is believe, accept, and receive the abundance and inheritance that He has so freely given. So, next time you feel discouragement, worry, doubt, or any unbelief into your thoughts, words, or actions, begin to declare His perfect provision and ever abundant riches over your circumstances, situations, areas of need, and your very life!

Walk in the confidence and hope in every area of your very being. Our Daddy provides according to His riches and those riches are forever abundant! Bless you all! 

True Friendship

Recently, I have been understanding what true intimacy with the Father looks like and acts like.  In my own experience, I have grown up in the Church having a single-dimensional view of what it means to have a relationship with God.  It has overemphasized obedience and underemphasized friendship.  This has resulted in my interactions with the Almighty becoming robotic and soldier-like.  God wants friends, not slaves!  In John 5:14, Jesus says, "You are my friends if you do whatever I command you."  The reality is that unless we understand God's heart of love for us and His desire for true, intimate friendship, we won't truly understand what Jesus is talking about.  We will hear that all he cares about is obedience, and that He is telling us to prove our love for Him by doing what He wants.  If we take on this mindset, we will begin performing and striving to do all the things necessary to prove something to God or do them looking for something in return. This becomes religious and you will be burnt out!  But if we understand what Jesus' relationship with His Father was like, the kind of relationship we've been invited into, we will be able to hear Him saying, "True obedience is simply the natural response from the heart of a friend, and it's simply doing what I'm doing."  The Lord wants to bless us!! We don't have to do anything to convince Him to do that.. just ask!

Therefore, if true obedience is doing and saying what God is doing and saying, then obedience necessarily flows from being with God.  It's just like every other relationship we have.  If we don't spend time with our family or friends, it will be hard to know what they are up to.  Check out John 14:10, "Do you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works."  Jesus' obedience is not something He did apart from the Father.  True obedience in friendship with God is a partnership, but a partnership unlike any other on earth.  We must come to understand that obedience itself is not something we do alone, but is something we are doing with the Father, as well as something that the Father is doing through us.  When our actions flow from our intimacy with God, and when we understand that we are doing them together with Him, serving God will be anything but "robotic and soldier-like."

If you are noticing that your Christian walk is boring, tiring, non-existent, etc., just ask the Lord to show you what true intimacy looks like.  He wants a relationship with you more than you a relationship with Him. God is in a good mood and He longs for you!  He is just asking us to realize our union!