It's easy. It's easy to get carried away from the basics of our faith and start focusing on trivial things, or even less powerful "Christiany" things. We can become so obsessed with signs and wonders, or producing good fruit through our good deeds, that we forget our first love. We can even preach the Gospel til our face turns purple, or proudly preach behind the pulpit for thousands. We can avoid sin, and pray in our small groups. We can go do "outreach," and we can go to Church. We can do all this stuff, but it's all meaningless without real love.
But it's hard to love someone well that you don't know well, isn't it? Yes, we're called to love our neighbors and even love our enemies, but please never forget to love our God! You might even know your neighbors, so it may be easier to love them, who you can see. Yes, you can love your brother who is in front of you, but what about the Lord? How can you truly love Him, without Him standing right in front of you?
First, you should know it's the Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:37) so it's very important. God will say to some on Judgement Day, "Get away from me, I never knew you (Matthew 7:23)." And yet they will tell Him they did all these things in His name, but God cares about our hearts, even if we're just sitting at home alone with Him in His presence.
Man sees the outside but God looks at the inside (1 Samuel 16:7). God sees our heart; He knows if we love Him. And to love Him is to know Him and be known by Him. It's how you inherit His Kingdom. Yet, too many people focus on doing all the stuff but their hearts are far from Him. It's one thing to praise Him with your lips (Matt 15:8), especially when people are watching (Matt 6:5), and a whole other to praise Him in secret, down deep in your heart.
But once you understand this, that God wants us to give Him our hearts above all else, not just our good behavior skills, rooted in pride, we'll unlock the secret. The secret, that's not such a secret, being that Love (God) is still the answer. This hasn't changed, and it never will! WE MUST NEVER DEPART FAR FROM OUR FIRST LOVE (Revelation 2:4). Love is the foundation that we build upon, so be rooted in Him (Ephesians 3:17). Don't ever stop.
Don't ever stop talking to Him, and more importantly, listening. He has a lot to say and He wants you to know Him. It's so mandatory. He wants to know you too, and to know you is to have you open your heart wide to Him. He is good. He is great. He is kind. He is patient. He is tender, forgiving, merciful, compassionate, peaceful, wonderful, beautiful, loving. He's not bad. There is no darkness in Him at all (1 John 1:5). He is the best friend you'll ever have!
And once you learn and experience this, you'll want to know Him more. You'll want to get to know Him better and to learn His different names and functions in our lives: Provider, Protector, Helper, Teacher, Counselor, Comforter, Father, Savior, Friend, Guide, Shepherd.
He wants you to know Him personally as all of these and more! He doesn't just want you to read about Him in the Book; He wants you to experience Him for yourself. The Bible is a guide to point you to Christ, to find Him yourself, and even better, to walk with Him yourself. All those characters in the Bible should give us hope that we too, no matter what we've done, can run with God! We can move mountains with faith. We can co-labor with Christ to change the world. We can be filled with the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead (Rom 8:11).
Hallelujah! And one thing I believe He put on my heart to tell you today is He specifically is the God of Miracles! Get to know Him as such. Let me tell you He can do the impossible. He hasn't changed. He's still the miracle-worker. He can still flow through you to cast out demons, grow out limbs, heal sick people, mend broken hearts, get people out of wheelchairs, and even raise the dead! He did tell us to partner with Him to do it (Matt 10:8).
He is able! And you are His plan! He put you in this world to be His hands and feet, and His Ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). He made you to lead people to His grace, mercy, and love through the forgiveness of Jesus. He created you to shout from the rooftops about the goodness of God and to advance His Kingdom fearlessly without abandon. You're it!
It's your turn. Jesus modeled for us what can be done, in human form, when you're in right relationship with the Father. Jesus was a child of God too, our Brother (Hebrews 2:11) and He wanted to demonstrate to us through His three years of ministry on Earth, what was available to us too, as children of God (1 John 3:1). He gave us an example to follow and He is my role model! He is who we should look to in order to know what must be done here.
With His power (Holy Spirit) living inside of every true Believer, we have access to the Kingdom of Heaven. After all, He told us to pray "His Kingdom come, His will be done, on EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN (Matthew 6:10)." He desires to release a touch of Heaven through our lives everywhere we go. When Heaven invades Earth, miracles happen. The impossible becomes possible.
So, it's time for us to "soldier up," put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11), and fight the good fight of faith. It's not time to sit around, acting like we don't know Him. But if you don't know Him, get to! Go in the "secret place," away from the world and just talk to Him. Wait on Him. Seek Him and you will find Him (Matthew 7:7). But get ready Church! Get ready.
You get ready by knowing Him, getting alone with Him. Turn off the distractions and pray to the God who gave up His own life, so that you might have life, and life abundantly (John 10:10). He loves you so much and He desires to do great and mighty things in your life. Remember Body of Christ, there is nothing too hard for Him. There is no sin too scary for Him. There is no miracle too big for Him. There is nothing you can't overcome in Him.
He's the God of Miracles; get to know Him as such. He can deliver you out of any hopeless situation. He can bring you through any Valley. He can heal your body and save your life. He can resurrect life and shake the Earth. And remember, He often uses us to do all of these things. He's alive in every Christian, His Spirit flowing through their bodies, so submit.
Submit to God inside of you and let Him work through you. Let your hands be His hands, let your eyes be His eyes. Unite your heart to His in baptism and become One with Him. Co-reign with Him and see things from His perspective. Learn to hear His voice clearly. Walk in obedience, as He prompts you. Trust the inward "compelling" of the Holy Ghost.
Not everything He tells you to do will make sense in the natural, do it anyway. Trust him. Listen to Him. Respond to Him, for He is good and He truly does have your best interest in mind. He comes to give you life, not take it. He wants to open Heaven up over you and release His blessings and power. He wants to consume you with glorious fire to make history.
He is incredible and He is able. He is able to do things our minds can't even fathom. He is greater than your frightening circumstances. He is bigger than your problems. He is mightier than the biggest hurricane. He is stronger than anything. He is able. He is able to help you.
He wants to. He wants to show you great signs, wonders, and miracles. He wants them to follow you wherever you go actually (Mark 16:17). He wants to slay the giants in front of you. Just take up your slingshot David and shoot. You can't miss with God. He'll show you the way. So keep going on, don't listen to the voices of the enemy, keep the faith, and never stop praying. Never stop believing. He believes in you too and a great cloud of witnesses watch.
Heaven is watching you. They're rooting for you. You can do this child, because with God all things are still possible (Matthew 19:26). See that mountain in front of you? Tell it to fall. A mustard seed (eensie weensie tiny) size of faith is all it requires. Don't be scared of the storms. Jesus rebuked them, AND rebuked His disciples for lacking the faith that is very much possible and available, to tell the winds to be still and the rain to stop. I've seen it!
So, get up Church. Get up, once you've been with Him and really know Him, and tell the world. Tell them the Good News and SHOW THEM. Show them the kindness of God that leads a man to repentance (Romans 2:4). Do the things that Jesus did, which by the way IS OUR MISSION (The Great Commission: Matthew 28:20).
Heal the sick, cast out devils, raise the dead, preach the Gospel, baptize, use your spiritual gifts, activate your calling (5-fold mantle), feed the hungry, help the poor and needy, worship, read the Bible, pray, fellowship, and make disciples. This is what we do to demonstrate our love for Him but never forget that if we do all the things without the love in our hearts, it's all done in vain. We do because we love, but not the other way around. We don't "do" to get love, but we do because we already have love alive in us.
Today friend, call on the God of Miracles and get your breakthrough. He loves you so much!!!
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