Another
Man’s Revelation
Jesus I know, and
I know about Paul, but who are you?
Acts 19:15
Jake had just returned to St. Paul’s
from a pastor’s conference in Minneapolis and was on fire! Back in
the pulpit, he preached a powerful, life-changing message. People
were healed of diseases and set free of demonic oppression. It was
awesome!
The next week saw a reduction in power.
By the third week following the conference, God’s power was almost
nonexistent; things had returned to ‘normal’.
Jake didn’t understand it. He
couldn’t count how many times in the past eight years of ministry
he’d returned from a conference to witness the miraculous for a
brief time, only to see God’s power slip away. In frustration, he
asked, “What’s going on, LORD?! Why can’t
we hang on to the miraculous? Why can’t we maintain Your power and
presence?”
God’s response came as quite a shock
to Jake…. “The message you preach is a ‘right on’ message,
Jake. It’s just not yours. You hear it from someone who
knows My word…and you are temporarily inspired. But you are
preaching another man’s revelation. Until you plant My word
in your heart there is no personal seed of revelation. Only an
intimate relationship can produce that kind of fruit. And then, only
if you continue to plant the seeds.”
†
We love the miraculous but fail to
understand, or refuse to admit, that walking in power comes from
continually planting God’s word in our heart. We cannot
occasionally or indiscriminately pick up God’s Word, read a
passage, and expect supernatural results. Living a power-filled life
comes from hiding God’s word on the inside.
In Mark’s parable of the sower,
chapter 4, verses 16-17, we see how Jake’s cycle of power to
powerlessness comes to pass. We hear a ‘right word’ and are
encouraged by someone else…and because it is fresh, when we
speak it, others respond in positive ways. But, since the revelation
didn’t originate in our heart, we have nothing to draw on as
the newness wares off.
God’s work is of a personal nature.
If we intend to have an impact on the world around us we must first
have a personal relationship from which to draw.
Prayer
“Draw me close, LORD.
Make me hungry to know You and Your Word so that my heart burns with
revelation. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
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