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 Me intimately and knows My word…and you are temporarily
inspired. But you are preaching another man’s revelation. Until you
want more of Me and 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 a
continual intimate relationship with our Creator and planting His
word in our heart. We cannot occasionally or indiscriminately spend
time soaking in God's presence or pick up God’s Word, read a
passage, and expect supernatural results. Living a power-filled life
comes from spending time with God, listening as He speaks to us about
the things of the Kingdom.
In Mark’s parable of the sower,
chapter 4, verses16-17, 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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