Life Connections Chapter 1

Life Connections Chapter 1

         

             

              Back in early 1996, I was single and living in a small three-bedroom house. At the time I had taken in some Christian brothers that needed some help and I let them stay in the extra bedrooms. I was used to living alone and so, having two other single men living in the house, coming and going all the time, pulling on me for advice and help, had put a serious cramp in my life style. It seemed that I could never find an island of time in my own house where I could just be alone with God and enjoy His presence.

         I came home from work one day and was almost knocked over by the total silence in my house. No one was home but me! It had been weeks since I had the house all to myself. I remember grabbing my bible, pen and paper as I sat down on the couch. I finally had some peace and quiet and I was going to make the most of it.

         I lifted my bible up to God and said “Lord, show me something cool in your Word”. Now, I know that doesn’t sound like the most spiritual of prayers, but I said it in faith and I launched it from my heart. Quite to my surprise, God spoke to me. I don't mean I heard an audible voice, but I did hear a strong inward voice. The Lord said to me “Jack, what would you like to know?”

         God had not spoken to me that strong and that clear for a long time. It shocked me and took me a little off guard. I got completely still. I was in the presence of God! I knew that at that very moment I could ask God any question about His Word and I would get a clear and definite answer. What an opportunity! What an honor! For a few seconds my mind was racing through all these big questions that have been argued over by theologians for centuries, and then this one thought arrested me. I spoke it out even as I thought it, I said “Lord I want you to show me what you know I need the most”. I had scarcely finished my request and God spoke to me again in that strong inward voice. He said “1Corinthians 13” I began flipping through my bible at light speed and was half way to the verse when it hit me. That’s the love chapter! I smiled and looked toward heaven and said “you got me.”

         The Lord then spoke to me again and told me to get my Amplified bible and read it like I had never seen it before. So I did just that. I slowly began to digest the exhaustive description of love that the Amplified bible gives. I let God speak to me through His word. When I got to the end of the chapter and I was reflecting on how much I lacked in the love department, I was about to close the book and the Lord spoke yet again and said: “Read the next verse”. So I read 1 Corinthians 14:1 in the Amplified bible and this is what it said:



1 Corinthians 14:1 AMP

Eagerly pursue and seek to acquire this love. Make it your aim, your great quest....



         I knew that I had heard from heaven that day. God just told me by His Spirit, and through His word, that this was the one thing that I needed to know about the most. Then I realized that love is what we all need the most. It is the New Testament command to all believers.



         Although this is something very personal to me, I believe it applies to everyone in the Body of Christ. I am still learning about the subject of love, and particularly how to love God, but I have realized this. Love is the most powerful thing you can acquire. It is the unfailing force that defines Gods character. It is the foundation of our faith. It is the one sure key that will open the door to the supernatural in your life. Love is a person. Love is God Himself.

         Love is such a huge subject that I am only going to focus on one aspect of it, the part that the church in general has forgotten to teach about. How to love God. If you have had problems in your walk with God, if you have had a pattern of backsliding, or finding yourself hot for God one day and cold the next. Apply the content of this book to your life and it will help you to get victory in those areas.

         This is a “how to” book. Although I may tell some personal stories for illustration and emphasis. The purpose of this writing is to show you some vital keys on how to develop and strengthen your love for your heavenly Father.

         At the end of this book you will find some faith confessions taken from Gods Word that I use in my daily life, and one in particular, on the last two pages that will help you to develop in love. Cut them out. Laminate them and stick them in your bible or carry them with you. Confess them out loud every day.

         I can look back on my life and mark the time that I began to really come up and grow spiritually. It was when I made the decision to constantly keep the Word in my mouth. You can not, in your own strength, love like the Lord has commanded us to. It takes faith in your heart to love that way and faith had better be in your mouth or you will never keep it in your heart.

                We read throughout the Bible about men of God that did great exploits, performed amazing miracles, and did things that seemed impossible in the natural. All these great heroes of faith had one thing in common. They loved God with every fiber of their being. Everything they were and everything they had was 100% committed and devoted to God. I believe this book will help you get to that place.

                Do you think that we would see more miracles, signs and wonders if everyone were totally sold out for God? There is no question about it. We are living in a day when the church needs to be demonstrating the power of God and not just talking about it. We should be seeing the signs and wonders just like they had in the book of Acts. If the church is not functioning like the model that we have in scripture, then we need to take a look at ourselves and see where WE are missing it. Checking our love walk should be first on the list.