Faith and Love belong together

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1 Cor 13:2 NKJV

If we share bible truth, God can use the power of His own words to turn some people from confusion to faith, but that is only the first step. Many believe at first, but they fall away.

People in this broken world are desperate for love. Faith without a deep ongoing experience of love leads many converts down a blind alley.

Either they become fanatically religious without love, or they become disillusioned with false promises of love and walk away from church, or even from God.

Prophetic gifts can be powerful in helping people to believe in God. A Christian may receive a revelation from the Holy Spirit and tell a person something about him or herself which no one else knows.

On the other hand, Christians can prophesy over people to control them and keep them in bondage to manipulative religion. A preacher can tell a person, supposedly from God, that God has planted him or her in this church and he or she should not leave.

Spiritual gifts and bible teaching can help people grow in love, but they must never be a substitute for love and respect for each person.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 Jn 4:7–8 NIV

We must not think we are spiritual because of our bible knowledge or spiritual gifts. The mark of a true Christian is a character motivated by the love of God.

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 Jn 4:9–11 NIV

• Love means we must not blame or judge people if they are not healed when we pray for them.

• Love means we must not try to manipulate people to grow our church or our ministry.

• Love means we must respect Christians with different doctrines or in different traditions.

If we genuinely and patiently continue to love people, we will see more people attracted to Jesus and more people continuing in faith after conversion.

In Paul’s letter to the Christians in Thessalonica, he sums up the essence of Christian faith, in which believing is essential, but faith is more than just believing.

We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Th 1:3 NIV

In his letter to the Galatians, he also teaches the true nature of faith.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Gal 5:6 NIV

Guidance of the Holy Spirit

 How can you perceive the thoughts of God?

I once drove a young man to church every Sunday. The teenager was immature, unstable and unpredictable. It took all the patience I could muster to help him.

One fine Sunday morning, I was driving him to church when he suddenly lashed out without warning and hit the dashboard hard with his fist. Without even a second's hesitation, I ordered the devil to leave.

Was the young man offended? Not at all. Peace and quiet immediately prevailed.

I have never reacted in this way in similar situations. This was not my usual approach and had no time to consider the situation.

This was the spiritual gift of discernment of spirits. God moved my spirit immediately. My thoughts were not involved. I only analysed the situation afterwards.

For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;

to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,

and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 1 Cor 12:8–10 NASB95

Many people zealously try to detect false prophecies or fake tongues, but we must also be even more eager to know when gifts are genuine.

Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 1 Cor 14:1 NASB95

The discernment of spirits often works quite differently.

I was in a house group. A very religious man pretended to worship God with over dramatic gestures. He looked really ridiculous and I was irritated. I told the religious spirit to stop his comedy, but only in my head, without saying a word out loud.

The theatrical performance stopped immediately. The man looked confused and scratched his head.

“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Lk 10:19 NASB95

Of course discernment of spirits also involves perceiving the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit. This is even more important than perceiving demonic activity.

It is so important to know which people to trust and when to distrust people.

There are apparently highly gifted preachers who will lead you astray. On the other hand, God can connect you to people who will be open to the gospel or who will help you on your way. 

When Samuel had to choose a king to replace Saul, God showed him that the young boy David was the chosen one.

Choosing a church to join involves spiritual discernment, how to let God show you where to go and who to trust. 

The Bible is our map book but the Holy Spirit is our guide. We need truth but also God’s direct personal guidance.

The Keys of the Kingdom

Jesus gave Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven. A key opens doors or locks doors.

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; … Mt 16:19 NIV

When Peter preached the good news of Jesus on the first day of Pentecost, he opened the door for 2,000 Jews from different nations to enter God's kingdom of heaven.  

... whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Mt 16:19 NIV

When Peter was anointed by the Holy Spirit and proclaimed God's truth and grace in his preaching, the power of unbelief was bound and the grace of salvation was loosed.

You could also visualise it differently.
The door to hell was closed and the door to eternal life was opened.

But was it only Peter's sermon that opened the door of faith?

“ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Ac 2:17 NIV

120 disciples, men and women, were dramatically filled with the Holy Spirit. They uttered prophetic words from the Holy Spirit and they spoke these words in languages they had never learnt. These languages were also understood by the listeners from different nations.

God gives the keys of the kingdom of heaven to all disciples in all generations. If you let yourself be led by the Holy Spirit, he will give you words that will touch people.

God wants to give you words of love, words of grace and also words of truth.

Two Ways to Receive from God

 To rest in the Lord and get the things done: both are important. Wisdom is to find out, when it's time for which one. (Sarah Fischer, Swiss preacher)

God has ways of giving, and so there are two ways of receiving from God. Some of God's gifts require serious effort on our part to appropriate.

Great musicians like Bach and Handel had amazing musical gifts, but they worked incredibly hard to develop their gifts. Some of God's miracles can only come through intense, repeated or prolonged prayer and sometimes also fasting.

Other times, God just gives you a present that falls in your lap because you are his child and he loves you.

So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking, and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking, and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door shall be opened to you.

For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened. Luke 11:9-10 (AMP)

If God wants you to reach out and extend yourself to appropriate His gift, you will miss out if you just sit and wait for it to happen. On the other hand, if God just wants to drop a blessing on you as a present, you can miss out by fasting and praying or working hard. I believe he is right.

We can limit God by expecting Him to give no more than we pray, work, expect and proclaim. God loves to surprise His children with little blessings but also sometimes overwhelming great gifts.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, Eph 3:20 NIV

In my youth I studied German as a foreign language and I worked very hard at it. Over the years, God has used me to minister to German-speaking people. I preach, prophesy and blog in German.

Writing a blog in my second language involves serious work. I often refer to a dictionary to find just the right word. Writing in English is easier. It also took me some time to become proficient in typing in German on my computer, and I still type faster in English.

But sometimes I just get a German message that flows into me and through me to others. I had a German colleague in my workplace in Australia. When she left our workplace, I sat down and wrote a lovely poem for her in German. It was so easy.

"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?
Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Luke 11:1-13 NIV

 If you are married, you will know that marriage is not easy. It requires work, sacrifice and patience. But if you have a good marriage, you will find that it is often easy and delightful to give and receive loving gifts. So it is with our relationship with God. 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17 NKJV

God's Miracles for All

When Peter preached the first Christian sermon after the cross, he delivered a revolutionary message.

The glory of God is no longer only for prophets, kings and priests, as in the Old Testament, but for all those who believe in Jesus, receive the Holy Spirit and give free rein.

‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.

And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy. Acts 2:17-18

Religious tradition has robbed us of our heritage. The spiritual gifts and manifestations of God's power and presence are severely limited or excluded in many communities.

When they are permitted, sometimes only men and not women are allowed to speak for God.
In other churches only pastors, preachers or leaders are allowed to speak for God.

But in his sermon Peter completely abolished these rules and restrictions.

But this was not only in one sermon. In the Gospel of Mark we see something similar.

And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16:17–18 NKJV

There are strange sects where people play with snakes, but this was not meant in the Bible. Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake.

But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. Acts 28:5 NLT

We should not play with poison or snakes but God promises us His protection in time of need.

I have an Arab friend who converted to Jesus from extremely fundamentalist Islam but along the way he was misled and joined the Mormons.

When God freed him from this sect, he visited many Mormons and also helped them to escape from that religion.

Then all the Muslims around him heard about his new faith and some converted.

He was not ordained but God used him with supernatural power.

An Arab once gave him food. A week later he was amazed that his  Christian countryman was still alive. He had put enough poison in the food to kill a camel.

The unsuccessful assassin converted to Jesus.

Heidi Baker is a missionary in Africa.  She saves little girls from sex slavery and little boys from forced service as soldiers.

She adopts these orphans, and they get to know Jesus well.

One girl at the age of 11 became a preacher, not ordained of course. She went to a village where Islam and witchcraft were dominant. When she spoke loudly about Jesus, people started throwing big stones.

Suddenly she proclaimed healing for a deaf person among her persecutors. The man dropped his stone. He could hear and cried out loud. "I can hear."

The stones stopped flying. The crowd heard the gospel and converted to Jesus en masse.

WHAT IS THE GREATEST MIRACLE?

What is the greatest miracle of all?

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Jn 3:16 NRSV

What is the most amazing miracle?

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 1 John 3:2
… AND …

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy ...Jude 1:24 (NKJV)

But does that mean we should not desire lesser miracles like healing and prophecy?

The Bible teaches us we should earnestly desire God's supernatural blessings here and now!! 

In Matthew 17, the disciples of Jesus failed to heal a sick boy because they could not cast out a demon. Jesus was not pleased. Jesus himself thought healing was important and He has not changed.

What is the greatest thing in the world?

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Co 13:13 NKJV

If Love is the supreme good, what value should we place on miraculous gifts?

Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy. 1 Co 14:1 NRSV

A complete and balanced Christian life is a life of love and practical kindness but we must not forget that salvation is supernatural from start to finish.

We must not and dare not neglect to manifest the supernatural power of the love of Jesus.

Miraculous spiritual gifts are not necessary for salvation. All you need is to trust in the love of Jesus and the message of salvation. But in another sense, supernatural Charismatic gifts are essential for salvation, for the salvation of others. 

 

Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” Jn 4:48 NKJV

...and so it is today. Millions of people will never believe unless they see our faith, hope and love confirmed by miraculous spiritual gifts, such as prophecy and healing.