Do You Love Me?

I was before the Lord in a time of precious fellowship one morning. The night before I was expressing to Him how desperate I was for Him. I was letting Him know that I desired to know Him, even as Jesus and the disciples of old did. My heart was yearning and demanding that nothing of the scriptures be foreign to me. This included the Jesus ministry and the fellowship He had with His Father. My heart was full, and I said to the Lord, “Lord, whatever you need to do, or whatever I need to suffer to walk in this, have your way.” My heart was somewhat bleeding in desperation. How could I convince God that I desired Him? How could I articulate how desperate I was for the true fellowship of the Spirit? Thankfully, He heard my cry and met me at my point of need. It was not until the following morning that He responded.

I woke up that morning seeking the mercy I needed to continue in Christ. Once again, I found myself reiterating my prayer from the night before. “Father, I want to know you. Lord, I desire you!” Immediately, I saw a vision. In the vision I saw many faces, some I was familiar with, others not so much; however most of them did not have the Holy Ghost. Some were people from my church who I had spoken to and laughed with, while others I was not too familiar with. The vision then went to showing the faces of people I had seen from time to time, but didn’t really know in a personal way. I had seen the homeless, and those who had on the streets asked me for monetary help from time to time. I saw all these people, both saved and unsaved. However, there was something I noticed: There were some who were demon possessed, there were others who were sick, and some simply were not saved. Some, however, had the Holy Ghost, but I did not have a close friendship with them so I hardly spoke to them. Nevertheless, every face that I would see, I could also see the face of my Lord in them, almost as a hidden mystery.

Summary Scripture:

John 21:15

15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

I then heard the Lord say, “Do you love me? Do you want to know me? I know that You are seeking my face, well, here I am”. When he said, “Here I am”, He was speaking relative to the individuals I had seen in the vision. He continued to say, “This is how you seek Me, you seek Me by seeking them. If you love Me, you will love them. If you love Me you will seek for them, not just for yourself. Love Me by loving them. Seek people.” It was then that my eyes were opened. The Lord was not saying that His Spirit was in all these individuals, rather He was allowing me to see, how to seek His face. The Lord began to confront my spirit of apathy. He asked, “How do you really feel about these individuals? Are you as passionate for them as you are passionate for yourself and those who are close to you? How do you feel about the homeless that you pass every day? How do you feel about the sick and the mentally challenged? How do you feel about the possessed, and the unsaved? Are you passionate about their deliverance? How do you feel about those who grieve the loss of loved ones? How can you love Me and not seek their deliverance and their joy? How can you love Me and your prayers not be filled with concerns about them?”

1 John 4:20-21

20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

This scripture is powerful. We have learned that God is love and light and in Him is no darkness. Thus, if there is no gray area in Him, this means that if we do not walk in love, we are walking in absolute hatred.

HATE - To detest, love less, esteem less; to detest; by extension, to love less. (Strong’s Greek 3404)

Is there anyone you love less than yourself? Anyone you would do less for than what you would do for yourself? If your answer is yes, you are walking in an antichrist spirit of hatred. In fact, our love for God is revealed in how we love people. Let us revisit what the Holy Ghost is saying. “… for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” Man was made in the image and likeness of God; how can we then hate man and love God? This is a lying spirit, and if we walk in such spirit, we do not know God.

LOVE & MERCY

Matthew 5:7

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

In October, the Lord visited this ministry with a revelation of mercy. We learned that a method in which mercy can be applied in the life of a son of God is by God giving them the right (approval) to continue in the life and power of Jesus Christ. Since then we have all been pursuant of this mercy and great grace of God. However, have we perceived all that is necessary to receive that mercy? Apparently, in order for us to receive mercy from God, we must first be merciful. We must put others before ourselves. We must pour out the same Christ that we are seeking to continue in. The scripture calls this charity, which is the voluntary giving of love to those in need and do not necessarily deserve it. Not only do those who are sick and out of the way need our love, but also our offenders. When we receive the mercy of God, it becomes evident in our walk. Why then would we receive mercy, if not to be merciful? Why do we want to walk in Christ, if it is not to fulfill the ministry of reconciliation in the earth today? While writing this, the Lord is saying to me, “The ministry and power that I walked in was not for me and my own, but it was for the world around me. I was not selfish, but I gave myself for the world.”

We must judge all things. Is our seeking for mercy simply to be comforted during our trials? What about the fact that those who bring our trials are headed to hell? What about the woe on the lives of those who trouble us? Is there mercy in our hearts for them? Would we suffer a little while by them if it means that it would turn to the reconciliation of their soul and the souls of others? God searches and responds only to the heart. Though we request mercy, are our hearts truly at the place where we are willing to endure what it takes to walk in the life of Christ? The life of Christ has a cross assigned to it. Are we willing to die daily, for souls’ sake?

Galatians 5:6

6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Being called a Christian is insufficient to receive the mercy of God. The fact that you are alive and well, and that God has cared for you and your family, does not mean you are walking in the mercy that I am speaking of. Remember, God allows the sun to rise and the rain to fall on both the just and the unjust. Thus, we cannot look on these things alone to judge whether God is being merciful to us. The mercy I am referring to is when God approves you as one whom He will always hear. One whom He will respond to whatever the request. One whom He will testify of and work miracles on their behalf. Apparently, for us to walk in such faith, it must be founded in love. The life of Christ is a life totally dedicated to others, and God shows us great mercy to allow us to walk in it.

GRACE FOR GRACE

Yes, mercy is the right to continue in the life of Christ, however grace is that life. Grace is unmerited favor and undeserving love; but when Christ is in us, grace is the undeserving love of Christ using us. Grace is the life of Christ which is being expressed (reflected) through us.

John 1:16

6 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

God has given us grace for grace. In other words, He has given us the life of Christ, for the purpose of showing undeserving love (charity) to others. When God approves us to walk in the grace of God it is for the purpose of expressing that love to those around us. There is a truth that the Lord showed me that placed my whole Christian walk into perspective. In fact, we must all walk in it, if we are to fulfill our calling.

Mark 16:15

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

I want you to consider for a moment the implications of this scripture. When Jesus had said this unto His disciples, there was absolutely no one else that had known the gospel. He had spent 3½ years teaching the public in parables, and only the disciples knew the interpretation of them. This means, if this gospel was to one day be understood by the whole world, these 12 disciples had to make them know. They had a responsibility to share the gospel with every single face they saw every day. This same commission is given to us. Jesus is saying if we love Him, we will seek people. How many faces do you see a day? How many strangers do you talk to? Do you share the gospel? After receiving this commission, the disciples would many times revert to shouting in public places in efforts of having as many as possible to hear the gospel in one setting. Hence, multitudes would be gathered to hear the Word. What are we doing in our daily walk? Do we only minister to those in our churches and in our territorial sphere of influence? Are we waiting for the lost to come in when we were instructed to go out? We may not all be able to go on the streets, but do we share the gospel with those that we can share it with? Do we truly love people enough to spare their souls from hell? God is causing us to judge; why should He give us mercy, and why do we want the Jesus ministry if not to reconcile as many as we possibly can? Do not allow religion to keep you from true ministry. True ministry is to win and maintain souls for the Lord Jesus Christ. Now is the time to love the Lord.

Here are some things to think about.

PRAYER

Galatians 4:19

9 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

Judge yourself, do you pray for others more or equally as you pray for yourself and that which concerns you?

TRAVAIL – to be in the pains of childbirth, to suffer birthpangs.

Strong crying & wailing. When you are praying for others are you overtaken with a spirit of travail? Are you touched with the feeling of their infirmities? Are you desiring desperately that they be delivered from their afflictions? Do you feel their pain? Are you overtaken with strong crying and tears as you intercede for them? Do you fast for them? Would you trade places?

COMPASSION

Matthew 14:14

14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

Jesus was always moved with compassion before doing a miracle. Faith worketh by love. How compassionate are you as it relates to those around you?

GIVING & SACRIFICE

Hebrews 5:1

1 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:

Do you give of your substance and of your needs. Do you give to further the ministry and the reformation? Do you give of your time, your efforts, and your prayers? Do you give your supply of the Spirit? Are you willing to sacrifice if it means that others will be blessed? Sacrifice food, and sleep, and even your life, if it means rescuing just one soul.

MINISTRY

Acts 26:22

22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none otherthings than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

Are you ministry minded? What about waitresses and waiters, and people in your areas of commute? Do they deserve to hear about the goodness of Jesus?

HOLINESS

John 14:15

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Galatians 5:14

14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

If we love God and people, we will remain holy. You will make your entire life about others. Your awareness that sin robs people of hope, and that it robs you of your anointing to deliver them, will cause you to have great disdain for it. Loving God and people creates a hatred for sin.

John 21:15-17

15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.