COMMANDMENTS, LOVE, AND MANIFESTATION
Monday – December 23, 2019, Kislev 25, 5780
Greetings dear and precious partners and friends of this Ministry and publication, and welcome back to this powerful and empowering Bible Study. We are now very near the end of the year and I want you all to know that we are thankful for your friendship and partnership. We encourage those of you who have been praying about partnership with this ministry to take the step of faith either in your yearend giving or start fresh in 2020. If you are reading this on Facebook please take a moment to hit the “love” and “share” buttons to encourage us and expand the reach of this Ministry. The pictures this week are of various beautiful Churches near where we stayed during a recent trip to Groton Massachusetts.
We also want the faithful to this Ministry to pray about two things as we approach and come into the new year. First, we are in the planning stage of a new arm of the Eastern Gate Ministries International to be called Sabbatical Moments which is designed to reach out to and encourage Pastors and wives (or husbands) who are discouraged. Second, we are also in the planning stages of a Women’s Conference to be conducted in late spring to early summer in partnership with two other ministries. The theme of the Women’s Conference is to be “The Virtuous Woman”. Now let’s turn our attention to our primary Bible text in the Book of John and read it aloud.
John 14:21-23 (KJV)
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Perhaps some of you are well past wanting me to move on into fresh territory in this Bible Study but I can’t (more accurately won’t) move on until the Holy Spirit releases me to move on. These studies are not a bully pulpit for me but for the Holy Spirit. Obtaining the commandments, keeping them before us, meditating upon them, and then doing them as led of the Holy Spirit is the way to the manifestations of God in our lives, period. Jesus spends a lot of time talking about this issue of having the commandments, and keeping them as being the identifying mark of someone who loves Him. The result of our loving (agape) Him is the manifestation of God in our lives.
I suspect that we all want the manifestation of God in our lives. However, apart from salvation why do we see so little manifestation of God in our own lives and our fellow Christians? The answer is simple. We are not keeping His commandments. How much of the curse do you suppose is involved in the manifestations of God in our lives? None, dear saints, God is not making you poor or sick and He is not pleased that any of us are poor or sick. The thief brings stealing, killing, and destruction into our lives and Jesus brings nothing but abundance (really good stuff). Jesus does not bring not enough or just enough but more than enough, running over. He is a running over God.
Regarding love (agape), the center piece is the Word of God, the commandments, whether it be us expressing love towards God or God expressing love towards us. Jesus is telling us over and over again that the mark, the essential component, of us loving Him, loving the Father is to do the Word of God, the commandments. He also tells us that They will then love us, They will manifest in our lives. Our obedience to the Word (love) in faith, led of the Holy Spirit allows God to bring the manifestation of the Word into our lives. Just as our obedience to the commandments is our expression of love towards Him (Them) so is Gods obedience to the Word an expression of His love to us. Let’s take a moment and examine the following very short verse.
1 John 4:19 (KJV)
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
Right from the Garden of Eden the Lord has reached out first and made all good (inadequate word) things available. Just as Adam and Eve had to walk in obedience to His commandments to continue to enjoy the Garden so must we. When we respond in obedience to the Word (love – agape) we will find more of the goodness of God manifested in our lives. I am not talking about warm feelings and a tingle up your spine but very physical things like prosperity in every area of life including finances, health, and family. When we do not keep His commandments, we ourselves have opened the door for the curse to flood into our lives. As I end for today, I want to comment on the phrase “make our abode with him” from the twenty-third verse. I thought, “well aren’t they with me all the time, doesn’t the Holy Spirit live within me?” The answer, of course, is yes, the Holy Spirit is not only with us but in us in very close association with our spirit man. So, what is Jesus telling us here? When someone truly lives with us there is evidence of their presence in our lives, in our home, they are not an out of sight hidden person. When a man and woman marry there is clear evidence of both in the home. If on the other hand one is a houseguest or simply been given a guest room there will be far less evidence of their presence their influence. Selah.
Until our next publication, as a Bible Teacher and Prophetic Voice I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it, believe it, and speak over yourself and your family by faith in Jesus name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
PRAYERS AND QUESTIONS – please, anytime you have an issue that you want me, this ministry to pray for you, a person you love or a situation contact me. Accordingly, if you should have a question about the Bible, please do not hesitate to ask it.
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