This month of December the Lord has spoken to us in His mercy as He does, and He declares this month of December for us as a month of PLEASANT WONDERS. He said “as long as we seek Him, believe Him and trust His doing abilities, we will see pleasant surprises in our lives. He gave us a Scripture in Isaiah 55:13. It says:
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the Lord for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
You cannot destroy or eliminate the evidence of the wonders of God. And that is what God have said He is going to do with our lives in this month of December, launching us into the year 2021 that He will make this month a month of pleasant wonders for us and I just want us to receive that word into our Spirit in Jesus’ name! This morning, in the spirit of the month that the Lord has declared, we are looking at: THE LOVERS OF GOD: THE LIVING WONDERS. So, we are doing, like a definition, the lovers of God, who are they? They are the living wonders.
I would like us to follow the Holy Spirit line upon line, precept upon precept this morning, let us not loose out on what God wants to share with us, because in God’s mercy and graciousness to us, in the house, He gives us a body of knowledge that is a buildup, so you don’t feel as if you are thrown into something. There is always a buildup, that is why it so important we don’t miss meetings, we connect to the Spirit of what the Lord is sharing with us this season. By the Leadership of the Holy Spirit in the evening Bible School, we were meant to see the whole essence of man. And in that meeting, the Lord exposed us to see, that man is principally spirit. And I loved that example that my dear brother gave us yesterday, using the microphone. He said before the casing of the micro phone came there was a component. There was a component that was the major essence. Without the component, the casing is useless. Without the component, there is no purpose to the casing. So, the casing is defined by the component.
Then he puts it this way and I loved it, the size or the magnitude of the component defines the design of the casing and that was so instructive. The casing is not the major thing, the component defines the casing. So you don’t look at the casing, even though it is beautiful, and give all your attention to the casing, and neglect the component, its just a matter of time you would realize that what you are carrying around like many people do, is that over the years they neglect the major component of their being, the essence of man, which is spirit and they give all their attention only to the casing, only to discover over time that the casing is useless, its meaningless without the component, that what they are carrying around is a joke.
Imagine this mic is not working the way it should because the component is not working, what happens? We give the children to play with it, why? What happens to this mic? It becomes a joke, a toy. Why? Its relevance, its purpose has been abused and neglected it has died. The value of this mic is now diminished or non-existent. The same way we are as sons of God as creatures of God. God gave us a component which is the major deal. So, when we are speaking about man, please don’t look at the casing, we are addressing the component, the spirit, and essence of man. Yesterday we were meant to see that God is spirit and in Genesis 1 from verse 26 God said let us make man in our image, the image of God is not your body, the image of God is your spirit, your divine identity.
The Bible says know no man in the flesh. It is a wrong knowing, it’s a false knowing, when you want to know a man, know the man in the spirit. And that is why when God wants to relate with any generation or a people, God is not always after the human casing, God is after the spirit. And that is why we are going to start with Galatians chapter 5:22 as our first consideration this morning. I am sure we are familiar with this Scripture, but we want to read it, in another way, so that we understand what God is saying to us. Understanding that man is spirit in the image of God. But the fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love. How many of us saw it like that in our Bible? It says but the fruit of the capital Spirit is love. Our divine identity is spirit, but that spirit carries a nature. From genesis chapter 1 verse 26, God said let us, God mentioned three important things when He said; “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion.”
So, God said let us make man in our image, let us give him the same identity as we have-Spirit! Let Us make him according to Our likeness, let him carry the same nature that We carry. And let him have dominion. So, we give him divine positioning. So, it is a spiritual identity, so man is spirit, God is Spirit, there is a spiritual identity, there is a spiritual nature and there is a spiritual positioning. The Bible now says in Galatians 5:22; but the fruit of the Spirit. Another word you can use to replace that fruit is; but the nature of the Spirit, the manner in which the Spirit demonstrates, the expression of the Spirit. Because we know that every tree expresses what is in its DNA by its fruits. Jesus said you will know a tree by its fruits; meaning that every tree gives expression to itself by its fruits. When God was making the creations in the beginning, the Bible says in Genesis 1:11, Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind” I was calling one of my brothers yesterday, I said he is now my kindred. What I was saying in my spirit is that this is a man after my kind. There is a kind that God has made me and I am seeing somebody in my kind. In the spirit terms we say this person is in my tribe.
There is a similarity, there is a manner of expression, we have in common. So, when you see two mango trees, they are according to their kind because they produce the same fruits. Mango. But when you see an orange tree and a cashew tree, its not according to its kind because the fruits are different, so its not according to its kind. So, God made man according to its kind. And in Galatians 5:22, the Bible says but the fruits of the Spirit, the fruit of the kind of God, anyone that is a kind of God that is Spirit, this is the manner of expression, this is how you see that they are in the kind of God. love!
Now we want to see in the Scripture, what the Holy Spirit just said to us, written in the Scripture, written in another Scripture. Scripture interpreting Scripture. 1 John 4:7, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God Did we see that? Love is a manner of expression after the kind of God. For love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” that is deep. Let us love one another, for love is of God. there is a tree called God, and the fruit is love. Love is a fruit of the tree of God. and it says everyone who loves, everyone who demonstrates and bears in this manner, after this order, the Bible says it is born, carries the DNA of God, and knows God.
Verse 8 says: “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” Just like in John 4, the Bible says God is Spirit. We are defining God. The identity of God is Spirit, the nature of God is love and it means that man was made in the image of God-spirit and in the likeness of God-love. And it said in verse 9, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”
What produces the nature of God in God is the Spirit, what produces the DNA of God in us is the Spirit. God is Spirit, God is love, for you to be love as God is, you must be Spirit as God is. There is an “is” Spirit of God not “was”. There is an “is” Spirit of God not was, is! Because you will see that every where we read from the Scripture, talks about “God is Spirit”, not “was Spirit.” God is love, not was love. Then verse 13 introduces us to something important for us. It says; by this we know we abides in him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. God did not say go and figure out how to be in my nature, no! He has given us the DNA that runs in us, that produces the nature in us. Galatians 5:22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love. It’s a concrete complete sentence, that once you allow the Holy Spirit allows it to enter into your spirit man, you will become a living wonder.
Who are the lovers of God? Those that have the spiritual identity of God, they are those that have the spiritual nature of God. John 4:23-24, we want to see it from the pages of the Scripture, I am sure we remember the story of this woman by the well she had an encounter with Jesus, But see the emphatic statement that Jesus made, verse 23; “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers; there are worshippers but Jesus qualified the worshipers, He said the true worshippers, not the false worshippers, the true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth” the hour is coming and now is; because I Am here, that’s what Jesus is saying, when the true worshippers, the true lovers, because the true worshippers are the true lovers, they will worship, they will love, because when we worship the Father, what we do is that we love up on Him. When you understand true worship, you will understand that what you are just doing, is expressing love because that is the nature.
Worship His love, in the kingdom, worship His love. He said; when the true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth because that is where He is located. God is not located in the flesh; He is located in the Spirit. They will worship Him at His location, when you key into the location of God, you are in the Spirit. You can’t find God in the flesh, it’s not possible because He is not flesh. That’s why the Scripture says He does not dwell in temple made with human hands. So, where is the temple of the Lord, where is the tabernacle of the Lord? Is it in your body? No, it’s in your spirit. He does not dwell in temples made with human hands. The location of God is Spirit. For you to love Him, or to be a lover, you must locate Him where He is, in Spirit and truth.
Because in the Spirit there is no lie, there is truth, transparency, clarity. When you are in the Spirit there is no ignorance, it in the flesh that there is ignorance, in the Spirit things are clear. In the spirit the devil knows he doesn’t have authority and power, so he bamboozes people in the flesh. Because he knows when people transit into the Spirit, everything is clear, you know who is the Lord. So that is why the Bible says that the true worshippers, the true lovers, will love the Father in Spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. So, God is looking for lovers, for the Father is seeking; do you seek for something that is common? No!
Lovers are scarce. So, God the Father is seeking for lovers. On Sunday a lot of people gather in the name of the love God, they want to worship God, but how many people are genuine lovers in those congregations. Because we must understand what it means to be a lover. He is seeking for such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit Jesus repeated it emphatically and those who worship Him “must” it is not subject to bargain, it’s a must. It’s a statement of authority and a command. God is Spirit, don’t get it mixed up; God is not in all these things that we are doing. God is Spirit, to locate Him, you must locate Him where He is. And He said those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. To be a lover of God you must be a lover in the Spirit, not all these things that we do; let everyone see me I am the one that sweeps the church. I am the one that is always coming first, are the first to hallow the Lord when you wake up in the morning? Are you the first to seek the kingdom? We must understand this, that’s why God is looking for lovers. Lovers are scarce, God is seeking lovers. God is Spirit and those that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
1 Corinthians 2:9-12. “But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. Did you see this Scripture? Verse 10, But God has revealed them– what is the “them”? The things which eyes have not seen. Things that ears have not heard; does it not speak of wonders? Things you will hear and you open your mouth and you won’t be able to close it. Things that eyes have not seen. For example, you see a six-month-old baby talking, it’s a wonder, eyes have not seen it. The things which God has prepared. So, there are things for lovers. There are wonderful things that God has packaged for lovers. Because God is saying this so that you understand that the year you are going into is not a year to sit down and just be looking funny, it is a year to love up on God like never before. See what it said; But God has revealed them to us, through His Spirit.
The things that are for lovers are revealed in the Spirit. How do you connect to the things that God has made available? In the Spirit! For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. No one knows the things of God, no one knows the things that eyes have not seen, nor ears heard, that has not yet entered into the heart of man, except the Spirit of God. verse 12; “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know-that we might come to terms, that we might come to the place of understanding, that we might come, that we might come to connect with the things that have been freely given to us by God.” who are the “us” lovers! The “us” that the Scripture is talking about here is not just for everyone that believes that Jesus is Lord, not just anyone that confess with their mouth with lip service, but those that come to the Spirit, those that are located in the Spirit. That carries a DNA, that carries a nature, that carries the gene of God called love.
They are the ones, because God said things that eyes have not seen, things that ears has not heard, things that have not yet entered into the heart of men that He has prepared for those that love Him. Even though God loves everyone, it is not everyone that loves Him.
Our dear brother was speaking to us yesterday, and he said even though it looks as if we are so many in the world, God has the right to say everybody worship Me, everybody must serve Me. He gave us a free will to choose Him, have you seen that before. I have children and I say to them you have the free will to choose me as your mother, there are many mothers in the world, even though I gave birth to you, you have the free will of choosing me as your mother, and if you don’t choose me life goes on. Will it really go on if its us? But that’s how God is, He gives you the free will to become His lover, He doesn’t force His love on you. And that’s why there is no need to be jealous, those that choose Me, things that eyes have not seen, things that ears have not heard, things that have not yet entered into the hearts of men I have prepared it for them. So, don’t be jealous, they chose me.
The lovers of God are those that the Son Jesus Christ and the Spirit is revealed in them. So, understand who a lover is; a lover is one who has the spiritual identity and the spiritual nature of God. lovers are the ones who the Son and the Spirit is revealed in them. It says; as many that are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God, they are the lovers of God. Because to love God is to choose Him. Jesus said seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, He wasn’t joking when He was saying it. Every other thing shall be added once you choose God. because every day when Jesus was tempted, in Matthew 4, even though He was the Son of God, God did not force Him to choose Him, Jesus had to make a choice to choose God. Jesus came to the earth and God said the same way I operate with every man on the earth I will operate with you like that, so that you can have a legitimate reason to be called the son of man. That’s why the Bible says He was subject to the same thing that we were subjected to, what are we subjected to? We are subjected to a daily activity whether you will choose God or not. And Jesus was subjected to the same thing.
Setting an example and precedence for all eternity. And the Bible talks about Him, it says for God has given Him a name that is above every other name, not because God cheated, no! but because He was subjected to the same things. The Bible says He was tempted in every way, yet without sin. Every time over and over again, He chose God. He was at the garden of Gethsemane the Bible says He prayed, that even the drop of His sweat was like that of blood. And the weight and the enormous nature of His purpose came to His Spirit, and I don’t know about you, I don’t know when God speaks to you about something, He wants you to do, and you feel a weight, an overwhelming burden in your spirit, that’s little compared to how Jesus felt. And there was a burden, no wonder Jesus said I wish this cup can pass over Me, I wish I don’t go through this rout but I choose you God, that’s a lover. A lover will choose and hold onto God over and over again.
John 14:15; “If you love Me, keep My commandments. “verse 23, Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he “will”- you will ‘will it’ to keep His commandments. He will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. Lovers are obedient, lovers are keepers of God’s word, they don’t take God’s word as opinion but a commandment. Lovers will to do the word every time; time and time again. Jesus said; you said I should turn this stone into bread; but man must not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. that’s how we survive, the just shall live by faith.
I John 5:2-3, if we get this, we are stepping into the new year as living wonders. “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God” This is the definition of lovers; “that we keep” not “that we have” keeping is treasuring, securing, “that we keep His commandment and His commandment are not burdensome” are the commandments of God burdensome? No! this is the love of God; that we keep. Not just to have, but that we keep. Jesus was talking to a rich young ruler, the young ruler that came to Him to ask what can be done to get eternal life. Jesus said keep the commandments and he said I have kept those commandments; in fact, I have been going through them since when I was very young. Then Jesus said I want to test your love; sell all you have and give to the poor and the Bible says He became sad, why will a lover become sad because of the instruction of His lover.
Will you say there is true genuine love in the heart of that man. Jesus looked at his faith, looked at his hope and said you know what, the greatest of all these things; it is good that you have faith, it is good that you have hope, what about love? And he became sad. 1 Corinthians 13:12, the Bible says; there abide faith, hope and love but the greatest proof of your commitment and your loyalty to God is love. So, lovers are keepers of God’s commandment.
John 21:15-17. A very interesting passage there, about what Jesus said to Peter. 15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” 16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You. ”He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
Jesus asking the same question three times, do you love Me? Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, when you call somebody repeatedly, does it not show that the person is not hearing? And peter was grieved. And He said Jesus I have walked with you for three and half years and you know my heart; you know that I love you. And Jesus said to him, feed My sheep. What was Jesus emphasizing here? Because Jesus is not a talkative, He is full of grace and truth, for Jesus to repeat the same thing three times what was He getting at? See His response feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep, what was Jesus saying? Your proof of love for Me, is that you are interested in what I am interested in. the proof that you are a loved is that your interest is my interest. Jesus wasn’t asking Peter about love on the surface of it, Jesus was asking Peter the motive of his love.
Can your love graduate to the point that you are interested in what I am interested in even at your own inconvenience? Lovers are interested in the interest of God. it is not enough to have the son and the Spirit revealed in you, are you about the Father’s business, what excites you, shows your love. Your pursuit shows your passion. What do you pursue? What excites you? What is your pursuit? What is your passion? It shows you are a lover of whatever you are passionate about. And whatever you pursue. In Revelations 2:1-7, Jesus was speaking to a church called the loveless church, He said I have known your works see everything that Jesus listed, they were fantastic, but Jesus said you have forsaken your first love. He said go back. Your victory is not complete until you are a Victor of love. This church loved what Jesus loved, they hated certain things, they hated the Nicolaitans which I also hate, I see your works, you are fantastic but you have forsaken your first love. You are not loving on God the way you used to. It says if you overcome this, I will give you to eat of the tree of life.
That is the portion of every lover, every lover is planted in the garden of Eden. Psalm 1-3, you can read it in your private moment, “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful;2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law, he meditates day and night. observing to keep it. It says; 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And its fruits will not fail.” Those are the wonders, those things that God said in 1 Corinthians 2, the things He has prepared. Go to Deuteronomy 28 read from verse 1 to verse 10. God said if you harken diligently to all that I Am saying to you, observing to do them, He said these blessings will come upon you and overtake you. And see the wonders of that living.
If you go to Numbers 6:26-27, you will see what God scripted about the wonders of those that are lovers of Him. I came across a Scripture in Psalm 18:31 down to 50, David was speaking about God, you will know that the words, are not just words of a born-again Christian. It is not just a word of somebody that encountered God on the surface, these are words of a man that has deep communion in the Spirit with a lover. God was not just God to David; He was a lover. Who is God to you, who are you to God? Who do you want to be to God in the years ahead, who do you want God to be to you in the coming year? Are you ready to be a lover? Not just a child of God, and carry a title up and down, are you ready to be a lover?
I pray the Lord will help us in Jesus’ name!