Fresh Rivers Of God’s Love--Dive In Today!

I believe we are coming into a season of time where the love of God is going to be expressed through believers in levels we have only dreamed of. God is love, and as followers of Christ, we are commanded to love one another (John 15:12).

Mankind desperately needs a touch from the loving arms of Jesus. The Lord is raising up a new breed of believers that will be so consumed with the love of God, that many of the social ills and turmoil of man’s heart will be transformed in a moment, as the pure river of God’s love pours through a generation of believers.

Everywhere I travel, whether America or abroad, I find that people are very critical towards the Church, organized religion, or Christians in general. I just returned from the Netherlands, and some great friends of mine shared about the fear they have even bringing up the name Jesus because of painful attacks that often come their way. It is very difficult to hear how pre-believers view the Christian faith. Can the love of God change the hearts of people in this hour? I am so thankful that there is a light that shines in the darkness. Christ in you, the hope of glory.

I Corinthians 13:13 -- “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”

Moving in the opposite spirit

During my time with YWAM (Youth with a Mission), I was taught over and over again to respond in the opposite spirit when I am tempted to react in the flesh. If you are a greedy person, then try purchasing someone’s groceries in front of you the next time you are in the checkout line, and watch the look on their face--it will amaze you. You will notice as you make these random acts of kindness, the Lord will turn you into an extravagant giver.

One of the most powerful weapons we have as believers is the unconditional love of Christ flowing through us. As we move in the opposite spirit of the world, loving people, even those that are the most difficult to love, we defuse the wounded hearts of the lost and many people move into relationship with Jesus.

One of the keys to gaining victory over the image the world and media has painted of us is a Fresh Baptism of God’s love. Mankind is desperately in need of love that is pure, asking for nothing in return. How much of the love of God do you receive and manifest on the earth today? I know there is always more when we ask Him. “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love” (John 15:9). Let us dive deeper in the river of God’s love than ever before, and let His love splash on everyone who comes in contact with us!

Love for the Body of Christ

Many of us are familiar with the term “friendly fire.” This is a military term that describes when a soldier is accidentally shot by a fellow soldier. This term is also used in the Church when one believer attacks another. If you have been around long enough, you have probably heard too many stories about one member of the Body talking about another in a nonproductive way. This is a very painful and damaging method the devil has used for years to wrap chains around the hearts of believers, holding them captive. Wounded people wound others, and often we keep shooting at our wounded instead of coming with an embrace of unconditional love.

I have seen in recent years a greater amount of love being expressed across denominational lines than ever before. We may worship and pray differently and have different ministry styles than the church across town, but our ultimate goal is the same: loving God with all our hearts and making Him known around the planet.

I am able to learn volumes of truths from my Baptist and Lutheran friends. They have completely different styles of worship and ministry, but I still learn from them and value their amazing ministries. I see many people who choose to focus more on our similarities then our slight differences. We all want to see the lost saved and healed. There is plenty of space on this planet for each of our unique “Jesus-centered” ministries.

Ask the Lord to give you an amazing love for those ministries and churches around you that worship and act a little differently than you. The funny thing is that you may think they are odd, but they more than likely feel the same about you. The Lord is not worried about our slight differences. He gave each of us a personality, and many of us are drawn to different streams. I personally like to take a swim in many of the streams out there; I enjoy a wide variety of ministry styles and cultures. The cool thing about the Lord’s grand design is this: all the streams eventually end up in a river, and then all the rivers will wind up in the ocean. We are all part of the same Body, so let us grow in love for each other.

Mark 12:30-31 -- “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Winning the lost through God’s Love

Have you ever mustered up your courage to step out and share Jesus to a friend or someone you met at the mall? You take a few deep breaths and begin to share your faith. Moments later you wish you had never opened your mouth, as you are blasted with an onslaught of attacks about the faith you hold so dear. We have all been there before if we have shared our faith more than a handful of times.

I understand that there will always be people who oppose the Gospel, no matter how many signs and wonders they see that are motivated by the love of God. Jesus had many enemies, and He shared that we would also if we walk as He did. John 15:18 -- “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you.” The key is how many of these precious people can we win over with the love of God flowing through us?

I fully support witnessing, power evangelism, words of knowledge, prophecy, and healing to lead people to Jesus (Mark 16:20). These are some of the best methods to win the lost; however the motivation behind it should be dripping with the Love of God.

The Apostle Paul shares about the necessity for believers to live in the river of God’s love. I Corinthians 13:1-3 says:

“If I speak in the tongues of mortals and angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”

Paul understood the importance of walking in the love of God. Chapters 12 and 14 of I Corinthians speak in great detail of the spiritual gifts that are available to each believer. It is amazing to see how chapter 13 is nestled in between these two chapters on spiritual gifts. I believe the Lord wants us to see that His love is more important than any gift that we may desire or currently operate in. The world does not care how well you can prophesy, they want to know how much you love. Paul urges us in I Corinthians 14:1 to “Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophecy.”

There is access in this hour to move deeper into the loving heart of our Father. As the gifts of the Spirit flow through the lives of believers in increased levels, it is critical that the love of God increase in our lives. The invitation has always been there, but I see a greater amount of people stepping into the love of God than every before. We are His body, and His love will shine through us like never before. Let us pursue love like we never have before. Make the pursuit of love a priority in your life. You will find the gifts of the spirit in you dramatically more effective when they are dripping with the love of God.

Lord, I ask that You would fill us with the fresh river of Your love. I pray that You would touch our hearts and baptize us with Your never-ending love. Lord, let Your love shine through us like never before and anoint us with creative ways to see souls around this planet saved by the power of Your love. Amen

I John 3:11 -- “This is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that you should love one another.”

Jun 27, 2007
Jason Phillips
Revival Town Ministries

The Walk of Peace

The world that we find ourselves living in today is spinning at a faster pace than ever before. The demands that are put on family, work, and ministry seem to be heavier than even 10 years ago. Often we can find ourselves racing to meet schedules, only to find at the end of the day we are exhausted from the pace we have been keeping. While it is not entirely possible to slow down all of our surroundings, we can hide away with the Lord at times and enter into His amazing peace and rest. In the article, I would like to share about how the peace of God can be a powerful weapon in your life, unlocking blessing and healing in your spirit, soul, and body.

A People of Peace

As I travel, I run across many believers that seem to be stressed out and anxious about many things. We worry about the plans that God has for us, His provision, world events, and scores of other things. I find that the enemy loves to attack our minds with these types of thorns, trying to keep our minds from exploring the mysteries of Heaven. We, as followers of Christ, should be walking in huge amounts of peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and we need to wrap ourselves in His garment of perfect peace.

Often the Lord will send us into areas where there is great turmoil and strife. There has been much talk about Joel's Army and the new breed of supernatural believers that will do great exploits in this hour. I believe this army will be marked by the peace of God it will carry into the battlefield. They will be so secure in their Commander-in-Chief, that even though they walk through the valley of the shadow of death, they fear nothing, but rather they release the peace and love of God to the nations. I see an outpouring of God's living peace that is being poured out upon the Church like never before. It is available today. The world is searching for true peace and rest. We as believers have the great honor to walk in God's peace and share it with the world.

Ministering Out of a Posture of Peace and Rest

We are all familiar with the story of Jesus and His disciples out at sea in Mark 4:35-41. A great windstorm arose and waves began to swamp the boat. The disciples started to freak out, and they woke Jesus up from a nice nap telling Him about their concerns. Jesus got up and rebuked the wind saying "Peace! Be Still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.

Jesus and His disciples were all in the storm together, but their response was much different than His. The disciples were freaked out. Jesus was asleep. The storm was real and definitely a concern to everyone in the boat, but Jesus addressed the situation from a position of peace and rest. There is a Heavenly authority that we walk in when we, like Jesus, minister out of a position of peace. There will always be storms that will come our way, but let us aim to walk in peace and authority when they arise.

Peace Releasing Healing to Our Bodies

I read an article in my local newspaper the other day while I was enjoying breakfast. This article began to describe the dramatic increase in young children that are taking prescribed medications to treat ADD, ADHD, and other disorders. The article went on to say that while there were some positive results in the children, they really doubted if the medication was working as well as they had hoped.

My spirit began to stir within me as I read this article, and I said to myself, "Where is the God of Peace for these young children"? I thought of the Scripture in Romans 16:20, "The God of peace will soon crush satan under your feet." I saw in the spirit how a touch from the Peace of God would calm the children down and bring their minds and emotions into perfect Kingdom order. The God of peace crushing the enemy under their feet!

I saw visions of children each day being handed medicine from their mothers. I saw the desperate look in the parent's eyes, hoping that this would be the answer to help their children gain rest and control in their lives. Then I began to think of a whole new way to pray for these precious children. I began to pray and ask the Lord to come and visit every child with His peace the moment they take the medicine from their parents. I cried out and said, "Lord, let these millions of children in America have such an encounter with You the next time they take their medicine that they would be healed, saved, and delivered."

You may say that is a crazy prayer. Would God really heal people with a prayer like that? Psalm 107:20 says, "He sent out His word and healed them." We also know about the centurion soldier that said to Jesus, "Just speak the word and my servant will be healed" (Matthew 8:8), and who can forget about handkerchiefs in Acts 19:12 that healed the sick.

There are millions of children dying of aids in Africa as you are reading this article. What if we began to pray over them? Lord, each time they take their medicine let Your healing presence come down and destroy every form of sickness in their bodies. Let a movement of healing spring up and touch every child in Africa that is suffering from this plague, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.

Don't Worry--It's Like Trying to Shovel Smoke

Science has discovered that many of the illnesses that we face today can be traced to fear, anxiety, stress, and worry. People that have excesses in these areas often develop a wide variety of health challenges. You may also be familiar with the ministry of the "Healing Rooms." I was a director in Olympia for several years, and we had a manual from Spokane called "The Disease Sheet." In this manual, you can look up a wide range of ailments. On each page, it would have a section called "Root Causes."

While we were praying for people, sometimes the Spirit would direct us to this manual. It was amazing to find, as we spoke to the person receiving prayer, that the root cause listed, such as unforgiveness, was something they were currently dealing with. As we ministered first along the lines of forgiveness, the tears began to flow as layers of bondage evaporated before our eyes. After lovingly leading the person through this stage, we would then command healing to come to their body. It was amazing to find that when the individual first dealt with the "root," that healing sprang forth quickly in their body. While not all sicknesses are connected to our emotions, there are many that are. We just need to be led by the Spirit as we minister, just as Jesus was.

Jesus Desires for Our Entire Being to be Made Whole

We all have a body, soul, and spirit. This is basic understanding that we have in the Church today. Just pinch yourself, and you will remember you have a body, or watch a sad movie, and you may find yourself in tears as your soul hurts for someone on the screen. Jesus longs to bring health and freedom to every area of our lives.

"May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do this." I Thessalonians 5:23-24

Could there be a power in God's peace that promotes healing in our entire being? We spoke earlier about the God of peace crushing satan under our feet. And now we see again the Prince of Peace touching our spirit, soul, and body. Jesus told the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5 to "go in peace, and be healed of your disease." I believe there is a spring of God's peace that is flowing in this hour like never before. While the power and benefits of God's living peace have been hidden from some, I sense the Lord is illuminating the need for people to walk in total peace as Jesus Himself is our Peace.

Paul Imparts Peace to the Early Church

I often wonder if the Apostle Paul knew the full price he would have to pay for building the Church as he did. In Acts 9, Paul went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus. His intent was to wreak havoc for the early believers and bring them bound to Jerusalem. While on the road, Paul has a powerful visitation from Jesus, and within three days he is filled with the Holy Spirit and baptized.

Paul begins to passionately build the Church and preach the Gospel with great wisdom and boldness. His efforts though, were not without some amazing challenges. 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 shares a powerful insight into the trials that Paul faced: imprisonments, floggings, beatings with rods, shipwrecks, danger, and the constant daily pressures for the churches.

Many of the letters that Paul wrote to the early Church were not typed up at the local Starbucks from his laptop while he enjoyed his favorite Mocha Coconut Frappuccino. No, they were often written from behind bars. Paul shares in Philippians 4:4-7 the following:

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Paul knew how to live with a Kingdom perspective. Though the situations that he often found himself in appeared to be dim, Paul looked through the eyes of the Spirit and knew that God was working all things in his life for the Glory of the Lord. This allowed Paul to walk in a greater amount of peace and impart that peace to others. He anchored his life in Colossians 3:1-3, "So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."

Being Content in All Circumstances

Paul shares in Philippians 4:8-9 the following encouragement:

"Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you."

Paul was in prison as he wrote this. How was it possible for him to encourage the churches to imitate him? It was because Paul had already died to himself, and the life he was living was in Christ, allowing him to walk in amazing peace and joy. Paul even shares that his imprisonment is actually helping to spread the Gospel. It had become known to many that Paul was in prison for the sake of the Gospel, and many brothers and sisters were encouraged and preached the word of God with great boldness and without fear.

Through the hardships and blessings, Paul learned the discipline of being content in all circumstances. This Kingdom mindset afforded him a greater ability to see God's perspective in everything, allowing him to walk in peace and rest.

I believe Paul's desire was to see the Church walk in peace in the midst of persecution, trials, and even martyrdom. The days that the early Church lived in were filled with many uncertainties. Every letter that Paul wrote in the Bible has this statement in some form in the first few lines: "Grace to you and peace." I sense that this was not just a traditional statement taking up space, but rather this was a declaration from the Spirit of God. Paul was releasing and imparting peace to the early Church. He wanted to encourage young Timothy, "Do not worry, my son, press on and do not let anyone despise your youth--walk in peace." He shared with Titus, "I left you in Crete to appoint elders, yes, you will have opposition but I impart to you grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior."

Just as Paul prayed and released peace to the early Church, the Lord Jesus prayed for His disciples to walk in peace in John 16. I sense the Spirit of the Lord is praying for you to enter into His peace today. As many of you are touched by the Prince of Peace, stress, fear, and worry will begin to melt from your body. The Lord desires for you to be a carrier of His peace--that so much of His peace would be upon you, that literally atmospheres would change as you and Jesus enter a room.

The Lord is giving you a fresh invitation to dance with Him in the rivers of peace. Won't you take His hand today as He leads you along this amazing journey? Your life and many others will be changed forever.

Numbers 6:24-26 "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace."

Jason Phillips
Revival Town Ministries
Email: info@revivaltown.org