by Kenneth Copeland
For years, Spirit-filled Christians have gone to great lengths to convince Jesus to manifest Himself in their lives. They’ve cried and begged. They’ve prayed and fasted. They’ve sung Hymn No. 247 countless times. They’ve jerked and kicked and run the aisles of the church.
For a long time I was right in the middle of it all. So I can tell you firsthand what happened as a result.
Nothing.
None of that stuff ever did any good because Jesus never told us to do it. He never said, “I’ll manifest Myself to those who cry the loudest or fast the longest.” What He said was this: “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” (John 14:21).
Those verses make it plain that Jesus desires to reveal Himself to us. He’s not withholding Himself in any way. He’s made Himself totally available. So, if we’re not enjoying His manifested presence and power in our lives, there can only be one reason: We’re not doing what He said. We’re not keeping His commandments.
Why aren’t we?
For one thing, a lot of Christians aren’t completely clear about what commandments they need to keep. The only ones they know much about are the 10 listed in the Old Testament. But Jesus had much more than that in mind. When He told us to keep His commandments, He was talking about everything He tells us to do in the written WORD or by direction of the Holy Spirit—including what He said in John 13:34: “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”
That particular command is especially vital. It’s at the heart of all Jesus said and did because He is love. Therefore, to keep His commandments is to live in manifested love.
“Oh, Brother Copeland, that sounds hard! I couldn’t possibly do it!”
Yes, you can. I can too, and here’s why: God has called, equipped and empowered us to do it. He’s put His own love on the inside of us (John 17:23). He’s shed His love abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost (Romans 5:5).
God never planned for us to try to keep any of His commandments on our own. He intends to keep them for us, with us and through us by the power of His Spirit dwelling in us. And He is well able to do it! He is able to fulfill the command of love through us just like He did through Jesus.
We don’t have to cry and beg Jesus to manifest Himself to us and through us. That’s what He came to do. It’s why we’re here. So let’s get busy fulfilling our purpose. Let’s keep His commandments and commit ourselves to stay in love with one another no matter what. Let’s walk in manifested love and bring THE BLESSING to a planet full of people who are in desperate need of it. Then we will all see Jesus.