Today’s New Covenant nugget is from Acts 9:3-6 (NKJV)
As Saul journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So Saul, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
Saul went from a ‘Christian hating’ murderer to one of the greatest apostles who ever lived after a single encounter with the Lord! The anointing, the power and the glory of God knocked Saul off his donkey and he fell to the ground crying out… “Who are You ‘LORD?’” During his encounter, he asked a question and ‘answered himself’ in the same sentence. Trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
That is what an encounter with the living God will do… it will change your trajectory, and set you on a path of blessings, power and miracles. Moses had a supernatural power encounter with the loving God at the burning bush, and went on to lead millions from bondage and captivity to freedom and living in God’s promises. Peter had a life changing Holy Ghost encounter on the day of Pentecost and was instantly transformed from a weak denier of Christ, to a mighty Apostle who had enough POWER in his shadow to heal all who it would fall on.
It is not enough to believe, to go to church, to sing anointed songs and to attempt to do what Jesus commanded in ‘The Great Commission’… it is not enough to study the Word, to fast and to pray… as believers we need continual encounters with God. As believers we need to be HUNGRY and thirsty to EXPERIENCE the touch of God, to encounter His POWER, and to be ANOINTED with Holy Ghost FIRE!
Without encountering the Lord, Christianity can quickly become a dead religion! It is the POWER of God unto SALVATION that makes the difference between dead, powerless religion, and a true New Covenant RELATIONSHIP with God! Peter, Paul, Timothy and the rest of the early church lived from one encounter to another… that is why they lived in the land of miracles! They were continually being TRANSFORMED from one encounter to another.
Take the time to press into the Lord until you ENCOUNTER Him… use your FAITH to draw FIRE out of Jesus… He is the ONE sent to baptize, or to immerse us all into the Holy Ghost and FIRE!
A friend of mine testified that He said to Jesus, “either You come down here and touch me, or I am coming up there to touch You!” That day Jesus poured so much fire and glory onto and into him that he could not speak in English for several days… after his encounter, the Lord took him as a young man in Africa and launched him into leading one of the greatest worldwide ministries on the earth. His ministry is all about encountering the power, the presence and the person of Jesus, and then taking that power to the streets. This man and his teams have led millions to Christ.
When you pray, seek an encounter, when you meditate on the Word, seek an encounter, when you worship, seek an encounter, and when you go to church, seek an encounter… encountering God in the POWER of His might will forever change you!
In His amazing love, Nick
