Last week I spoke about my concern for the spiritual life of the church and the Body of Christ. We showed in God’s word that one day, people who were inside churches, believing they were saved, will be disappointed to hear from the Lord: “Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.”
And they will protest: “But Lord, I did many things in Your name, I was part of the church, I even used gifts you gave me.” But Jesus will say: “You did not walk the way you should have, and I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:13-14, 7:22-23)
People will be rejected because they didn’t truly know God! They knew religion, they changed churches, but they never had a real encounter with Jesus!
Today, I want to begin with a foundational point: assuming that you have repented of your old life, repented of your sins, are starting a new life in God, and that you are now hungry for more of God.
My aim is to care for the sheep the Lord has given us, and my desire is to ensure that every single sheep the Lord has entrusted to us is saved and lives a full life in God.
Today’s message is: More Than Just Heaven: Living God’s Abundant Life Here
You are not saved merely to go to heaven and live eternity with God! You are saved to be an instrument of God on this earth and to live an abundant life, a full life that will touch the lives of many people.
My mission as your pastor and spiritual father is: to help you live this abundant life, to use your gifts and talents here on this earth, and to help you stand before God as a good and faithful servant who fulfilled their entire calling on this earth!
The Christian life with Jesus is not a monotonous life; it’s not a boring life, but it is a tremendous, joyful, and exciting life where you relate to an almighty God!
If you have had an encounter with Jesus, if you are born again, you will experience the supernatural of God; you will live a life of miracles!
“However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him—” 1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV
The Bible says that for those who love Him and relate to Him, supernatural things are prepared for them. If you love God, your eyes will see things others haven’t seen (you will see supernatural things); if you love God, you will hear things others have never heard! And supernatural experiences will penetrate the heart of those who love and relate to God!
Has this been happening in your life? By God’s grace and mercy, Fabiana and I have experienced these signs in our lives since our conversion!
Our Personal Testimonies:
– Physical Healing: Fabiana and I have experienced physical healings.
– Supernatural Financial Miracles: For example, during a financial crisis that no one knew about, suddenly someone would come to us and say: “I was sent by God,” and give us a large sum of money. (This happened several times.)
– Hearing God audibly – I remember a moment of indecision when I went to pray at night in the middle of the bush, and there, for the first time, God spoke to me. 20 years before we came to Ireland, God told me this would happen, and it happened exactly as He told me.
I could tell many experiences where our eyes have seen, our ears have heard, and tremendous things God has accomplished in our lives.
The Christian life is an abundant life because it is a relationship with an almighty God. However, we have an enemy who wants to destroy this life that God has prepared for us!
“The thief (satan) does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 NKJV
You have an enemy who wants to destroy you; he hates you, and he wants you not to have faith in God and uses your sin to destroy God’s abundant life.
Jesus said: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly,” but your enemy (who is real) wants to destroy and steal this abundant life that will produce faith in your heart.
Do you have an abundant life? What is your life with God like? Have your eyes, your ears, and your heart experienced this abundant and supernatural life that will make you excited about God!
What is this abundant life?
Many pastors teach that abundant life means you don’t face struggles, abundant life means you don’t go through financial needs, you don’t experience illnesses, etc.
No, this is not what the Bible teaches: Abundant life is living in the centre of God’s will! Abundant life is living a daily life in an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Abundant life is being used by God; abundant life is having an intimate relationship with your Creator, and through this relationship, you will experience the supernatural of God.
Abundant life is not the absence of needs but the presence of God that transforms circumstances.
It is amidst the struggles (when you trust in God) that the supernatural happens.
This abundant life is for everyone, but only those who believe in the word of God, those who are bold in their faith, are those who live this life in God.
How many here have encountered a person possessed by demons and cast out demons and set a person free?
At the beginning of my conversion, after being converted for one year, I read Mark 16:16-18 many times, and I said, “God, I believe in You, and You can count on me to set people free from demons and to heal people.”
“And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Mark 16:17-18 NIV
After one year of conversion, I met a person on the street; I started preaching to him, and when I went to pray for him, he became possessed, and I had the experience of cast out the first demon . Do you know how I felt after this experience? My faith grew, my relationship with the Holy Spirit grew. I wanted more of God.
I believe that the Christian life must be supernatural because we serve a supernatural God.
The Bible is our manual of faith and practice, and this book is full of miracles that show an almighty GOD. Up to now, I’ve talked about my life, things God has done in me, but now I want to prove to you that all this is in the Bible and is available to you!
The Bible presents various examples of divine interventions that demonstrate the supernatural character of life with God, such as provision, healing, deliverance, transformation, etc.
Biblical examples of supernatural life with God:
Provision: The story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8-16) illustrates God’s supernatural provision, where the flour and oil never ran out, even amidst famine. A woman was in financial need, and God used Elijah to supply her need.
Healing: The healing of diseases and infirmities, such as the healing of blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:52 (“Go, your faith has healed you”), is an example of God’s supernatural action in restoring health.
Deliverance: The deliverance of people from spiritual and physical captivity, such as the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt (Exodus 14) and the Gadarene demon-possessed (Mark 5:1-20), demonstrates God’s power to break chains and set free those who are imprisoned.
Transformation: The transformation of lives, such as Paul’s conversion (Acts 9), shows how God can change a person’s character and direction.
Manifestation of spiritual gifts: 1 Corinthians 12 – talks about the use of spiritual gifts, such as prophecy, healing, and speaking in tongues, which are considered supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit.
““Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”
John 14:12 NKJV
Truly I say to you: he who believes in Me will experience the manifestation of My works and even greater ones! The supernatural in life with God is not something mystical or distant, but a present reality for those who believe and trust in God.
It is important to remember that: The supernatural life with God is not about seeking extraordinary experiences, but about living in communion with Him, allowing His power and grace to manifest in all areas of our lives.
I never sought experiences with God; I sought God; I sought His presence; I simply believed in His word, and the supernatural happened!
Many people are in church because of the supernatural; many are in church because they need miracles, but the greatest miracle that can happen in your life is for you to surrender to Jesus, repent of your sins, and be born again into this abundant life!
Remember that at the beginning of the message, I said that many will say they were in church, that they were used by God, that they received miracles from God, but they did not have an intimate life with Him! And He will say, “Depart from me!”
Many today, even in church, live a superficial faith, based on information, but not on relationship. But God did not call us to a life of superficiality or distance. On the contrary, He invites us to an abundant life (John 10:10), full of miracles, permeated by the supernatural, and marked by His tangible presence.
How to transition from “knowing about” to a “knowing” that transforms?
Knowing God: More Than Intellect – It is a Deep Intimacy that you develop!
Biblical Definition of “Know”:
In biblical Hebrew, the word for “know” , as in Genesis 4:1, “Adam knew Eve” is not merely intellectual, but experiential, intimate, relational. It is a union that generates life and fruit.
It is not enough to know facts about God or to attend church services. A personal and continuous involvement is needed.
We need to go beyond “knowing about” to a deep and transformative “knowing”.
God longs for this relationship. He has already opened the way through Jesus. The invitation is personal: “Come to me!” Do you desire this full life, of miracles, supernatural, in His presence?
Don’t chase after miracles; stop using God to receive blessings! Seek the source of the blessings.
The key is to seek intimate knowledge of Him. Surrender. Begin today to cultivate this intimacy.
I want to give basic steps that are pillars for Cultivating this Knowledge:
- The Word of God: Not just devotional reading, but study, meditation, note-taking, and application. It reveals who God is.
2- Genuine Prayer: A constant and sincere dialogue. Not just requests, but adoration, confession, gratitude, and, most importantly, listening.
3- Voluntary Obedience: Jesus said: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Obedience opens doors to a deeper revelation of Him.
4- Communion with the Holy Spirit: He is our Guide, Comforter, the One who reveals the Father and the Son to us.
How to Experience and Cultivate His Presence:
– Worship: Whether personal or in church, worship invites His presence powerfully.
– Quiet Time: Calming the soul, silencing the world’s noise to hear God’s soft, gentle voice.
– Fellowship with the Body of Christ: God manifests when His children gather in love and unity. Don’t miss church services; don’t miss your Cell Group.
– Constant Transformation:
“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV
The more we know Him and experience His presence, the more we become like Him! How many want to know Him more?
God bless you and may you continue to know your beloved Lord.