A man of God had a vision, in his vision, God showed him a man trying to hang some huge heavy curtains on a big wall. He was having a miserable time of it. He'd hang one panel, then run over and grab another; but before he could get the second one hung, the first one would fall down on him. He'd put the second one up, turn around to get the first one, and the one he'd just hung would tumble down on him.
The harder he worked, the more tangled in those curtains he became. It was like a comedy routine. "Look at that guy!" I said.
As I chuckled at his predicament, I noticed something. Each curtain had a name on it. One curtain was "faith". Another was "righteousness". Others included "healing" "prosperity" and "the gifts of the Spirit." After struggling awhile, the job finally got the best of that poor fellow and he collapsed in a pile of curtains on the floor. Then the Lord drew me in, and I heard the cry of the man's heart. It was anything but funny. "What's wrong with my faith?" he cried. "I believe in faith, but I'm sick. I believe in prosperity and I can't pay my bills." I knew how he felt. I could remember times when I cried the same way.
Suddenly, my vision zoomed in on the pile of curtains and I saw little snakes slithering in and out of it. They were biting the man and nipping at his heels. That made me mad. "Hey, those are the gifts of God!" I said. "What are devils doing in them?"
At that moment, The LORD drew my attention to the corner of the room. There, I saw a massive rod. It was so big, it looked like part of a bridge, and it was solid gold. Written on the side of it was Matthew 22:37-40:
Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all they soul, and with all they mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
When I saw that rod, I heard the voice of the LORD. He was shouting, Hang the rod, not the curtains! The curtains are fastened to the rod!
When I (Kristi) read this story, it hit me HARD. I was that man. For so many years, I have been that man... so frustrated, so tired... from years of struggling to hang those curtains. This story changed my life! Finally, I understand the missing piece! Not that I didn't know to walk in love, but I didn't realize the importance of always walking in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 kind of love! Just a week before I read this story, God had prompted me to memorize the definition of love in 1 Corinthians. Soon after that I was tested in my love walk... sorry to say, I failed miserably. And I knew it too. The saddest place to be is out of the will of God and knowing it!
Since reading this, I have been meditating on 1 Corinthians chapter 13's definition of love. I have written it down, spoken it out loud, and God has brought it too my mind every time I need it. Oh, I've had to repent many times but I am getting the hang of it! I am already having break through in my life. I am so excited to walk this out with Jesus!
You see, the Word says, Faith works by love and the promises of God are activated by faith. There is no other way to have answered prayer friends. Without faith, there is no victory, no answered prayer... without love, there will be no faith because faith works by love.
This story came from Kenneth Copeland and he said, "Faith works by love like a car works by gas. No gas, no go. No love, no faith. No faith, no receiving!"
I am soooooo excited to make love my way of life!
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