The Greatest Gift of All

Jesse Birkey's picture

My partner and I found ourselves in front of a young man who was having a bit of a problem.  Many people experience anxiety attacks.  They vary in severity but do progress rather quickly as anyone who has panic attacks could tell you.

 

The young man we were called to help was having a moderate panic attack.  He wasn’t to the point where he couldn’t function at all but he couldn’t relax either.  We tried our best to get him to breath normally but nothing was working.  All he could focus on were the various stressors in his life.  Fear was dominating his reality.

 

I could feel the Holy Spirit in me begin to stir and I knew that God wanted to do something great in the young man’s life.  I was thrilled that my partner for the day was also a believer and as we made our way to the hospital I looked at the patient and asked him if we could pray for him.

 

He quickly nodded his head and so we began.  We prayed for peace to flood the rescue and against every fear and the power of anxiety.  We watched as the heart monitor reflected the power of God.  The young mans heart rate began to slow down as well as his breathing.  He slowly began to relax and a smile formed on his face.

 

He began to wonder how he could be free from fear and we talked about the power of God to cast out all darkness.  We showed him how to bind fear and cast it out while speaking the perfect love of God into his heart.  It was an amazing experience and our adversary lost a lot of ground.

 

I love seeing the power of God at work to change the lives of all who come to Him.  But He told me something the other day that I want to share.  He said, “Son I want you to go out into the world and use all the gifts and abilities I’ve given you to reach the hurting but don’t ever forget that love is the most important thing.  It must go before you.”

 

I think that sometimes we can get caught up into the pursuit of miracles signs and wonders and it ends up dominating our lives.  I think that this typically happens when God chooses to work a miracle through someone for the first time.  It’s our first taste and our adversary uses it to focus our attention.  If we don’t catch on to what’s happening our lives become a pursuit of supernatural thrills instead of the perfect love of God’s heart.

 

Our adversary desires to build us up on a foundation of supernatural experiences and we rise when they are happening and fall when they aren’t.  God wants to build us up on a foundation of His perfect love.  We may rise higher when He lets us experience Him in a new or special way but we certainly don’t fall when He doesn’t. 

 

Satan says, “Seek Miracles and you will be happy.”  God says, “Seek my love and you will be happy and miracles will happen naturally.”  One sets up miracles, signs and wonders as Idols and the other puts everything right.

 

But it’s not just for our benefit right?  What happens when we minister only out of a desire to see something supernaturally cool?  People get hurt.  When results are the focus feelings get trampled on, privacy is ignored and people are disrespected (this is sadly common with some who minister in the prophetic.  Many have been hurt by “Prophetic People”).  This really grieves God’s heart because He loves them just as much as He loves you.

 

We must be a love-oriented people.  Our hearts cry must be, “How can we love?”  It may not be as flashy as some things that are done to elevate our emotions but it’s the only thing that will change someone’s life.  Without it everything we do is just noise.

Jesse and Kara Birkey

Healthcare Professionals and First Responders Click HERE to learn how to bring the extraordinary life of Jesus to your work place!

Sid Roth on Life Resurrected

“This next, greatest, and perhaps last move of God’s Spirit before His return will use nobodies to operate in a level of miracles that the world has never seen! This book will supernaturally release your faith to do the same works as Jesus and even greater.” -Sid Roth, Host, It’s Supernatural!

www.reflectministry.com

jbirkey@reflectministry.com

twitter.com/JesseBirkey

http://www.facebook.com/reflectministry

We are excited to announce a new teaching series called, Life Resurrected, The Normal Christian Life.  It’s a 4 CD set.  Check it out at http://www.reflectministry.com/store.html

View the Trailer for our new book, Life Resurrected, Extraordinary Miracles through Ordinary People Here!

To find information on an exciting new documentary called DeadRaiser go to www.deadraiser.com

 

 

Add new comment

Comments

Anonymous's picture

Dear Jesse,
Thank you for yet another heart warming story. I enjoy every one of them and learn so much through them.
Perfect examples of how awesome God’s love is, is in 1 Corinthians 13 and of course the Book of 1 John. While reading your block on gifts and love this Treasure of Truth comes to mind:

1 John 4:18
There is no fear where love exists. Rather, perfect love banishes fear, for fear involves punishment, and the person who lives in fear has not been perfected in love. (ISV)

As soon as you show God’s love to this man who was hyperventilating, his fears was banished. A point of interest is how our Father in heaven uses love and not faith to get rid of fear.

God is love – stay in His love and keep up the good work.
Blessings.

Add new comment

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Results

Results 471 - 480 of 490

Pages

Through the Bible 6: Life of Christ - MP3s

Through the Bible 6: Life of Christ MP3s

by Dr. Andrew Hardy | 10 Sessions

Dr. Andrew Hardy takes you through the Gospels, the Life of Christ, in 10 sessions. This is part six of our Through The Bible series,  which provide you an in-depth overview of the entire Bible. You may choose to begin with the Life of Christ, and work your way through the entire New Testament, and then follow this up by going through the Old Testament.

Why are there four Gospels describing Jesus' life? How are the three synoptic Gospels different from John? What does God want to say to me through the life of Jesus? Can I really imitate Christ and be like him? Yes, Jesus came to model the lifestyle God has empowered us to live!

Price: $14.95

Through the Bible 7: Acts and Epistles MP3s

by Dr. Andrew Hardy | 10 Sessions

Dr. Andrew Hardy takes you through Acts and the General Epistles in 10 sessions. This is part seven of our Through the Bible series, which provides you an in-depth overview of the entire Bible. You may choose to begin with the Life of Christ, and work your way through the entire New Testament, and then follow this up by going through the Old Testament.

In the book of Acts you discover the vibrancy of the early Church. The Holy Spirit descended upon them in Pentecost and filled them and the room in which they were seated. Empowered by the Holy Ghost, they immediatey won 3000 to the Lord. Miracles followed, many were healed, and the world was transformed by these anointed disciples. 

In the General Epistles we learn of the struggles the early Church faced, and the amazing teaching the Apostle Paul provided to keep them on track. You receive a glimpse into the heart of Paul as he passionately encourages his readers to know who they are in Christ and ascend into the heavenlies, where they are seated with Him in heavenly places, ruling and reigning. These books take you into the depths of Scriptural truth as revealed by the Holy Spirit. Pray for God to give you revelation knowledge in your heart and mind as you meditate on His Word (Eph. 1:17,18).

Price: $14.95

Through the Bible 8: Epistles and Revelation MP3s

by Dr. Andrew Hardy | 10 Sessions

Dr. Andrew Hardy takes you through the General Epistles and the book of Revelation in 10 sessions. This is part eight of our Through The Bible series,  which provide you an in-depth overview of the entire Bible. You may choose to begin with the Life of Christ, and work your way through the entire New Testament, and then follow this up by going through the Old Testament.

This eighth series in the collection covers the following New Testament books: I Thessalonians, II Thessalonians, I Timothy, II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, I Peter, II Peter, I John, II John, III John, Jude and Revelation.

Price: $14.95

Unique Gifts Make Winning Teams MP3s

These MP3s contain the same content as the Unique Gifts Make Winning Teams CD set but in digital format. Receive your product immediately with no shipping costs!

Price: $39.95

Your Extraordinary Life MP3s

Mark Virkler | 16 MP3 Sessions

Can you imagine starting new believers off with the Holy Spirit! What if the first thing you were taught as a newborn Christian was how to connect easily and daily with the Holy Spirit Who was living inside you, anointing you, empowering you and transforming you?

Price: $39.95
4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice Teacher's Guide eBook

4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice Teacher's Guide eBook

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 62 Pages

If you are going to teach the 4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice 10-12 week course yourself, without using the DVDs, then this teacher's guide will prove very helpful. It will give you clear focus for each weekly session.

Price: $9.95
4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice PowerPoint Download

4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice PowerPoint Download

by Mark Virkler | 258 Slides

If you are teaching the course 4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice, then these 200 PowerPoint slides will make your classroom presentation powerful and attractive. If you are going to use the DVDs to teach this course, then the PowerPoint is already interwoven into the DVDs.

Price: $29.95
Donate toward leaders in developing nations

A Gift for Leaders in Developing Nations: One-time Donation

To the Ends of the Earth! Missions Outreach
Karen Tanner, Missions Coordinator

There are two ways we reach into the mission field of developing nations. One is through a free hidden website with copies of over 25 of Mark’s books and MP3 versions of our core classes and the other is sending courses to prisoners in Namibia, Africa. We offer a Bachelor’s Degree from Christian Leadership Seminary to those that complete 120 credits of coursework.

Donate to prison ministry

A Gift for Prisoners: One-Time Donation

Many prisoners are hungry for God and word is spreading in prisons that they can contact this ministry for deeply discounted courses. You can help us provide materials to these prisoners by your generous gift. Our ministry sends books into correctional facilities below our cost, making no profit at all. You can make a one-time gift, or pledge $20 or more a month and “adopt a prisoner” as s/he works through book after book, maturing in the Lord.

Adopt A Language

Adopt a Language - Variable Price Donation

Choose the amount you can afford to go towards a translation of our books.

We are looking for people or groups to help us spread the message of Communion With God by sponsoring the translation of 47 sessions of Mark Virkler's teaching into one language for a tax-deductible gift of $3000. Our goal is the 11 key languages in India as well as another 50 other languages worldwide.

Pages