You Betta’ Recognize!

By Guest Blogger: Melissa Ann Ricks

“John answered, ‘I only baptize using water. A person you don’t recognize has taken His stand in your midst.”‘ John 1:26a

I often wonder about the Body of Christ and why we don’t have a great impact in the Earth as we could. Do we lack the boldness of the first century church? It seems many are still somehow unaware of how awesome, all-powerful and amazing our God is.  

Doesn’t the fact that we have Jesus Christ living in us, actually working in the midst of our very being, make us more than conquerors and overcomers, just like the Bible says?  

We’d betta’ recognize!

Martha didn’t really recognize. She was unaware of whom she had in her midst. Had she really recognized who Jesus is and that everything that she would ever need to live a successful life was sitting in her living room, she would have dropped everything she was doing to “prepare” and sat at his feet, just like Mary. 

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made…, “The Lord answered, ‘You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed, indeed only one.” Luke 10:39

Many people are so busy working and doing, failing to realize that it has already been done. People prepare and prepare some more, oblivious of the fact that the way has already been prepared. Many are so preoccupied with “getting ready” for God, when we fail to recognize that He is already in our midst, desiring to release more than we can ask or think.

Many are frustrated, like Martha, because they don’t seem to be making any headway in their endeavors.  I was just like Martha. “All I want is to serve you with my writing,” is what I complained to Jesus. I was so busy “doing” and “preparing”, trying to accomplish everything to move into what I believed was my destiny. 

“Don’t you know that it’s already done?” is what I heard from the Lord.

I forgot that He’d already spoken it to me, but I failed once again to recognize that it was already completed. 

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11

All we should be doing is sitting at His feet like Mary, learning more of Him from Him. She recognized the presence of holiness, power and the one person that could complete her. There was not anything else that needed to be done. She got it! It is imperative that we get it! Once we recognize that He is in our midst, victory is ours! Recognize that Jesus is everything that we need, want and could ever hope for.

Only then will we have the boldness to act on His word and cause a spiritual fire unlike the world has ever seen just like the 1st century believers. They recognized Him because they knew Him!

Hasn’t he already told you that He is the Alpha and Omega? 

He said that, “I am the Author and Finisher of your Faith!”

Recognize Jesus as…  

YOUR REDEEMER! YOUR PEACE!  

YOUR JOY! YOUR HEALER!

YOUR FUTURE!

Open your eyes and see your Savior for who He is and everything He is.

He is right in your midst!

“Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him.” Luke 24:31

Recognize the awesomeness of Jesus the Christ so that you can impact the world with all that He is in you!