Mukama tagwayo. That is a common expression often used to describe the fact that whatever is true of God is inexhaustible. That includes His love for you and me. Today, God is calling us deeper into His love. At whatever level of spiritual development you are, know that there are higher heights, greater depths and dimensions that you can move into, wherein you will know and enjoy your Father’s immeasurable love.

In 2015, Prophet Rick Joyner had a remarkable spiritual experience which included being caught up in heaven for about eight hours. The Lord told him that up until then he was only His servant, but because he had been faithful, the time had come to graduate into a friend of God. As a friend of God, Rick Joyner was going to experience God and His love in a completely new and greater way, a level you and I can also attain by the grace of God.

Notice that until Rick Joyner passed the grade of servanthood, only then did he qualify to become a friend of God. If we really want to become friends of God, we must first be faithful servants of the King. All that servants (slaves) do, is simply to obey. The slaves of Christ do not have future plans but only the agenda of the Master. They own nothing; they are simply stewards who must be found faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2). If you sincerely desire to be called a friend of God, there are no shortcuts; you must first become His slave and work to His satisfaction. But even before becoming a slave, you must become His disciple.

Who is a disciple of Christ? Jesus gave the answer: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26,27,33). I leave it to you to assess your life by Jesus’ standard whether you are truly His disciple or not.

You see, many of us are just converts. We got stagnated at the born-again level of spiritual development. Yet the great commission was to make disciples of Christ (Matthew 28:19), not just converts. We are spiritual babies seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, and we think we have arrived! We do not even read the Bible to know the teachings of the One we are to follow. Tell me, are we really Jesus’ disciples if we do not read the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to learn His teachings. You and I (am guilty too) must style up.

Hundreds of years ago Abraham became a friend of God (Isaiah 41:8, 2 Chronicles 20:7, James 2:23). In our generation, Rick Joyner attained that coveted position. What they achieved is available to us too. Prior to Joyner becoming God’s friend, he had over the years experienced the supernatural realm of God like very few have. For example, Jesus had visited him numerous times and he had received heavenly encounters. Yet he was not a friend of God. Jesus visiting you, you visiting heaven or having remarkable visions and dreams does not mean you are God’s friend.

The roadmap is clear: when you become a convert by receiving Christ Jesus as your Savior, you are to sign up to be a disciple, after which you graduate to servanthood. Only after faithful service can you become a friend of God. It is not by singing I am a friend of God that you become it. It is not by dreaming a lot that you are elevated to that status. Neither is it by having visions, dreams and hearing audible voices. You become a friend of God by first being a disciple and then servant, possessing nothing and living for Him alone. You must pledge allegiance to the Lamb-Lion.

Wherever you are on this noble journey, you can go higher and deeper in God. It is not up to God, it is up to you. His grace is sufficient to move you closer to Him. Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).

God bless you.