Returning To Our First Love

Returning To Our First Love

I was pondering this bible verse in Revelation 2:4-5, Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

I began to think about the fact that we say we want a move of God in our lives like we had in the beginning of our walk with God, or even greater, like maybe Azusa Street, or the Isle of Lewis Revival, but do we really? What did our first love look like. When I thought about this I became greatly convicted.

What did my first love look like? I sought God will all my heart, read the bible through in a year. I cried out to God with everything within me for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. I shared my testimony with anybody who would listen. I would stay up all night in any place to share the gospel and try to bring somebody into a saving knowledge of the one I loved. I would spend untold hours trying to bring light and understanding to a lost soul. I would weep over the lost state of those very souls and groan before God for their salvation. I was consumed with a zeal for my Father’s house. I was love sick for my Jesus. What about now? We say we want more of God, but do we really?

If we are to return to our first love, and do greater works than Jesus did, what will we have to do to get there? Will we not have to return to our first works, will we not have to inconvenience ourselves, interrupt our precious me time, our my space, our TV shows, our no access compartments that we feel we need for us? Will we not have to come back to the place where we prefer others as greater than ourselves?

I am all messed up because I watched a DVD called “Compelled By Love” about Rolland & Heidi Baker. As I watched that I saw what real love looked like. It was a love that took no thought about themselves but a laid down life love that went to any lengths to love others into Kingdom of Love. Heidi had kids crawling all over her, nothing of material possessions to worry about, all was given for the love of others. I have never seen anything like it, I have never seen love in action like that before, and that is really a sad thing. I am not like that, but I want to be.

I believe God is calling His people to a place we have never been before, a place where the lost are won by Revelation 12:11, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Pastor Judy gave me a DVD by Billye Brim in which she shared a little testimony of a lady that has really impacted my thought for several years. This old lady who was a fireball for God was asked why she had so much energy and her son was so worn out all the time, and she said “ he holds too much of himself for himself”. That is so amazing. When we lose our lives we gain them, when we preserve our lives we lose them. It is lives that are poured out that are always filled. The more we pour out  the more we receive.

So if we really want to see the fire fall, lets be burned up for Christ. If we really want to see the love poured out, let’s pour ourselves out that we might be filled again. We say we want His fullness and a power, but He only fills what is empty. We need to pour our lives out and waste them, like the alabaster box of perfume, on those around us with no respect of persons, because God loves them and poured His life out for every one. I hope you will get that DVD, Compelled By Love, and allow it to mess you up too. God is calling for such a people. Will we answer the call? Or are we to comfortable on our couches of ease,  and isolation enjoying our me time. God forbid.

Hot or Cold - Not Lukewarm

Lukewarm - Not Hot Or Cold

This morning I was thinking about the state of lukewarmness as the verse in Revelation 3:16 warns about. I thought what really is lukewarmness? Here is the verse:

"So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."

Lukewarm in the Strong's Concordance means in the original Greek - 1. tepid, lukewarm 2. metaph. of the condition of the soul wretchedly fluctuating between a torpor and a fervour of love.

torpor means 1. a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility 2.  a state of lowered physiological activity typically characterized by reduced metabolism, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature that occurs in varying degrees especially in hibernating and estivating animals 3.  apathy, dullness, these are the Synonyms = apathy, casualness, complacence, disinterestedness, disregard, incuriosity, incuriousness, insouciance, nonchalance, indifference, unconcern

Jesus state that He would spue us out of Him mouth if we were lukewarm.

This is what the Vine's dictionary has to say about Revelation 3:16 -

Lukewarm:
"tepid, warm" (akin to chlio, "to become warm," is used metaphorically in Rev 3:16, of the state of the Laodicean church, which afforded no refreshment to the Lord, such as is ministered naturally by either cold or hot water.

I got to thinking about what cold water means, it means refreshing, quenching to the thirst, fresh, delicious, healing, life giving, exhilerating, and much more.

Hot water washes clean, makes coffee and tea taste great, sterilizes bacteria and germs, soothes the aching bones and muscles, and also much more.

I was just thinking nobody wants to drink tepid topor lukewarm water, it tastes flat lousy and we would spit it out. That is the way the Lord feels about what we offer to Him when it is neither hot nor cold. It is time to check ourselves and see what we are really made of, what we are really like. Time to get off our indifferences and jump into the fire. There is a fire burning in the heart of God just waiting to ignite His people with flames of Himself. Are we willing to wait in His presence until we are aflame as the church in Acts was? Are we willing to, or do we have the desire to turn the world upside down? We are being offered just this in these closing hours of this age. Do we really want Jesus and His kingdom more than the things of this world. We better find out because God is raising up a remnant, and we have a choice in the matter. Choose you this day who you will serve and how you will serve Him. I am hearing this in my spirit for myself and all those who call themselves by His name. Let us all go out with a bang.

The Parable of the Wound by Kathy Clark

April 11,2015

The Parable of the Wound - by Kathy Clark

This morning I was pondering the fact that some people are discouraged because they are not used in the same way that God uses others to touch lives. God began to show me how each of us are unique and His perfect craftsmanship. I believe He gave me a picture parable about this very thing to encourage those who have trouble seeing God at work using them in the way He chooses.

I saw a wound that was the result of someone falling on the ground and getting dirt and stones packed into their wound. I saw each of us as part of the process that has to take place to heal the wound. First you have to convince them that the wound needs to be tended, then the dirt and stones have to be carefully picked out, then the wound must be washed, next disinfectant must be applied, then salve, then a bandage, some tears might need to be wiped away. That is not the end of it, next the wound must be kept clean and the more salve and bandages applied periodically until the wound is healed.

God showed me that when somebody comes in the church, usually very wounded, they are there most of the time because somebody spent agonizing time on their knees pleading for their salvation. Next the ministers, either through preaching or prophetic ministry speak words that touch their hearts, they go to the altar and people gather around them to show love and support. The minister speaks into their brokenness, then maybe somebody else has a word to encourage them, somebody else lays hands on their shoulders and prays in the spirit, or weeps with them, etc. etc. etc. Each person ministers from what God has placed within them and each part is important to God and important to the person receiving ministry. No one part is more important than the other, each part is valuable and life giving. Even a hug makes a big difference to somebody who needs one, which we all do, taking them into our lives for fellowship is essential, some are called to hospitality, love looks like something.

It is time we stop wanting to be something other than what God created us to be. We need to know our calling. What is that you have in your hand? Use it to the fullest. The bible says the parts that we give the least honor to are the most honorable. In other words the person that groaned and wept over that person just might be the most significant part in the process and they don’t even know it. There should be no competitive spirit in the Body of Christ. No jockeying for position. We need to see that God has put what He wants us to use right within our grasp. We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the glory might go to the Lord. We need to use our one, two, or three talents wisely and not count them as worthless. We each have our part to play. Let’s start presenting ourselves to God to use in any way He may choose. The bible does say desire the best gifts, but the best gift is love.

I felt to encourage those who get discouraged because they don’t think they are being used to keep your eyes on Jesus, stay in the Word, worship with all your heart and then rivers of living water will flow out to refresh and free all those around you. Jesus just walked through life and ministered as He went, so must we. The fields are white unto harvest everywhere we go. Let us all thank God for what He has placed within us and know that the Master-builder does all things well. 

Ears to Hear

April 8, 2015

Ears to Hear - By Kathy Clark

Today I was reading a book by Art Katz titled “Apostolic Foundations”, one of my favorite books. I began to think about what is meant in the bible verse spoken by Jesus,

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Matthew 11:15

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

I looked it up in the Strongs Concordance and this is what it means.

He that hath =

to have, i.e. to hold

to have (hold) in the hand, in the sense of wearing, to have (hold) possession of the mind (refers to alarm, agitating emotions, etc.), to hold fast keep, to have or comprise or involve, to regard or consider or hold as, to have i.e. own, possess external things such as pertain to property or riches or furniture or utensils or goods or food etc.,

used of those joined to any one by the bonds of natural blood or marriage or friendship or duty or law etc, of attendance or companionship, to hold one's self or find one's self so and so, to be in such or such a condition to hold one's self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to, to be closely joined to a person or a thing

Ears =

the ear, metaph. the faculty of perceiving with the mind, the faculty of understanding and knowing

Ears to hear, let him hear =

to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf, to hear,

to attend to, consider what is or has been said to understand, perceive the sense of what is said, to hear something,

to perceive by the ear what is announced in one's presence to get by hearing, learn, a thing comes to one's ears, to find out, learn to give ear to a teaching or a teacher, to comprehend, to understand

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I felt like God was saying we need to take heed how we hear. The word spoken by the Spirit of God through His servants requires us to take action in some way if it is from the heart of God. I know some preaching is the pet peeve or soap box of the speaker, but what if it is a message birthed in the heart of God? What do we do with that message? Do we nod our head and agree and then go away unchanged. We have a responsibility to meditate on that word, to search the scriptures to see if those things be true, and if they are, we are to take them to heart and be changed by them. If we allow ourselves to walk away and forget what we have heard we will miss the very things God sent to transform and  impact our lives. We need to take the message going forth very seriously. If God sent the message, we better have ears to hear what the Spirit would speak to the churches. In the days ahead our life just might depend on it.