Returning To First Love
by Ron McGatlin
The breaking of a people gone astray after their own way.
Rev 2:4 "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have
left your first love.
John 15:1-2: "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine
dresser. "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes
away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may
bear more fruit.
The redemption of a rebellious kingdom involves purging and
pruning of all that offends the holiness of God. In the first
century the church knew and lived in its "first love". The
passion of Jesus was fresh and vital in their hearts. The
cross was real and never far from their minds. The blessed
fellowship of oneness in the heart of Christ by the Holy
Spirit filled their lives and established their every motive
and desire.
They had no church building, no man to stand as vicar between
them and Christ, no professional ministers to tell them what
to do, no religious system and hierarchy of control, no one to
do the religious things for them while they watched, nothing
was between them and the pure intimate love relationship in
the heart of God. Their lives were permeated with the love of
God and their love for God. The life of the resurrected Christ
was with them and in them. The love and power of Jesus
flowed through them. The church was a young but living vital
presentation of the very life and love of Jesus. The
miraculous works of the Father flowed through their lives and
everyone around them was touched by the young church in love
with God.
Their own pleasure, wealth, and even needs were only a distant
second to the great value of intimately knowing Christ. Their
lives consisted in the heart of Christ. Obedience to the
Father was of greater importance than even their own lives.
They were willing volunteers of sacrifice to the love that was
first in every way in their lives. Love for God was number one
in their lives. God's love is a consuming fire consuming all
that it fills.
Probably there has always been in every age since then a
remnant of people whose first love was Jesus. But not since
the first century church has there been a greater consensus of
believers consumed in the love of God. Later a powerless form
of godliness replaced the reality of living in the heart of
God. Because of this the "church" strayed centuries ago into
the pagan ways of the world and has never recovered. Religious
forms have so overtaken the reality of God living in His
people that a powerless "Christianity" has evolved. Without
the power of God flowing through an intimate relationship with
God the people of the "church" lost their ability to resist
sin. Much of the "church" became riddled with sin and yet has
little or no ability to change the world.
2 Tim 3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.
The call is coming powerfully through the voice of the Father
to return to the FIRST LOVE of the first century church. Jesus
is longing to embrace His holy purified Bride and to move with
her to bring the kingdoms of the world to the Father. The
empty forms of godliness will be abandoned as a weeping people
come to the heart of Jesus and fully embrace Him. We must
become a broken hearted people void of stubborn stiff necked
pagan religious ways. Our hearts must be broken as is His. He
again looks over His people and weeps desiring to gather them
under His wings of His love and healing.
The return to "first love" will not be easy for a people
steeped in powerless paganized "Christian" religion. Painful
purging and pruning will purify and make holy the "called out"
people who will draw near to Jesus and seek God with their
WHOLE hearts. Many who love their lives will fall away when
the purging and pruning comes upon them. But there will be
those who will overcome by the blood of the Lamb, the word of
their testimony, and who do not love their lives to the death.
Rev 12:11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and
by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their
lives to the death.
Mark 8:35 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will
save it.
1 Cor 5:7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be
a new lump,
The only way back to becoming one with Jesus is by our hearts
being melted together with His until the are as one - soaking
in His love and moving closer to Him in a personal intimate
way - purging ourselves of fleshly and soulish desires and
being willing for the "vine dresser" to prune all of our
paganized "Christian" religious ways. Our greatest joy will
come in returning to the simple ways of "first love" with
Jesus. All the hype and all the stuff will fall off if we
truly fall in love with Jesus all over again. We must abide in
Him in a greater way than probably any of us have truly known.
Only then will we truly see the glorious church Jesus is
building of living stones.
Turbulent times are before us. Cleansing has begun in the
house of God and in the world.
Father, we give our hearts and lives fully to you. Help us to
know how to purge ourselves of all that offends your holiness.
Prune us, Father, of all that is not fruitful in your kingdom.
Create within us a clean heart as we draw near to you. Blend
us into Jesus and fill us with His heart and life. Make us one
together with You and Jesus. Open the heavens that we may know
you and live in Your presence and love.
Forgive us, Father, by the blood of Jesus, for our twisted
religious ways, that the word of our testimony may be holy and
pure. Father, we lay down our lives and do not love our own
lives even to the death. Come Holy Spirit take us and make us
according to the Father's plan and not our own. Father, let
Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in
heaven. Amen
by Ron McGatlin
The breaking of a people gone astray after their own way.
Rev 2:4 "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have
left your first love.
John 15:1-2: "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine
dresser. "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes
away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may
bear more fruit.
The redemption of a rebellious kingdom involves purging and
pruning of all that offends the holiness of God. In the first
century the church knew and lived in its "first love". The
passion of Jesus was fresh and vital in their hearts. The
cross was real and never far from their minds. The blessed
fellowship of oneness in the heart of Christ by the Holy
Spirit filled their lives and established their every motive
and desire.
They had no church building, no man to stand as vicar between
them and Christ, no professional ministers to tell them what
to do, no religious system and hierarchy of control, no one to
do the religious things for them while they watched, nothing
was between them and the pure intimate love relationship in
the heart of God. Their lives were permeated with the love of
God and their love for God. The life of the resurrected Christ
was with them and in them. The love and power of Jesus
flowed through them. The church was a young but living vital
presentation of the very life and love of Jesus. The
miraculous works of the Father flowed through their lives and
everyone around them was touched by the young church in love
with God.
Their own pleasure, wealth, and even needs were only a distant
second to the great value of intimately knowing Christ. Their
lives consisted in the heart of Christ. Obedience to the
Father was of greater importance than even their own lives.
They were willing volunteers of sacrifice to the love that was
first in every way in their lives. Love for God was number one
in their lives. God's love is a consuming fire consuming all
that it fills.
Probably there has always been in every age since then a
remnant of people whose first love was Jesus. But not since
the first century church has there been a greater consensus of
believers consumed in the love of God. Later a powerless form
of godliness replaced the reality of living in the heart of
God. Because of this the "church" strayed centuries ago into
the pagan ways of the world and has never recovered. Religious
forms have so overtaken the reality of God living in His
people that a powerless "Christianity" has evolved. Without
the power of God flowing through an intimate relationship with
God the people of the "church" lost their ability to resist
sin. Much of the "church" became riddled with sin and yet has
little or no ability to change the world.
2 Tim 3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.
The call is coming powerfully through the voice of the Father
to return to the FIRST LOVE of the first century church. Jesus
is longing to embrace His holy purified Bride and to move with
her to bring the kingdoms of the world to the Father. The
empty forms of godliness will be abandoned as a weeping people
come to the heart of Jesus and fully embrace Him. We must
become a broken hearted people void of stubborn stiff necked
pagan religious ways. Our hearts must be broken as is His. He
again looks over His people and weeps desiring to gather them
under His wings of His love and healing.
The return to "first love" will not be easy for a people
steeped in powerless paganized "Christian" religion. Painful
purging and pruning will purify and make holy the "called out"
people who will draw near to Jesus and seek God with their
WHOLE hearts. Many who love their lives will fall away when
the purging and pruning comes upon them. But there will be
those who will overcome by the blood of the Lamb, the word of
their testimony, and who do not love their lives to the death.
Rev 12:11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and
by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their
lives to the death.
Mark 8:35 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will
save it.
1 Cor 5:7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be
a new lump,
The only way back to becoming one with Jesus is by our hearts
being melted together with His until the are as one - soaking
in His love and moving closer to Him in a personal intimate
way - purging ourselves of fleshly and soulish desires and
being willing for the "vine dresser" to prune all of our
paganized "Christian" religious ways. Our greatest joy will
come in returning to the simple ways of "first love" with
Jesus. All the hype and all the stuff will fall off if we
truly fall in love with Jesus all over again. We must abide in
Him in a greater way than probably any of us have truly known.
Only then will we truly see the glorious church Jesus is
building of living stones.
Turbulent times are before us. Cleansing has begun in the
house of God and in the world.
Father, we give our hearts and lives fully to you. Help us to
know how to purge ourselves of all that offends your holiness.
Prune us, Father, of all that is not fruitful in your kingdom.
Create within us a clean heart as we draw near to you. Blend
us into Jesus and fill us with His heart and life. Make us one
together with You and Jesus. Open the heavens that we may know
you and live in Your presence and love.
Forgive us, Father, by the blood of Jesus, for our twisted
religious ways, that the word of our testimony may be holy and
pure. Father, we lay down our lives and do not love our own
lives even to the death. Come Holy Spirit take us and make us
according to the Father's plan and not our own. Father, let
Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in
heaven. Amen
