Amazing Love and Grace

Luke 15:11-22 11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet.

In this story, the Father is representing Father God and the prodigal or lost son represents you and I. The nature of the human flesh is to move away from Father God and spend our time and resources in the world. The human flesh does not want to go to church. It does not want to pray. It does not want to read the Word and it does not want to worship. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. The human flesh wants to have the most fun and party it up before it decides to serve God. The human flesh puts God last.

This story illustrates God's amazing Grace. If we only knew the depth of His Grace and if we could truly understand the breath, width, height, and depth of His Love, we would know ourselves as true sinners who have fallen so short of His Glory and we would fall in love with HIM. But because of our limited mind and capacity, our flesh continues to resist the Holy Spirit's Love. But in order to grasp this amazing Grace and Love, we must come to brokenness and become nothing.

The flesh is always trying to live and survive. However, in order to find resurrected live and find life abundance, we must die to ourselves. We must put all the nature of the flesh to death. We must be crucified with Christ. We must die to anger, hate, impatience, lack of love, hurt, abuse, rejection, self preservation, lust, coveting, drunkenness, marriage to the world, and etc. For such things will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God. This is not a theory or theology but a practice or exercise unto righteousness. We must draw on HIS Grace to walk in HIS righteousness.

How is this amazing Grace? The prodigal son repented in verse 18 stated how he had sinned against heaven and father. But the son did not come back because he knew he was a sinner. The son had come back because he was hungry. His flesh was hungry and he had come for the survival of his flesh. Many people come to find Jesus not because HE is God. They come to find him because their lives may be in chaos, distress, or bottomed out. Would such people have found Jesus if their outcome was the opposite? But yet, God does not reject us but HE uses even such situations to welcome us. In verse 20, Father saw him coming and filled with love and compassion ran to his son. Did we really run to HIM? No, HE ran to us.

The son did not come seeking to restore his relationship with his father but he had come because he was hungry. But yet, father saw and ran to him first. Father embraced him and kissed him. Our God had found you and I. You did not find HIM. HE had embraced and kissed you and I first. Father put His finest robe, His ring, and His sandals on our feet and we had not deserved any of it. We think we had found HIM. We had come for the wrong reasons. But HIS Love and Grace is so amazing. HE Loves us because we are HIS creation and HIS image.

But now that the son has returned, the son must do what the Father wills. The past and the things of the world must be left behind. We must not look behind anymore. Our life is now God. HE is our First Love. Our life should be consumed with HIM.

Sadly, today, the prodigal son is looking back to the world. Our churches are spending less time with HIM. We are worshiping HIM less. We are praying less. We are reading less. Our services are but crumbs to HIM. We are falling away and forsaking HIM again. We uses excuses saying that was then but this is now. We are too busy with the world once again and living loosely.

Does God send the famine because HE wants to starve us? We must understand HIS Love and we will understand HIS judgments. HE must send the famine once more so that HIS people may return to HIM. The famine will bring brokenness to a stubborn people.

May you all come to know this Amazing LOVE.

Mark 9:49-50 (AMP) For everyone shall be salted (tested) with fire. 50 Salt is good (beneficial), but if salt has lost its saltness, how will you restore [the saltness to] it? Have salt within yourselves, and be at peace and live in harmony with one another.

Fire of God Church
An International Holy Fire Ministry
Pastor Steve Yong Kim
Fremont, California USA

You must become NOTHING and HE must become EVERYTHING!

It is not about what great things you think you can do for God for that would be prideful and still you would be full of yourself. It is about what great things God can do through you as you die to yourselves, submit, obey, and become nothing!

Can the created being tell the creator what he/she will accomplish or do for the potter? Does the created being own his/her talents? Does the created being own his/her spiritual gifts? Your ability to discern and calculate 2+2 = 4 is by Grace and from HIM. Therefore, what is there to glorify in yourselves? Even to know salvation and Jesus Christ is by Grace for scripture says unless the Father draws you, you cannot be drawn to HIM. You did not find HIM, HE FOUND YOU!!!

Too many of God's people out there are really working for themselves and for their own glory using God's name. They think just because a calling or Word has being spoken over them and since they have some knowledge, and some gifts, they think they can now conquer the world with the gospel. Rather than waiting for God, they have left God and went ahead. As a result, many Ishmael ministries have been birthed by the flesh. Observe the fruit of people. Observe the fruit of their ministries. Perhaps, God is not even there and HE had left a long time and now judgment is the end result. Do we even know the judgments of God to know if we need to repent? In the OT and God does not change by the way, HE had brought the sword (war), pestilence, and famine. You must discern your circumstances as HE is trying to speak to us since many cannot hear HIM in their hearts because it had hardened.

It is not about your enthusiasm. It is not about your emotions. It is not about how much you want to do God's Will. All about you must DIE to yourself! This "I, me, and myself" must die to yourselves! HE requires FULL surrender. Do you know what this means, full surrender? It means that your will has been subjected to HIS Will and Time. You are to have become nothing! Unless we become nothing, HE cannot become everything in us. But so many of us resist the Holy Spirit because we want to be something. So many of us want to shine for ourselves among men. We are so worried about what others think about us. So many of us want to be acknowledged by men. So many of us want our own desires that are contrary to God. So many of God's people still lack faith! It is NOT about "I just want to do God's will!" But rather, "YOUR WILL BE DONE IN ME!" Understand the terms of Full surrender and get rid of the word "I" for yourselves. If we are to become nothing, then why does this word, "I, me, myself, what about me" continue to rise in us?

John 3:30 (AMP) He must increase, but I must decrease. [He must grow more prominent; I must grow less so.]

You ask what are you to do for God? Whether you think you have been called to be an apostle, prophet, evangelist, preacher, or teacher, all of you need to just go back to basics for so many of us have lost their simple ways to God. So many of God's people like the the days of old are forsaking HIM. Do you not realize, if you forsake HIM, HE WILL FORSAKE YOU! Just go back to basic and spend time with HIM each day worshiping, reading, and praying. Wait for HIM!

2 Chronicles 15:2 (AMP) And he went out to meet Asa and said to him, Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him [inquiring for and of Him, craving Him as your soul’s first necessity], He will be found by you; but if you [become indifferent and] forsake Him, He will forsake you.

I heard a testimony. There is a popular contemporary Christian Korean singer who spoke about her step mother. About sixteen years ago, her step mother who is also a Christian singer got cancer. The step mother was on her way to death. So she ask God, "I am about to die, what do you want me to do, Lord?" HE replied to her, "Just worship and praise ME!"
So before church service, she would go an hour early and she just praise and worship God by herself. Within time, she had become healed.

You and I were created to worship and praise HIM and since many are failing to do this, we have fallen to the many ways of the flesh and thus many of us are sick and without HIS rest and peace. If we return to HIM and into HIS presence, will HE not heal us? Will HIS Glory not heal us? We are not healed whether that be spiritually or physically because we have stepped out of HIS presence and we worship HIM with our lips rather than our hearts. Our hearts are calloused. The pharisee spirit is still much alive and operating today in many of us.

We have created our own veils preventing us from entering the Holy of Holy through our own sin. Ask the Lord to search your hearts. Unless you enter into HIS presence through prayer/worship, how will HE speak and show you? Return to HIM. Humble yourselves, repent, and return to your first Love. Make a choice to stop sinning and leave the things of the world behind.

Matthew 13:14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,
‘When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
15 For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and LET ME HEAL THEM.

HE is willing to heal us but we must turn ALL of our heart to HIM.

Fire of God Church
An International Holy Fire Ministry
Fremont, California USA
Pastor Steve Yong Kim

What is the Fire of God Church about? What will God's Fire do?

What is the International Holy Fire Ministry at Fire of God Church about? If you come to this church, your sins will be exposed. Within time, God will expose your sins so that you may have a choice to remove the sin and your idols in order to move forward. One must become humbled confessing their sins. Your past hurts, abuse, trauma, rejection, depression, jealous, envy, pride, self will, and many other bondage will need to be addressed and dealt with. Otherwise, one day, stubborn and prideful hearts will be pruned away.

It is not a place in which one can come and insert their own ideas or goals. It is the House of God in which one must fully surrender their lives. Full submission and obedience are required but it is a place in which spiritual freedom is sensed. Where there is Spirit, there is freedom.

Any self must die, decrease, and become nothing as HE increases and becomes everything. The terms "I, me, and what about me," must all die. It will be the end of all your personal kingdoms and the start of fulfilling God's kingdom. It will be about doing the Father's Will. Everything that one has been learned or taught from the old wine must be put down. One must be ready as the new wine to be put in a new wine sack.

It is not a place in which one can sing their own type of songs. It is not a place in which one can preach their own messages. It is not a place in which one can bring their old wine ideas. It is not a place in which one can do their own thing. It is a place in which the Holy Spirit fully reigns. And since the Holy Spirit reigns, any sin or disobedience is dealt with in discipline and judgment by HIM. But Grace abounds as HE waits for the babes.

It is an Issac Church birthed by the Spirit of God. The church was birthed by HIM and it will be finished by HIM. All of man's wisdom, knowledge, culture, social status, age, financial status, fear, and self righteousness must be put down. All steps are ordered by the Holy Spirit within this church.

This is a church in which uncompromised gospel will be preached. The members will be taught to tithe and offer correctly. They will be taught to keep the 4th commandment properly in the Lord's Day. The members will be taught to remove all of their sins even the smallest from their lives. It is a church in which God has commanded that HIS commandments be taught to HIS people. The Word will be preached and it will come to pierce their hearts dividing spirit and flesh so that they may choose life or death.

Jesus said My House is a House of Prayer. The Fire of God Church is a House of Prayer. If one comes to our church, one will be required to become a prayer and worship warrior. One will be required to remove the sin from their lives. Many are called but few are chosen. Many are called but few will choose to persevere and obey.

This is a House of Prayer in which HIS sons and daughters will come to know their true identity in Christ and no longer have divided hearts. It is a place in which His people are required to bear lasting fruit. They will come to know the true meaning of Holiness. This is a church in which HE has and is gathering HIS people from among the nations to save us for HIS Name sake, to give us a new heart and a new spirit. HE has saved us out of HIS Grace. The Holy Fire Ministry has been commissioned to take the authority and land back from the enemy. The earth belongs to us!

Ez 11:22-28 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: I do not do this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations to which you went.
23 And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name and separate it for its holy purpose from all that defiles it—My name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them—and the nations will know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service], when I shall be set apart by you and My holiness vindicated in you before their eyes and yours.
24 For I will [a]take you from among the nations and gather you out of all countries and bring you into your own land.25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness; and from all your idols will I cleanse you.26 A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.27 And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall heed My ordinances and do them.28 And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall be My people, and I will be your God.

This is HIS Church and we are HIS people and HE is our God. Come all you who are weary with heavy burden and find your rest in HIM for HIS yoke is light and HE is humble and gentle in Heart.

God bless you all!

Fire of God Church
An International Holy Fire Ministry
Pastor Steve Yong Kim

Are you after GOD’S HEART? by Diane Solver

Malachi 1:6-14 "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, 'How have we despised your name?' 7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, 'How have we polluted you?' By saying that the LORD's table may be despised. 8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts. 9 And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts. 10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. 12 But you profane it when you say that the Lord's table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. 13 But you say, 'What a weariness this is,' and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD. 14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.”



In the Old Testament, God gave the Israelites specific instructions on what to offer. They should offer the best of their flocks and the best of their grains and fruits. He gave laws to follow. They should not offer blind, lame, or sick animal with blemish. They should offer what the Lord wants them to offer. But nowadays, many are serving Daddy God in their own ways. Many are giving their offerings to God according to what they want. Many are giving polluted offerings. Daddy God has standards. And His standards are higher than our standards. We honor the Lord when we do what He wants. We honor Him when we obey Him.



Most of us are self-seeking. We want things and so we pray for it. But how many have asked the Lord for what He wants? Many pray for a large ministry not because they want to glorify the Lord but because they enjoy being in the ministry. Many want to please themselves and get self satisfaction through serving. But have we ever asked God for what He wants? Have we ever asked Him if He approves what we are doing in the ministry? Did we ask Him if what we are doing in our lives are pleasing to Him?

Jeremiah 7:24 But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.

Psalms 81:12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.

Those who do not ask counsel from the Lord are the ones who often compromise or disobey. They don’t have the fear of the Lord. They do what they want to do. If we continue to do what we want to do and if we refuse to ask counsel from the Lord, He will eventually gave us over to our stubborn hearts.

Psalms 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”

Isaiah 28:29 “This also comes from the LORD of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.”

Ask the Lord what He wants. Many do not ask the Lord because they fear that the Lord might ask them to do difficult things that they do not want. Many people pretend to be deaf and they just do what they think is more easy and more comfortable. Yes, His way is difficult. It is narrow. But it is the only way to life. If we take counsel from the Lord and allow Him to guide us, we will not be lost because He’ll teach us the right way. We must know what pleases the Lord. We must ask Him what He wants. We must know what He likes and what He dislikes. We must know Him personally. We must know His ways. We must walk with Him. We must obey Him at all cost. We must be one with Him for we are His bride. We must be people after His own heart, people who knows His heart. Are you after His heart?



ALL GLORY TO GOD

-Daddy’s girl

Your faith must endure to the end

Ezekiel 18:24-25 But if the righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds which he has done shall be remembered. In his trespass that he has trespassed and in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he die.25 Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not fair and just.Hear now, O house of Israel: Is not My way fair and just? Are not your ways unfair and unjust?

If someone got saved a year ago and believed in the Lord at that time and was faithful and on fire but now has back slidden and is back into their sin, would that person's believing and faith in the Lord last year be sufficient to make it into heaven now if such a person died even though he/she is not properly believing now? Obviously not.

Our faith and believing must endure to the end. What we have believed before would be in vain if we are not believing in a higher state now or in the future. We are to be moving from Glory to Glory becoming the image and nature of our Lord Jesus. If we are not growing, stagnant and moving backwards, our seed would have fallen on the road side, thorns, or rocky soil. Such branches will be pruned from the VINE and thrown into the fire of weeping and anguish. May you all persevere and endure until the end.

Matthew 13:13 But he who endures to the end will be saved.

Ezekiel 18:21 But if the wicked man turns from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all My statutes and does that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of his transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; for his righteousness which he has executed [for his moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation], he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Lord, and not rather that he should turn from his evil way and return [to his God] and live?

There is always hope if you are willing. But you must make such choice "Today" and not tomorrow. Return to HIM now while HE may be found. Return to HIM now while you have the Grace to Repent.

Pastor Steve Yong Kim

Halloween is not part of us

We are called to separate ourselves from this world. If you participate with the things of the world, we will share in its sins and then its judgments. Halloween is not part of us and we need to completely sever ourselves from it. Do NOT participate with Halloween. We look at South America and they celebrate the "Day of the Dead." 

So many people are wearing clothes with pictures of skull and death. So many people are placing stickers on their cars and hats of skulls and death. So many people including Christians are tattooing skulls of death onto themselves. They are speaking DEATH over their lives. The spiritual realm is more real than many realize including Christians. We should know about the spiritual but many Christians are so ignorant about it. It may look trivial on the surface but they thought and said smoking and drinking was harmless at first also. Do not be deceived, God will not be mocked!

Revelation 18:4 (AMP) I then heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out from her, my people, so that you may not share in her sins, neither participate in her plagues.

Joshua 24:5 I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it; and afterward I brought you out.

Egypt is the world. There is a plague on Egypt. If we as God's people continue to participate with the world, we will subject ourselves to the plagues of Egypt. 

James 4:4 You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy.

Pastor Steve Yong Kim

Pruning

Proverbs 11:2 (AMP) When swelling and pride come, then emptiness and shame come also, but with the humble (those who are lowly, who have been pruned or chiseled by trial, and renounce self) are skillful and godly Wisdom and soundness.

Our hearts and lives are purified and pruned by the trials, tests, and tribulations of life. We can either accept the discipline and of the denying of one self or we can be pruned out completely from the Vine.

Romans 11:22 (AMP) Then note and appreciate the gracious kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s gracious kindness to you—provided you continue in His grace and abide in His kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off (pruned away).

We understand and may know HIS Kindness but do you know HIS severity? We must CONTINUE in His Grace and abide in His kindness. It is not a one time event of accepting Jesus Christ, you MUST CONTINUE in HIM. How do we Continue to abide in HIM?

John 15:2 (AMP) Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.

You can thank God in all your circumstances overcoming your trials, tests, and tribulation and have those ugly parts of your hearts pruned away as you bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit or you can complain and grumble bearing fruit of the enemy and be completely pruned away in whole. When difficulties arise, rather than praying and asking God to get you out of that situation so quickly, you must ask why it is happening. There is a message for you in all circumstances and for you to learn something. Learn His judgments and discipline.

The choice is yours. Choose life or death. Choose the narrow road. Always be praying in the spirit brethren.
Psalm 51:10 (AMP) Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me
 
Pastor Steve Yong Kim

Pray in the Spirit without ceassing

Fire of God Church
An International Holy Fire Ministry
Friday, Oct 4, 2013
Fremont, California USA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBdb-HoR4U0

Love one another

Jesus: "My beloved people and to those who desire to hear My voice, many people are saying that they want and desire the Lord. But their heads are filled and preserved with knowledge. I see their lives are not changing; it is like a hardened fossil. They claim and say that My words are alive in them but their thoughts and knowledge is so steadfast that it will not change or soften. Please evaluate yourself, and see if you are unchangeable.

I want you to feel My love with your heart, not by your lips. There are many things that are important and they are all precious but what I expect from you is that you have the love of Christ in your heart. Do not speak or converse from what is external or visual. Do not value or judge from what you hear.

My beloved people, there are many little immature children. They are people who can only take dissolved milk. They are filled with many deficiencies and they make many mistakes. But I love them all as well. Love and overlook their weaknesses. You must serve them more and be one with one another. Do not judge or slander one another but I desire all of you to be a person who can assist in each others shortcomings. In order for you to reach heaven, you must triumph many fierce secular and spiritual trials and battles. The end time in which you are now living has become very difficult to stand firm. It will be very difficult for one to stand firm if he/she is not able to win the battles.

From hereafter, I earnestly desire your spirits to be bright lights. When the spirit of a person darkens, his/her eyes will also become darkened. As a result, he/she will not be able to discern even if they are able to see or hear. I want you to illuminate yourselves through your spiritual truth and light. I want you to evaluate your situation or position so that you may know where you stand. My beloved people, in this end time, if you do not put on the power of the Holy Spirit, you will be a victim to the many dark evil spirits who are like devouring lions and they will aim their fierce arrows at you. You must guard and protect your heart from sin.

If you do not open the door of your heart or thoughts to sin, then satan can not enter into you with his free will. Therefore, when it comes to making a choice or decision, I want you to be more careful and thoughtful."

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesying. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. Brethren, pray for us. Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen”

Baptize by Blazing Fire Book number 5, chapter 2
Author Pastor Kim, Yong Doo

The Lord's Church, South Korea

Rent your clothes and put dust on your heads!

Joshua 7:6 Then Joshua rent his clothes and lay on the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.

In the Old Testament, we see that the OT saints tended to rent their clothes and put dust on their heads. Why did they do this? When they especially repented before the Lord, they rented their clothes and put dust on their heads. Today, we do not rent our clothes nor do we put dust on our heads. But what is the spiritual significance?

In the OT, the garments were considered very valuable. In many cases, the OT saints may have had only a couple or one in which they can afford. So to rent their clothes would end up costing them a great deal of money. Even the Romans soldiers threw lots for the garments of Jesus at the cross.

But when God's people came to truly remorse or repent, they rented their clothes. They were telling God, their repentance was sincere and was willing to give up something most valued. They rented their clothes or garment. Today, God's requires us to rent our hearts or spirits in remorse or repenting. But what have you given up that is so valuable to HIM as you come to HIM in repentance or in petition to your prayers. Where is your offering? In the OT, they always brought HIM an offering. They did not come empty handed.

Deuteronomy 16:16 (AMP) Three times a year shall all your males appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed:

Today's Christians are like the Pharaoh that Moses dealt with. Even after the ten judgements and after losing his first born, he asked Moses for a blessing. Today's Christians are like the world, we are always looking to get things for free. We come to God empty handed looking for a physical or spiritual breakthrough.

What did the dust represent? The dust represented dirt. What is the value of dirt? As they put the dust on their heads, they were telling God, they were nothing before HIM. They were willing to rent their clothes giving up something most valuable to tell God they were sincere and they put dust on their heads to state they were nothing.

Many today are in bondage, addictions, chaos, sickness, depression, poverty, etc, and they come to the altar looking for God to answer them but many come empty handed and they do not receive their breakthrough. But we are willing to make an offering to our doctors. We are willing to make an offering to the pharmacist. We are willing to make an offering to the government. We are willing to make an offering to the lottery system. We are willing to make an offering to ourselves buying nice things for ourselves.

I personally have experienced and witnessed people receiving physical and spiritual breakthrough when they come to HIM humbly and with a offering that has cost them. Many prosperity preachers have abused the tithe and offering message and have made people weary in offering to God. But you must not let that prevent you from doing right. Otherwise, their curses fall on you as well.

If you are in a home church, you must continue to make your tithes and offering before the Lord. If you are not in a church, you must still make tithes and offering to where HE designates to you. You cannot choose on your own. You must continue to make 10% tithes to continue in the blessings. We do not tithe to receive the blessing but to continue in it. But we make offerings to receive more blessings. Otherwise, we are robbing God.

Joel 2:12-13 (AMP) Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored]. 13 Rend your hearts and not your garments and return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness; and He revokes His sentence of evil [when His conditions are met].

What price have you paid to follow Jesus? Has it costed you your time? Has it costed you your money? Has it costed you your job or career? Has it costed you your future? Has it costed you your family? What has it costed you to follow Jesus? What has changed besides going to church once a week for most of us? If you have lost nothing, then perhaps you should ask yourself if you are even following Jesus.

Fire of God Church
An International Holy Fire Ministry
Pastor Steve Yong Kim

GROWING INTO FULL MATURITY by Diane Solver

Matthew 5: 48 “You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Colossians 1: 10 “That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition].”

I was praying when I heard Daddy God telling me that He wants all His children to grow into full maturity. He said that He wants His people to hunger more spiritually and long to know Him more. Being born again is not enough. We have to grow into full maturity. We have to be like Jesus. Just as a child cannot grow physically without proper food, if we do not eat spiritually we will die.

1 Peter 2:2 “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation”

When we became born again, we yearn for the Lord. Just like a new baby who is yearning for its mother’s milk, newly born again Christians yearn for the simple truths of the gospel. But we must not remain being spiritual babies. Babies have no responsibility. Others feed you, clothe you, and change your diaper. Babies are born to grow up and be productive. Likewise, we are born again, so we can become mature Christians, serving the Lord.

Psalm 92:12 “The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible].”

Matthew 4:4 “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

Many Christians are not growing and they became stagnant. Many are contented on just going to church every Sunday and hearing what their pastors preached. Some do not even go to church. We should all get back to God. Get back on your knees and pray. Our prayer time should increase and not decrease. Don’t reason out that you don’t have time. You don’t have time because you chose not to have time. We have time for other things, but we don’t have time for the Lord? It is by prayer and by reading His Word that we get to know His ways. We will know Him more by prayer and spending time in His presence.

The body needs enough food to live. The more we grow, the more we tend to eat more foods. Likewise, our spirit needs food. As we grow more spiritually, we will long for more spiritually meat and we will always want to be in God’s presence. Daddy God said that He is limitless. He will give us more revelations, more spiritual food and more spiritually gifts. We should not settle for milk. Milk is for babies. We should be eating meat. We should be eating solid spiritual food. He will give more spiritual food to us if we spend more time with Him.

Hebrews 5:12-14 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

 Do we eat once a week? We all know we need food. We want it every day, regularly, several times a day. Likewise, we cannot grow spiritually without feeding on God's Word. We should feed on God’s Word every day, several times a day. Christians need regular nourishment from God's word to grow. Isn’t it nice to see a child grows? Daddy God wants to see us grow. It is His delight to see us grow. If we loved Him, we will not choose to remain stationary. We should grow in His grace moving forward on to maturity.

Hebrews 6:1-2 “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.”

 Ephesians 4:11-14  “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes."

ALL GLORY TO GOD!

-Daddy's girl