1st Love

Jewels from the River: 1st Love

Judy Bauman

http://www.thefathersloveim.org/

August 13, 2009

This is Part 3 of a 4 part series. To see Parts 1 and 2 please go to:

http://www.thefathersloveim.org/jewels_from_the_river__let_the_adventures_begin_

http://www.thefathersloveim.org/jewels_from_the_river__let_the_adventures_continue_

The night I received my last post (Let the Adventures Continue), I had come home late from ministering and had received an invitation from the Lord to take Communion. After receiving the bread and the cup it was right at midnight June 27, 2009. (See Matthew 25:1-13). It happened to be exactly one year to the day after the first River Vision began!

As I finished the Lord's Supper, this is what He spoke:

1^st Love

Who is your 1^st love? Who loved you 1^st? I love you with an everlasting love that will keep you strengthened and encouraged in this day and hour which you live.

Many say that they will embrace their destinies*, but their hearts are far from Me. I say to take up your cross and follow Me! Few do. They only follow when they think I am saying I will bless and prosper them. These only follow because they think they will be fed. Many claiming to be leaders are truly hirelings, and while there is a place for them, they are My last choice to watch over and feed My sheep. (See Matthew 16:24, 25; John 6:26; 10:12)

You have heard, "the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous." And many are asking why I have not yet released wealth to them. Heart motivations are being weighed in the balance and many have been found lacking. James told you that you have not because you ask not and when you ask you ask with wrong motives. You say your desire for money is for the purpose of giving to charity, but if you are not faithful with little, you will not be faithful with much. If you are not faithful now, what you have will be handed over to one who is. I do not honor faithless promises to be obedient "when there is enough". The real desire is to spend wealth on things that can be shown to make others think they are blessed of Me! (See James 4:2-4; Matthew 25:14-30)

Do you not know you are building your own kingdom with this thinking, and not the Kingdom of Heaven? Child, you want the wealth of the unrighteous to spend on yourself and yet do not see the wickedness of this thinking!

Many of you have already lost much and you may think I am pouring salt on your wounds, but I am not a god of torture. It has always been My desire to bring people to a place where they know they have to change directions, like Balaam, or they will perish. Do I want you to walk in the error of Balaam? Must a donkey rebuke you? (See Numbers 22:1-35, Jude 11, Revelation 2:14)

Return to your 1^st Love! Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near! Remember from where you have fallen. Do the deeds you did at first. (See Revelation 2:4)

Your oil is dwindling and the hour is late! It will not keep you until I return. It is the love of money and the need to acquire wealth that has become your downfall. Your light will go out in the gross darkness to come. Where does your loyalty and trust lie? In the wealth that you can amass or the trust you have in Me? You can only serve one.

Do you want to intimately know wealth, which is fickle and treacherous, or Christ and Him crucified? Will you embrace your cross and follow My Son, Jesus? Again I ask, "Who is your 1^st love?"

The River:

After the Lord gave me this word, I went to sleep until morning. That morning around 10:30 He invited me to take His Supper again. I was pondering the chances of the Jesus wanting to be with me or for Him to speak to me again after all He said the day and night before. The Lord's voice interrupted my thoughts, "Judy, I have invited you to come. Don't think I will ration My time with you." I remembered He told me I could come anytime I wanted as long as I was not distracted. (And this is true for you too.)

Out of the blue there is a barrage of birds outside my window at the feeders. It is odd and humorous. A woodpecker, numerous blue jays, two doves, frisky little titmouse, and cardinals - all at once decide it is time to eat at my house! (But there was no partridge in a pear tree!)

I watch them for a bit and am amused, but then realize this is a distraction. I cry out, "Jesus! Let me come! I can't seem to find the path!"

Suddenly I see the Lord with a machete in hand, hacking His way toward me through overgrown brush and weeds. I find this strange since I have spent so much time with Him at the River lately. In my thinking, my coming would keep the trail packed down and make it difficult for the weeds to grow.

The Lord chimes in, "You've been skipping the path and coming straight to the River! There is a lot of growth because the others who also use the path have not been coming at all."

I recall that the path was already established when the Lord pointed it out to me. "Oh Lord!" I exclaim, "I see what You mean about Your Beloved forsaking her 1^st Love!"

"The sad thing is, Jewels," He states, "most don't realize they haven't visited Me in some time because they are so busy with church and church activities. My Body is also caught up in political entanglements, like the zealots of My day, they think their security is in their government. Don't get Me wrong, the government of any country is important, but they cannot save you. They cannot be counted on to be your provider. Ultimately that is My job."

"So why aren't Your people coming?" I ask Him.

"That is not your business, Child. Come on, I have something to show you."

...To be continued...

In the Father's love,

Judy Bauman

* http://www.thefathersloveim.org/will_you_embrace_your_destiny_1