The Flame of Compassion verses Compassion

Dear Beloved Reader,

I am in the middle of writing a new book called Access Way to the Heartbeat of God. This book will be a book on the developing relationship with the Lord as our Bridegroom and Chief Intercessor. I believe it will be an important book for our Bridal preparation and the end time work we have with the Lord.

I came to a quiet place tonight to work on it, and have spent most of my time writing and sending out emails instead . There is such a prophetic anointing here with me at IHOP at 10:40 pm that I had to send out emails to those God was speaking to me about.

As important as the book is to write, there is an overwhelming love of God stirring in me for those He is having me write to. It seems more and more as I come to the computer that is what the Lord is having me do. His people are truly on His heart. He loves us more than we could ever imagine. I know we say we know He loves us, but the reality of that love we have just begun to explore.

I look at the present ministry here in the USA and we talk a lot about the compassion of Christ for the poor, the needy, sick, afflicted and those in prison. We talk much about giving the "love of God" to those who are truly in need, and we try to give it to them. Yet, as I sit here this evening I hear in my spirit, The Flame of compassion verses compassion.

If you have been a habitual reader of this blog site, you know I have written extensively about the work of the FIRE OF GOD in our hearts. This work of the Holy Spirit is refining us like Gold and Silver and removing all the dross that is in our hearts.

I am understanding more and more these days that there is a compassion that comes from the human heart, and then there is the compassion that comes from the Heart of God. Beloved, they are not close to being the same thing at all. Human compassion comes from the "understanding" of men or from the soulish area of our hearts. This human compassion is based upon "human" sympathy or understanding by what it sees or does not see in a person's life. Human compassion is built upon what "it thinks" that person needs.

Often time we are compassionate where we should be speaking the "truth" in love to get that person out of the sin they are in, or we are critical where people who truly need the compassion of God get our harsh and cruel judgments. (I can't believe they would do something like that. Why don't they get a job?)

Human compassion is based upon "feelings" or how we "feel" at any given moment. God's compassion is based upon no such thing. It is perfect, insightful and full of mercy every moment of the day. God's compassion discerns perfectly what we need and when we need it. His compassion stays until we are changed by it as in the example of the Good Samaritan.

As I mentioned in the last blog about our conference in Greeley, Colorado called the "burning ones," I have never felt such a BURNING FLAME OF GOD filled with the deepest love and compassion as I did at this gathering. I wish more were able to experience this outpouring of love by coming to the meetings, but God knew who would come in advance.

If you looked at the people who came or judged them by what you knew about them, you would ask yourself a question about God's justice of why He would be so compassionate to these people. Didn't He know what they had said and done and the sin in their life? Doesn't He know where they are "really at?"

Beloved,His love was so burning hot, that the enemy didn't have a chance against His power. He reached past all the things we see on the outside of these precious lambs, and He ministered to the deepest needs of their heart in the Compassion that He is, GOD! I wish I could explain it better, but it was love in it's finest form that I have ever felt. My heart was broken for these precious lambs as I knew His was. He was weeping over the hurt in their hearts and with a Jealous love and one look from His eyes, He set them free.

I know even more today at the end of 2008 that the Lord loves us with a "jealous" love. A love so strong even death can not stop it! Thus saith Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. Zech 1:14. The Lord's desire for us to experience His true "compassionate" love is of the uttermost importance to Him.

His word tells us in 1st John chapter 3:1-2 "See what great(quality of) love the Father has given(bestowed upon) us in naming us the children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not see who we are, because it did not see who he was. My loved ones, now we are children of God, and at present it is not clear what we are to be. We are certain that at his revelation we will be like him; for we will see him as he is."

Jer 31:3 The Lord appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee. Oh, Beloved Reader these words could not be truer today. The Flame of Compassion verses Compassion is what the Lord dropped and is burning in my spirit and in those who are coming to stand in the refining fire with Him. How do we know the difference between human compassion and God's compassion?,

This is a very good question to endeavor to answer? From what I have learned recently in 2008 is that human compassion shows caring, love, empathy and concern but often when "out of sight, out of mind." It seems human compassion can be given for a moment but it does not endure for a lifetime. I am not sure if this will make sense to you or not. An example of this would be that "many" have come to our encounter meetings with the Lord and conferences. Many were transformed by His love and power. Yet out of the many, only a few were touched by the compassion of God to labor in this work together for the Love of God.

God's compassion when it changes a heart truly captures that same heart for His purposes. When we leave a region, I have made a pledge to pray for every single person that comes throughout our ministry. It is not enough to love and be with them for a conference. We are required to give our lives up for them in prayer, encouragement, and in every way God would desire. We are even now putting a "Internet network of prayer" for each precious one who we meet at our conferences, meetings and their families. We are committed to pray for them and their prayer needs until they receive the answers from God.

Believe it or not, in this prayer work God touches our hearts even more with His love and compassion, and these precious ones become more than just names to pray for. They become in living reality our "family." God uses prayer to develop true and lasting love bonds between us and those God sends us to. We can not put them out of our hearts or minds.

In converse however; many are touched through the work God has given to us, but how many have allowed God to touch them with compassion enough to help us do it. I often have to put out letters to help financially or to gather other prayer warriors to help us, yet few follow through unless there is an urgent need. This heart is all throughout the Body of Christ and even still remains in all of us for God to change. Human compassion doesn't have the Flame of Love as it's source, so when our own needs arise or when we are out of sight and out of mind, we can not be touched by God to serve.

Many get angry over the amount of emails or appeals they may receive from different ministries. Many say we have done enough and I have my own problems. This is true even amongst the churches. Very few churches help one another or would even give up their own money, time to help another church down the street. We may eat together at a Pastor's luncheon.

We may even pray together on the "national day of prayer," but love burning with the compassion of God for each other, very few ever find. We are too busy taking care of our "own" needs to see the needs of others in the family. If we treat each other as the "family of God" like this what do we really have, the Fire of Compassion or Human Compassion?" If we care so little about our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, then WHAT ARE WE REALLY GIVING TO THOSE WHO ARE LOST AND NEEDY?

I have watched many ministers today move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and have seen great signs and wonders move through them, but after the meeting is over they want to be ushered out the way from the people. I have watched Pastor after Pastor run to the back door to say good-bye to the people after Sunday morning service, and not stay long enough to minister to the true needs of God's sheep.

There comes a time when we are taught as God's leaders, it is "time to go now." It is time to have lunch or move on to the next item on our Sunday agenda. I have not seen many ministers today stay amongst God's sheep until they know God has released them. Nor have they trained their people to stay and minister until God releases them either. I am not trying to be critical, but we are taught not to get "to close" to the people.

My dear Pastor friend in South Africa wrote to me about our coming and being with them in this manner, I quote,"I appreciate your humility; the way you choose staying among the people has given a new look of Christianity in our community. The youths want you more here in Yeoville,(Johannesburg) " They say, "Pastor when is he going to come again, we look for the servant of God: they asked."

I am floored by these comments and humbled by the Lord. Not because of me or what I did, but the Great IAM chose to highlight this fact (of staying with the sheep) to this precious man of God and His church. "A new look of Christianity to our community." Believe me Beloved, this is not how I was taught. I was taught to have our service in 2 hours or less, pray for a few folks and get everyone home for dinner.

I was taught to not "get close" to the people, and to stand in the back and wait for the "what a great message Pastor" and the pat on the back. The true needs of God's sheep could only be found when they called for an appointment of counseling from me. All the teaching I would bring on Sunday was about evangelism, winning souls, bringing backsliders back to Christ every Sunday or our church vision. Yet, the true needs of God's people were not made clear, nor were they met. I didn't even know or care if they even heard God's voice in the first two years of my ministry calling.

The only thing I was concerned with was "numbers" in the church and "numbers" we needed to save. What kind of shepherd was I? I felt bad when people in the church were hurting. I felt bad if there families were breaking up or their teens were being lost. I went to find books to help them, counseling sessions to reach them, but did I have the compassion of the Lord flowing through me?

I am ashamed to admit it, but I don't think I did. I believe I had human compassion for them, but not the compassion of the Lord that was jealous over them and their families. Beloved, it was not until the Intercessory prayer gift and calling on my life came forth did I even have a clue of what His heart felt like over them.

I am grateful the Lord did not keep me in that place very long, though 2 years seemed like an eternity. He had to DESTROY that place of human compassion in me. The place of arrogance and self-righteousness that only saw from the surface and only cared from human compassion. Human compassion that only goes so far and then it gives up and quits. It does not have flame of God for the hurting and the broken to heal them once and for all. I won't even take the time to speak of what God had to bring me through to destroy the enemy of the genuine call on my life, but for now please know it was worth it!

When I think of an example of a man who has the God Kind of Compassion in Him, I often think of Brother David Wilkerson of Teen Challenge and the Time Square Church. I believe for over 50 years or so, this precious servant of the Lord has showed us the compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ. This compassion didn't stop on Sunday or at the door, but eventually became a ministry that would stay with the hurting until they were truly back on their feet. If you ever get a chance to see the movie, "the cross and the switchblade" you should see it. It demonstrates this Flame of Compassion very well. What type of ministry are we truly called to?

It is easy to minister from the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but much more difficult to minister the Love of the Holy Spirit. How are they different? The word of God says we can have faith to move mountains, power to prophesy, give all our food to the poor, or our body to be burned, but without God's love in us, we are a useless nobody and a clanging bell.(1st Cor.13)

We can do all those things in human love and under the power of the Holy Spirit, but not IN the power of the Holy Spirit. Yes, you preacher can be anointed for a service and pray for the anointing to come upon you, but never taste the anointing that burns in you as the Flame of Holy Love and Compassion.

Understanding this Holy Love and Compassion wrecks your life as a believer. It wrecks your life as a Minister. It wrecks your understanding of ministry. Our call is not 9-5 Monday through Friday. Our calling is not to have weekends off. Our calling is not to have Pastor's Monday off? Where is that in the Bible?

Our call is this, "no greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for His friends." Our calling says, "you are not your own, you have been purchased for a price." Our true calling from God sees yourself as a "bond-servant, a love slave of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our true heavenly calling gets down and washes the disciples feet, and it stays with that person all the way to the end.

Often,while I am writing, the Holy Spirit will quicken in me to go to my email, and He will give me a word for a brother or sister I have not seen in years or months. He will speak to me about them even if they hurt me in the past or left being under our care. He will tell me to write to them and tell them that He and I love them and give them a present word of the Lord.

His compassion can not be measured, for it is unending because it is who He is, Love Himself! I am not sure why I am writing this or who this is for. Perhaps it is just a reminder to me and that is OK! The Holy Spirit spoke to me many years ago this truth; "Henry, you have NO RIGHT TO SPEAK INTO SOMEONES LIFE UNLESS YOU ARE READY TO DIE FOR THEM!

When He spoke to me about going to Colorado for the first time, He spoke again and said,"You must be ready to pour out your life completely for those I am sending you there for." I know many ministers have this in their hearts already, so this is just routine for you! But, for those of you who are hungering after the Lord you must ask this one question? Is God able to pour through you His love and compassion that burns with RED HOT JEALOUSY for His people?

If the answer to that is no, then ask Him to burn this "jealous" love in you. When you experience the "jealous love" He has for you and over you, you will be able to give it away to those He is bringing you to.

I am not sure if I will write more about this, I may have to expound it a little more if God allows, but if not, don't miss your opportunity to change. Don't miss your time to be naked and exposed before the Lord. If your answer is no, His compassion is not burning in you, then run to Him with all your heart until you are burning in love with Him and Him with you. Then and only then can He touch you with the FLAME OF COMPASSION to change the world with His Glory.

AMEN!