Happy Mothers Day!

Greetings to the Mother's at COTH!

Our hearts are filled with the precious thought of your faith as mother's. We pray that today God will grant you the sight to see your family through His eyes and with His heart. Hold fast to the Word of God. Believe Him for your family. Stand in righteousness and speak Truth in Love. Minister peace in the midst of the storm. Be an overcomer by looking to the hills from whence cometh your strength. Give the Bread of Life to your family and prepare it with thanksgiving!

We champion you and love you! Be blessed of the Lord this day and walk in the power of His might!

Happy Mother's Day!

Who Will Fill The Void?

This morning many of us are grieving the passing of our dear brother, Pastor David Wilkerson. He has been a spiritual father to many of us with his daily impartation of truth into our lives via his morning devotions.

Our hearts are grieved this morning for the loss that the Body of Christ has suffered. That loss has gripped our souls and as we lamented before the Lord this morning, we felt the Lord say "Who will fill the void?" Then He responded with "You fill the void".

Church, we must declare His righteousness in the earth. His Love is His righteousness. As our beloved brother, David Wilkerson, said in a sermon once, the only unity we can have is in holiness. How can we be unified if we are not holy as He is holy?

Preaching against sin isn't popular but it's Truth. How can we say we are in the Light if we walk in darkness? God is saying to us, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." (Rev. 18:4) Judgment is coming to this world. Flee from lust, idolatry, wickedness, deceitfulness, malice, envy, debates, fornication, covetousness, lying, whisperings, backbiters, boasters and disobedience. Get your home in order. Declare "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord" (Jos 24:15). Do not permit any unclean thing to enter your heart or your home. Purge out the leaven and let us partake of Christ, our unleavened bread. This is Love at work in your life.

As Anna listened to us share about David Wilkerson's passing, we mentioned the void that we felt had been created in the Body of Christ and this was her response, "Who will fill it?". Then with tears in her eyes she answered, "I'm willing".

God, let us be willing to be one of the voices that rise up in the absence of this man and carry the torch that he bore unashamedly and proclaim the holiness of our God. Cause righteous indignation to rise in our hearts against anything that exalts itself against our God, first in our own hearts, then our homes and ultimately anything around us, commanding it to bow before our King. Don't let us give into the lies and compromise, God keep us in Truth and don't let us be deceived.

We love what David Wilkerson says about judging. It's the tool of the enemy within the church. When we call sin for what it is, the Church screams "You're judging me". No, God's word judges us. Most of the time we are defending our flesh, our old man, our carnal desires...

Having just come off of Passover, our family was studying Exodus. In chapter 12 the Lord told them BEFORE the tenth plague to "keep your sandals on, staff in hand, and eat the lamb in haste". His intent was to never leave His people in Egypt. He was telling them when He delivers them He expects them to move from that place. We are not to stay in sin. Not then, and not now. Today we say we "apply the blood to the doorposts of our hearts" and this is a true statement. That Passover night, however, was the BEGINNING of their salvation. After the death angel had passed over, if they would have stayed in Egypt they would have either died at Pharoh's hand or, at the least, remained in slavery. "Keep your sandals on". MOVE! GET OUT! The WAY has been made. However, as Hebrews 3 says, "Today, while it is called today do not harden your hearts". He swore in His wrath they would not enter His rest due to the sin of unbelief. Then the Lord quickened me. They left Egypt physically but NOT in their hearts. They murmered and complained. Their flesh enjoyed certain comforts they didn't want to give up. They thought Egypt was better and they all perished. The Lord said they did not know His ways. So brother and sister, the Lord is purging His bride. Let us not defend Egypt. May we HATE evil and abhor sin. God have mercy on us if we whine in the desert and say "You're judging me". God's way is to obey Him and have nothing to do with this world.

Our flesh must yield to the Spirit and allow Him to transform us into the Word. "But thou, O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art also called and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things...that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ." I Titus 6:11-14

Let us go from this day, loving the Truth with our lives, boldly declaring His righteousness and "cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the God". 2 Corinthians 7:1

We love you and rejoice with you in the opportunity to "fill the void".

Steve and Kara

Manifestation of Love

I wanted to share with you what God was doing in my heart during my time with Him this morning. This is my journal entry. It's intimate but I felt to share it with you! Be blessed today by Loving others with His Love!

My heart is to have the same testimony that you had, Jesus. "I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me out of this world". (John 17:6) Father, I desire to be the expressed image of your Glory. My heart is to be manifested love to whom you have given me. "While I was in the world, I kept them in your name...and that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me...for you loved me before the foundation of the world...Oh righteous Father, the world has not known you but I have known you...and I have declared to them your name, and will declare it, that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them." (parts of John 17:12, 23-26). "As you sent me into the world, I also send them into the world." (John 17:18)

My heart is full this morning Lord. I desire to be found as you were, manifesting the Father's name and loving men as you were loved of the Father. What was the Father's love towards you? I know what it was towards me...the Cross. But what was His love towards you, from the foundations of the world? I desire to know what that is because it is your will that I become that. The only thing that I know that happened before the foundations of the world was that you were crucified. Is that how the Father loved you? Was His love towards you expressed in the giving of yourself for the redemption of man? Was His love towards you evidenced in trusting you with the Cross? Is that how you desire to love us? To pour us out as wine? Is that your way Oh Lord? "Teach me your way Oh Lord, that I may walk in your Truth, give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name". (Psalms 86:11) Can it be that I could know this Love? or better yet, become this Love? Oh, that our hearts would burst open wide because of the great love that we have for you and for those you have given us. Oh God, my heart is overwhelmed. I know that I am not worthy to walk in your shoes. My sins have been many and I have fallen short of your Glory and yet, my heart cries for the revealing of your Love within me. Oh Lord, please grant me the grace to live each and every moment for your Glory and honor. That every thought would be taken captive. That my heart would beat with your heart. Lord, what else have we been loved for? Is it not to Love in return? Precious King, may it be said of me as it was of you...you were the manifested Love of God. ~

Father, I pray that you will give us a correct view of Love. That we would understand your Love as you meant it to be. That we would not pervert it or water it down to fit into our culture. That it would be in full force all that you were....holy, righteous, convicting not condemning, faithful, Truth and poured out for the sake of others. Bless the Body at City on The Hill today and give all of us a revelation of Love and may we respond to it with our lives! We love you guys!

kara

Greetings in the Name of our Lord!

Dear Brothers and Sisters at City on The Hill,

Greetings to you from Steve and Kara and the children! We have wanted to do this for a long time but as life goes, nothing ever goes as planned! However, we have finally set up a blog as a means by which to communicate our hearts to you as a Body on a regular basis. Our desire is to encourage you to press on towards the mark and also to share our pressing with you! If you'll notice, the background picture is one of grapes. That was intentional as we are to be poured out as our King was on our behalf! That has been and always will be our desire concerning you and the rest of the Body of Christ. We hope that you will enjoy this means of communication and that it will bless you in your pursuit of fullness!