Revival Fire Exposes Hearts

My break was now over and as I went back to the next session, Pastor James was very sober as he had received a rebuke from the Lord. We were all rebuked as the Lord mentioned that the prayer camp was turning into another church conference, and He demanded holiness and a fear of God—that none had a fear of God. The Lord wanted us to be holy as He is holy, and deal with the issues of our heart—that we began to entertain people rather than having people cry out to prepare themselves to seek His face—that many came for the wrong reasons. I was stunned. Many in the camp were stunned because it was a firm but strong rebuke. Although I didn’t go to Bible Promises for the previous message that you guys heard, everything he said confirmed what the Lord had just given me. It was so convicting as I, too, had to search deep in my heart and realize I had become very familiar with God because of the intimacy we had.

As Pastor James walked up to the pulpit, these are some notes that I took from what he shared. He first started with Exodus 19:4-1-10;

On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. 2 After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.

3 Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

7 So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. 8 The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.

9 The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.

10 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes 11 and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

This was given three days before our camp ended. So, Pastor James is fervent that the Lord was calling a consecration to confession, confessing our sins and really walking in the fear of the Lord.

So he began,

“Where is the fear of the Lord? God doesn’t take pleasure in what you’re building but takes pleasure in our hearts. Our hearts set apart for God. One people set apart for God.”

The Lord spoke to him and said,

“Train my people to fear Me—teach my people to fear me. Go teach your people to fear God”.

I felt it was a Rhema for Heartdwellers Africa, that the Lord was calling us to teach the fear of the Lord—teach about holiness. Then he went on to add Deuteronomy 10:12, which is about the fear of the Lord. It goes on to say;

Deuteronomy 10:12 ~ Fear the Lord

12 And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.

He went on to ask, “Are we asking the Lord to judge us, to show us where we can change, do better?”

I thought of the prayer (which I used to say with all my heart) that I got from Rick Joyner’s book, “The Final Quest”, about when he was taken to heaven and saw how many ministers—many Christians were in the outer courts in heaven. They’re the ones who are “weeping and gnashing of teeth” because they had lived their lives for themselves. Although on this earth they were known, praised, honored, and respected—some had even started revivals and the movements of God, by the Holy Spirit—in heaven, they were the least of these. Because the truth of the matter is, they had lived for themselves. He began to cry out, saying, “God, I want you to judge me now. Judge me now so I can serve you more perfectly.” As all of these from the cloud of witnesses, and saints came to speak to him and give him counsel, that’s what he received. In heaven, he got the truth of how God sees us on earth—how we are to live our lives on earth. If only we would ask the Lord to judge us now, on earth, that truly we would walk in pureness of heart—that all we do would be from a motive of love and a motive of purity so that when we stand before God on that day, our rewards would not burn up in the fire, as it says in scripture—that some works would be burned up in the fire. He saw many in heaven, ministers, whose works were burned in the fire because they had ulterior motives and their hearts weren’t pure in serving Jesus. So that’s one thing I used to say…I would always tell the Lord—Lord, judge me, judge me, Lord, that I may serve you more perfectly. And that’s exactly what Pastor James said. So he said, “Everyone, repeat after me, ‘Judge me, Lord, that I may serve you more perfectly. Increase, Lord, and let me decrease’”. Pastor James asked us to repeat after him and that prayer came to my mind as I began to say that.

He then shared;

Exodus 32:1-7

When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”

2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”

5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” 6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.

7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’”

Many times I would read that and think to myself, “What is wrong with Aaron, how quickly—how would you so easily succumb to the people’s needs and allow them to worship an idol? And being here at the camp and seeing what the Lord is bringing up, I was like, “Wow, Lord! We have done the exact same thing. We came in excitement, in passion, and wanting our own things here at this Consecration Camp.” But, sincerely, did we really want Jesus, did we really want God? I think many of us came because we wanted things from God, but did we really want HIM? And many of us came to actually see Pastor James Kawalya—notGod.

As he came back, after being on hiatus the previous day, seeing what it had become—it was a wonderful time, I mean, if anyone were to walk in you would think, Wow, God is moving. Worship was great, people were dancing, the flags were flying—but the truth of the matter is the Lord is exposing our hearts. He wanted us there for Him—not for Pastor James, not for what he can give us, not for his anointing, and not for God to give us anything, but just for Himself. And do we have a fear of God? It was so convicting. So Pastor James had called us into deep prayer the day before and told us that he was going to join us this day. So when he came back from hearing God’s voice we were rebuked because our hearts were exposed just like the Israelites.

Why, after six weeks, did they turn back to witchcraft? They knew how God worked, as Pastor James said. They saw his miracles, signs, and wonders—just like what we had seen. Many people [were] delivered the first day, just crying out in anguish, demons screaming out of people, people falling on the ground, and set free these past five days—but what the Israelites did not know, they did not know His ways.

So we came here to the Consecration Camp knowing the works of God, that He delivers, He sets free, He brings breakthrough—but do we know the ways of God? Interestingly enough, in my own prayer time, the Lord gave me Psalm 119 He. In that particular scripture is talking about, Lord, teach me—teach me to know Your decrees, teach me to know Your precepts, teach me understanding that I may know Your decrees and Your precepts. And I said, Lord, You brought me here—I realize that maybe I don’t know them, teach me—teach me Lord, Your decrees, and Your precepts—teach me understanding, God.

So it’s falling in line with everything the Lord has given me in my prayer time, as well. So, we were challenged with that; did we know His ways? Are you seeking to know His ways? Which is another confirmation for me because when I first came to the Lord, that was actually the first word Jesus ever gave me. I remember being at work, being new to God and wanting so badly to know my purpose and my identity, and wanting to walk in my gifts. Because I had a Christian friend around me, who was so focused on the gifts. It was no fault of hers, she was wounded and hurt and many times she was so condescending to me. I found myself wanting to know my identity so that I could be secure. My identity would make me secure. If I knew my gifts, then I would know, okay, I’m just called to be an evangelist—I’m called to be a preacher—I’m called to be a worshipper—I’m called to be a prophet—whatever it is, Lord, I want to know, please let me know. So I was just in tears, crying out in my car, outside my job. Lord, why haven’t You spoken to me, why are You not telling me what I’m called to do? You know, I just feel like I’m floundering. I feel like I don’t know where I fit in. And I heard the Lord say so clearly—

He said,

“If you don’t know My ways, and they are not embedded in your heart, how else are you able to walk in your calling?” I remember it so vividly as I was in the car crying, and sobbing, having jealousy in my heart because of this friend of mine. I realized that I was pursuing the Lord for my gifts instead of just pursuing His heart. Because I wanted to find my identity in my gifts rather than what God had done for me and to know His heart—to know His ways. It was a very sobering day. So I was so grateful for this camp as his words sank deep into my heart as I walked away with my tears. And from that day forth no longer pursued my gifts or purpose, but desired to know Jesus—that I may know His ways. He has taught me through Heartdwellers, and I still have so much more to go.

Pastor James went on to say, Some came for business, to see what they could purchase, what ministry business they could do. I thought, wow Lord, I felt the same thing as I shared it in the message. Then he said, “Revival fire exposes hearts”. I was stunned as it confirmed everything Jesus had just said to me in the car.

He continued on, that Jesus commissioned His disciples to go to the nations and make disciples, and to teach them to obey all the He had commanded them to do. So he related it to Moses.

Moses, the Lord wanted to deal with his anger. The Levi’s had anger issues that were in their bloodline—Moses’ bloodline.

“When God chooses you, it doesn’t mean you are qualified,” He said. You have to go through a fire to be qualified. God calls you with your inquiry but doesn’t mean he wants you to stay there forever. Moses was called and qualified but because of anger for hitting the rock he was unable to enter the promised land.” So, it’s another thing for ministers to really search their hearts. He went on to say, “You have to ask yourself, what does God require of you?” He brought up Deuteronomy 10:2-3, 20-21 asking may God deliver us from a spirit of slumber—that our hearts would be circumcised for God. Because sometimes slumber keeps us in a state where we are before God. We don’t see ourselves in the light of God’s mirror. We need to ask that, guys, we need to really ask that for what the Lord is doing right now, in this hour.

After this session, I got with the intercessory group here, and I shared the message with them. The Lord also wanted me to speak boldly, gently, and lovingly about the sins that I’ve seen rising up in them that would hinder them from being all that God called them to be in their own ministries. They were all humbled as they received what I said. They all meditated on it and asked the Lord to forgive them—and help change their character. So I pray that this message blesses you and it stirs your heart. That truly the fire of God does expose our hearts before Him. Will we all ask the Lord, “Lord, judge us—judge now here on earth that we may serve You more perfectly”. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

God bless you, family, until the next message.

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