One day, a young couple were strolling on a walkway when the lady was tripped by a stone. The gentleman gently lifted her up into standing position and told her, "Sorry, sorry, dear." He picked up the stone that tripped her, cursed it and hurled it away. He was moved by his love for this woman to the extent that he had to do that.
Several years later, this couple were walking in the same place and the lady was tripped by another stone. The man did not mind her but rather sharply rebuked her, saying, "Ah! Why are you always falling? Can't you see?" His first love for the woman was no longer there, for he had forsaken his first works.
At the just-ended Art of Shepherding Conference held at the Bread of Life Cathedral Lighthouse Chapel, Bishop Dag Heward-Mills shared this revealing anecdote to illustrate that first love is shown in our first works.
The man of God gave a stirring message entitled "Can't you do just a little bit more?"
He quoted J.P. Morrison as asking, "Can't you do just a little bit more?" in 1930, when he was requesting for funding for missionary work in his letters to partners. He noted, "When it comes to the work of God, we can do just a little bit more...many of us are operating under capacity."
He queried, "Can't you win a few more souls? Can't you build a bigger Church?...If the Church were a little bigger, we could accommodate more."
Bishop Dag Heward-Mills taught, "If we are able to do just a little bit more, things will be a little different...sometimes it's just the little things that makes the difference...all the time, these words are ringing in my heart...these words will lead you to the keys to do just a little bit more. Have these words in you; they are the key to doing just a little bit more."
Reading from Habakkuk 2:1-4, the Prophet challenged participants to do just a little bit more than they are doing. He indicated that a vision makes you run and encouraged us to pray that God would make us burning and shining lights.
He sought to know, "Supposing you were going out of this world in 5 years, what would you do? Can't you do just a little bit more of what will matter when you're not in this world?"
He hinted that when the vision is in you you'll try hard to do something great. Adding, he pointed out that pride is the reason why the new visions of God do not move. He said, "Pride makes you stiff so when God comes along with something new, you are resistant."
Reading from Mark 2:22, Bishop Dag explained that new wine represents new things God wants to do with the already existing people He's working with. Adding, he said that new wine must be put into new bottles, which means the already existing people must be a new people.
Remember that in times past, the people used leather bottles not the glass bottles we have today.
Alluding to the process by which hide (wele) is transformed from a hard, stiff material to a soft, chewable delicacy, the man of God disclosed the following:
# The 'wele' is thoroughly washed or 'bathed' in hot water.
# The 'wele' is then dipped into hot oil.
Bishop Dag elucidated that for you to be transformed into somebody usable, you have to be dipped into hot water, that is, problems, issues and challenges. He said, "Many times, troubles lead us into the will of God. Your experiences soften you."
He further explained that after those experiences, the oil comes in, which is the anointing.
So the answer to the question, "Can't you do just a little bit more?" is an emphatic YES. You can indeed do just a little bit more!
Reading from Revelation 2:2-5, Bishop Dag indicated that our first love represents our first works. He further taught that first love is actually just a little bit more.
You can do a little bit more prayer, a little bit more fasting, a little bit more deep-sea fishing, follow a lit bit more closely. You can become a little more anointed.
As he concluded, he released prophetic words concerning the lives and ministries of participants present. The auditorium was turgid with God's Holy Presence and power!
It was indeed a night of just a little bit more!
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