# Hearing Love ![rw-book-cover](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71kTBr1SdPL._SY160.jpg) ## Metadata - Author: [[David Lee Brown, Alison Brown, Chad Steinacker, and Elijah Seth]] - Full Title: Hearing Love - Category: #books ## Highlights - One thing I hear loudly echoing in my soul is the clarion call to seek Him with all our hearts as He is shaking everything that can be shaken so that only eternal things remain. ([Location 162](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08D9R6ZHK&location=162)) - Jesus is not returning for an indifferent harlot, but a purified bride—one who has made herself ready and is longing for Him. ([Location 296](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08D9R6ZHK&location=296)) - Mary is one of my personal heroes. Although we don’t know much about her, I believe she is a particularly important model for men to study. Men often strive for tangible and measurable results that enable us to point to success or accomplishment. We want “quantifiable fruit” for our spreadsheets, newsletters, and annual reports. This first commandment is a difficult thing to measure or check off; making it incredibly easy for men and women with an administrative focus (see Martha) to jump immediately to the second commandment and neglect the first. Even if you’re like me and think, I don’t care about results, there is still a natural comfort in a mental checklist that says, "See Lord, I did this, this, and this for you today.” ([Location 463](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08D9R6ZHK&location=463)) - The natural “do-er” and “get-er-done” aspects we tend to value most, are actually supposed to be the overflow of what being an obsessed lover of God produces in us. ([Location 471](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08D9R6ZHK&location=471)) - Therefore, Beloved, though it may cause temporal wounding and confusion, be diligent through the years to wait on Him in hopeful expectation. It is also vitally important to recognize and rest in the principle of Hosea 6. In much the same way as a physician re-breaks a bone in order to set it properly for complete healing to take place, our Lord may wound us in order to bring about wholeness of life according to His Word. Even so, let us press on to know Him as we trust His leadership. ([Location 509](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08D9R6ZHK&location=509)) - Oh! The power of intimate intercession! Even when we don’t know exactly what to say and we might even repeat the sentiment of the faithless voices around us; the mere existence of a history cultivating true heart-connection with our King can produce that kind of result. Jesus may not have received the correct formulaic or mechanical response from Mary that we often use as the framework of our prayer; more importantly, He felt the true heart cry of one who had yoked her heart with His. This moved Him deeply, to the point of weeping and responding to the situation with Divine compassion, wisdom, and power. ([Location 540](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08D9R6ZHK&location=540)) - Through seasons of sitting at Jesus' feet and letting His Word's wash over her, Mary's heart had come ablaze with the love produced by the cultivated ground of an intimate history with Jesus. ([Location 550](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08D9R6ZHK&location=550)) - Just as the intensity of the same shining sun melts wax, but hardens clay, The Light Of The World was shone forth and destroyed any middle ground where men lied in their hearts. ([Location 556](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08D9R6ZHK&location=556)) - What a wonderful revelation and picture of the birth and effects of historical revival! Many think we need to work harder or plan better events and outreaches to resurrect and save our dying Churches, communities, cities, and nations. We put our plans on the calendar and ask God to bless our ideas without recognizing that God is looking for burning hearts, alive in love, who will lay down distractions to simply be with Him. When we offer God the living sacrifice of our attention and affection, our brokenness and weeping over our friends, families, Churches, cities, and nations it provokes the heart and compassion of our Lord to move with resurrection power! The most relevant thing we can do in desiring and seeking an undeniable pure move of God, is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. ([Location 559](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08D9R6ZHK&location=559)) - Now knowing this principle of revival, instead of waiting on something to happen at the national level or the right leader to do something for you, posture yourself here at Jesus’ feet. Personal revival is always only a breath away from burning within us, but how badly do you want it? It has been and continues to be my prayer that stories like this one and the pages to come will begin to open up a wound in you; a persistent dissatisfaction with what could be called a "balanced life" that we pretend is wrought out of wisdom. God has never used a balanced man or woman to impact the world and I greatly doubt He will start now. A man or woman all on fire is always the greatest sign and wonder to their generation. ([Location 568](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08D9R6ZHK&location=568)) - As accusation arose that Mary was being wasteful, Jesus waits a moment... His voice silences the room as He begins to speak on Mary’s behalf. He says: “Leave her alone, she has done a good work for Me” (Please notice that what men call waste, God calls work).[9] ([Location 589](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08D9R6ZHK&location=589)) - Scripture says that we only love God because He first loved us, and that he or she who is forgiven much loves much. This is an important principle that we have to keep in front of us. Depth of love and forgiveness are two related realities because we all should love much. If we don’t love much it’s because we are lacking the revelation of our personal depravity; ([Location 617](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08D9R6ZHK&location=617)) - The tragedy today is that so many professing Christians squander their access and we call this practice grace! Many circles propitiate grace as an ethereal cover-up of real-world compromise, but biblical grace is power imparted through relationship with Christ to practically live righteously in this present age.[13] ([Location 626](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08D9R6ZHK&location=626)) - Do not be ignorant of satan’s schemes. The enemy is not just trying to get you to fall into sin, his objective is to destroy your relationship with God such that it ends in divorce! If he can keep you separated and estranged in heart, he’s happy with that and will mostly leave you alone. Yes, sin is a part of that, but we have to also recognize that distraction is detrimental too; especially for “believers” in Jesus. This strategy of the enemy to separate us from God practically and volitionally by distraction is what lurks underneath the common cultural thought, “I’m safe as a ‘good person,’” all the while, living disconnected from God who’s “up there somewhere.” Beloved, there is no biblical hope in that mindset and posture. The hope of future glory is Christ in you! How can The Consuming Fire live in you and you not catch fire yourself? It should be a sober warning for all to recognize the areas where we are fireproof in this age with regard to these things. Old camp meeting preachers were fond of the saying, "If that doesn't light your fire, your wood's wet!" Beloved, the enemy has been pouring the waters of distraction on hearts for far too long - draw unto the Lord and see if the fire of His Spirit does not quickly drive off the residual moisture of the enemy and kindle a new spark in you. ([Location 688](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08D9R6ZHK&location=688)) - Beloved, there is good news for you! Isaiah 42 reveals that Jesus blows on the smoldering wicks to reignite the flame. All you need is the smallest of faithful-sincere desire for Him and to move toward Him even in weak ways (which we will explore in the following pages). ([Location 722](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08D9R6ZHK&location=722)) - Beloved, be filled with hope and vision for decades of consistency in this. He will blow on your wick and cause the fires of first love to kindle again. Just don’t quit. ([Location 730](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08D9R6ZHK&location=730))