The Cleansing Fire of God
Hello, Body of Christ, "out there." Are you going through a particularly hard time at present? I don't mean just a "normal" trial of life, but something that's "happening" that goes above and beyond the past pressures? Something that is threatening your status quo, and is shaking every fiber of your being? Something you didn't see coming, and it feels like the enemy has customized this just for you?
Just comparing notes with the other members of His Body, as I am theorizing that, if this is happening to most of the Body of Christ at this point in time, that it is almost a litmus as to what time it is, on God's time line. (Before Jesus comes back) Could it be that He is indeed preparing for Himself a Bride without wrinkle, spot, or blemish, and that the deep cleaning brought on by these intense shakings is Him doing that with us? I have found in my walk with Him that He even uses the attacks of the enemy for His own purposes. One of those purposes, I know is that He is conforming us to His image. Afterall, we want to be a suitable match for our Bridegroom. This "fire" is one of the most painful things to withstand, and to not jump out of. There is a song I have sung that says, "When you hold me to the fire, I will not withdraw your Hand." Yes, staying in there is so hot it destroys those things that "can be shaken" in us. Most of those things we've been very much at home with, as they are the things which we have used to cope with, whether good or bad. The bad part of those self-coping techniques we've perfected is that they have been apart from God. So, He just has to send something that shakes us to the core, so that we will call out to Him to help us trust and depend on Him. Many, many of us abort the process, and just hunker down further and farther into our own devices, even causing more seperateness and ultimately destruction on the inside of us. We may seem like we are "making it" in life, or that we "have it all together," but all this mindset does is tricks us and attempts to trick others into thinking we are FINE. In reality, though, we are drifting further and further away from the heart of God, which is to trust and depend on Him.
At present, I am going through a process, which is a path of healing for me to be delivered from a bondage I've been shackled with for most of my earthly life. In doing that, (and I believe it is my time for it) the love of God will be released more and more through my vessel. This is different than removing oneself from the fire, as it is the fire I must go through to get to the other side of deliverance. I know it will be painful, but profitable on the other side. I will be a more throughly cleaned vessel for God to flow through to others. There are "things" (the world calls them 'issues') in us, that need God's purging. Have you asked Him what is in you that may be preventing Him from flowing out of you? And are you willing to go through possibly much pain in order for Him to put those things to death, so that His life will be manifest through you? It is hard to "on purpose" ask God to do this, knowing it will be painful, but what if it's the only way? Will you submit under His healing hand, even though pain is involved? We do it all the time in the physical when we go through surgery or need some other kind of treatment to help us get well. How much more important is this spiritual treatment (of death to self) for the purpose of ultimately showing the world that Jesus has come because we have love one towards another in His Body? That is only one outcome, and a great one!
Because I haven't seen much of this love in my lifetime, I can only surmise that it is because we, as His Body, haven't yielded to His process, but have instead insisted on living in our own strength instead of doing it His way.
I encourage you, brothers and sisters, to come to Him and present yourselves as a living sacrifice, and He will do what needs to be done in you for that to happen. Be apart of His cleansed Bride, and be ready for His soon return.
Just comparing notes with the other members of His Body, as I am theorizing that, if this is happening to most of the Body of Christ at this point in time, that it is almost a litmus as to what time it is, on God's time line. (Before Jesus comes back) Could it be that He is indeed preparing for Himself a Bride without wrinkle, spot, or blemish, and that the deep cleaning brought on by these intense shakings is Him doing that with us? I have found in my walk with Him that He even uses the attacks of the enemy for His own purposes. One of those purposes, I know is that He is conforming us to His image. Afterall, we want to be a suitable match for our Bridegroom. This "fire" is one of the most painful things to withstand, and to not jump out of. There is a song I have sung that says, "When you hold me to the fire, I will not withdraw your Hand." Yes, staying in there is so hot it destroys those things that "can be shaken" in us. Most of those things we've been very much at home with, as they are the things which we have used to cope with, whether good or bad. The bad part of those self-coping techniques we've perfected is that they have been apart from God. So, He just has to send something that shakes us to the core, so that we will call out to Him to help us trust and depend on Him. Many, many of us abort the process, and just hunker down further and farther into our own devices, even causing more seperateness and ultimately destruction on the inside of us. We may seem like we are "making it" in life, or that we "have it all together," but all this mindset does is tricks us and attempts to trick others into thinking we are FINE. In reality, though, we are drifting further and further away from the heart of God, which is to trust and depend on Him.
At present, I am going through a process, which is a path of healing for me to be delivered from a bondage I've been shackled with for most of my earthly life. In doing that, (and I believe it is my time for it) the love of God will be released more and more through my vessel. This is different than removing oneself from the fire, as it is the fire I must go through to get to the other side of deliverance. I know it will be painful, but profitable on the other side. I will be a more throughly cleaned vessel for God to flow through to others. There are "things" (the world calls them 'issues') in us, that need God's purging. Have you asked Him what is in you that may be preventing Him from flowing out of you? And are you willing to go through possibly much pain in order for Him to put those things to death, so that His life will be manifest through you? It is hard to "on purpose" ask God to do this, knowing it will be painful, but what if it's the only way? Will you submit under His healing hand, even though pain is involved? We do it all the time in the physical when we go through surgery or need some other kind of treatment to help us get well. How much more important is this spiritual treatment (of death to self) for the purpose of ultimately showing the world that Jesus has come because we have love one towards another in His Body? That is only one outcome, and a great one!
Because I haven't seen much of this love in my lifetime, I can only surmise that it is because we, as His Body, haven't yielded to His process, but have instead insisted on living in our own strength instead of doing it His way.
I encourage you, brothers and sisters, to come to Him and present yourselves as a living sacrifice, and He will do what needs to be done in you for that to happen. Be apart of His cleansed Bride, and be ready for His soon return.
posted by Patti Blount @ 8:45 AM
2 Comments
