For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire

Duet. 4:24 says it all. The Lord your God is a consuming fire.

Are there times when you will look around and say where is God at? You will think He is so far away. Because you're struggling with a problem you just can't be rid of, even though you have fought with all your might to overcome, but still no victory. Does the road look to long or too high? Do you think to yourself I just can't do it, I'll never be able to have the victory? You say, oh well this is my lot in life. I guess this is the way I'll be till I die. Or you have said, life is to hard, I give up.

Well have I got good news for you. Our God is a consuming fire. He wants to burn up your problems to get them out of your life. He is waiting to consume your situation no matter what it is. It is all up to you. He is waiting for us to hand it over to him and when we do He will take it and burn it out of our lives.

Take forgiveness for example: We can say oh I forgive them because the Word says to forgive and I am trying to be obedient to the Word. But forgiveness must be of the heart not the mind. The Lord is the one that changes the heart. You see, He takes our hearts of stone and makes them hearts of flesh. When He does that He has to consume some things in our life. He has to burn out some things. He uses a refiners fire to make us pure. I have seen what fire does, it is hungry, it will consume everything until it is all gone. That is what the Lord does, He consumes it until it is completely gone, because He is hungry to bring you to the place as He sees you. His child redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Glory to His Name. He brings us from Glory to Glory, from one level to another level. All of this so that He can prepare you to be the bride without spot or blemish, beautified for the groom.

So today let Him consume you. Let Him refine you. Let Him take you to the next level in Him. He has said You shall not be ashamed. What you will do is rejoice in the King of kings and the Lord of lords and praise Him for the greatness of His love and grace.
Shalom
Joe

Forged in Fire

This writing was inspired by a dream that the Holy Spirit gave me on June 24th of 1999 early in the morning. I seen men and women laying themselves on an altar of fire. But there were some that would not lay themselves on this altar. It was revealed to me that the ones who did were the Faithful Ones of God. They are His Warriors. He was purifying them of all unrighteousness and preparing them for the last days before His return. The Spirit of the Lord then explained the meaning of dream to me. And is as follows:

Making our bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God is our reasonable service.

Are we willing to lay ourselves on the altar of the Lord and let His consuming fire try us and purify us so that He can bring us forth as pure gold? Placing ourselves on the altar of the Lord to be consumed by His fire is a hard thing and even painful to our flesh. In the fire we will be cleansed, all our impurities will be burned up. Are we willing to forsake and sacrifice those things in our lives that are keeping us from growing closer to the Lord? Are we willing to let go of all our insecurities? Are we willing to say "Not my will but yours be done" just like Jesus did? Jesus knew the suffering that was ahead. He knew the pain that was to come, but, He also knew the joy that was ahead after enduring the sufferings of the cross. He saw the victory, the reward, the crown.

Some will be afraid to step into the fire because it is too big of a sacrifice, thus they will make excuses. Others will willingly step into the fire, they are the ones that can't deny the powerful driving force that is within them. They will forsake all just so they can see the ONE who forsook all for them, FACE to FACE. Nothing in this world will hold them back or stop them. They will lay their lives on the line, risking it all. They are GOD'S FAITHFUL ONES. They are truly soldiers of the cross. They are His precious and most beautiful of all jewels. He holds them in the palm of His hands. He's had them in His fire trying and purifying them. They are the Warriors of the last days. They will be the ones leading God's people into victory. They are the anointed Ones, full of the Holy Spirit. The zeal of God will be their banner. They will be known and easily recognized, for their eyes will burn with the Truth of God as well as the Love of God.

The enemy knows the names of GOD'S FAITHFUL ONES. He is battling them even now as to try and stop them from laying their lives on the altar of God. This very thought strikes fear into him. GOD'S FAITHFUL ONES are overcoming the enemy at this very moment. The enemy attacks, but it only drives them closer to their Lord. The enemy is thinking that if he continues to attack harder and more aggressively that GOD'S FAITHFUL will eventually grow weary and give-up. GOD'S FAITHFUL DO NOT GIVE UP. They keep overcoming and drawing closer to their Lord, for they know who they are in CHRIST JESUS.

They are fighting with the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.

They are speaking who they are in Christ Jesus. Their shield of Faith is quenching all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Truth girds their very being and exudes from them like a glorious Light. This glorious Light blinds the enemy but opens the eyes of GOD'S FAITHFUL ONES so that they see clearly.

Their breastplates of Righteousness guards their hearts from pride, but fills their hearts with thanksgiving, praise and worship to the ONE that they adore.

Their shoes of Peace silences the terrors of the beast. Their helmet of Salvation illuminates with the Light of Hope for the lost and dying. Like a Lighthouse they will draw them in.

GOD'S FAITHFUL ONES are closing in on the enemy. He is surrounded. They are pressing in on him. Closer and closer they move in on the enemy. His space is getting tighter and tighter. Eventually he will be snuffed out by the FAITHFUL ONES OF GOD. Jesus has the victory, therefore we have the victory!!!Hallelujah!!!!

Now.......... I ask again are we willing to lay our lives on the altar of the Lord?