TESTED BY FIRE

Have you had one of those seasons where you are being tested by fire? You may be in one of those times right now.  Well let’s pass that test and get the results from it the Lord wants us to receive.

For me this has been one of those seasons.  One of the most testing times yet one of the greatest times.  Why in the intense heat has it been the greatest of times? Because of the gold and silver I now see coming out of it.

In fact I am not necessary seeing it in the physical but I know a work is done and it is good. It feels right and the Spiritual position I am feeling is amazing.

It is done in the Spirit and my temple is in a better place.

For those of you going through a season like this I would like to share what I feel comes out of these times.

Remember we are sanctified through the fire.

 

So what am I seeing from a test of fire?

ONE

The building of our strength along with an understanding of the strength that we have already built up.  We understand that in Him we can stand in the fire.

God doesn’t put us where we can’t stand. He wants us to have more and for that to occur He needs to know that we can stand.  Some might argue that He knows us well and He knows whether we will stand.  But he is a loving God who gives us free will and he allows us to apply our free will when we are under fire. We need to know how we will use our free will and whether we will be obedient to Him and all He has been showing us or whether we will just throw this foundation away.

Have we got the character to move onto more or do we need more refining.  Jerimiah’s (chapter 18) clay pot standing in the fire comes to mind.  Will we have a crack that will need remoulding or can we move on.

TWO

He builds our faith in the fire tests.  He shows us that He is there with us as He declares the end (Isaiah 46:10) and He wants to show us that he will get us through if we stand in faith.  In the fire the genuineness of your faith stands.  Is it like a straw house that will blow over or is it a brick house you have been building that will stand?  The test maybe building more bricks for your house that will stand in the future (Jerimiah 18) or he may be putting flesh on those bones of Ezekiel because you are ready. Is your faith on a foundation of sand or is it on the foundation of Jesus.

He wants to release so much to us but how can He if we can’t stand in faith.

There is a memory verse I have which summarises it well:

Jerimiah 12:5

“If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you,

Then how can you contend with horses?

And if in the land of peace,

In which you trusted, they wearied you,

Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?

Do you want to move on and accomplish more for His Kingdom?  Then be prepared to be prepared for the floodplain of the Jordan.  A test of fire is part of this preparation.

THREE

A test of Fire will bring us to a real revelation of Jesus Christ and who He is

1 Peter 1:6

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,

7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honour, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

9 receiving the end of your faith–the salvation of your souls.

Through this recent fire I have been given such a clearer picture of who our Lord is and what His genuine love for us looks like.  When we get this revelation our strength grows, our faith grows and our ability to accomplish what he has for us to do grows.

We end up loving Jesus. Truly being in that position of love and we end up understanding more how much He truly loves us.

1 Peter 5:10

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Through this last test of fire for me I have really been taken to a new position of understanding that the Glory is His and that is such a joyful place to be as a person.  It is the settled place that he talks about in this verse in 1 Peter.  But you must suffer for a while to really have “you” burnt away and for Him to have the glory.

FOUR

When you are in the fire test you learn to Trust Him and not yourself

Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths

We all know this verse but when we come through the fire it becomes living and powerful (Hebrews 4:12) piercing us.

We really trust Him because we are taken to a place where we can’t do anything and this is where we find out whether we do really trust Him.

1 Peter 1:21

Who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God

Our position becomes a total trust in Him. In Him not us because

1 Peter 1:24

“All flesh is as grass,

And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.

The grass withers,

And its flower falls away,

25 But the word of the LORD endures forever.”

Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

We trust in who He is and that the glory and endurance is in Him.  What a position of peace in the fire.

FIVE

His grace and mercy

In the test of fire we quite often see His grace and mercy at work.  We know that it is nothing of us and we don’t deserve it but He is a loving God a god of grace and mercy.

His grace endures for ever even in the fire.

SIX

Testing by fire is part of the sanctification process.

How do we move on unless He can test us and bring us through fire to bring us all the blessings I have outlined above?  This is further sanctification.

 

So this maybe a season of fire for you, a season where you feel you are being taken to the edge and you wonder if you will get through it.

I encourage you to hold on and remember that because He is a loving God he is allowing this season because he wants to refine you and He has far more for you.

It is in fact an exciting season because you are not sitting comfortably it means He has so much more for you and he is preparing you.

 

As I finish this message these are His words he brings to my heart

“My children know I am a loving God who cares for them and wishes them to achieve all that I have written about them.  So in every season there is a good I am looking for to come out and I prepare many children at this very moment for the greatness and light I am about to release across the earth so be encouraged my children and know I choose you for the tasks ahead.  I am excited to see you grow and develop and strengthen for all the tasks ahead. Be encouraged and know that I love each of my children.  Go through the fire and shine, Glorify Me in the season ahead.”