~ God's Refining Fire... ~

GOD'S REFINING FIRE...

This morning as I was coming out of sleep a little before five a.m., I saw something in the Spirit. I would not call this a vision... more of a quickening or knowing. In a flash of time I see things in the spirit that I know did not come from me. It started with a song. The Lord brought an old chorus we used to sing years ago in Church to mind...

O, Lord send the fire just now
O, Lord send the fire just now
O, Lord send the fire just now and baptize everyone.
They were in the upper chamber
They were all in one accord
When the Holy Ghost descended

As was promised by our Lord.

I saw the congregations, and who is sitting over multitudes of them today. I saw the things that we are offering up to God, calling it worship, and knew that it is an abomination in HIS sight.

Modern man can not offer an unsuitable sacrifice, with the expectation of its being received, any more than Cain did. Today we see men and women being lifted up, building huge "ministries," freely using the Name of the Lord, attracting huge followings and receiving their praises unto themselves.

Isaiah 14:13-14 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

This passage in Isaiah is speaking of Lucifer, son of the morning. This chapter is a futuristic description of what will happen according to God's plan and purpose; futuristic when Isaiah received it, but very NOW for our generation.

Devotion and deception both originate in the heart. Satan's fall started in his heart, with self-exaltation. Mankind is just as susceptible to falling in the same way. Especially notice what the above verses state...

"I will ascend, I will exalt, I will sit, I will be like."

In his heart, Lucifer determined that he would ascend (be superior to) God,

That he would exalt (presumptuously promote, his throne) above the stars of God,

That he would sit (to dwell, remain, settle, to marry, to inhabit, to keep house) upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.

Congregation is #4150 From H3259; properly an appointment, that is, a fixed time or season; specifically a festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose); technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a signal (as appointed beforehand): - appointed (sign, time), (place of, solemn) assembly, congregation, (set, solemn) feast, (appointed, due) season, solemn (-ity), synagogue, (set) time (appointed).

We are seeing this very thing today in our congregations.
Another gospel being preached,
another Jesus being presented,

with lying signs and wonders in accompaniment.

Just what spirit is being evoked in our gatherings, deceiving multitudes, and appearing to pervert God's purposes?

When there is NO repentance,

NO humility,

NO conviction,

NO Fear of the Lord,

then you can rest assured that the spirit that is operating is NOT of God.

Lucifer's desire has not changed. If anything his attacks have accelerated. Satan does not care whether or not you worship him... he has succeeded if he can prevent you from coming into a relationship with the Father and the Son. As long as he can keep Christians divided against one another over doctrinal differences; as long as he can keep believers locked into the exercising of our reasoning minds and keep us from submitting to and walking in the Spirit, he has won, at least in individual lives.

We are called to be overcomers! We are called to 'Follow Christ' ... in all things. In effect, Satan is striving with everything at his disposal, to seduce the Bride of Christ into committing adultery. He knows that as long as we can be kept from 'growing up into Christ,'... as long as we continue to operate according to our own thoughts and respond based on our emotions... we will never overcome anything. We will never become the 'full stature sons and daughters of God' that we are called to become. God has already given us all things that we have need of. It is up to us to believe, to obey, and to walk in all that HE has commanded us. John 3:16 is one of the most often quoted scriptures in the entire Bible. We should take note that Jesus repeated Himself when he stated:

John 3:15-16 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Should not is not the same thing as would not. We have a part to play in this folks. We have a responsibility to hold up our end, by walking in agreement with all of God's ways. All down through the ages man has exercised his free-will, choosing what to believe, whose voice to listen to, and who to follow. Jesus went on to say...

John 3:17-19 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Jesus is coming back for HIS BRIDE,
PURE,
SPOTLESS,

AND WITHOUT BLEMISH.

In March of 2003 the Lord impressed me with a passage... Isaiah 17:10 Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with Strange Slips:

We are seeing the manifestation of the planting of 'strange slips' in our midst. We are seeing the manifestation of the tares amongst the wheat. The work is the LORD's, not mans. Only the Spirit of God knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts. Know also that we all will be tested and tried, to see who we will serve.

Ezekiel 14:3-4 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them? Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;

Deuteronomy 1:43 So I spoke unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously up into the hill.

What are these 'idols in their heart?' They all revolve around SELF.

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Daniel 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

Just how much wisdom are we demonstrating in our lives? Are we succumbing to those things that appeal to our flesh and our sense of reason? The things of God are foolishness to the natural mind. The Word tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

I believe in my heart that we are all being 'tried' right now.

Judges 7:4 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try (refine) them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.

Jeremiah 9:6-7 Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try (test, prove) them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?

Daniel 11:35 And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try (refine) them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.

Zechariah 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try (investigate, examine, prove) them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try (scrutinize, discipline) them that dwell upon the earth.

We are seeing on a daily basis things that we never even imagined could ever be. Bible prophecy is being fulfilled before our very eyes. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken, till the only thing left standing will be what God has ordained. The only place of refuge is in our relationship with Jesus Christ. The cost is our self-life.

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

The fire is what is coming my friends. God's refining fire is going to do a purifying work in the hearts and minds of His Own.

Little did we comprehend years ago what we were asking for when we sang that chorus. We thought of 'feeling good' in the presence of the Lord, of the gifts of the Spirit. We did not envision being placed in the furnace of affliction. But we were still 'babes in Christ' then, too. We had not walked in the wilderness yet, or suffered persecution for our stand. We weren't wrong in asking for the fire of God, we were just very naive as to what the fire really is. We thought that we had already arrived at spiritual maturity, that's what our leaders assured us of... "We were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, that's all there was they said." "Now all God required was that we faithfully attend and pay our tithes and actively support all the projects and activities of the Church." We did not know that we still had to grow up, we still had to submit to the cleansing fires of the Spirit within our own hearts. To grow up is to stop looking for what we can receive from God, and start seeking the Giver... and not the Gifts.

May we willingly submit to His discipline, that we may be conformed to His Image.

Amen

Cathy Morris

5/3/2008