WHY DO WE FEAR THE FIRE OF GOD? - A Prophetic Word

By the Holy Spirit through Mary Lindow

In one of His most confrontational statements Jesus said, 

“I have come to bring fire on the earth.”

There are times in the Scripture in which fire is a symbol of judgment but in the great majority of references fire is used to point out God’s divine presence. His words make it clear that the meaning behind His words, “I have come to bring fire” refers to something more than a cozy flame to cuddle up to!

In this unique statement from Jesus the fire He is speaking of is not literally fire as in flames but a spiritual representation. He is speaking of the burning, exciting, dynamic presence of God in the lives of people. The fire that illuminates His incredible presence, produces unlimited power, burns away the dross and impurities and attracts people to Him.
That is the Fire of God.

THE FIRE OF GOD IS NOT GIVEN TO MAKE US COZY… 

…But holy, and to stir us up. 

When Moses saw the burning bush God first warned him that he was standing on holy ground, and then told him of the great thing He was about to do, to release Israel from the captivity of Pharaoh (Ex 3).

When Isaiah was in the temple and it filled with smoke of the burning holiness of God, his awareness of being unclean came first, before God equipped him to be His messenger. When God’s fire comes to the hearts of men and women their spirits are freed from the awful bondage of idolatry.

When God’s fire comes, the enemy will be destroyed. That is why we should pray,
“O, Lord -send the fire. Your fire. Send your consuming, changing, restoring, victorious fire!”

WE SING ABOUT THE FIRE OF GOD IN MANY OF OUR HYMNS. 

There is a song I have known for years that says,

“Oh, Lord, you’re beautiful. Your face is all I seek. 

For when your eyes are on this child, your grace abounds to me.

O Lord, please light the fire, which once burned bright and clear, 

Replace the lamp of my first love, that burned with holy fear.”

Lord, send your fire! 
May we sense and know Your burning, exciting, dynamic presence in our lives and among Your people.”

“OH HOW YOU FEAR THE FIRE!” - A PROPHETIC WORD

“It is as if you think that I might truly do something unloving to burn you or disfigure you!

I am a God of fire! Yes! But a HOLY fire! 
A fire that burns away wood, hay, and dead scraps lying around 
in your heart. They are littering the places that I want to bring My Glory into!

When My Fire pursues you it drives away any voice or lust or 
any other enemy of your soul!

You will come to a place where 
you no longer need to have the splash of fanfare or the 
rumblings of the earth to know that I Am in your presence!

Instead. 
The Fire brings you to a place just like it did Moses!
 He saw My Holy Fire in a bush on a hill.

I spoke to Him and told Him He was on HOLY ground!

"Is not my word like fire," declares the LORD, 
 

"And like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?”
 Jeremiah 23:29

I was a still, small voice, speaking out from inside of a fire!


Listen! 
I am calling out to you!

Be quiet! 
Silence the noise around you! 


Get quiet with Me. 
Put away the busyness that you get caught up into!

After the “Fire” a still small voice. 


1Kings19: 12

My Passion Fire is calling out to You!

I have things I want to whisper into your spirit-man!


I have words that will sustain you through all of the
 fiery trials and tests you will inevitably pass through!

“If this is so, 
 Then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials.” 
 

2 Peter 2:9

If you want the Fire of I the Living God to be evident
 in your ministry, whether it is in the marketplace, the home,
or abroad, Listen to My still small voice. 

It will in turn resound like a roaring ocean to those whom 
you will minister to.

“O Lord of hosts, 
 How blessed is the man who trusts in You!”


Psalms 84: 12

Trust. 
The issue that everyone on earth deals with day in and day out. 


Putting your trust in things that last for only a season or a few years can be very risky and very disappointing.

I have told My people to trust in ME with ALL of their heart
 and I will make their paths straight.

Yet - continually they put
 their trust in people, and idols made of gold, positions of power, 
and in themselves and invented doctrines of seasonal passing!

Lasting blessings can only come from trusting in Me. 
 

The real issue is that you don’t really think that I will do
 what I say I will do! 

So... You take it into your own hands! When you finally lay down your need to control those all around you and trust in Me, then you will be blessed! Blessed with safety, peace of mind and above all, 
blessed by My pleasure in your resting in My plan.

“See to it that you do not refuse HIM who is speaking!” 
 

Hebrews 12:25

Oh how many times My people have said to Me, 
 “Later Lord! I will do it Later?” 


You exhort others to obey quickly and yet you will drag your
 feet and put Me off until you “feel” like following through!

“It is the LORD your God you must follow, 
and him you must revere. 


Keep his commands and obey him; 
serve him and hold fast to him.” 


Deuteronomy 13:4

Do not refuse Me when I speak to you when I send you to do
 something in My Name! 

You might fear for your own reputation, 
but a life could be hanging in the balance! 


You do not have the luxury of “denying your King!”

If you wish to be caught up into higher dimensions in My Spirit, 
and, if you long for the “deep that calls unto deep", be faithful 
to ACT when I give you a command!!”

Psalm 119:57
 "You are my portion, O LORD; 
 I have promised to obey your words."

Psalm 119:60
 "I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands."


Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed as long as complete message, podcast  

and website information 
for Mary Lindow is included. 


Thank You!




Copyright © 2017 " THE MESSENGER " ~ Mary Lindow




www.marylindow.com 

www.globalprayerrooms.com

http://marylindow.podbean.com/mobile/

" Who Really Cares About Friends Who Are Suffering? ”

              

By Mary Lindow

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SUFFERING AND SORROW ARE A PART OF LIFE.

Knowing this, however, doesn't make it any easier to cope when you find yourself in the midst of the deepest, darkest trials of faith, and mentally anguish and strain.

Don't you wish Christianity could make you exempt from suffering? That would be great, but as most of us have learned, following our faith doesn't give us a free ride. We catch as much trouble as unbelievers—often more.

The difference, of course, is that we can turn to Jesus when things gowrong. Unbelievers might argue that we're only turning to our imagination, but we know better.

At some time in your life, however, suffering will hit you so hard that you won’t be able to do any of those things, and that dark time will probably visit you more than once.

“Even in darkness, light dawns for the upright,

for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.”

Psalm 112:4

WE ALL WANT THINGS WE DON'T GET.

Maybe it's a person you're sure would make a perfect spouse, and the relationship crumbles apart. Maybe it's a better job or promotion, and you don't make the cut.

Or it might be a goal you poured your time and energy into, and it doesn't come to pass or others sabotage it all.

All of us have prayed for the recovery of loved ones who were ill, but they died anyway.

It takes real spiritual maturity to stay faithful when things go wrong, but severing our relationship with God punishes us, not him.

It's self-destructive behavior that can put us on the path to a miserablelife. The parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke15:11-32) teaches us that God always wants us to come back to him.

Whether your problem is discouragement, illness or aging, sometimes allyou have left is Jesus. When you're angry and bitter, you can still cling to Jesus in the midst of your tears.

You can grab onto him and refuse to let go until he brings you through it. You'll find, to your surprise that he holds on to you even tighter than you hold on to him.

JESUS UNDERSTANDS SORROW.

He knows about being hurt. He remembers the terrible moment on the cross when his Father was forced to abandon him, because he was filthyfrom taking on our sins. Jesus won't let you go.’

And as you age and start down the path from this life to the next, Jesus will take your hand to guide you. He appreciates all that you have done for him through the years, but what he has always wanted most is your love.

So there you are in the middle of one of life's train-wrecks-dazed, wounded, wondering what shoe-or bomb-will be dropping next, and up walks Job's comforters.

We all remember Job from the Bible. A rich, powerful man, a great father and good in every way was Job. Then, in a series of overlapping upheavals, he lost everything and everybody except his wife-who turned out to be a whole lot less than sympathetic in her changed status.

Battered Job ends up sitting alone on a pile of dirt, scratching his boil-covered body with some broken pottery.

WE CAN IDENTIFY WITH POOR JOB.

Life drags us through some tough times of loss that make us feel every bit like Job. Caught in a vortex of pain, and wondering if we'll ever make it to safety. And, boy, do we recognize Job's so-called friends who showed up to by all accounts offer support and comfort. As they sat with Job in his misery, they took turns playing a self-centered, self-righteous, can-you-top-this game of knowing for certain that every bit of Job ‘s disaster had to be his own fault or a lack of trust in God.

They weren't sure how or why because Job seemed so decent, but deep down, they insisted, he just couldn't be all he pretended to be.

THIS IS FAMILIAR TERRITORY.

You get fired, and friends smirk knowingly when you try to explain the political nature of the event. Your child gets into difficulty-well; you know the kind of comfort you'll get from friends about that. (It probably started sometime during potty training.)

Yet others try to “help” you with what I call “prayer lecturing.” While praying “for and with you” they let you (and God) know just how lucky you should be to even have running water, had a meal that day and more! Not really comforting in any way, and very very short on compassion.

Yet, from the story, it's clear that Job was completely innocent. Dreadful things do happen to completely innocent people, good people.

Because of their opinion of Job's guilt, history has bestowed his friends-(and their current replicas) - the label, "Job's comforters." So-called friends who add to a suffering person's anguish by piling on false charges of blame and guilt and harsh reprimand for daring to show sadness or agony.

You may never have met anybody like Job, but you've met his comforters on more than one occasion. They seem to be everywhere.

WE CAN CHARGE SOME OF IT OFF TO JEALOUSY.

Job had everything a person could dream of wanting-and then some- so jealousy was never more than a stone's throw away. The green-eyed monster is a little more subtle with people living everyday typical lives, but jealousy doesn't need much ground to take root and grow with vigor.

WE DON’T WANT TO ADMIT BAD THINGS MAY HAPPEN TO US!

If bad things happen to people who don't deserve them, they could happen to anybody, including me. If I don't want bad things to happen to me, (who does?), I have to persuade myself and everybody around me that the victim's actions caused the problem. If blame can be assigned, then I'll be safe as long as I'm good.

In other words, if I can claim that the cause of your problem is something you do that I don't do, then what happened to you can't happen to me. There is, of course, no logic to this, but it brings some shaky comfort to frightened hearts.

We see this thinking at work when people stare numbly at adversity and ask, "What did I do to deserve this?" Sometimes the answer is, "nothing."

HAVE YOU EVER ASKED YOURSELF WHY ME?

And it doesn’t have to be bad; you could be excited from something wonderful.

Most often then not I ask myself this after something I am looking forward to goes wrong.

Even at times when something goes wrong I lay awake at night and my thoughts wonder to what previously occurred. I am sure everyone does it at times, wishing for another try or chance.

You may lay awake thinking about your suffering, part of life’s suffering is misery’s shadow persisting/hanging on; not only do you suffer but you have to think about suffering.

I can’t prove this with statistics or find it any book I know of, yet I would say that more people either come to the faith or fall away because of this reason above all; the disturbance of suffering.

YOU SEE GOD USES TIMES OF SUFFERING…

… TO TEACH AND GROW US.

If you allow yourself to recount your sufferings, did you not learn more about faith while suffering then any other time? It has been said that; “Blessings are God’s whispers, he speaks in our conscience,but shouts to us in our suffering.”

“O my Comforter in sorrow,

My heart is faint within me.”

Jeremiah 8:18

Suffering becomes the only way to realize our hollow spiritual self. Pain is unmasked, and every person knows when something is not right when they are hurting. Pain insists upon being attended to.

So when you travel down this line of thought you come to the idea, why do I or someone else suffer when others don’t?

I KNOW SUFFERING IS EXHAUSTING AND PAIN HURTS.

That is why it is called pain and suffering. If there were an escape a person of great wisdom and insight would have done it already. Yet Discipleship demands such trials to compel us towards renewal.

Read Hebrews 2:10

“God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.”

The real question is what to do when life has just punched us a goodone, and Job's comforters show up at our door. Nobody says we have to let them in.

And certainly nobody says we have to entertain them. And, most positively, nobody says we have to believe them.

“For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, So also through Christ our comfort overflows.” - 2 Corinthians 1:5

We can sort out the who's-to-blame-for-what after we get some solid ground under our feet and a little energy back into our lives.

But we still won't want Job's comforters anywhere around us…

… We will want people who care.

“Compassion “

To me not to be kind

Is evil of the mind.

No need to pray or preach,

Let us our children teach

With every fond caress

Pity and gentleness:

So in the end may we

God's Kingdom cause to be.

~ 
By R.W. Service

Duplication and sharing of this message is welcomed as long as

the complete message and website information for 

Mary Lindow is included.


Thank You
!

Copyright " 2013" THE MESSENGER ” ~ Mary Lindow


www.marylindow.com

www.globalprayerrooms.com

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