As With Fire

The fire takes you higher...makes you shine brighter...cleanses your world...and makes you glorious.
Jesus baptizes you with it and you come out more fully reflecting the spirit and work of the Creator, an image...a masterpiece bearing His mark.

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The fire of God is never punitive, its for purification. The fire we walk through is to make us a better person - Debye Swilley

I was going to put the following as a comment but it seemed to go pretty well here, tied in with the word above about God's fire and purification.  This post is from friend and pastor Robert Rutherford:
-----A Baptist Sniper saw me reading my Bible at Waffle House and assumed I wanted to engage in conversation. His opening statement was, " Its SAD!" I continued reading and TRIED to ignore him.... Eventually, I felt BAD enough so I said, " what?... What's sad?"


He: " to think that most everybody in this place is headed straight for H-E-DOUBLE-L!!!"

All I had was a butter-knife, so I couldn't STAB him.... I suggested to him that GOD is the consuming fire.... That we ALL go through our OWN Hell and that the fire has a PURPOSE other than to give a monstrous deity pleasure... That it, FIRE (pur in the Greek)

PURIFIES us.... that it is, in fact a SPIRITUAL fire. This REALLY SET HIM OFF!!! He, it turns out, is a LITERALIST. he believes the Bible is Literal. Dear Lord. I told him to describe Hell. He: " IT'S A PLACE OF DARKNESS WHERE THE LAKE OF FIRE BURNS HOTTER THAN ANY OTHER FIRE! IT'S LIKE LAVA!!!"

I told him that, my limited experience with fire had proven it to be LIGHT-PRODUCING!!!

this BAFFLED him, temporarily but, ignorance won out, he recovered and continued!

He: " IT IS A PLACE WHERE LITERAL DEMONS CHEW ON YOU AND YOU FEEL LITERAL PAIN!!!! THE WORSTEST PAIN IN THE WORLD!!!!". ????????? Go figure....

So I decided to help him SEE the stupidity of his LITERAL HELL theory. I wanted to bless him. So, I asked him if he knew anyone who was IN hell. He: " YESSIREE!!!! My sorry brother-in-law! He was a goodfernuthin ALKYHOLLIC and he DEFINITELY went to HELL!!!"

so I asked him if they had a funeral. He said,

"Yes!". I asked if they buried him or cremated him. He: " OH NO!!! WE DON'T BELIEVE IN CREMATION!!! THATS'S TOO CLOSE TO YOU KNOW WHAT!!!!" ( as he points at the floor I glance at the cooks butcher knife... too far! ) "we BURIED him at the cemetery in BOWDEN. HE got a REAL nice plot... RIGHT UNDER a SHADE TREE!!!" ( this should help cool him down?!?!?) so I asked if I could pay someone to dig him up! He looked horrified! He: " Whyyyyy???" Me: " To PROVE to you that he is THERE and, NOT IN HELL!"

He: ( shakes his head at MY ignorance. Looks at all of the eavesdropping customers and waitresses for support )" Of COURSE his BODY is in the Cemetery!!!! His SPIRIT is in H-E-DOUBLE-L!!!"

Me: " so... It takes a LITERAL FIRE... to burn up SPIRITS?!?!?!?!?"

he looked for a butter knife... Slid off the seat... Said, " IM DONE WITH YOU AND SO IS THE LORD!!!!" and left. I hope he thought about it later... But, I'm pretty sure he didn't! Religion is as stubborn as it is stupid!!!! I bet Father let's his brother-in-law greet him when he walks through those " PEARLY GATES" on the other side!!! 8-)

A WAY

"Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old.  LOOK, I am about to do something new:  even now it is coming.
Do you not see it?

Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:7

GET GOING!

I have a command to GO into all the world – into every part of the worlds of every man, woman, boy and girl – into every culture and counterculture – into every mindset and philosophy – into every system and network — and preach the good news, without the preferential treatment of anyone!



Today I will embrace the call of Christ. Even though I may be rebuked for my unbelief or hardness of heart as the first disciples were, I have still been mandated to go — to go anyway — in spite of my weaknesses and vulnerabilities. The gifts and callings of God are irrevocable and, regardless of what I have or haven't done, Jesus is still depending on me to give the inhabitants of His world some good news!


Today I will go to where the people are – not just where they are geographically, but to where they are mentally, spiritually, emotionally and philosophically. I will speak with the tongue of the learned (Isaiah 50:4), becoming all things to all men (1 Corinthians 9:22).


Today I will make some movement, knowing that my steps are ordered of the Lord and that God blesses whatever I put my hand to.


Today I will not preach religious tradition, or anything that could possibly make people feel alienated from God. My declaration of the Kingdom ("The Kingdom is at hand!") will make Jesus accessible to those who have been disconnected in their minds. I will go to where the breaches are — and I will repair them!


Today I will be a witness, telling my story, finding my voice.


Today I will be followed by supernatural signs confirming my words. God will bless my efforts because I believe. My faith will be irresistible to Him today, and today I will live in the now!

Father, help me to get up and get going today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

(The above passages taken from A YEAR IN THE NOW by Jim Swilley, Church in the Now)
http://www.churchinthenow.org/

Shining Brighter!

Today I will remember that the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord searching the hidden rooms of the heart, so I will walk by the light of my recreated spirit, under the authority of the Lordship of Jesus, eternally crowned in the Kingdom of my heart, to reveal the internal dreams, visions, and prophetic revelations that have not yet been brought to light!
The light will reveal the next part of the path that lies ahead. Turn up the lights! Let the adventure begin!- Jim Swilley (A Year In The Now)

But the path of the [uncompromisingly] just and righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more (brighter and clearer)
until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day . . . ." (Proverbs 4:18 – AMP)

...let your light shine before all men!

"I am the light of the world.  Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life." - John 8:12

Let The Children Come

Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Matthew 19:12-14 (New International Version)

Kingdom of the Spirit (a note on Acts 1:3-8)

I find it interesting in verse 3 that for forty days Jesus spoke to them of the kingdom of God...it reminds me of the 40 years wandering in the desert, where Moses spoke of the things of God. Jesus gave the disciples many convincing proofs that He was alive...as well did God His proofs in the desert.

v.4...also enjoy the fact that very often Jesus gave spiritual food while people were eating regular food, a relaxing and generally inviting and receptive environment for spiritual things to conceive in the heart.

v.5...always enjoy the comparison of water and the Holy Spirit...the natural with the supernatural.

v.6, 7, 8...in these verses the disciples are still looking for a natural, visible kingdom to be restored when Christ's intent is restoration of a spiritual kingdom, continuing to reiterate about the coming of the Holy Spirit, like He did in His final discourse before the cross..."when He comes He will...", and, "if I don't go away, He can't come."

When they ask about kingdom restoration Jesus says, "you will receive power and be my witnesses."

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Here are the verses from Acts 1:3-7
After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
(Today's New International Version)

Showers of blessings!

Enjoy the abundant and bountiful blessings of the Kingdom life that Jesus Himself is lavishing upon you in an amazing display of extravagant grace. He daily loads you with His benefits, so don't forget to thank Him for them today.*

Today may you flourish like an olive tree in the courts of God, Word-watered by the King Himself.*

*(paragraphs above taken from or adapted from 'A Year In The Now', by Jim Swilley)