Baptism of Fire

September 6, 2011

And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. Exodus 24:17

What are we going to appear like in this next move of God? What is God’s outpouring going to look like upon us? What is the process we have been going through, or are going to have to go through for this change to manifest in us?

We can see from Ex 24:17 the Glory of the Lord is like a devouring fire. What does that look like when God’s Glory rest upon us and not a mountain? What will we have to walk through in order for us to say, “I have awakened in His likeness.”?

15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. Psalm 17:15

God, who is a consuming fire, will be consuming something in us in order for us to be in His likeness. What will that be? Our flesh. Let’s look at some scripture that discusses the flesh and what is going to be done to it as God begins to put His Glory fire upon us.

Jer 12:12 The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace.

One of the first things to go is our peace. What? That doesn’t sound like a promise. As long as our flesh is being pampered it’s at peace, but once the fire is put upon it and it doesn’t get appeased the first thing to go is our peace. Why? Because it doesn’t feel good. You can feel it when the fire is on you; the anger crawling up the back of your neck, the need to fight the circumstances and stand in our righteous position as you justify your situation before God. You may even be indignant with God that He has the audacity to let these things happen to you. After all, you are a child of God.

Mt 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

What days are being shortened? The days of fire. God has to give us relief from the fire and our circumstances. If we are in them for too long without some kind of reprieve we’d want to go home to the Lord. Some of these refining circumstances can be very intense.

Ro 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

God is moving us out of a place of being a child-heir into being a son. While you are a child you are still under the law, your under tutors and governors, Gal 4. Those tutors are the teachers, parents those that have been placed in your life for training and then governors are there to over see your provision like your natural job. All this is still Egypt-minded thinking and training. Let me explain briefly what I’m talking about by Egypt-minded thinking. When you are saved your spirit is quickened (brought to life), but your soul (mind, will and emotions) and your flesh and all it’s carnal desires are still trained up in the ways of Eygpt. You are still looking to man for your provision, your teaching, to make you feel good about yourself. You are still easily offended and moved by your emotions. God is still not your God yet, because you are looking to man (Moses) to be your interpreter and provider. The depth of full reliance upon God Himself and the knowledge of the ways of the Kingdom of God have not been embraced and understood.

This can be a long season or short. Some people having excepted Jesus as their savior have never moved into the place where Jesus has become their Lord. Our whole life we are trained in the kingdom of Mammon. We are told what it is to be successful in man’s kingdom. This train of though has infiltrated the church. When we interpret the Word of God without the Spirit of God we will always come out with the wrong interpretation. Why? Because our flesh will interpret the word to best suit it. Even when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, when our flesh has not yet be crucified; the interpretation of the Word will be skewed because it will be filtered by our flesh.

That’s why we must enter into the wilderness to come into the next phase of our training with God. We go through the baptism of the water “Red Sea” as a symbol of crucifying the flesh, next are the experiences that will actually do this. We can complain against the training or yield and become meek before the Lord. Once you become a son there is no place for the law. We are fully submitted to the Lord and are living under the grace of God. Ultimately we have to be brought to the point that no flesh shall glory in His presence. God is our source, our provider, our provision, our Lord, our Master, our King and our God. He is the ultimate authority in our lives. We are fully submitted to Him and receive our instructions directly from Him. He is the Lord of Host. We are submitted to Him as a loyal member of His Kingdom.

1Co 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. MORE