Jewels from the River: All Consuming Fire – Part Two
Judy Bauman
July 7, 2011
All Consuming Fire – Part Two
Pondering how I came to be sipping tea in a quiet little room, I sit stunned and amazed at the sequence of events that brought me here. Only a moment ago I was faced by a brilliant light in the midst of the path to the River, an earthquake shook the very ground where I stood, and the water in the River was vibrating as the boulder’s rolled fiercely down the hill towards it. Now I sit watching the fire in the hearth and wait quietly upon the Lord. I recall the pillar of light and how beautiful but terrifying the prospect was of being consumed by it. Running and jumping into its midst – trusting the Lord was in it – is the last thing I remember doing before finding myself at this little wooden table. This humble dwelling is a secret place of the Lord and He has brought me before. It is quiet here no matter what is happening in the world; and even though this “secret place” is quiet, I am acutely aware of the shaking and rumbling going on outside.
As I think about the pillar of light on the path, I can’t help but think of Saul’s encounter with the Lord on his way to Damascus to persecute the church there – his murderous heart set on taking believers in Jesus back to Jerusalem. Light from heaven flashed all around him and he fell to the ground. Jesus was in that light speaking to Saul and He told him later what he must do. God revealed many mysteries to him and Saul, also called Paul, revealed them to us through his letters to the churches. I love my big brother Paul.
I sip my tea and enjoy watching the firelight flicker off the walls of the room as the flames burn deeper into the firewood. Its light is dim compared to the light I saw in the midst of the path. It was dazzling – even blinding! Jesus was indeed the Light I jumped in to and that brings a deep sense of relief. I begin to wonder – why did He bring me here and where He is? Jesus has always accompanied me to this secret place and I fight my frustration knowing He is purposely tarrying. I know that I cannot “make” Him show up. I also know He has made it clear to me in recent days that I am to stay at rest no matter what is happening around me - even if it feels like Jesus is “sleeping in the boat” in the midst of a hurricane!
All at once the business of the day encroaches and pulls me out of the secret place. Though I have tried to resist, the tasks of the day win my attention. However, I soon realize if I do not get back, sit down and wait on Jesus, I won’t have a clue why He showed me this vision. I pick up my journal and when I do, I suddenly see the Lord sitting across from me at the little wooden table with a mug of tea in hand. With a tender and soft tone of voice He states as a matter of fact, “Had you not come back, you would have missed the message I have for you and for the Church.”
I wonder how many messages I’ve missed because of the daily distractions of life and cry out, “Help me Jesus! Don’t let my life be so busy that I shut out what You want to reveal to me and to Your Body!”
The Lord continues, “The earth is in travail as a woman in childbirth; it groans for the manifestation of the sons of God. Worldly ones don’t know this, but My Church should! Many pray for answers and solutions to their problems. Many have the false notion I will magically fix things for them. I Am supernatural, but I do not entertain with magic tricks!”
He says this so firmly and with such conviction and strength, it causes me to shake. It’s the true “reverence of the LORD” that causes me to tremble. He is so Mighty and Awesome! Jesus is truly omnipotent and my frailty is palpable. The intensity in His eyes reveals that He is determined to see that we understand Him more and more so we can walk in His ways. I realize this is why we are not seeing the miracles of Jesus’ ministry and that of the early church manifesting today as they should. Miracles tend to be looked at as entertainment, and Jesus was clear in His day as He is in ours that signs will not be given to an evil and adulterous generation. It is a wicked evil spirit that embraces an unholy passion to seek signs and wonders instead seeking and knowing Him who is Wonderful. It is adulterous because of the passion for and desirous love to see the miracle more than the One who gave the miracle. The fact is, too often when miracles do happen people just want to see more and more, and it gets twisted into a completely different thing than what God intended. These look for His hand and not His face. God has told us all throughout the Holy Scriptures that we are to seek His face.
Faith does not require a sign, wonder, or a miracle. Faith believes what can’t be seen more than what can be seen. Without faith it is impossible to please God. The truth is, most of us do not pray in faith, we pray out of a spirit of fear and then wonder why God doesn’t answer. Sometimes He does answer out of His great compassion for us – remembering we are but dust, but prayers from a fearful heart do not honor our Father. I remember a prophetic word the Lord gave me on the mission field a few years ago and have shared this at many churches, “Let the sound of your prayers match the sound of your praise.” I could not understand the language of that land; however I could hear the joy and hope in their songs, but their hearts were filled with fear, doubt and unbelief when they prayed. Prayers of faith that declare the word of the Lord move His heart because we are aligning ourselves with what He has said and is saying instead of what we can see going on around us.
The Lord allows me to ponder all this before He speaks. His tone of voice is firm when he does, “The fact is I have the answers to every prayer if My beloved Church will stay with Me long enough to hear them. Most calling themselves Christians pray and then go about their day. They don’t realize while they want an answer to their prayer, they have not stopped talking long enough to listen for it. You cannot hear an answer if you are always the one speaking. Being still is where you hear the answer to your prayers. You want answers? My heart longs to give them to you! While I do understand the pulls of the world, time must be set aside for prayer in thanksgiving and praise. This is where you see what I Am showing you – ideas will come, answers will manifest themselves, My peace will guide you. If you will wait until I have released you from the secret place, an answer will come when it’s time for it to be implemented. Make time for Me! I will give you My peace and you will know I Am there to provide whatever is needed when it’s needed. But you must tarry with Me.
“People get to the point where they are desperate for answers, and since they won’t wait for Me to release them from a place of prayer they run to and fro to find answers from friends and relatives, co-workers, clergy, and worse – the media. As one put it, don’t run to the phone – run to the Throne! I will add, don’t run to the T.V. run to Me. My word instructs you for a purpose. While I do work through others, My remnant must first learn to tarry with Me and then when an answer is presented by another, the anointing I placed in you through My Holy Spirit will be in agreement with that solution.
“Be still and know I Am God.””
Jesus actually whispers that last line because in these words are such intense power and He speaks with great authority that He would have brought me to the doors of death had He spoken it any louder. “Be still and know I Am God” is such a sweet Scripture, but we tend to groan when we hear it because it is so difficult for us to be still! However, today when Jesus speaks this in a whisper, I feel the weight of heaven in His words.
The Lord looks deep into my eyes as I contemplate all this and I am caught in His gaze. The whole room seems to disappear and all I see is the deep pools in His eyes. They are like fire that is directed at my thoughts and motivations. I am fully aware of my faulty thinking and wrong attitudes. Like David, my sin is ever before me.
His eyes become like a movie screen and I can see the “wall” Jesus has assigned me to build. I see the fire in His eyes pass through it. A small portion of it burns like wood, hay and straw; this portion falls to the ground, but the majority of it is fortified by His gaze. The fire in His eyes burns all my failures so completely that there is not even ash left! At the sight of this I fall to the ground and cast my crown at His feet. (Until this moment, I was unaware I had a crown!) I worship and weep with joy. Trembling, I feel His hand pick me up like a mother cat picks up her kitten by the scruff of its neck. He blows into my belly and at once I am strengthened. Setting me on my feet, He goes on to instruct:
“Continually tell My Church that in order for them to receive answers, they must seek My face and be still and know I Am God. As they do, the shakings of this age will pass through them. I will tell you each where to go – to the right or to the left – and what to do. I will give answers.
“I will build My temple with those willing to be My fellow-workers. Those whose work remains will receive a reward. That is My promise. These are those who are called Stewards of the mysteries of God, and they must be found trustworthy. The kingdom of God is not just words, but power. The power I speak of is the power of My Holy Spirit. All other power is counterfeit and seeks its own will.
“Hide yourself under the shadow of My wing. I Am your Refuge and your Fortress. Make Me your dwelling and you shall not be afraid.”
The fire in His eyes seems to morph into the fire in the hearth. I sit at the table watching the flickering of the flames dance around the wood. I drink my tea in awe and ponder all of this He has said and shown me. The words spoken earlier by the Lord ring in my ear, “It’s My love, it’s My love, it’s My love, it’s My love. It’s My love, it’s My love. All things are to be filtered through My love and longing for My Church.”
Glory to God!
~end vision~
You will be blessed to ponder these Scriptures:
Matthew 6:33; 7:7; 10:9; 12:38-42; Acts 9:1-31; Second Chronicles 7:14; Luke 11:10; Hebrews 11:6; 12:1, 2; Romans 5:1; James 1:2-6; 5:15; First John 2:27; Psalm 46:10; 91; 2 Timothy 1:7; First Corinthians 3:9-15; Malachi 3:2; Matthew 3:11, 12; John 5:19, 20; 14:30; Nehemiah 3; Ephesians 2:19-22; Philippians 4:4-7; Colossians 3:15
“All Consuming Fire” Parts 1&2 were given over two days – June 12, 13, 2011.
