THE FIRES

by Pam Clark

In Australia, they are experiencing incredible fires that are burning out many, many homes and large acreage (Jan 2002). One list member asked for prayers, and while her home is safe now, many others have homes and property in danger from these large raging fires.

Tonight even, they showed the pictures on television on World News Tonight and said it was destroying the habitat of the cute little koala bears that we all find so adorable. Just as they were about to get the fires under control, they were started again by arsonists. It turns out that these arsonists were teens.

Why would they do such a thing? You would think they would have had their thrill already. Obviously it is demonic, something evil and cruel. It is nothing short of the enemy that has to be put under control as he is definitely working to kill, steal from and destroy these innocent people and make them his victims through their ignorance or sin.

I can't understand how they could continue to do such a thing after seeing all the other destruction that has already taken place. Is the concept of life and home and quality lifestyle so foriegn to them or are they just demonically controlled? For the hundreds who have lost everything and barely escaped with their lives, it's demonic. It's a big and serious thing!

These are the type of things the people of God face. Satan never has enough, just like fire. As long as there is fuel and he is not contained, he wants more and more until there is nothing left. Life is precious. If we do not learn how to put a guard up and defend the precious things, the enemy will come like a fire and devour. The Water of Life will stop him.

We also want God to be like a raging fire within us, but to do that, we need to give Him fuel. We will need to fight fire with Fire.

Some people think that the power of fire is it; it's God. But they have not yet learned to distinguish one fire from another, to know the Fire of God versus the fire of the enemy. Some see all judgment as from God, when some of that may be false judgment.

If people see only power as God, then they have missed God. As Elijah knew, he was not in the earthquake, the fire or the wind that broke the rocks, He was in the still small Voice of relationship. That relationship builds (edifies), heals, and helps people to come into all they can be in God. We look forward to the day of God's power in us, not for the sake of power alone, but for the sake of His Glory.

When we find the way to healthfully give ourselves to God, He will be the Fire that burns in us and that Fire will never go out if we offer ourselves to Him in continual healthy sacrifice.

The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 12:1 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." The key word here is reasonable. That is how the Fire stays burning.

Sometimes we don't offer enough to keep the Fire burning, but if we don't offer oursleves right, because of false judgment or judging, then it can be a setback. God will honor our hearts if we miss it unintentionally, but not always our circumstances, so we must ask for wisdom to discern so we can get things right -- because He will not always honor our hearts alone and make up for our stupidity of not knowing His Truth when it's available in the earth. If we seek Him, we will find Him, if we seek Him with all of our hearts (not just 98%).

If we sow dramatically, we will reap dramatically and maybe our lives need that. But if we sow in condemnation, thinking little of ourselves or offering on false pretenses, we will have a struggle getting to healthy place where we can offer something again. If we sow to sin, we will reap the strange fire of the whirlwind of destruction, and as long as the door is open and there is no Water of Life to stop it, that fire will continue to devour.

Satan is a false accuser. He gives false judgment. He is delighted when we give false judgments on ourselves by deceit because then he does not have to do anything. We will destroy ourselves. When what you do is never enough, your judge is probably not the Spirit of God. God will eventually point you to the Cross where Jesus paid the price.

When the demands are incessant and there is no promise of life but bondage, you are in the captivity of the evil one. When the facts aren't on the table but in the mysterious, you aren't in the Word - which is Life and Light to all who will partake of it. When Jesus fought the enemy, He used the words, "It is written." You can do that too and be set free. Otherwise you may be fuel for the evil one. Be set free through the Truth of God's Word. Bind the enemy by the Light and Life and Power of the Glorious Gospel - which is Good News!

There is Light and Life and Love for you and it has no end. There is healing and it is the Children's Bread of the Most High God. Like the bush Moses saw, it burned, but was not consumed. Let's be in the right Fire of God.