THE FIRE IS NOT OPTIONAL
This was the phrase I heard upon waking from a dream on September 13th. In the dream, I saw many people from various walks of life that I knew and they were standing single file in a line. One by one, they were crossing through a doorframe that was engulfed in flames. I knew that this was necessary and the only way through to continue the pilgrimage that we were being led on together. I was awakened by a Voice in my bedroom that sounded like an alarm, an exclamation point of sorts declaring,
“THE FIRE IS NO LONGER OPTIONAL.”
“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” —Matthew 3:11
There’s no more tolerance for picking and choosing what we allow the finger of God to touch in our lives. It’s all or nothing. All of us for all of Him. Everything on the altar, consumed by His Spirit. This is what it looks like to be baptized into the baptism of Jesus.
Spirit, Fire.
Both, And.
Not either, or.
If you want to progress with the body into this next era of Kingdom expansion you must accept the call to complete and total surrender and immersion into His Pure Fire, the fire of love, which burns away all selfish ambition, envy, jealousy, compromise, self protection and preservation, lust, pride and perversion. He is preparing His Bride to be holy as He is holy. We must receive the fullness of His Baptism in order to rightly bear His Image and His Name.
Many are coming out from under the fear and rule of man, but be careful not to try and shortcut the process of refinement and purification as you learn to use your voice again. You can be empty of the fear of man and still be full of pride, if you do not know the fear of the Lord. Your words will be vain and self-serving if you first are not consumed by His Fire. Ask for the Fear of the Lord before you deliver a message, and see what's left of it on the other side. A pure message will emerge from the flames, or none at all.
We need His Fire. We need the fullness of His Sevenfold Spirit, His wisdom, revelation, counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord before we say or do anything else. We are in another window of the fullness of time, which means that there is a convergence and manifestation of epic proportions unfolding all at once. And yet many still sit in a valley of decision. I am here to tell you with great trembling and in the fear of a Holy God that His Fire is coming for each and every one of us. What kind of altar are we building? What kind of altar are we becoming? When was the last time you took an honest assessment of your works and words and asked His Spirit to audit you? The Auditor is now here. And He is testing every foundation, motive, agenda, vision and blueprint from the inside out. Of what spirit are you? It will rise to the surface in His Presence and what was previously easily hidden is all coming to light.
It’s time to grow up.
Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God… —Hebrews 6:1
This will be a wake up call for many, and not in a way they are expecting. Some will be alarmed at what He reveals on the other side of this crossing. Many will emerge with revelation that they are not at all in the phase of progression that they had assumed prior to stepping through this threshold. Some will step into acceleration and maturation and others will be forced into rest. It all comes by His Spirit. Many will face a sudden exodus from alignments and positions that fostered idolatry and falsehood. It will be unto deliverance.
This door is a gateway of transition for the Body of Christ as a whole, transition out of limited view and into wide open spaces, out of tribalism and into family, out of one man ministries and into the One New Man of mature sonship.
For He Himself is our peace and our bond of unity. He who made both groups into one body and broke down the barrier, the dividing wall [of spiritual antagonism between us], by abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the hostility caused by the Law with its commandments contained in ordinances [which He satisfied]; so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thereby establishing peace. And [that He] might reconcile them both [Jew and Gentile, united] in one body to God through the cross, thereby putting to death the hostility. —Ephesians 2:14-16
It’s time to exit every narrative where you are the main character and step into His eternal Living Word, threading together bloodlines and families, nations and tribes, past, present and future converging in The Son. In Him, there is no wall of separation. The fire of His Love fuses and forges together every part of the body into a collective tapestry of beauty.
He will no longer tolerate those who claim His Name bearing a false image.
There is so much more that lies ahead than what is being left behind as we all prepare to cross this threshold. Leave your story and step into His-Story.
I’m laying down,
I’m letting go.
I give up what I think I know.
I close my eyes and wait upon the flame.
Standing here on sacred ground,
I listen for that rushing sound,
The wind, the flame, the all consuming One.
I need a fire.
I built this altar that you asked for.
I need a fire.
And it’s me I offer.
Here I am, I’m letting go.
I’m surrendering control.
Breathe on embers, make them grow.
Ignite this fire inside my bones.”
