Revealed with Fire

Had a dream about fire Saturday night. Thought I would share it.

In my dream I was running alongside a field that had been burnt up by fire. I understood that it had been subject to controlled burning as many land owners will do in times of drought. As I was running I noticed a woman and her husband (actual people I know) in the field. She was standing above him as he was sitting on the ground, covered in flames. He was not responding to the flames as a man on fire would be. I was alarmed and yet, the flames were not consuming him as natural fire would. It made me think of the burning bush in the Old Testament. As I came near to this woman I began to pray with her for her husband and then we each took a hand and pulled him up from the place he was sitting, as if we were pulling him from the fire. As he was pulled up he turned into another friend of mine and then her mother was revealed, standing next to her. So, I had the married couple on one side and the mother/daughter on the other side. I then began to speak to them, "The Lord is saying that He has qualified you with fire. With fire you have been qualified." And right then their hearts were set to rest because of the word of encouragement and they were affirmed in Jesus, despite this time of fiery testing. (in the natural both of the situations have been devastating) The dream continues from there but I will not publish the rest. I feel it's for a later time.

As I was praying into this dream the Lord took me to 1 Corinthians 3 where Jesus is speaking of ministries, actually, and the testing/revealing of them with fire.

1 Corinthians 3: 12- 15

If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

There is personal revelation here for the Bride, not just in the context of contrasting ministries. This idea of fire that does not consume the person but rather what the person has built is a mystery that begs to be made known in this hour. I have a general understanding of this parable and what it means to have the Day or light showing the works of man for what it is. However, I feel there is a fire before the fire that is coming. This type of fire I believe it actually testing the hearts of men that they would suffer loss in this day rather than on that Day.

Over the summer the Lord spoke to my heart about fire that was coming for me in January of 2010. I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me that I would be, "birthing fire by January." The imagery alone makes me hurt! Birthing anything is painful but FIRE?! So, I know the fire is coming; the controlled burn of the Spirit is coming as a preventative measure against the fire that WILL consume. The quality of each man's work will be revealed. The good news? If it stands approved of God, he will receive his reward. What is the reward? Only God knows the full measure of the reward but I do believe He shared with me that one of the immediate reward is the ability to move into the 'qualifying rounds' that we would be properly positioned to receive the newness of what He is going to bring. I believe He wants to add to what He's begun but the foundation must first be proven. New wine requires new wineskin lest it be destroyed. A new wineskin requires the forging and fire of God. I pray we are able to stand as approved workmanship in the day of fire.

1 Timothy 2:15

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I am feeling the deep shift and change in the plates of my soul, again. I have prayed for exponential grace and growth for this next year. I believe I am feeling the establishing of that in my spirit and it's causing my flesh to be very uncomfortable where I am. It's sometimes difficult to know what a normal 'day in the life of' a mother of four looks like while carrying/birthing holy burdens and burnings. And yet, I don't want to be able to recognize myself when this is all said and done. I want renewal and transformation in the deepest parts. Quick shifts and changes rattle cages yet I've willingly sung the song, "Come and turn my little world upside down!" Oh, He's doing it...from the inside out.