Old Dog IV
The Fire in the Forge
Bob Neumann
The Fire Of God
For over five weeks now I have struggled with the images I have been shown. In this time I have prayed and waited for answers that have not appeared to come. In this time I ”turned off” all the distractions as I could. I have watched no TV….listened to no RADIO….ignored my E-MAIL….and left my PC off for long stretches. What I have found is little that makes me feel good. But let me share these two verses….
1 Corinthians 11:31-32
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. (KJV)
For a long time I believed if I ‘judged myself’ everything would be okay. How many times have I heard people say that we are not to judge others? Yet Paul taught that we are not to judge each other, then tells us to judge his words. In fact he says in 1 Corinthians 4:3 that he can not judge himself and says it is a ”small thing” when others judge him. So how can we judge ourselves? How do we ”weigh” ourselves and assess our lives? Man has taught that this can be done. So I have tried to ”weigh” myself and I failed because I wanted a ”good outcome”. Who wouldn’t? How many times have I heard preaching about ”transparent” Christians…people with nothing to hide? No secrets…..No hidden sin….
Once we reach that ”stage” we are ”righteous” and above judgement by others who are not supposed to judge us in the first place. It is a wonderful cycle of lies, easy to accept, easy to trust, easy to foster onto others. The only problem is it forgets verse 32 and this is where THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT jumped me. To assume that if I ‘judged myself’….no one else would ‘judge me’….places me in the ”rocking chair” on the HIGHWAY OF HOLINESS. I can coast on in without worry of being ”caught” breaking the ‘speed’ limit. Sure there is ”no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit”, but that is not what THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT was trying to get me to see. Judgement and Condemnation are not the same.
Condemnation is what we have without SALVATION. The images of THE FIRE and THE FORGE do not speak of “condemnation”. They speak of being ”used”…of having ”value” to the KING.
Verse 21 says if we ‘judge’ ourselves…we will not really be judging anything. Either we will rationalize a ”full pardon” or we will do the opposite and self-flagellate ourselves in our own failures and past sins. Paul ties being ”judged” with being ”chastened of THE LORD”. Which means ‘going through the FIRE’….and that brings us to a ‘new place’…
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
THE SCALES speaks of us to strive for HIS HOLINESS….something I am trying to do.
So please forgive my ‘lack’ of civility, of response to your emails, of my failures to do anything that might make sense…….because I have fallen on that narrow and rocky path that leads to HIS MOUNTAIN. You have to understand we were never meant to ”coast in”. We were meant to fall and struggle and to strain with every breath right to the end. Somewhere along the line ”we” have to end. To be broken, and die. But along the way we also must find that everything we are, think, say and do must pass through THE FIRE.
Think about this for a moment. What was the greatest abomination described in the OLD TESTAMENT?
Come on, think about it…..
What did GOD’S PEOPLE do that tore it….that† MADE† a HOLY GOD say enough is enough?
Maybe each of you have a different answer….there are many sins repeated over and over…..but what I have ‘witnessed’ is warned against in both Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel declare the sin occurring in their time. In fact THE WORD declares Solomon ”fell” into the sin himself. It is a parody and counterfeit of what THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT is doing now….
Leviticus 20:1-8
1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.
3 And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.
4 And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not:
5 Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.
6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God.
8 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you. (KJV)
For some reason a MOST HOLY GOD did not want people to throw their children into a fire of another god. In fact Jeremiah shares ABBA’S WORDS with us on this subject most clearly……
29 Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the Lord hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.
30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the Lord: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.
31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
32 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.
33 And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.
34 Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.
Does anyone notice the last verse? Paul tells us that we will be judged with fire. That nothing remains except the ”gold, silver, and precious stones”. When you read 1 Corinthians 3 Paul is not talking about SALVATION. Yet how many sermons on HOLINESS or SANCTIFICATION really explained what GOLD means to ABBA? How many exhortations defined SILVER as Y’SHUA wants us to know? Is there any major teaching† that shows us what THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT calls PRECIOUS STONES? In Malachi 3:17 it says we are HIS JEWELS when we put GOD FIRST in our thoughts, words, actions.
Now what did JESUS say about “SEEK YE FIRST”? Funny how THE MASTER puts a double whammy out there and we just lump it all together and go our merry ways ”cruisin’ to GLORY”. HE CLEARLY MAKES A DISTINCTION BETWEEN ”THE KINGDOM OF GOD” AND THE FATHER’S RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Actually, seriously studying Matthew 6 is a powerful template of THE KINGDOM from THE MASTER’S point of view. Only most of it is ignored and convoluted by ”church” tradition and man’s doctrines. It is where our ”lack” is easily shown when we sit in the fire. When all the garbage and baggage we cling to is converted to ashes because we did not seek first what pleases ABBA. I guess that is what has grieved me most.
Please understand I was given but the briefest glimpses of THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE and in this moment of PURE JUSTICE I found myself in DANIEL 5 and I walked away with but one WORD….† TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
Wanting….to lack….Lacking….failing to measure up.
Ever wonder about ”short changing” GOD? I have…..and that has kept me silent and ashamed. There is a MASTER who expects a ”profit” from HIS SERVANTS. HE has given much and much is now expected. If you think I am just ”dreaming” this up, please stay away from THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS. Months ago I was told to share with everyone about “wise” and ”faithful” servants….about ”meat in due season”.
Luke takes this image and expands it to include ”seeking first THE KINGDOM”….here is some ‘meat’
31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
41 Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?
50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Who would have tied the JUDGEMENT BY FIRE that Paul spoke of with the prophecy of JOHN THE BAPTIST? And once again it is a double whammy. THE MASTER above tells ol’ Pete that HE is sending ”fire” and the next words are about ”baptism”……or should I say “immersion”….or might I place before you an image of being ”birthed” by SPIRIT AND FIRE….which JOHN spoke of?
Do you want to talk about ELIJAH ANOINTINGS….ELIJAH PROPHETS….SONS OF THUNDER….?????
Or is it simply THE SONS OF GOD tried and proven from the FORGE OF GOD?
WEAPONS and TOOLS of THE KINGDOM…….shaped BY THE MASTER….for HIS PLEASURE….like it or not HIS WORD IS TRUE, HIS WORD IS LIFE and HE SAID ” To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”……..
You see once again I have had the joy of seeing HIS FORGE and working at THE MASTER’S SIDE. Sure it was a VISION….but GOD has not changed. HE STILL IS GOD.
JOB 33….
14 For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
16 Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,
17 That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.
18 He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.
Again the ”double whammy”…..or if you want me to stay scriptural….THE TWO EDGED SWORD of HIS WORD. For HIS WORDS speak on multiple levels and HIS
WORD declares we need to start eating ”strong meat”….
10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
For if you read JOB 33 we were warned….
19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain:
20 So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.
21 His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out.
22 Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.
23 If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:
24 Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.
25 His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s: he shall return to the days of his youth:
26 He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.
27 He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;
28 He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.
29 Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man,
30 To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.
31 Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I will speak.
32 If thou hast anything to say, answer me: speak, for I desire to justify thee.
33 If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.
We were given a messenger, an advocate, an interpreter….who showed us HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS and has paid our ransom. HE IS OUR WAY…OUR TRUTH…OUR LIGHT…..
Like JOB I shut my mouth and WATCHED HIM….and I hope I have learned HIS WISDOM for the days ahead.
HIS PEACE to all who read this
Shemuel