December 8

FIRE / PART 3

THE PURPOSE OF FIRE

According to J. Preston Eby:

-"The word “BURN” means combustion, or to consume. To “consume” does not mean to annihilate, for there is no such thing as annihilation in the absolute sense. When fire consumes a log in your fireplace it does not destroy any of the elements within the log, it merely changes their form. “Combustion” is the process by which chemicals combine to form new chemicals. For example: a tree might be cut down, sawed into fire wood, and burned. When the wood is burning the heat causes the chemicals of which the wood is composed to vaporize, mixing with the oxygen in the air to form new chemicals, including water and the gas carbon dioxide. So what was formerly a tree is no longer identified as the form of a tree, but the substance thereof is now simply CHANGED into a DIFFERENT FORM and exists in its new form within the atmosphere as water, carbon dioxide, etc. Thus, to “burn”, means to CHANGE. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that fire does not burn down; it always burns up; it seeks the highest level. And all that it consumes "goes up in smoke," to exist in a new form in a higher dimension. Even if you take a pan of water and place it over a fire, before long the water will take on the property of the fire and will begin to go up in steam. To “burn” means to CHANGE, and the change is always UPWARD in its motion. “FIRE” is the heat and light that you feel and see when something burns. It takes heat to start a fire, but once the fire is started it produces heat that keeps the process going. Thus, “fire” is really HEAT and LIGHT." ( The Lake Of Fire, J. Preston Eby )

-With this in mind, we are now able to see the purpose of God’s consuming fire in our lives. This spiritual fire ( that comes from God ) is for the purpose of consuming and destroying the man of sin that is within us. God’s fire works ( within us ) to consume our wood, hay, and stubble. He burns up our old nature ( the propensity within us to sin ) by the brightness of His coming ( presence ). In turn, HIS FIRE CHANGES US FROM ONE FORM TO ANOTHER. The more we begin to understand the purpose of God’s fire, the less we fear it. It is absolutely necessary for every person to go through GOD’S CONSUMING AND PURIFYING LAKE OF FIRE, for in the fire we are CHANGED from glory to glory. We are changed into …

-THE IMAGE OF GOD!-