Welcome! On today's blog, I believe God is inviting you to a deeper place. By the time you will reach the conclusion, you may be challenged. But surely it's for you to come out stronger and much more powerful in this season. So let's start.
A Special Morning
There is something beautiful about seeking Abba's presence in the early hours of the morning and He always got special ways to surprises us with His presence. On 24.04.2020, it was this beautifully painted morning sky. Sipping on my morning coffee and gazing at this glorious looking sky was special. But what was even more special was a word that Abba spoke to me through a vision. The next few blogs are going to be special because, as much as I'm learning from that vision & God's word, these blogs will serve you as an amazing tool to grow in the Lord.
what was the vision? I saw the process of a sword being made. Later the sword was in the hand of a sword-smith. With his piercing eyes, he was looking at it. Then I saw him polishing it with a special cloth. I asked God, why did I not see the sword yet in the hands of a warrior. I heard God tenderly whisper to my spirit, "It is not yet the time. This is a season of it's sharpening."
I will be calling the next few blogs "Season of sharpening" My heart is to speak to you about the process a sword would go through before an elite warrior would pick it up for use. And I know for sure that you are that sword that will be picked up by God to bring down the schemes of the enemy.
In times like this God needs special weapons. And I believe that you will be that unique weapon. You're going to be forged to be a weapon like David who did wonders with his harp, or you're going to be forged to be a weapon like Daniel, an official in the Government, or you're going to be forged to be a weapon like Apostol Paul, a powerful carrier of the Gospel. Or who knows! Maybe a weapon that is going to be used in a unique fashion.
You can't escape the process
For you to come out as the finest of swords you need to first be willing to come out as the purest of metals. The finest sword is not made of any available metal. A sword that is fine is made of metal that has gone through intense fire and testing of time.
Put on your best imagination cap as you read the rest. To forge a sword, the sword-smith would first start something called the smelting process. Smelting is a process of applying extreme heat to Iron ores in order to extract a base metal or a quality metal.
Speaking from the Japanese context would be more relevant since they were the best in making the finest swords in the world dating all the way back from the 13th century. To get the finest base metal to forge a sword, the process starts with iron ores dumped inside a
"clay Trough" AKA "Tatara" in Japanese. (Hope the picture I put together will help)
The clay Trough/Tatara will be then filled with iron ores and then lite on fire for 72 hours or so. During this process, the Trough is repeatedly fed with pin charcoal for 3-5 days straight.
In ancient times, the chief swordsmith would stay day and night feeding the fire with coal and examining the process. He would not sleep during the whole process because he can't afford to let the temperature of the Trough (Tatara) drop below 1500 degrees celsius. Because the purity of the metal is reliant on the consistent temperature of the Trough. Besides that, It's also about the passion of the sword-smith. To see the finest metal come out is like a newborn baby being birthed.
This is the first and foremost process of sword making which is the process of smelting. There are many things we can learn from even the smallest of detail of forging a sword. Today It's about the importance of staying engulfed in the fierce fire.
Blog one: Yes To The Burning Trough.
Staying engulfed in the fire is a painful process. This is a time when you look nothing like a sharp sword. Wanting to look like a sharp and powerful sword is like a far off dream at this stage. We all have dreams, visions, and desires to be mighty weapons in God's hands. But, the fact of the matter is God is inviting us to a process that nobody wants to go through. Everyone looks for a quicker process to come out strong, but the fact is, there are no shortcuts to come out as a powerful weapon in God's hands.
There may be millions of Christians in this world. But do you know why there is only a handful of men and women of God who has done wonders in the kingdom of God? I would like to believe it's because only a handful of then said yes to the burning Trough.
Galatians 1: 15-18
But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus. Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas
Apostol Paul, the man the reason why we have 13 letters of the New Testament embraced the burning Trough. The moment he experienced the call of God in his life, he could have chosen to go hear the opinions and get approvals of other men. But here is what he did, he chose to sit with the Holy Spirit and get engulfed in His fire. Not for a day, a week, or a month. For 3 long years in the desert of Arabia, all by himself with the presence of God.
During this stage, he may not have been that powerful weapon in God's hand yet, but the Trough experience is what made him, the Apostol Paul, the pioneer, the church planter, the missionary, the healing evangelist, the man who ascended to heaven, the man who escaped many deaths and the man who challenged nations with his anointing, etc.
In today's time, many assume that as long as they got people to celebrate and appreciate them they have come out as strong men and women of God. It's a bitter reality but I got to tell you, I have noticed many people like that on this road, people who run for the praise and acclaim of men. Let's not be carried away by the applause of people when God has called you to get refined by the purifying fire.
We can never be a lethal weapon to bring down the enemy's altars unless we embrace the process of fire. The engulfing fire and Trough experience can be our response to saying yes to the presence of God, the time of prayer, and going deep in the word of God. There are many things that the fire will do in our lives which I will be writing in the upcoming blogs. For today I want to conclude by challenging you to say yes to the Holy Spirit who is inviting you to the Trough.
I would like to pray a prayer with you.
Dear, Abba. In this season of sharpening and making Your mighty weapons, I pray that we will be sensitive to your voice that is calling us to a place where we are purified and made strong. We say yes to the Trough. Take us deeper in our prayer life and to spent time meditating the word of God. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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