Terms and Conditions For Every Enlisted or Intending To Enlist Soldier Of Jesus Christ In The LORD’s Army ;
3)You Will Be Tried In The Furnace Of Fire :
Dear friends, don’t be surprised or shocked
that you are going through testing that is like
walking through the fire (1 Peter 4:12, CEV)
If you are someone who cooks very often or works in a place where you have to use fire to get things done daily, one way or another you must have experienced the burn of fire, and you will agree with me it’s not a pleasant one.
Fire burn can be very painful and takes time to heal, depending on the degree of the burn.
Beloved it might interest you to know as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, that as painful as the pain of fire burn is, the LORD God uses fire to test the strength of our loyalty to Him, and how strong our faith is too.
This is because one of the greatest tools of purification made by God is Fire.
A trial by fire purifies.
When you want to purify dirt or clean a vessel or know how strong a vessel is, you put it in the fire.
Many people love to wear gold jewellery, trinkets, and bangles while some have investments in gold but what they don’t know is that;
When gold is mined, it is barely discernable as the metal we have come to love.
It is in fact what experts call an ore, extracted from the earth several hundred meters underground.
An ore can have a high or low amount of gold content depending on where it was extracted. Goldsmiths use cyanide to extract gold from ores, forming something called a ‘dore’.
Gold is not available in its purest form when its extracted from its parent rock after the miner’s mine.
Since gold extracted by mining is not pure, refining the gold help to remove impurities and extract gold in its pure form.
Gold refining is a process that involves recovering gold metal from gold ore and converting it to pure gold, free from impurities.
One of the oldest methods of refining gold is refining by fire.
The dore which was extracted from the ore goes through a trial by fire at a refinery, in an exciting process called refining. This is the oldest method of obtaining pure gold.
To refine gold, heat must be applied to force the impurities to the surface thus the furnace is heated up to almost 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. As the impurities rise, they are removed and more heat is applied. This process continues, as heat is applied and re-applied until the gold is pure.
The refining process is hot. This process must be incredibly painful for the gold.
The refiner knows the gold is pure when he looks into the gold and sees his clear reflection.
The process of gold purification and refining as explained above is equated to the fiery trials Christians face as believers of Christ in their journey of faith.
The LORD God takes everyone who believes in and follows Jesus Christ, through a trial in the furnace of fire, not because He wants to burn us for the fun of it, but because He wants to see His clear reflection when He looks into us.
Trial in the furnace of fire can come in different forms for a believer and follower of Christ.
For some believers and followers of Christ, it comes through diverse challenges, tests, and trials of faith like; delayed promises, impossible problems, undeserved criticism, unanswered prayers, tragedies that don’t make sense, death of loved ones, illness, disappointments, delays, pains, sorrows, and betrayals.
While for some, it means being thrown into a physical furnace of fire as it was in the case of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego the three Jewish Boys who were taken as captives when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it, which is recorded in Daniel 3:1-30 because of their refusal to bow to the golden image moulded and set up by the King in Babylon and their faith and believe in the LORD God.
King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ninety feet tall and nine feet wide and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
He sent messages to the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, Judges magistrates, and all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up. All the officials came and stoop before the statue.
A herald shouted out “ People of all races and nations and languages, listen to the King’s command! When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and musical instruments, bow to the ground and worship King Nebuchadnezzar‘s gold statue. Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace .”
At the sound of the musical instruments, all the people, whatever their race or nation or language, bowed to the ground and worshipped the gold statue.
But some of the astrologers went to the King and informed on the Jews.
They said to King Nebuchadnezzar after hailing him and reminding him of his decree, that there are some Jews; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, your majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue.
Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him.
When they were brought in, the King said to them,
“ Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship my gold statue I set up?
He threatened them that if at the sound of the musical instruments they refuse to obey his orders, they will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And no god will be able to rescue them from his hand.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to him, “ King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of the gold statue set up.”
Nebuchadnezzar hearing their reply became furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and his attitude towards them changed. He ordered that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.
The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames.
Suddenly, King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “ Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?”
Yes, your majesty, we certainly did,” they replied.
“Look!’’ Nebuchadnezzar shouted. I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth man looks like a god!”
Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!
The three men stepped out of the fire. The high officers, officials, governors, and advisers, crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair on their head singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
King Nebuchadnezzar seeing all these, praised the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angels and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.
He made a decree against anyone or people who will speak against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego for no other god can save in this way.
Hallelujah! Glory to the Highest God.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were put in charge of the province of Babylon, by the King. In order words, they work for King Nebuchadnezzar yet refused to serve his gods nor worship the gold statue set up by him.
They did not care if they lost their source of income and livelihood, and were willing to give up their lives to be burnt to death in a blazing furnace of fire rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.
Despite seeing the soldiers who tied them up to throw them into the heated furnace die from the flames of the fire it did not make them change their minds, nor recede in their reply to the king.
The three men had confidence that God whom they serve will deliver them but at the same time, peradventure He chooses not to show up as they expect Him to, it would not still change their mind in their resolve not to bow down to serve or worship any god except their own God.
In the world today, many believers and followers of Jesus Christ are ashamed to be identified as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, so that they would not offend their Friends, Family. Bosses, and Colleagues at work, so as to fit in and be accepted by them and society as being Liberal minded and invited to their social functions and cycle.
Thus they are ashamed to publicly identify with Christ though they claim to be His followers and believe in Him.
Jesus said,
“ If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels .” Luke 9:26
Beloved believer and follower of Jesus Christ and intending follower, another term and condition you need to know as you embark on this journey of faith, is that you will be tried in the furnace of fire, for your faith and belief in the LORD God.
How it would come I don’t know.
It may be through life challenges, sickness, pain and sorrow, betrayal from trusted allies and loved ones, or by you being thrown in the physical blazing furnace of fire as in the case of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego for refusing to bow to another God that is not there
My question is; when you are tried in the furnace of fire, what will be your testimony?
Would you compromise?
Would you publicly defy your boss, friends and family take a stand boldly declare His name and sovereignty,
Or
would you deny Him to save face so that you would be invited into their social cycle?
When push comes to shove, and you are asked to choose between your love for the LORD and your source of income and livelihood, what choice would you make?
If you prayed to the LORD God for a sick loved one to live and he or she dies despite your supplications and faith in Him, would you still believe and follow knowing that He has the power to heal them but choose not?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said to King Nebuchadnezzar,
“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of the gold statue set up.”
“ Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him…” Job made this statement when he was in terrible pain and suffering.
These men are not spirits, they are mortals like you and me, who in their days and journey of faith, choose to trust the LORD with their all even if it means losing their lives.
The Christian Journey of belief and faith is not an easy one, but if you read through the Scriptures, you find and see that no Man or Woman who put their trust totally in the LORD God ended up in shame. He always goes all out to defend and protect His own though not when and how they thought He would and that’s God for you.
God will work when He pleases. He is not bound to keep our time, but He will perfume His Word, honour our faith, and reward them that diligently seek Him -Matthew Henry.
Beloved it is written “ …So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘ What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you .” Matthew 6:31-33.
Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
No soldier when in service gets entangled in the enterprises of [civilian ] life; his aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him 2Timothy 2:3-4
As a believer, follower of Jesus Christ, and soldier in the Army of the LORD, the advancement of God’s Kingdom on earth, and His will be done on earth as it is done in Heaven should be your focus and priority at all times because in God’s Glory, is your Life Purpose Fulfilled.
The life you have is NOT Your Own and You Are Made To Give Him Glory!
Thus if you have given your life to Christ, I want to believe that having read this far, you have better knowledge and understanding of the Life you signed up for.
Do I intend to scare you with my writing as a new convert or someone trying to make a decision to follow Jesus Christ? No! All I’m saying is that; Walking with God will cost you Everything! Count the cost.
Are you ready to make all the needed sacrifices including paying with your life if the LORD requires it from you?
Jesus said, “ For which of you, desiring to build a house, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Luke 14: 28.
Think and meditate deeply, then decide. Be intentional and deliberate in your decision to follow and believe in Jesus Christ as your personal LORD and Savior.
You have to be SOLD OUT in your belief that comes what may, I will follow Him.
Don’t just make the decision to follow Christ simply because perhaps the preacher says it exempts you from going to Hellfire. Make the decision because you are convicted in your heart that you are a sinner, who has realized that he needs God more than God needs him and that this world is not our own nor our final destination. To make it to our final destination, you need to identify with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and also believe in Him to the end.
Beloved believer and follower of Jesus Christ evaluate your journey thus far with the LORD. Is your heart right before Him?
Are you in the right standing with the LORD? Be sure you are, do not assume.
If you are not, make peace with Him bring your heart back to Him ask Him to renew your heart and love for Him.
He loves you so much that He made you in His very own image and likeness and sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross, beaten and battered, with nails driven into His palms and legs, and a crown of thorn driven into His head with His Blood dripping down all over His body just for your sake. John 3:16
The whip with which He was beaten had razor blades all over it. So when they whip Him and pull, it pulled His flesh with it. He was pierced at the side with blood and water gushing out. While He hung on the Cross grasping for breath as life left Him, He was thinking of you and the freedom you will enjoy because of His sacrifice. He loves you and me so much.
I apologize on His behalf for all you have had to go through in the past, and still passing through since you began your Journey of faith and belief in Him.
He allowed and is still allowing them not because He hates you, but because He desires to make you a seasoned and qualified soldier in the Army of the LORD’s Kingdom, worthy to be decorated gloriously with all your medals of honour, as the Angels, the Host of Heaven and the Crowd of witnesses who have gone ahead of you and I with trumpet blowing loudly and a standing ovation welcome you back home after you have finished your assignment and purpose on Earth bringing Glory to God.
Beloved before you give your life to Christ, Terms and Conditions Apply. Make sure to read them carefully,before signing on the dotted lines. Because “ No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God.” Luke 9: 62
See Previous Post :
Before You Give Your Life To Christ, Terms And Conditions Apply Part 2
God Bless You
