The Day of His Coming - He is Like a Refiner's Fire

by Sandie Freed

But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like launderers' soap.-Malachi 3:2

I have been hearing the Lord speak to me for several months concerning "fire" and "the day of His coming." Like most of you, I have been praying for Heaven to touch earth and that His perfect will be done. I believe that when Heaven touches earth, so does God's government. When God's government comes, "in the day of His coming," there will be some dramatic shifts-especially in us!

If you feel like me and that you are in the fiery furnace, facing challenges and enduring persecution....maybe we should be somewhat excited. Please hear me out. Malachi 3:2 says that in the day of "His coming," and "when He appears," that the refiners fire will also be tangible. I'm not so sure that the refiner's fire can be separated from His visitations. Therefore, I believe that we must renew our minds concerning His fire.

Again, rethink the fire part. We need not fear! Since He is an "all consuming fire," then I am convinced that the fire will come to earth as He draws nearer to us. Consider this-if we are experiencing a holy fire, then He is near! Maybe we should be rejoicing about it. I've spent too much time murmuring about how difficult this season is. I confess-I've murmured and complained about how hot the fiery furnace is, have you?

Actually, the Lord spoke clearly to me and instructed me to not only watch my words and attitude, but to guard my heart during this season. He alerted me that I had a "fear of His fire." I heard the Lord also say to tell His people to "not fear the fire." It's very clear to me now that He was emphasizing two words: fear and fire. Knowing our seasons and how the Lord desires us to respond is always empowering as we continue to follow Him. In 1 Chronicles 12:32, we read where the tribe of Issachar was known for its ability to "understand the times and seasons and know what Israel was to do." This is our time to embrace an Issachar anointing for the seasons at hand and the transitions required of us.

Let's Get Moving!

Did you notice that if you get close to a fire, there is also a need to move? God's fire causes movement. Yes, we must move, shift and transition from the old to the new during this hour of His holy visitation. If you remember, during the time when the house of King Saul was transitioning out and David was moving into kingship, the children of Issachar knew that they were to properly position themselves under King David so that God's purposes would be fulfilled. They had to decide to shift their hearts and align properly with God's divine order.

It is the same for us today as the Church is transitioning into a new wineskin. We, as the children of Issachar, must recognize the season we are in and become properly aligned with God's plans and purposes. All of us must align properly in this season! Some of you will find yourselves reconnecting to relationships where there has been a wound that needs mending. Others will connect wholeheartedly to future destiny links. Many will sense a "shaking" during this season. Well, beloved, let me tell you this prophetically: "There's a whole lot of 'shakin' going on!" And, you know what? It's okay because it's God! We must develop a new wineskin for the next season.

Jesus spoke on the new wineskins:

"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins."-Mark 2:22, NKJV

Believers, this is our season of change, but it requires that we embrace His holy fire. God has a purpose for everything. His fire is meant to purify us and empower us, but it is for so much more. Keep reading, you're going to really enjoy understanding all God desires to do while you're experiencing His fire.

Join Me in the Fire Anyone?

Malachi wrote on the refiner's fire. Malachi means "my messenger." He had a message to share concerning God's love for His children and His covenant promise. Malachi came on the scene when Israel had lost hope for their future. Although Israel had experienced breakthroughs, there were still many promises which they had not seen fulfilled. The children of Israel had lost hope, doubted God's covenant and His ability to perform His word to them. As a result, their worship degenerated into a lifeless form that no longer took the law seriously. Malachi's message was one of rebuke to Israel's unfaithfulness, their doubt of God's love and the sin of the priesthood. Israel had complained "Where is the God of justice?" and Malachi's answer was "He will come, but it will be in the form of a refiner's fire."

Malachi reassures them that the day is coming and it will "burn like a furnace." And, in that day they would be empowered to "trample down the wicked." Wow! Precious Believers, this means that in order to take dominion, we must also endure His fire. Dominion and purity go hand in hand.

His Fire Destroys Our Enemies

For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.-Deuteronomy 4:24 AMP

Consider once more that God is an all consuming fire, therefore His presence is fire.

If we want Him, we must also embrace His fire. Also, His coming involves Him destroying our enemies. God is jealous over His children, and He promises to go before us in battle to defeat our enemies. How does He do this? He does it with a divine visitation of His fire. Yes! As He visits us, His presence also destroys our enemies!

A careful consideration of Deuteronomy 9:1-4 explains that when Israel was crossing over (movement!) to take their land, they would face the giants in the land. However, God promised that His presence would "...go over before you as a devouring fire."

Hear, O Israel. You are to cross the Jordan today to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you are, cities great and fortified up to the heavens, a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know and of whom you have heard it said, "Who can stand before the sons of Anak?" Know therefore this day that the Lord your God is He who goes over before you as a devouring fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall dispossess them and make them perish quickly, as the Lord has promised you.

Do not say in your [mind and] heart, after the Lord your God has thrust them out from before you, "It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land"-whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is dispossessing them before you.-Deuteronomy 9:1-4 (emphasis mine) AMP

So dear ones, the day of His coming involves a purifying fire as well as a devouring fire to our enemies! Wow! But hold on, there's one more thing I want to share with you, and that is-in the fire we hear His voice!

In the Fire We Hear His Voice

Moses started his ministry with a fiery visitation. It was through a burning bush that He heard God's voice. When God "came" to meet Moses, He appeared to Him in a flame and spoke in the midst of the fire. Dear ones, when we go through fiery trials, God is still speaking! Like Moses, we must turn aside to hear. Many times we are so focused on the fiery trials, we lose our bearings and become sidetracked. However, God desires to speak. Dear ones, it's time to see and hear again.

God spoke through fire on Mount Horeb and even led them out of Egypt with a pillar of cloud by day and by a pillar of fire at night (Exodus 13:21-22). Even in a dark season, His all-consuming presence (fire) is still speaking and leading us. He promises that His presence will never leave us!

I'd Rather Have the Fire

Beloved, I'd rather experience the fire than not be empowered with His voice and presence. Plus, I can enter into rest because I know that when His fire is present, He is also defeating the giants that attempt to oppose me!

What an awesome God we serve! Will you join me and embrace the fireball? God desires to empower us for breakthrough. Though there are giants in our land, God promises to go before us and defeat our enemies. Still, we have our part to do. Our minds must be renewed to God's truth. One of the references for "land" that we are to possess is the word "mind." The enemy wants to twist our minds and distort our belief systems. This is why when we go through trials we battle in our minds.

Dear ones, I want to empower you with an excerpt from my latest book, "Conquering the Antichrist Spirit: Discerning and Defeating the Seducer That Binds Believers Today". This section concerns the three Hebrew children (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) who refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar and instead faced a blazing furnace. Can you imagine the pressure they faced? They had to gain control of their thoughts and resist the temptation to not trust God. Dear ones, we face the same challenges sometimes when we are in a fiery trial. But God! He will make all things work together for our good:

"These three Jews refused to compromise their spiritual position and bow down to the pressure of Babylon. Instead of facing defeat, these three men experienced victory because they chose to follow the Lord." (Page 47)

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego chose the fire. Though it was not a fire sent from God, they chose to embrace the fireball rather than relinquish their faith in God. Nebuchadnezzar even turned up the heat, and yet they were not consumed by the king's wickedness. Isn't God awesome? Again, He works all things together for our good.

I am certain that the Lord is empowering you today with great faith! I am so proud of you for choosing to remain committed to your journey with His divine leading-especially as He leads you by His fire in dark seasons! You're going to make it!

Sandie Freed

Zion Ministries

zionministries1@sbcglobal.net