Our God is a Consuming Fire

Originally from: mmcclung@esper.com (Mike McClung)

Originally dated: Thu, 21 Aug 1997 15:44:23 -0400

Family in Christ,

Just a couple of things that I feel the Lord has been saying/intimating lately.

The Lord has been stressing the absolute necessity of a deeper repentance to experience His presence in more fulness. Last week a brother pastor here in the same county we live in came over to our building to run off some messages of a visiting minister who ministered on revival in his church some time back. They don't have duplicators at their fellowship (by the way, they are Quakers going after God with a vengeance), so I told him to come over and run them off on our machines. All that week we had been having literal waves of the Lord's presence sweeping through the church, and that not necessarily during our services. I had an angelic visitation in my office on Tuesday (8/13). The pastor/friend came over on Wednesday. He and I went into the sanctuary to pray, and at times the Lord's presence was so heavy I could hardly breathe. After we came out and continued to run off the tapes, we were standing there talking, and all of a sudden it felt like someone had put a blow-torch to my left arm and side. Needless to say I recoiled thinking one of the office machines had caught on fire or something. Our church secretary was sitting in a chair literally shaking from head to foot, and the visiting pastor almost went out in the spirit. When I wheeled around, I found no literal flame. The Lord immediately spoke to me and said, "that was an angel, son. What do you think it will be like when I show up in My unveiled glory?!"

In our Friday evening worship service, I could barely do anything, but think about the manifest presence of the Lord, and the darkness, sin, and self still so unbounded in my life. We have been praying since our inception as a fellowship last year for the Lord to visit us in His unveiled, manifest presence, and for Him to prepare us to be a habitation. We have seen numerous people saved, healed, delivered, etc., of which we rejoice and are so very thankful, but it still is not enough. We want HIM! During that Friday service, the Lord spoke a couple things to me that were indelibly impressed on my heart. One, that He could not answer our prayer at present, because to come into our midst in our present state would kill us! He was beginning a process of death and repentance to prepare us for Him. Secondly, so not to get discouraged with this first word, I heard the Lord say, "Who will come and wrestle with Me?!" "Who would be willing to die or possibly be crippled the rest of their lives to prevail upon My presence and see My face?" It was an invitation open to "whosoever will."

All this has done is increase the hunger for Him. But it will literally burn up the natural life we have become so accustomed to, to follow Him into where He is at. I encourage you to stop or get rid of everything that has no eternal value and pursue the Lord. Last night (8/20), at intercessory prayer, the Lord showed me that we are in the very state the book of Esther reveals. The present form of the Bride, Vashti, is about to be completely rejected for her pride, self-will, and rebellion. He is about to call to the Esthers. Vashti wouldn't come when the king called for her. She was busy playing with her friends with the king's royal wine (of which I am so thankful for) and "stuff." Queen Esther was humble, and risked her very life to enter the king's manifest presence on behalf of herself and her people. The Lord is calling for Esthers for such a time as this.

This is not meant to be a rebuke, but an encouragement to press in, deny ourselves, and engage the enemy, if necessary. The king's decree is about to go forth against the enemy of God's people and mass deliverance and harvest are just around the corner!

Grace & peace,
Mike McClung
Pastor, Lionheart Fellowship Maryville, TN

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