Living Flames

Howdy all! I thought I would share something I received from God on Sunday. Here it is below, as always, your thoughts, comments and questions are totally welcomed and appreciated! 

On Sunday just after church & after our fellowship meal a few of us were just gathering in the prayer room and it turned into an awesome spontaneous worship set! While there in the prayer room I received this vision of a fire out in the midst of a cold desert where it was dark for miles and miles. I knew that there were predators (wolves) lurking about but I also knew the flames of the fire must remain. Though there was a chance that wolves could come, in my heart I knew that we could not let the flames die out because there were people out there in the darkness that would be drawn to this fire. I thought, how could they not come and draw near to the warmth of these flames, why would they willing stay out in the cold, surely they will come.

I feel like this symbolic of us as a body not only on the campus of UH, but us the cooperate body of Christ. We are each individual flames, and as we go out into this campus, or even in this world, that warmth that comes from those flames is the love of God. It draws in the hurting, the broken, those whose hearts have grown cold, but a fire in itself must be tended to. You have to continue to feed the flames more wood, which I believe looks like us feeding ourselves more of God's word. The logos.  We have to cultivate and tend to the fire that burns passionately for God in our own hearts with His word and allowing that to singe off those fleshly dead things that try to weigh us down. 

In the bible wood most commonly represents our humanity (sometimes I view that as things that are fleshly and that can easily fade away or that do not align with the will of the Father or anything that you can have without abiding in Christ). I believe that God is calling us to lay those things down at His alter. [Note: when something is brought to the alter it comes to die, likewise when we present ourselves to God and make an alter we are saying God I'm willing to lay down my LIFE for this. I do not live for myself; I live for you in EVERY area.] God wants us to be those flames that draw others too Him, but that doesn't mean we have to come and be perfect or appear to have it all together. We just have to be willing to let go and feed ourselves with Him (His word, His presence) and allow His spirit to work within us, which in turn will cultivate those flames, that love, that passion, and that zeal for Him.

-Authentically Cadence

Soliders

So for a few weeks God has been resonating the word soldier in my spirit. I wasn't really sure what to do with it, or how it related to me, but this morning during the prayer set I received this revelation. I don't think it's just for me (though it is speaking to me very clearly in this moment), I feel like it is something that more people need to grab a hold of.  So here it is below:  

(Note: I pretty much just copied this from my journal)

I definitely believe the word solider describes me (and who I am becoming) because as a solider you receive your instructions from the general (lieutenant, Sergent, etc..) and you are expected to follow them out. Truthfully, you do not always like what you are told, but in the end it builds character, it builds strength, or it prepares you for the things to come. 

In the kingdom of God it is very similar. God often calls us (as his children, soldiers, ambassadors, etc..) to do the things we do not always want to do, that are out of our comfort zone. But as we yield our hearts in submission to our commanding officer (God) and step out, we grow, we build strength, & gain experience that will be needed later in life. 

We can't always see the results of our actions, just like we can't' always see a seed in the ground as it is growing. But after that seed has died and the buds (that will later produce fruit) push their way though the dirt, we see that there was something good working on it's behalf even through the mess, even through the waiting, even through the pain of growing. Trust and submission to the things and the ONE unseen bare more fruit than resistance and rebellion. So let us be soldiers. Let us be willing vessels who say use me no mater the cost. Let us catch sight of your vision God and follow you wholeheartedly.   

-Authentically Cadence