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means without the written consent of Paul K. Weigel, ©
January 2000.
A Journey In The Wilderness
Introduction
The Heart of every Christian who
loves his Lord and Saviour is to serve and please Him. Scripture
describes us as vessels of silver and gold that must first be prepared
or sanctified in order to be of honor. Although God’s love
for us is unconditional, we desire, because of love, that His purpose
for our lives be fulfilled unto honour and unto glory to Him. God’s
preparation is not a PhD in theology, but a consuming fire which
purges the dross of our Hearts, so we can do God’s work, God’s
way, from a pure Heart. This is vital to achieving our “call”
in the way in which He will get the glory. Although the redeeming
work of God is a lifelong process, there is a distinct season of
God’s purging which follows a definable, systematic pattern
for the Church and every Spirit-filled Christian. Worldwide, the
Body of Christ is entering this season of purging. We are being
called into the Wilderness in preparation for the most difficult
and glorious time in the history of the Church. We are being prepared
as the Church who will overcome the devil, the flesh, and the world.
We are being prepared to rule and reign with Jesus in this age and
in the age to come. We are being readied as the Bride of Christ
for the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. We are being prepared for our
ministry to God.
God has revealed to us in Scripture
a pattern of the process of sanctification and instruction outlining
how we must respond to His work so we do not fight against it and
become derelict in the Wilderness. Many Christians who are in the
Wilderness misinterpret the purpose and objectives of the circumstance
and rebel against God’s purging work without discerning what
He is doing. Some Christians won’t enter the Wilderness because
they don’t or won’t believe that God is anything but their
carnal definition of “good”. We can either cooperate with
His preparation or knowingly or unknowingly resist it. Scripture
reveals God’s ways of working which can only be seen when looking
at the overview of circumstance. These patterns in the Christian
life are designed to give us the “big picture” view of
our day- to-day lives in light of God’s objectives and perspective.
How we respond to God’s preparation will determine whether
we will become vessels unto honour or vessels unto dishonour.
When we sacrifice our lives on
the altar of refining fire, we prove that God is truly Lord of our
life and that we love Him and trust His sanctifying work. Our trust
and surrender is as much glorifying to God as any thing we could
do for Him, because God looks on the Heart.
But in
a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver,
but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour,
and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these,
he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s
use, [and] prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts:
but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that
call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2: 20.
No
discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however,
it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have
been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak
knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that
the lame may
not be disabled, but rather healed. Make every effort to live in
peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will
see the Lord. Hebrews 12:11-14. NIV
Every man’s
work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because
it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s
work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath
built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work
shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved;
yet so as by fire. 1 Cor. 3:13-15.
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