The Body of Christ has been in a time where both fire and water have come upon us. Fire has come to purify, and water has come to wash us. Together they have come to reform us. This work of the Spirit has come upon us individually and corporately. There has been such a deep work of the Spirit to purify the Bride from the places that have brought her (and others) harm and, ultimately, misrepresented her Bridegroom. Not only that, but this has been a time of letting go of what has become familiar to be filled with the new.
This season of preparation has been both difficult and beautiful—honestly, mostly difficult for most. Having the old garments removed has felt strange and foreign, almost like being naked and empty at the same time. But we need to be washed and emptied so that we can be clothed anew and filled with what He desires.
Are You on the Potter's Wheel?
Another way to look at it is by seeing it as if we have been put on the Master Potter's wheel. As we have yielded to His hand, He has taken vessels (us) through the process of trimming away excess clay that has become leather-hard and dry, stiff but still malleable for reshaping and reforming. This is a reformation!
The definition of malleable is to be "able to be hammered or pressed permanently out of shape without breaking or cracking" (Encyclopedia.com). He is not destroying us or discarding us or breaking us! It might feel like we may break, but we can trust Him to reform us so that we can represent His image in a far greater way, as He removes the places that have become hard and dry. That process requires spiritual water, the Potter's wheel, and His hands. Then the finished product from the Potter's wheel requires fire, causing us to shine, be usable, have longevity, and reflect His beauty. (Photo via Pexels)
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way." (Psalm 139:23–24 NASB1995)
Preparation Before Positioning
There is always a time of preparation before positioning. Esther was prepared before becoming a queen and approaching the king; the disciples were prepared before they were positioned; Moses was prepared, Joseph was prepared, and every leader is prepared before they are positioned. But now there is a reformation, a repositioning, and a repurposing that is happening. The Church has been in a time of preparation through fire and water that will now position us. We will walk forth in the consuming fire of our God and release the water that leads to eternal life.
"But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." (John 4:14 NASB1995)
Some call this preparation a "wilderness time," because God has allured us into the wilderness to speak tenderly to us and to restore us. Prophetically, the wilderness represents the time in between. We are "in between" what was and what will be, like Esther's process before she was to be chosen to become a queen; she was in the "in between." And yet, God already knew that she was the chosen queen who would deliver His people. The call and position were predestined, but the preparation was also part of the call. Many of us, if not all of us, are experiencing that preparation wilderness that comes between what was and what is yet to be.
"Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor (trouble) a door of hope. There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt." (Hosea 2:14–15 NIV, parenthesis mine)
What was and what is yet to come (or possibly what has just begun) will possibly be compared to "coming up out of Egypt (slavery)" when we look back at what was and what we will experience ahead. We are standing at a door of hope! (Photo via Pexels)
Yield to the Work of His Hands
The emerging move of God will carry both fire and water upon it. Those who have allowed their lives to go through the preparation of fire and water will be rightly positioned in this move of God. As the harmful ways, unhealthy roots, and hardened places are purified, they will be able to lead with humility, wholeness, love, and honor. They will represent the Bridegroom as they are clothed in His righteousness, strength, and authority. (If you are familiar with what happened with Joshua the high priest in Zechariah 3, this is a good picture of what God is doing for His people. Be sure to read it.)
If you are in the midst of preparation, do not resist the fire or the water. Yield to the work of His hands in this preparation; it will prepare you so that He can position you. The beauty of His holiness will emerge and crown His people with His identity.
"He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for His own glory." (Isaiah 61:3 NLT)
Have you been on the Potter's wheel? Do you see the door of hope standing before you as you come out of the fire? If you do, cross the threshold and begin to live in all that you have been in preparation for. You have been prepared for such a time as this!
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Kathi Pelton
Inscribe Ministries
Email:Â jkpelton@sbcglobal.net
Website:Â www.inscribeministries.com
Jeffrey and Kathi Pelton live in Portland, Oregon. Jeffrey is a writer, teacher and book editor. Kathi is an author and prophetic voice to the Church. They walk with nations and individuals to see God's original intent fulfilled. Their ministry, Inscribe Ministries, was founded upon the verse from Habakkuk 2:2 that says, "Then the LORD answered me and said: 'Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.'"
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