In mid-March the Lord took me into an extended revelatory experience over several days. Here is a summation of what I saw and heard. While initially I felt the visions were about New Zealand and the work God is doing here, I now believe they are for the global Church as well.
Strange and Unsanctified Fires
I saw the Lord walk purposefully across the country and begin to stomp on fires His children had gathered around. As He stomped on the fires, a shock wave reverberated through the gatherings. Some people thought it a natural happening, but discerning ones began to feel that something spiritually significant was taking place, and they began to seek the Lord.
As He stamped out the fires, I heard Him say, "These are fires that look like My anointing, that look like My power, but are not truly founded in Me. They are fires that have become strange fires on My altar. They are fires My people have gathered around that have brought some level of comfort, some level of warmth, some level of identity and camaraderie, but I am exposing them now as unsanctified, strange fire."
We see a Biblical example of a false fire or strange fire in Leviticus chapter 10, where two of Aaron's sons (Nadab and Abihu) offered incense with "strange fire" (Leviticus 10:1 KJV). The Hebrew word translated to "strange" means "unauthorized," "foreign," or "profane" (Strong's H2114).
The Lord went on to reveal several types of unsanctified, strange corporate and individual fires.
Corporate Fires
Some fires were the initiatives of people who had been authentically called by God, but they had become soul-fueled fires, highlighting an individual's ministry and image, or a church's image, to attract people, etc. These ministries' insecurities were what made them keep the fire stoked and burning. They were often fueled by a slick presentation and showy use of gifts that released soulish emotions, not true transforming power or love. Their wounds informed their decision-making, and their need to prove their value dictated their works. They provided people with a seeming measure of warmth, of camaraderie and comfort, and a place to gather around and identify with.
Other fires people gathered around were stoked by religious activity and fueled by man's desire to become acceptable to God, or holy like God. They were fueled by the belief they had to try to earn God's acceptance, love, and presence. They thought, "Pushing myself to pray, fast, and read my Bible makes me acceptable, and my holiness is dependent on my willpower to resist sin." These self-righteous, religious works became the fire they gathered around.
There were some fires that were initially started by the Lord, but man's ego misinterpreted the fires' meaning, believing it showed that God was with them, that they were special, and that God was endorsing their works—their prayer, their crying out, their fasting, their righteousness. Many then became comfortable sitting around the fire thinking their works were what brought the presence of God into their midst.
Other fires were started by the Lord during times of visitation or revival. The Lord's purpose for revival fire was for purifying His people of the dross in their lives, and empowering them with purpose and passion so that the awakened Church would move out from there to disciple society, bringing reformation and transformation. Instead, God's people chose to camp around the revival. When the initial fire began to die down, they tried to restir it by reminiscing about its power and the glory in it, and praying for another visitation. In the end, their efforts were wasted.
Individual Fires
There were also fires in the lives of individuals that had been polluted. Some of these were, again, religious in nature, making individuals feel they had to perform a certain way for God to accept them, like read their Bibles more, pray harder, etc.
Other fires were caused by people called to ministry who became caught up in building a platform for their gift and ministry, brand building, and the idea of celebrity Christianity.
Then there were individuals whose fire had grown dim because it hadn't been stoked by passionate desire for the things of God. Instead, they were left going through the motions. (Photo via Unsplash)
Some were fires where people had once been surrendered to the Lord and His will, but the cares and draw of the world had caused their passion to wane.
During this time of encounter, the Lord was very clear that He will open our eyes to see and enable us to discern between the true fire of the Lord and the false fires we have gathered around for comfort, acceptance, community, and personal identity, or because the teaching there agreed with our personal beliefs. Many will leave the false comfort these fires provide and seek the presence of the Lord again, surrendering themselves afresh to Him and His will for their lives.
Reactions to the Exposure
In the visions, I saw some people crying out as they realized the fire they were gathered around was being shown to be a false fire. I saw them on their faces, crying out, "Father, forgive us, have mercy, cleanse our hearts, take the scales off our eyes, and purify us." These people had a genuine desire for God's cleansing work to happen.
Then I saw the enemy try to infiltrate this group of people in order to win them back to his agenda. Some were persuaded by his suggestion... and those people once again began to add the fuel of ego—nourished by the deception of the enemy—to the fire, and they ended up missing what God wanted to do amongst them.
Others stayed in the place of seeking His purification, allowing God to cleanse them, and they recognized God's goodness and mercy were at work in their lives. This brought about an ongoing transformation for them that overflowed into the world around them.
I heard the Lord say "I am not after a short, momentary revival. I am after reformation, a transforming work that continues on from that initial flash point to bring a maturing in Me—a 'becoming more like Christ' so that Christ may live through them, not just in them. My aim is that revival becomes reformation and leads to the transformation and discipling of nations."
I saw others who got angry at God for exposing the falseness of their fire. They sought to defend it against God, and against any who spoke out against their fire. These ones had closed their hearts, because they didn't want their comfort or their belief in the false identity they had taken on to be challenged. I heard the Lord clearly say that those who continue to fight Him in order to defend their fire will, in the end, be left with cold comfort—little or no consolation, encouragement, or sympathy.
Judgment and Cleansing
I saw the Lord judging us as individuals and as the Church. As He did, His love and power were released, and people were purged by fire (Mark 9:49; 1 Peter 1:7) and washed by the water of the living Word, Jesus (Ephesians 5:26). This judgment, and our acceptance of it, resulted in people being set free, the dross in lives being burned up, and a purification taking place so that only the pure gold remained.
"... that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:7 NKJV)
I felt Him say, "My judgment is not against you or about punishing you. Your sins are forgiven in Christ. My judgment is against anything that holds you in bondage, anything that comes against you that seeks to hinder your maturing as sons and daughters of God and the formation of Christ within you. My aim is to bring you to wholeness, 'sozo'—the fullness of salvation! It is about breaking you free from the illusions and lies that you've lived under that have caused a confining and a constricting around your growth, and have been a prison to you.
"Don't run away from My judgment—run into it. Experience My mercy, love, and goodness. I am a refuge for the oppressed and a stronghold in times of trouble." (This is found Scripturally in Romans 12:1–2; Psalm 9:7–9, 103:6; Luke 18:7–8.)
New Growth, Restored Identity, and Fresh Purpose
This season of exposure, cleansing, and refinement has been released so that by His goodness the Lord may bring us, His people, into freedom and into a greater place of knowing Him, knowing our true identity, and knowing our mission to rightly represent Him.
After the cleansing, I saw the Lord breathe upon the land, and new fires sprang up. The Lord revealed that these fires were His fires—sanctified, holy fires of His eternal presence. (Photo via Unsplash)
I heard Him say, "These fires are My 'ahi ka,' My home fire. My 'home fire' (ahi ka) will be a place where people gather around Me, and Me alone, as the true source of sustenance and community, not around fleshly, man-made fires. In My presence, around My fire, they will discover their true identity and find their place in My family, built on the revelation of being one with Me and, because of that, one with each other in Me. They will also find purpose there that fuels their desire to go out into all the world as My ambassadors, to see all come home to Me."
(Note: "Ahi ka" is a Maori word used in New Zealand for a fire that represents having a claim to certain land. This fire was kept burning as a sign of a continued right to occupy. Sometimes, it would be buried in a person's tribal land, if they had to leave it, and when they returned they would lift it from the earth and refuel it, so a fire would continually be kept lit.)
I felt the Lord say that even in this there will be some people who will be tempted to use these newly lit fires for their agendas. There will be others who will say that the fires are not true fires of God and will seek to dismiss the work He is doing.
Having Eyes to See and Hearts That Discern
I believe we will need to be watchful and on guard against these two extremes as God does new things, establishes fresh moves of His Spirit, new ways and places of meeting, and bases to move out from. However, those with eyes to see and hearts that discern His presence will seek to keep the fire pure.
The Lord then went on to reveal that as these true fires spring up and become established, cared for, and kept pure, many will see their authenticity and purity and be drawn to Him by them.
I also felt Him say that He will whistle to the nations from the ends of the earth (Isaiah 5:26), and that New Zealand's voice will be heard around the globe as it calls people back to Him.
Increased Revelation of His Goodness and Purpose
God is telling us that this time of exposure, of seeing strange fires fleshly extinguished, and His assessing judgment being released is to bring us into a fresh revelation of who He is and the good plans He has for our lives. We are called to be righteous ambassadors, spreaders of the good news, those who disciple nations, and who shepherd and steward with wisdom.
As God's fire comes in our lives and in our churches, let's embrace His purifying work, and with expectation, let us look for the Lord to provide deeper revelation about who He is, who we are in Him, and our calling to love the world as He does.
Action point: Ask the Lord to show you the state of your personal fire on your personal altar, and be open to Him showing you the state of the fire on the altar of the church you attend. Freshly offer yourself to the Lord as a living sacrifice, and ask for the cleansing, purifying fire of God to consume you so that the dross is removed and the true power and anointing of God is restored.
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Lyn Packer
Rob and Lyn Packer Ministries
Email:Â lyn@robandlyn.org
Website: www.nzpropheticnetwork.com | www.robandlyn.org
Lyn Packer is respected as a prophet within New Zealand, and the other nations she's ministered in, for her five-fold prophetic role. Lyn is a member of the NZ Council of Prophets. She leads the School of Prophets Aotearoa/New Zealand and oversees the New Zealand Prophetic Network.
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