Without the Smell of Fire

Daniel 3:27

And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

There are three significant stages characteristic of a Christian’s life. These involve life before the fire, life during the fire and life after the fire. Fires define a necessary transition that enables a believer to grow and mature up in faith. These fires are the challenges that Christians go through and encounter in life which are many times meant to test and establish their faith in God. Better still, God has a reason and a purpose for every fire that He allows our way.

Fires do not try believers only but cut across every Christian establishment and lifestyle. Christian families, ministries, relationships and businesses are not an exception to the test by fire. Many a times we abhor fires; they are not welcome into our lives as no one can wish to entertain fires into his life, in fact we usually find ourselves praying against these fires yet at the end of it all, they make us better vessels. The Potter has to pass every vessel of clay by the kiln in order to render it effective for use.

God dealt with Moses in the wilderness for 40 years. It was necessary for ‘Egypt’, and the palace, to be taken out of him so that he could be used for the noble task of delivering the Israelites from bondage. It is important to realize that the Israelites were held in the desert for another 40 years before possessing the Promised Land. This was important since ‘Egypt’ had to be taken out of them completely and that they had to learn to rely on God only. We see their stubbornness in the wilderness as ‘Egypt’ was being taken out of them. History smells and that smell has to be eradicated in the fire!

There are so many issues that God has to deal with in the life of a convert. In order for God to use us, there are things that need to be dealt with. The world has to be taken out of the believer so that he can be effective in ministry. God has to deal with our past by tackling every detail which may hinder our progress in faith. Any bondage that restricts and hinders our freedom in the Lord has to be cleared of our lives through the fire. These bondages include issues of life like addictions, attitudes, behaviors, rejection, betrayal, un-forgiveness and every other sin that had become part and parcel of a person’s lifestyle.

Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego were hurled into the furnace while bound and unable to move but we see them walking in the fire with another ‘Fourth Man’ amidst them. The fire had burned every shackle that had bound them. Everything that was meant to be burned by the fire was burned except the three and their clothes. Any bondage that restricts our freedom and service to the Lord has to be dealt with in the fire. Everything that is meant to harm us, every detail of the enemy, every shackle and fetter has got to be destroyed of in the fire!

Acts 28:3-5 (KJV)

And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

Paul shook the serpent that had fastened in his hand into the fire. Every ‘viper’ that coils in our lives with the intention to harm us is destroyed in the fire! Therefore, the fires that we go through in are not meant to harm us but to destroy every ‘viper’ and enemies’ elements and agents which are meant to harm us. And in the end, God receives all the honor and glory!

People may not like it in the fire, but we have an assurance that God is with us in the fire. He promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us and that He shall be with us to the end of the ages. He proves this through His presence in the fire with the three saints. It is a great assurance from Him that whenever we are passing through the fires of life, His awesome and omnipotent presence is right there with us.

Isaiah 43:2

…..when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

We note that the three saints were walking in the fire. They were not struggling to get out of the fire. In fact, it is King Nebuchadnezzar who ordered them out of the fire! The world is watching believers especially when we are in the fire. How we act in the fire means a lot in the establishment of our testimonies. The world is interested in believers who are walking in the fire! The world is not interested in believers who are screaming and shouting while in the fire but those who are walking in the fire, as if nothing is going on; you walk as if the rejection has not happened; you walk as if the sacking has not occurred; you walk as if the loss has not touched your heart; you walk yet, as if nothing has happened or is happening! The world is looking after such Christians! Firewalkers!

When the serpent coiled on Paul’s hand, he never screamed, raved or shouted, rather, he calmly shook the serpent into the fire. Those who watched the whole scenario thought that he was a god and brought in so many needy people to be healed. Great testimonies and miracles were witnessed and many people believed and were drawn to the savior. Walk in the fire!

Job walked in the fire even when his friends were accusing him. Job was steadfast in what he believed and he never cursed God as suggested by his wife. Job never accused God or cursed Him despite his predicament. Jonah too, prayed while he was in the tummy of the fish.

Jonah 2:1

Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly

Daniel also never fought his way out of the lion’s den but the angels of the Lord gave him divine protection and security.

When Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego came out of the furnace, the three were unharmed by the fire and they were not even having the smell of the fire! Their clothes were intact and even their hairs were not singed! Better still, they ended up being promoted. There is great promotion after you are done with the test of the fire!

Breakthrough is when we get out of the fire without the smell of the fire. Victory is when we get out of the fire with all history gone! It is when the smell of rejection, idolatry, selfishness, addictions, attitudes, loss, betrayal, anger and bitterness, revenge, corruption, being taken advantage of, irritation and being exploited and all manner of sin has been destroyed in the fire and we are out victoriously without any slight detection of unrighteousness.

We cannot minister effectively with the smell of history trailing and pursuing us. In fact, it is when we tell people that we used to be slaves of lustful lifestyles or so, they just can’t believe it because we don’t smell ‘lust’. The good thing is that when they ask what happened to our past, we point out into the fire, as our past and the things that used to dominate us were left in the fire; every viper and serpent is in the fire! Every chain, fetter and shackle is in the fire! Pride is in the fire! Drugs are in the fire! We don’t even smell drugs anymore! They are all in the furnace burning!

Heb 12:29

For our God is a consuming fire.

When we allow God’s fire to take control of our lives, we shall emerge effective ministers in the end. We literally need to allow God’s consuming fire to have his way upon us and our lives will never be the same again. It is when we do not have the smell of fire that we can help and minister effectively since one cannot minister healing while harboring and smelling unforgiveness within his heart. Let us allow the Lord’s Spirit to burn everything that has to be destroyed within us so that we can be believers without the smell of fire.

Blessings.

-- Pastor Samson Munyoki.

 
(5/09/14 Sunday Service Sermon, Teaching Transformation Ministry.) 

Pastor Sam is a pastor at Teaching Transformation Ministry. We are located along the Thika-Ruai Flyover Junction (at the Thika Rd./ Bypass intersection), Next to Eastgate Restaurant.