The Fiery Trial
I am sure that there were many things in the bible I read, but never thought about the Spirit of God leading me to walk through them - one of them being a fiery trial. But that was because I was ignorant concerning the things of the Spirit. And it was not until God started opening my heart and eyes and giving me a revelation of the gospel, through the apostle and prophet ministry, that I knew He had a plan for my life. And little did I know that there would be a righteous path for Him to lead me down where my faith would be tested and tried in order to have that plan fulfilled in my life.
On Monday as I was praying, this scripture in I Peter 4:12-13 came to me by the Spirit and I knew that this was what God wanted me to share with you in this testimony. And it has been a fight to even get this written. But Peter speaking by the Spirit of God said, '...not to think it strange concerning the fiery trial which would try us as though some strange thing happened to us, but to rejoice, inasmuch as we are partakers of Christ's sufferings....' And there have been many times when I thought it very strange what I was going through, and God in His great mercy would remind me of these verses. A trial (or test) sounds bad enough, but a fiery one at that did not sound good at all! But I have come to see over the years, that these fiery trials are for my perfection - and so that has to be good.
In most churches (religious gatherings) that I have been around, health and wealth is what you would hear about - not a fiery trial. But I came to see that religious and false spirits speaking out of men and women's mouths promised me and lied to me about the things of God. They did not even know God and I was deceived by their lies. And by the mercy and grace of God on my life, I have overcome many of these false teachings and doctrines that they ministered to my heart.
But in February 1985, I was talking with my mother's cousin about what a hunger and thirst I had for the Lord. God, right out of her mouth, told me that those that hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled. It was six months later that God brought us to Water of Life Church and started filling us, and what He filled us with was the gospel. I was not hungering and thirsting for 'health and wealth', but for the Lord. There was a void in my heart and soul for the things of God that was not being fed - although I did not totally understand why. After all, we were going to one of the largest charismatic churches in the metroplex. I thought something had to be wrong with me for feeling this way - and surely it was not the church we were attending. How blind I was. Had the leader of that church, Larry Lea, been preaching the gospel of the kingdom to us - that being Jesus died, was buried and rose again the third day, which is the power of God unto our salvation - we would have been filled and there would have been changes taking place in our lives, which definitely were not. I never heard what the gospel was in that church, or any other church for that matter. And the reason there were never any changes made in my heart was because the gospel was not being preached, and that is what deals with the wickedness in a person's heart.
I also came to see that God has set FIRST in the church an apostle and SECONDARILY a prophet, and that the apostle's and prophet's are the ones who lay the foundation of the gospel in a person's heart. And Larry Lea is neither one - even though he calls himself an 'apostle of prayer'. There is no such thing in the bible. (I will be honest and say, I never even heard them pray at that church.) And if you do not have the apostle-prophet ministry in your church, you do not have a church - you only have a religious gathering. So it finally made sense why I had not been filled, and also why there had been such a hunger and thirst in me.
But continuing on with what I was going to share, in I Peter 4:12 it says that there is a fiery trial that will try us, and that trial means a test and the word try means to prove. That test will prove whether we will stand fast in our believing the gospel, or cave in at the fiery trial. But if you are rooted and grounded in love - you will stand and walk through these trials until you receive the end of your faith, which is the salvation (or saving) of your soul. And your faith and love will be perfected until it is found giving praise and glory to Jesus Christ - I Peter 1:7-9. This is what has been, and is taking place in my life even to this day.
For the past 10-11 years I have been in one fiery trial that I never would have dreamed of. But just as gold is tried by the fire, so has my faith been proven (or tried) by this trial (or test) that God has been leading me through for all these years. And as my faith has been tried, it has brought to the surface all of the impurities in my soul. And that has been the purpose of it, and there has been many of them. And the gospel is what has delivered me from them. The trying of my faith has worked much patience in me (which is continuance) in my believing this gospel. It says in James 1 that when patience has had her perfect work we will be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Not a bad position to be in at all - if you can humble yourself and walk through the fire to get there.
But back to I Peter 4:13, it says to "rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory (honour) shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." In a lot of the charismatic churches and meetings I went to, I remember hearing them say, "Jesus suffered all we will ever have to." But this says we are to be partakers (partners) of His sufferings. And in Philippians 3:10 it says we are to know the fellowship of His sufferings. If you look up that word suffering, it means to undergo hardship or pain or affliction. And this affliction, or pressure will come for the Word's sake, and nothing else. When we are being led by the Spirit of God, obeying this gospel from the heart, we will do some suffering because of these trials that God will lead us through. And these trials are for the perfecting of our heart and soul, so that we can walk in this earth blameless before God.
As I have shared in previous testimonies, God spoke to me in December '9l and told me to endure this hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. That meant to walk through it, and there has been some suffering that has gone along with it. And the only suffering that counts is when you are tempted not to believe this gospel - not to trust in, rely on and adhere to it, when you are going through these trials. But one encouraging thing that I have noticed is, that after the suffering comes, the glory, or honour that will follow. And that is what I look for - the honour of God only. Romans 8:18 has been a verse of scripture that God has ministered to me for years. And it says, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory (or honour) which shall be revealed in us."
The past week or so has been real interesting, to say the least. But there has been a real overcoming of wicked spirits (Ephesians 6), and I am always grateful when I overcome. I guess it still amazes me how God will lead me in my reading and praying, but He always knows what pressures, or afflictions are ahead of me - I don't. I may go weeks just strictly praying and doing little reading, and sometimes vice versa, but the past couple of weeks He led me to read the New Testament out loud and then the Psalms also. When these tests (or trials) come my way, one thing I know is they are to prove my faith. And it says in I Peter that the trying of our faith is more precious than of gold that perishes. And as it says in the Psalms - my heart is fixed, O Lord, and I will praise thee. A fixed heart will trust in the Lord and not be moved by any afflictions or circumstances. Jesus has brought my heart to a place where I am basically not moved by much, in my believing this gospel; and especially when these fiery trials come my way. I only look to the One who was raised from the dead and keep my mind stayed on Him. God will bring you to the place where you will have peace in the midst of all kinds of war - and that is not to say that there will not be temptations come your way to try and stop you from believing and even get you offended, but you pray to stay out of the temptations. And any fears that surface, you will pray right through them. What time I am afraid, I will trust in the Lord.
This past Sunday night (being March 21) my voice got attacked, and Tuesday night after church, I had no voice. I have not had that severe of attack in a while. But there has been much pressure in the Spirit, and on Wednesday afternoon as I was praying I could tell I was overcoming more of the Jezebel spirit. I read many Psalms that afternoon also and when I broke through, my voice came back to where I could talk. This is one vicious spirit, but by the grace of God I am overcoming it. It will try to beat you down, make you sad (Ezekiel 13) and try to get you offended so you will stop believing. But God gave me a strong will, and I have learned to use that will to believe the gospel. This spirit has put much pressure on me, but as I have learned to not let it offend me and to keep my heart on the death, burial and resurrection power of the Lord Jesus Christ, I have made tremendous strides in overcoming it.
You know, in the Psalms (specifically Psalm 119), it talks about it being good that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statues, and it also says that before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. These verses have proven to be so true in my life.
No one knows for sure, but the Lord Jesus, how grateful I am to Him in the things I have overcome in my life. Sometimes it is even hard to express in words, the things in my heart that God has done for me and in my life. But it is incredible what this gospel has produced in my heart over the past l3 1/2 years. I do not know how much 'wickedness' is left in me - and it really does not matter - I am just thankful to God in bringing me to this ministry where I have heard the truth (the gospel) out Doyle's heart and mouth. Everything I have heard, received, understood and kept has produced fruit in my life. And every bit of it has come out of this apostle and prophet ministry that was given by God to Doyle.
I do look forward in the days and years ahead of seeing the fulness of the blessing of the gospel manifested in the earth as it has not been seen in 2000 years. That is truly where my heart is, and I know and am confident that I will see what God has promised.
In closing, I would encourage you to stand fast in your believing, and know that these fiery trials are for the purifying of our hearts and souls, so that we might be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment (I Corinthians 1:10).
Until next time, God Bless You!
