A couple of nights ago the words: “Because of you” came and connected with them was the word “Hellfire.” “Because of You” is the name of a song I knew years ago and I remembered its lyrics: “Because of you, there’s a song in my heart. Because of you, my romance had its start. Because of you the sun will shine. The moon and stars will say you’re mine, Forever and never to part. I only live for your love and your kiss. It’s paradise to be near you like this. Because of you my life is now worthwhile, And I can smile because of you.” Nice, this fire of love, huh? No hellfire was in this song, but what happens if one of the people who has “fallen in love” stops loving?

Have you ever had anyone tell you that he or she would love you forever? Did they? I know there are a few relationships made in heaven, but I don’t believe many have paradise in them for long… Many have fire in the end due to “Because of You”, whoever “you” is.

All of us want peace, but it’s not an olive branch that our Lord has in His hand, but a sword. It’s true that after the sword does its work, we have peace, but first we must go through trials to get it. Our God says he is a consuming fire and we know that His fire begins in the house of God.

Fire is what it takes to clean us up and to refine us. You may think that “hellfire” is only for the wicked, but do you think that Jesus was talking about somebody else’s heart when he said that the heart is deceitful and wicked?

It’s true that I had bitterness and anger in me when I was wounded, but without a broken heart I would not have known what was in me. It was fire that brought me into understanding and repentance.

I remember a vision I had long ago of a person very close to me. who had fallen in love with someone who was not good for her. I think this generation calls such a one “a player,” but mine called him “a wolf.” I was given a vision of her jumping into a lake of fire and when she was at the bottom of it, her eyes were opened and she said: “NOW I can see!” And indeed, God showed her through a dream that if she had married that man, she would have lived out her mother and father’s story: Her father had married four times, had many extra-marital affairs, many live-ins, and dozens and dozens and dozens of woman in his life… a player indeed.

You’ve got to know that the lake of fire she jumped into had hell in it, but not the hell the wicked face after death. When you are betrayed by someone you love, or when you’re rejected or abused, or when something catastrophic happens in your life, you know that’s hell on earth. If the story were to end there, how terrible it would be, but thank God, these things aren’t the end.

The Bible teaches that when his judgments (another word for “crisis”) are in the earth, the people will learn “righteousness” Isaiah 26: 9 and the people will rejoice. There isn’t a thing that happens to us that won’t work for our good, and just what is that good?-… I believe it’s a nature like HIS with peace, joy and righteousness within. Tell me: What could be better?!?

Maybe some of you are saying: “But I want what I want:… I want that man in my life… I want that woman… I want that job… I want that house… I want those friends”, and much more that the flesh desires. We know that God is not against any of these things and that he doesn’t withhold anything good from us, but it is in His time and in His way that He gives us our heart’s desires, usually AFTER we’ve been proven. Look at Abraham with his son Isaac:- He was willing to give him up. Are you willing to give up anything and everything? I believe that you and I shall see if we really are, and if we are, look out world! We’ll be coming with our swords and our torches to set this world on fire and to set creation free.

There are many teachings that we realize are true and while we know them, somehow they are often not remembered and put into practice when the test comes. For instance, we are told that we are to be offended at NOTHING! Are you offended when you are rejected or mistreated? I have to admit I recently was. I didn’t remember Jesus’ words: “Whosoever is angry with his brother is in danger of the judgment, and whosoever shall say to his brother “Raca” shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say: “You fool!” shall be in danger of hellfire.” Matthew 5: 22

Brethren, our responses can bring fire into our lives and others’ responses to us as well when we bring forth truth and it is rejected by them. I projected my anger onto the one who hurt me, but the knowledge finally got worked into me that I was in a spiritual battle, not one with flesh and blood. My anger was to be directed at the devil, at demons and at sin…. It was not to be retained in my heart towards him or anyone. Truly, there’s a good reason why Jesus called Judas “friend”: The negative people in our lives, the ones who hurt us the most, and our most devastating circumstances are friends because they bring us to the end of ourselves. I believe that “hellfire” represents the “final fire” that consumes the flesh life, and I thank God for that one in my life who our Lord used to burn out what needed to be done away with in me.

The scripture that just popped into my mind is: “In the day of His power, we’ll be willing!” and what is it that we’ll be willing to do?: EVERYTHING for HIS sake!”… Hear it!- For HIS SAKE, not OURS!!

Are we willing yet? THAT is the question!