THE COAL OF TRANSFORMATION

It is impossible for you to accomplish the subordination of your soul to your spirit, so you can end the Dark Night of the Soul, without God  touching you in some way. Yet, here, at this point in your journey that is precisely what is required of you.  You are being asked to do something impossible - at least impossible without His touch. Thus, this moment almost forces you to reach out in desperation to Him. That desperation is exactly what God longs to see. It is what allows the transition you have been going through to become the transformation into a new person in Christ.

AGENDAS PLAY A ROLE

Sadly, we all, including you, ignorantly, without a speck of insight, speak words that are filled with your own motives and agendas. You think in terms that serve your own purposes. You make decisions that are for your own good with little thought of the consequences those decisions might have on others. To complicate matters, in those times when God is intensely present, you think He is actually there to comfort you or to help you accomplish your own desires.

YOUR WILL - HIS WILL?

Yes, God is present to help you in your time of need, but He is far from being a God whose focus is on your comfort. One quick tour of Scripture should convince you that you are here for His purpose; He is not here for yours. You are to find His will; He is not to find yours. In other words, it is His Kingdom come and His will be done that you pray for - not yours.

To make matters even more disquieting, if you have any inkling of being called to some level of ministry, forget the idea of comfort. Comfort has little to do with the advancement of the Kingdom. Why? Because, here at the Altar of incense you learn to live your life for others and that can be very uncomfortable. However, in all actuality it really is the quickest way to weaken the soul.

BEYOND YOUR ABILITIES

The coal that touched the lips of Isaiah was and is an intervention of God beyond your own capabilities. It was the purity of God being revealed. The little you truly know of God has been revealed to you by God. If God does not reveal Himself, you will tend to construct your own definition of who He is and what He looks like. The Golden Calf in the wilderness is proof enough of that. The desperate in heart will always see God reveal Himself to them.

PURIFIED SPEECH

Isaiah was a priest, a servant of God, yet he could not accomplish what was needed to take himself further. He needed the outside of time touch of God to change him on the inside and it started with his lips and what he had been saying. Perhaps God was saying, Stop thinking and praying for you and start praying and thinking about others.

Here is the last step before going into the Veil and Door Posts of the Holy of Holies. Like it or not, before you enter here, you will be transformed. Don’t worry, you are already well on the way to that point. Soon, your daily life will become steeped in prayer.  That prayer will shift from intrinsic to extrinsic focus. But that is another posting.

Blessings,

John Paul Jackson

“Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.” Isaiah 6:6

The Altar that you are kneeling before is a small (1 cubit X 1 cubit X 2cubit –or- 18 inches X 18 inches X 36 inches). Yet, it is an amazing piece of furniture. As is each piece of furniture in the Sanctuary, this Altar is covered with gold. This gold, is differentiated from the brass pieces of furniture in the outer court in so much as Gold is God created, while brass is man made

THE REFINER’S PURITY
In parallel, all the pieces of golden furniture represent a touch of something from God to you and from that touch of God, you then offer something back to God. You are not pure enough to give God anything – all your own efforts are in essence brass. But, gold, created by God is pure, and as such it represents God’s holy nature. Holy, not only in all He does, but also Holy in how He deals with you.

THE COAL OF ISAIAH
The coal, from the Altar, that touched Isaiah’s lips was from the coals burning on this Altar of Incense. Just as Isaiah encountered this Altar, at some point in time, you encounter this Altar. Here you are thinking you are doing God a service – you pray, you serve, you believe – yet God has something totally different in mind. That something is found in His unique touch. Yes, it was an angel that touched Isaiah with the coal, but it was done at God’s bidding and remember the Scriptures refer to angels as being holy. At some point you will have to be touched as well.

Why did Isaiah’s lips have to be touched with a coal of Fire? To purify them so when Isaiah prayed he would not pray anything of his own agenda or opinion. You might remember, prayer is spoken at every one of the seven pieces of furniture in the entire Tabernacle. But, here at the Altar of Incense, prayer is not only offered to purity ourselves, but more importantly it is for the sake of others. Isaiah was to “stand in the gap” and pray for others. But, before he could, his own agendas and thoughts had to change.

PRAYER AND JUSTICE
This is the beginning of the equity of Justice being prayerfully requested on the behalf of others. This moment is to be the finality of soulish, self-service and the beginning of prayerful service for others. You cannot enter the next Room of Mystery in your current condition – you are currently far too selfish to stand in the midst of a Holy God who in  His extreme selflessness crucified His son so you might have everlasting life.

Therefore God will touch you because, God’s justice cannot be prayed if we have our own opinions about how Justice has to be administrated and/or fulfilled.

HOW LONG?
The Dark night of the Soul ends when you pray for others without your own opinions and thoughts entering in. How long does the Dark Night of the Soul last – as long as it takes to burn up your own thoughts, opinions, and agendas.

Blessings,
John Paul