Vice and Virtue

And I looked, and there came a storm wind from the north, a great cloud and a fire flashing incessantly; and there was a brightness around it, and from the midst of it there was something like the sight of electrum, from the midst of the fire. Ezekiel 1:4   

These days as I have been pursuing the Life-study of Ezekiel, the Lord's speaking has been very strong. This one verse itself has four precious gems that can be explained in a book. Nevertheless, to summarize, here are the four main subjective points that I have been experiencing these days.

A storm wind from the North: The visitation of the Lord by a spiritual stormy wind has always been a blessing in disguise. Often times, such visitation is painful. At the very first experience, one tends to plead the Lord for mercy and remove the "storm." Well, if the Lord has to remove it He should not have sent it at the first place. Since he sent it, it must be with a purpose. Blessed are those who discerns the Lord's stormy winds and face it, and learn from it subjectively. Such wind did visit me these days. Thank God for it.

Incidents after incidents, I have been facing brothers, saints and seekers with all kinds of spiritual lessons. Given to my natural choice, "prevention would have been better than cure." But that dictum does not apply here. I must face it and I have been facing them till these days. And meanwhile, I have been experiencing the working of Christ within me, though gradually, and bit by bit. Especially with two brothers who have been in need of shepherding both physically and spiritually too. The experiences with these two brothers have hit me hard and exposed me of who I really am, as a brother. And helps me in answering important questions: Am I a proper shepherd caring for the sheep? Do I really love them with the love of Christ? Am I willing to spend and be spent for them? Do I bear the same burden as they do? Do I mean what I minister in word and work it our in deeds?

Besides, I am also being exposed so much in my natural vices and virtues. All have to be blown away 

A great Cloud: After the Lord's stormy wind visitation he did not leave us empty and pale, instead He covers us with Himself as grace, grants us His sweet presence. This has been my experience too. His grace and presence always follows His blowing stormy wind.

A Fire flashing incessantly: Besides being blown by the stormy wind there is also a need for the fire of God to burn all that is not Christ within our being. Sinful and worldly things are condemned, and much more, the good and ethical ones too which are not Christ nor of Christ. The fire of God must burn all that is not Christ in nature nor in constitution. All the minute and secrets of the heart must also be burned away. Such is the visitation of God by fire. In my experience these days, I am experiencing this burning too. O for the grace to be burned and burned until fully sanctified! 

     

The sight of Electrum: The issue of the Lord's visiting us as the stormy wind, the covering cloud and the burning fire is the glowing electrum, in which having been wrought with the holy and divine nature of God, one begins to express God! This is the goal of the Lord's visitation.

Basically everything of vices and virtues are to be blown away and dealt with. So that Christ and Christ alone would have the preeminence in our lives, and be the living expression and representation that God so desired.