Chapter 9 - The Fire

No one knew how it had started. It was now one week after the meeting at the Great Oak, and a raging forest fire was sweeping all across the Western Woods. The fire swept through Turkey Valley, and within moments the Gobble-Gobble Library and the Turkey Talkie-Talkie Society buildings were reduced to ashes. The fire swept across the part of the forest where the foxes lived, and within moments the flashy lights of Flashy Fox Den came down with a crash. The fire swept across Raccoon Row, and within moments the flames devoured every piece of garbage and all the rotten fruit in which the raccoons had indulged. The fire blazed through Slothful Square, and within moments the video games and the lazy-boy chairs had become nothing but smoldering coals. The fire raced through Opossum Palace, and within moments there were no longer any branches on which the spinning opossums could do their tricks. The fire left nothing untouched. Savings accounts…job markets…banks…governments… educational institutions…housing markets…insurance policies…the old, the young, the rich, and the poor…everything and everyone felt the heat. As the fire spread, turkeys, foxes, raccoons, sloths, opossums, along with every other kind of creature in the Western Woods, could be seen fleeing to the Great Oak by the thousands.

Now, while the animals had been delivering their letters to different parts of Jesus’ family in the Western Woods, Barbara the Beaver had stayed behind at the Great Oak just as Jesus had instructed her. When she had opened her envelope, inside she found pictures of an old rugged cross. She had also found a note from Jesus that said, “Barbara, I have given you strong teeth for cutting, carving, and building. Over the next week, before the fire comes, I want you to take your strong teeth and carve the Great Oak into the shape you see in these pictures. I have appointed this tree as an oak of righteousness.” By the time the fire had started, Barbara the Beaver had done her job very well. With special care and attentiveness, the Great Oak had been cut into the shape of a large cross. The cross was tall, its shadow reached far and wide, and its roots went deep.

While Barbara the Beaver had been busy carving the Great Oak into the shape of a cross, Sally the Squirrel and all of her friends had also been hard at work gathering food to the Great Oak, and preparing the feast that Jesus had ordered them to prepare. By the time the fire broke out, sitting on the ground everywhere, on all sides of the cross, were bowls of fresh nuts and berries, pitchers of the cleanest, freshest water you could imagine, and sweet pies of all kinds.

As different groups of animals began arriving at the Great Oak, there was now something very different about them. As the turkeys arrived, Sammy the Skunk recognized several of the turkeys he had met that day in the lecture hall of the Gobble-Gobble Library. He noticed that the prideful looks on the faces of these turkeys had been replaced by a look of sweet brokenness and humility. He also noticed that instead of using fancy words to impress one another, the turkeys were building one another up with common speech that everyone could understand. As the foxes arrived, Tanya the Turtle saw Flashy Freddy, as well as Fabian Fox and his family. She noticed that Flashy Freddy was no longer obsessed with his outward image in the eyes of the other foxes. Instead, both he and some other foxes had tears in their eyes and were attentively reading through the book of 1 Peter together. Through the fire, they had realized the ancient path of the gospel was in fact the only truly relevant path for any generation. As the raccoons arrived, Paul the Porcupine recognized Riley the Raccoon and the raccoons that had thrown trash at him. He noticed that instead of feeding their faces with filthy garbage, the raccoons had come into the light and were now holding hands and praying for one another. He overheard them praying for God to give them strength to resist temptation, to hold one another accountable, and to deny the cravings of their flesh. As the sloths arrived, Billy the Bullfrog recognized some of the sloths who had fallen asleep while he had been sharing Jesus’ message with them. He noticed that instead of having drowsy looks on their faces and apathy in their voices, the sloths were now praying fervently for God to wake their friends and family up from their slumber. As the opossums arrived, Wilbert the Walking Stick Bug saw some of the spinning opossums. He noticed that instead of doing tricks and competing with one another out of jealousy and envy, these opossums were now holding one another up with tears in their eyes and love in their hearts. Indeed, just as fire purifies silver, so the fire sent by Jesus to the Western Woods was doing a deep work of purification in the hearts of all the different parts of His family.

When all of the different groups of animals had finally arrived, they all took their place at the foot of the cross. As they stepped into the shadow of the cross, its shade provided refuge from the heat. As you would imagine, the animals were very hungry and very thirsty. When they saw the tasty food and the clean water all around them, they all wanted to eat it. However, they had lost everything in the fire, and they had no money in their pockets to pay for the nuts, the water, or the pies. So, with hunger in their eyes and in their tummies, they just sat and stared at the feast sitting all around them.

Then suddenly something amazing happened. Beautiful light, full of many different colors, began to shine brightly from behind the cross. The light was so bright, in fact, that it made the light from the fire in the Western Woods seem dim by comparison. 

“What is that?!” one of the foxes shouted. “That light is brighter than all the lights we used to have at Fancy Fox Den put together!”

As the light grew brighter and brighter, suddenly Elijah the Eagle proclaimed with a shout, “Behold, Jesus the Messiah, the Judge and the Ruler of the earth, the Great Redeemer, the Lion and the Lamb!”

As soon as Elijah finished saying this, Jesus stepped out from behind the cross. On his face was the biggest smile you have ever seen, and his face was shining brighter than the sun. As Jesus looked at all the animals that had gathered before Him at the cross, a river of love and joy flowed out from Him and fell upon all the animals. When this happened, these animals, all of whom had been humbled by fire, began to weep with joy and gratitude. Though all of them had lost buildings, reputation, money, jobs, and status in the flames of God’s discipline, suddenly they were now realizing that none of those things could compare with the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ crucified.

Then with majesty and compassion in His voice, Jesus began to speak. “My precious family, I welcome all of you to the place of freedom, healing, and truth,” He began. “I am the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Nothing unclean and impure can stand in My presence! Nothing that I hate will be allowed a place in My coming kingdom! Therefore, out of My great goodness, faithfulness, mercy, and love for you, I have extended My claws and with fire have torn away at your deceits, your pride, your falsehood, and your vain imaginations. However, when I extend the rod of discipline, not only do I tear to pieces, but I also mend; not only do I wound, but I also heal.”

When Jesus said this, a wave of power and light suddenly came out from him and touched all the animals. When the power touched them, they all felt clean on the inside and were filled with joy. Then with passionate voices all the animals began to shout, “Thank You Jesus for Your merciful discipline! Thank You for treating us like sons and daughters! Thank You for keeping us on the narrow path! We trust Your leadership no matter what!” 

When they finished saying this, the different groups of animals then began to repent to one another for all the rocks they had thrown and all the mud they had slung at one another. 

Then Jesus spoke again. “My dear ones,” he said, “I tell you the truth, these fires you have just gone through are but the beginning of birth pains. I am warning you now that times of even greater difficulty are awaiting you in the days ahead. Those days will be days of great refinement and testing for My people. A man of lawlessless, controlled by Satan, will come to power on the earth, and for three-and-a-half years I will allow the love and loyalty of My people to be tested at his hand. Know this, and know it well: when that man arises, it means that the hard labor has begun. The earth’s inhabitants will pass through the most difficult time the world has ever known. Watch, therefore, and pray, for My return is drawing near! In order for you to be ready for the fires of the hard labor, you first needed to pass through these initial fires of discipline. In the days that are coming, there is only one compass that can see you through the storms that will be raging all around you: the way of My cross. Those who build their lives, their churches, and their families on this rock by My Spirit’s power, will stand firm and remain faithful to Me through the storm of those days. However, when I return, will I find true faith on the earth? Will I find a love that is steadfast and not fleeting? Will I find a loyalty that is firm and not faltering? Will I find a commitment that is sure and unwavering? Indeed, it is through many tribulations that you must enter My kingdom, and it is through fire that I will shape My servants into a Bride prepared for My coming! 

Therefore, My friends, I exhort you to bow at the foot of the cross now while there is still time, and to feed yourselves on its truth and power. Build an ark of Christ crucified! Build a culture of the cross in all your relationships and in all that you do. Dear Turkeys, use the knowledge that I have entrusted to you not to win one another’s praise, but to serve My flock and build a vibrant faith in My people! Dear Foxes, flee the love of money, shed the false comforts and the false gospels of this age, and get your priorities straight. Dear Raccoons, it is time to get your hearts and minds clean!  Forsake the trash and the forbidden fruit while there is still time! Dear Sloths, wake up, stop wasting time on meaningless pursuits, and let Me get you ready for the coming storms! Dear Opossums, stop using My name to build your own kingdoms, stop doing circus acts to gain fame for yourselves, and submit to the discipline that I—and not the devil— must bring if you want to have a share in My coming kingdom—yes, the kingdom that I will set up by My own power, so that no one may boast in My presence.

All of you, the time is short. Watch. Pray. Repent. Fast. Feast continually on the truth of the cross for it is here and only here that you will find purity, strength, and freedom for the days ahead. Feast on the mercy it reveals. Feast on the example of self-sacrifice that it displays. And as surely as I live, I tell you that those who share in My sufferings in this age as they learn to boast in My cross alone, will surely share in My glory in the age to come!” At that, Jesus stretched out His hand toward the food sitting all around the cross and motioned to the animals to come and eat. One by one the animals went up to the feast and began to eat and drink  freely, without money and without cost.