THE FIRE OF GOD
Part 1
I rose early Sunday morning. It was 5.00 am and I put the beans, which had been soaking over night, on the stove to cook. They needed time to cook in order for me to prepare the food for Fellowship Meal after church. After putting on the beans I went downstairs to the office, thinking that I’d go back up to turn the element down in a few moments.
I opened the Word of God and began to meditate. I became so absorbed that I forgot all about the beans—until I smelt something burning! Where could it be coming from? I then remembered the beans on the stove! Help! I rushed upstairs to find the whole house full of smoke! It took a day or more to get rid of the smell of smoke from the house!
And what was I meditating on? Fire! Can you believe it?
Jesus said He would baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. The Greek word for baptize means “to drench, to plunge.” When someone comes out of the waters of baptism, they drip with water. In the same way, we should be dripping with the anointing of the Holy Spirit—in our home and our daily lives.
Theadore Robinson comments on this Scripture: “As John had immersed men in physical water, the Christ would plunge them into the very Spirit of God—the Holy Spirit—the source of all inspiration and the energy behind all goodness. This would fill them, overwhelm them, control them, transform them. From ancient days he who had come under the influence of that Spirit had “become another man”, and so it would begin again...” It will take the fire of the Spirit of God to bring this about.
1. THE FIRE BURNS
The fire burns up all the dross and everything that is consumable. The Holy Spirit is called “the Spirit of judgement and the Spirit of burning.” (Isaiah 4:14) Talking about the fire, Matthew Henry says, "It is the Spirit’s operation upon the soul—searching, consuming, refining, sublimating...” The fire is painful. It is relentless. It purifies us through trials and difficulties. 1 Peter 1:7 says, "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”
The fire keeps on burning until all the chaff is burned up. Matthew 3:12 says, “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat unto the garner: but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” The fire does not give up until all the trash is consumed. I want to be wheat and not chaff, don’t you? (Ezekiel 22:17-22)
PRAY WITH ME:
“Oh Spirit of judgment and burning, please burn up all that is sinful and fleshly in my life. Lord, I want to be a pure vessel of gold where all dross and impurities are burned away. Amen.”
2. THE FIRE WARMS AND COMFORTS
The fire warms the cold heart and shivering soul. He comforts the tired heart. As we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, He puts heat back into our lives. That’s why we need one another. A coal burning alone will soon go out and become cold. But when you put the coal back on the fire with the other coals, it begins to burn again. We are challenged again by the words of Jesus, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou were cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16)
PRAY WITH ME:
“Lord, please warm my cold heart. Make me burning hot for you. I want you to become the consuming passion of my life. Amen.”
More coming next week.
Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
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