It is literarily believed that wherever there is a raising flame of fire, disaster is associated with it. But to some degree, of course, physical fire could also bring a kind of benefit for an individual that needs illumination.
Take for instance, as nice and valuable as a candle stick is, its value remains a store of value in it until fire is ignited or it’s lit to burn. The value, or the glory in a way, will never be revealed until it is Kindled. Men will not be able to come to its attraction, nor profits from its value if it is not Ignited
As truthful as this illustration is with any item of value it could also be applicable to men and women who seem to carry unborn divine values, potentials in them, but are doing little or nothing to influence their generation with those divine, precious depositions in them. If nothing happens, some will end up enriching the grave with what they were meant to bless their generation with. You will not be careless to do that in Jesus name. Amen!
Let us try to move gradually away from how we started, to another kind of a better burning, so we may see clearly and in reality how we all have stores of values, potentials, and other divine deposition in us; but our values remain intact in us simply because we are never set on spiritual burning.
It is very unfortunate that the men and women in our generation are less concerned about this fire. At our best, we have long understood this fire (Holy Ghost fire), to be a means, or spiritual magic, to fight, or destroy our enemies instead of seeing it for the right use.
The devil has sold a wrong idea on the use of the fire of the Holy Spirit to us, and so we have become men and women who no longer hunger to be lit up (baptized) by this same fire that had worked wonders in the lives of holy children of God in the past.
We have found ourselves at a point of little or no fire, but all we could see as our need is fire. We must seek to get the clear understanding of this fire, spiritual fire, divine power; and seek the right application in our life instead of seeing it and using it for the wrong purpose.
It is topical of every average professing Christians anywhere there are in the world to call upon the Holy Ghost fire upon his or her enemies expecting the fire to come down like in the days of Elijah, the servant of God, to devour his or her enemies.
How in vain will the expectations be? The fire of the Holy Spirit is holy fire that precede, go before, the glory of God. The fire precedes the glory of the Almighty God. If any man would ever see the glory of God, then the fire has to go before the expected glory. When the fire is in you, that is, when you are spiritually lit up, it brings glory to God, His name and for His kingdom.
When you’re kindled, the burning orchestrate events, an attraction, that will draw men to your light for the glory of God.
When the fire was on John the Baptist, burning, in the wilderness; men literally left different towns and villages to its attraction (See Mark 1:5.)
When the fire was on Jesus Christ of Nazareth (our Lord), the crowd went for Him, (John 3: 29, LB).
When the fire came on the disciples in Acts of the Apostles chapter two, men and women of their generation could not deny the reality of the power of God (God’s glory), they cried out, more than three thousands souls were won to the Lord in just an encounter.
The fire is for His glory not a tool to be used in destroying enemies, shouting “Holy Ghost fire” emotionally here and there. Abusing the power of God. Instead of calling on the fire to burn your enemies as the devil has made the church to believe, ask for the fire on your life, on yourself for a fresh fire baptism.
Until Moses experienced the fire by the burning bush; his value remained intact like that of a kindled stick. He knew so much that he thought he could do much at the age of forty (40), but there was little or nothing he could do without the fire.
Brethren, if there is anything the present church lacks it is not finance (money), it is the fire, the baptism of fire. The church lacks the fire because an individual that is to carry the fire in the church lacks it, or has lost the fire; has quench his or her fire. (I Thessalonians 5:19.)
The Bible rightly teaches us the need for the fire, but we pay no attention to it. Yes, of course, we have the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but what about the fire? We talk tongues, but are less concerned of bearing the fire.
Yes, we are known for prayers, and even called prayer machines; but where is the fire? Where is the power? The Kingdom of God is not just in words, but in the demonstration of power. Church! If we must fulfill our divine mandate, then we need the baptism of fire: the baptism of power from on high – if we must burn for the glory of God in our generation. Jesus clearly told the early disciples that without it, every of their efforts for God will be useless, unfruitful. The pattern has not changed.
“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He [Jesus Christ] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11).
“Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:3-4).
From that day, the same Peter, the fearful Peter, became a bold Peter. Saying Peter could do anything, on his own without the fire, about the Gospel of our Lord Jesus is like a child overtaking his shadow. Peter! The same Peter we knew the same night that Jesus was arrested now could stand head tall before the Jewish religious leader to say, “…Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than God, you judge” (Acts 4:19). Praise God!
Is that not a big surprise to you too? Peter? If the present church must not be ashamed of the day of Christ, we must stop playing Church as usual and wake up to our divine privilege and mandate of spiritual relevance and winning our generation for Christ. Brethren, if the church is ever in need, I know it is not money, it is not connection, it is not rich men and women, it is not educated people, it is not men up there in political offices, it is not men of wisdom; but the baptism of fire, the baptism of power from on high. If not, of course the church will lose out her relevance in our days, and we will not be able to leave behind any trace of living legacy that the next generation of believers will remember us for.
This is not a moment to seek God for items of vanity (materialism and pleasure). Let’s be repentant, and go before our God and His anointed.
The writer of the book of Psalm said, as he was inspired by the Spirit of the Lord, “…Who made His angels spirits, His ministers [servants] flames of fire.”
God’s desire for us, His children, is to become men and women on fire. That is when our value will shine forth.
Brethren, no fire no glory, no shining forth. Absolutely, there is nothing we can do without fire; apart from being tongue talkers. Sir/Ma, is it the glory you seek? Is talking in tongue your final bus stop? No! Even if you were OK with that, God is not. God wants His glory to cover the earth like waters cover the sea. Never rest or settle down! Seek the fire and keep seeking until you are set burning, and keep burning through your life time.
Source: [Centre for New Dimension Leadership]
