“They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?””
Luke 24:32 NIV
Through this verse we understand that there is a power, there is a fire and there is burning when we talk and read the scriptures, so today we will read many verses of the sacred scriptures.
“I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and Fire.”
Matthew 3:11 NIV
Jesus said that we would be baptised with the Holy Spirit and with Fire. And John the Baptist said: I baptise you with water.
Now you see: Water baptism is from the outside in, but fire baptism is from the inside out.
Water washes, the fire purifies.
Jesus told Nicodemus that we should be born of the water and the Spirit. John said I baptise you with water for repentance, and Jesus will baptise you with “The” (defined article) Holy Spirit and Fire.
That is why Jesus gave an order to His disciples.
“Jesus gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.””
Acts 1:4-5 NIV
It was a commandment of Jesus to the apostles, that they should not leave without first receiving the baptism of fire, which is the empowerment of the heavens and the clothing of power.
“I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.””
Luke 24:49 NIV
This is a promise from our father, that we should be clothed with power.
What is this power?
It is an empowerment, it is an assignment of power and an anointing to do things we would not never be able to do by ourselves.
Now let’s looks at what Jesus said to Paul in Acts 26.
“to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins” Acts 26:18 NIV
You can see here that the baptism with fire is an assigning of authority, a license, a permission that is given to us by Jesus against the Kingdom of Darkness.
Now let’s look at what it says in Matthew chapter 10 verse 8:
“Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”
Matthew 10:1, 8 NIV
God does not only want us to be baptised with water in the name of the Lord Jesus, but He wants us to be baptised with the Holy Spirit too. See the concern of the apostles, for wherever they were preaching the gospel they wanted to know if those who were baptised in the water had received the Holy Spirit.
When Paul arrived at Ephesus what was the first question he asked the believers?
“Paul asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”” Acts 19:2 NIV
“When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.” Acts 19:6 NIV
Notice that by receiving the baptism with the Holy Spirit they begin speaking in tongues and prophesying, for these are the evidence of baptism with the Spirit.
“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God”
Acts 10:44, 46 NIV
Pay attention: The Holy Spirit cannot come without the message, it doesn’t come without the preaching of the Gospel.
The Bible says that the Jews were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out over the Gentiles. Because they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
Just to be clear, even if you don’t speak in tongues, you can still be saved.
Paul says to the Ephesians “when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,”
Ephesians 1:13 NIV
All Christians who believe in Jesus and repented of their sins are saved and are sealed with the Holy Spirit.
However, the baptism with the Holy Spirit is a clothing of power that allows you to fulfil the calling and follow the ministry that God has for your life.
What is the calling?
There is an apostle in Brazil who described it well, what is really a calling:
The calling is some incredible work, given to an inadequate person, to do something impossible, for an indefinite time, without sufficient resources.
“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”
Acts 10:38 NIV
The Bible is clear that Jesus healed people not because He was God, but because He was anointed with the Holy Spirit.
The fire baptism is to empower you to fulfil your calling, for you to do good and heal those who are oppressed by the devil.
How did Jesus begin His ministry?
“News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralysed; and he healed them.”
Matthew 4:24 NIV
The baptism with fire is there for you to fulfil this calling, with physical, real and supernatural evidence.
What did Jesus say to His disciples?
“Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” Matthew 10:1, 8 NIV
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” Acts 1:8
What is this power and this virtue by which Jesus was anointed? What is this fire mentioned by John the Baptist?
The Fire is the visible, physical form of the invisible glory of God.
This fire of God can operate in different ways: For some people He is a consuming fire, for others is a purifying fire.
“for our “God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:29 NIV
For the two sons of Aaron, He was a consuming fire. For Ananias and Sapphira he was a consuming fire. For Satan was a consuming fire.
But for the apostles he was a fire that purifies. For Isaiah was a purifier fire.
For some people this fire will burn and hurt, for others the same fire will only purify.
The same fire that is in hell is also in heaven. How it feels will depend on which side you are in. Charles Spurgeon
Let’s look at the 3 functions of the Fire:
1 °. The fire comes as a purifier. It comes to change, clean, sanctify and purify us.
2 °. It is consuming. The Fire destroys what is not good in our lives.
3 °. The fire empowers us to fulfil God’s calling.
Every time you have an encounter with the presence of the Holy Spirit you will feel “a burning” inside you.
The disciples on their way to Emmaus felt a burning in their hearts while Jesus talked to them about the Scriptures.
Jeremiah said the word was like a fire inside him.
Fire is a spiritual feature of heaven and the raw material of angels is fire.
Fire is the visible appearance of the invisible glory of God.
One of the most powerful promises in the Bible is that of the baptism of fire.
John Wesley once said, I set myself on fire and people come to watch me burn.
John Wesley said to George Whitfield: Set fire to your sermon, or put your sermon in the fire.
Men who have had the revelation of God and received this fire from God preach with passion and fire in their hearts.
God said to the Israelites, “And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’” Zechariah 2:5 NIV
That’s why Paul said, “Do not quench the Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19 NIV
We do not quench God’s Spirit, we quench the flame of the Holy Spirit in us.
How do you know if the fire of the Spirit is on and burning in you?
Do you fall sleep and wake up speaking in tongues?
Are praises to God always in your heart? Do you sleep and wake up worshiping God?
Do you think of the word of God and meditate on it wherever you are? Walking, working, while talking or in bed?
Are you happy coming to prayer meeting?
When you begin to think of other things: about your family, work, responsibilities, do you soon you come back again to your intimacy with the Holy Spirit, to the Word and Praise?
Are you always looking for an opportunity to speak about Jesus, to preach and pray for people?
William Seymour, a man who God who brought the revival at Azuza Street, preached for years about baptism in the Holy Spirit and praying in tongues, he preached about the clothing of power with the evidence of speaking in tongues, but people did not want to hear about this. And so his church emptied, and he went through a crisis, but still, he did not give up, and we all know about the great revival that happened when the fire finally came down on them and people from everywhere went there to see what was happening.
Conclusion
How is the fire of God in your life? Is it burning inside of you, or has it been quenched?
Is your heart on fire for Jesus? Or are you a lukewarm christian?
In Revelation it is written that Jesus’ eyes are like flames of fire.
Today you need to cry out: Jesus look at me! You need to cry out: I need this fire!
How is God’s fire in your life?
God said in Leviticus ““The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.”Leviticus 6:13 NIV
You are responsible for keeping the fire of God lit up in your life!
If you are not baptised with the Holy Spirit, you can be baptised today! If you do not speak in tongues yet, you can start today, if the fire in your life is out, God will baptise you with fire again!
May the Lord bless you and be baptised with Fire !