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Tag: fire

  • Fire of the Holy Spirit

    Fire of the Holy Spirit

    Acts 2: When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.

    (It has been fifty days, nearly two months since the crucifixion and resurrection.)

    2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

    The Apostles are in a room, worshiping, sharing in a feast to the Lord.  The sound of ‘a rushing mighty wind’ comes from heaven.

    Is it just a storm outside?

    It would be of little note if the wind beyond the windows were not a mighty rushing wind.

    Does your heart tremble in awe at the sound of a mighty rushing wind? … the gathering of clouds into a powerful storm?

    Not only is this mighty wind beyond the walls of the place where the Apostles are gathered; the rush of the mighty wind filled the entire house!

    A hurricane, a cyclone has filled the house; yet the walls have not crumbled and the house is not consumed.

    Would you not fear for your life?

    NOT the Apostles. These had worshiped the risen Lord who had been taken up into Heaven, even upon a cloud. No doubt, the Lord would speak to each Apostle.

    Would Jesus say, “Peace?” Would He say, “Do not fear?”

    3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.

    4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

    The Mighty Breath of God passes through the house of worship and breathes the fire of God into those present!

    The Apostles had witnessed many times the intimacy of the relationship of God the Father with their friend and Lord, Christ Jesus.

    How had Jesus always been able to know the will of God the Father?

    Through prayer and the Holy Spirit, a conversation of intimacy with God.

    Now each Apostle was filled with the same Holy Spirit descended on Jesus when John baptized Him in the Jordan.

    The Apostles receive the baptism of the fire of the Holy Spirit!

    Now, each is equipped to take the Gospel into any part of the world. Soon after their encounter they speak to men in crowds who hear an Apostle speaking as if in their own language.

    How can ten men of ten different languages stand and hear one Apostle speaking, each in his own language?

    With God all things are possible.

    By the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues – a miracle possible only through God – the intimacy of the Holy Spirit makes possible an intimacy with the risen Christ Jesus.

    Acts 2:5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together…

    Note that others outside the room where the Apostles were gathered heard this mighty sound and came to see what it was that caused such a mighty wind.

    … and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”

    Besides the evidences of this day of Pentecost, the Apostles would demonstrate more miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit.

    The Apostles now taught with the Power and Authority of the Living God, through the free gift of salvation given through Christ Jesus, our risen LORD!

     

  • for our God is a consuming fire

    for our God is a consuming fire

    Hebrews 12:18 For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them.

    22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant…

    25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking.

    For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

    26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”

    … thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

    How much reverence and awe do you have for God Almighty?

    Do you, dear believer, sometimes fail to remember in fear and trembling the Power of the risen Lord, Christ Jesus?

    (It is no wonder that Jesus greeted fearful Apostles with the assurance: “Peace.”)

    It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. – Hebrews 10:21

    The Disciples finally realized that Jesus had not established God’s Kingdom in Jerusalem at the time He entered its gates prior to His crucifixion; yet the Apostles knew that Jesus will return on the clouds as Judge of the Heavens and earth!

    Prior to becoming Disciples of Jesus, some were disciples of John the Baptist who had preached:

    Matthew 3:

    10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

    11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

    12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

    If the burning fire of the conquering Christ was prepared by John; if the burning fire of the conquering Jesus was prepared by the Cross; if the Judgment and Kingdom were close at hand; then how much nearer now? You with ears to hear, hear.

    Jesus’ Disciples wanted to know when, but the Lord would not reveal it.  Never-the-less as Jesus rose into the clouds promising His return, the Disciples were filled with awe and reverence for the risen Son of Man.

    Well they knew all of what our Lord Jesus had warned and cautioned:

    John 15:6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

    Luke 24:51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.