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Baptized in Fire
June 9, 2019
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Acts 2:1-4
Today is Pentecost Sunday. Nearly two thousand years ago on the day of the Feast of Weeks, as the disciples were gathered in the upper room, the fire of God's Spirit filled them with the power of God. The Holy Spirit breathed life into the Church, and the Body of Christ came alive.
The Spirit of God brings life. In Genesis 1:2, the Spirit of God "moved upon the face of the waters" as God prepared to create light and, ultimately, our universe as we know it. The Hebrew word for "moved" means to "hover, or brood like a mother hen over her chicks." As God prepared to create, His Spirit was present to provide the life-giving energy needed for creation.
In Genesis 2:7, God forms man from the dust of the earth and breathes "into his nostrils the breath of life." Once again, the creative spark of life comes from the Spirit of God. The origination of human life comes from the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit. Today, as we are filled with the Spirit, the euphoric sensation of God's power fills us again bringing energized life to our spirit and reminding us of our created origins. We become reunited with the animation of human existence and feel the power from which our lives began.
The Holy Spirit brings power. In Luke 1:35, the angel Gabriel appears to Mary and announces, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Later, when Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth, who was already pregnant with John, "the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost." (Luke 1:41)
Christ told the disciples in Acts 1:8, the Holy Ghost would empower them and make witnesses of them throughout the world. Jesus traveled within a small area throughout His lifetime; yet, within a few years after the Ascension, the Gospel would be preached throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. The Holy Spirit gave the followers of Christ the power to endure persecution, hardship, famine, peril, and even death. No earthly power could prevent the disciples and other converts from accomplishing their mission.
The Holy Spirit brings fire. Fire was used by priests in the Old Testament to consume the sacrifice unto God (Leviticus 3:5). Fire not only consummes but also refines and purifies (Zechariah 13:9). In Genesis 22, God provided Abraham with the substitute sacrifice for Isaac on the mountain. Christ became our sacrifice on Golgotha. In I Kings 18, Elijah prayed, and God sent fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice. In Acts 2, God sent fire from heaven as the Holy Spirit filled the upper room, and the lives of the disciples. Just as Christ became our sacrifice for sin (Ephesians 5:2), we have become a sacrifice of praise unto God, filled and consumed by the power of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 13:15).
We are soon approaching the bimillenial of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We are a chosen generation. It is time to be set on fire from heaven to accomplish the will of God. It is time to unleash the power of God within us. Far too often, we limit God with our willful iniquity or blind ignorance. Faithful obedience to God is essential to avoid these pitfalls. The Holy Spirit provides insight, conviction, power, and direction to overcome any obstacle, even those we have within ourselves. God is not only among us; He is within us! It is time to follow His leading instead of our own. It is time to listen to His voice, instead of those around us. Can you hear His calling?
Much like Genesis, the Spirit of God is brooding over us, waiting to unleash creative power within the world. God is calling us to Himself to follow His direction willingly and fulfill His purpose passionately. In Acts 2, the disciples were following Christ's command in Acts 1 to wait for the Spirit to move. Now God is waiting on us to gather to Himself and follow His direction. Once again, the Spirit of God is on the move. It is time to be baptized in the fire of the Holy Spirit and see the power of God at work throughout the world.
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