There are a lot of people that think they have the Baptism of the Holy Ghost as soon as they accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. But this is not always true. Some receive the Holy Ghost upon accepting Jesus into their life, some receive the Holy Ghost once being Baptized in Water while, some receive the Holy Ghost by the Laying on With Hands.

Almost everyone wants to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost but there are not very many that are interested in having the Fire work in their life. What is the importance of the Fire that is mentioned accompanying the Holy Ghost? Let’s take a look see.

In St Matthew 3:11 we read, "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire."

It seems that being Baptized with Fire is in conjunction with but different than the Holy Ghost ~

The Apostle Luke in St. Luke 3:16 agree with Matthew in that he wrote, "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire."

Think about it for a moment. What does Fire symbolize? What is the purpose of Fire; what does it do?

Fire consumes that which can be burnt. Fire causes pressure that brings about change ~

We read in Acts 2:1-4, "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."

In Judges 13:20 we read, "For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground."

Notice how the angel of the Lord was able to be in the Fire and the Fire did not harm the angel ~

The Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 43:2 wrote, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."

The Prophet Isaiah stipulates that the Saints do not have to worry about any ill effect from the Fire.

We read in Hebrews 1:7, "And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire."

The Saints are Ministers of the Lord and they, as a Flame of Fire are to work wondrously in an effort to win Souls to The Lord.

In Revelation 15:2 we read, "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God."

Where the Presence of the Lord is, there is Fire ~

The Apostle Peter in 1^st Peter 1:3-7 wrote, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, *To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, *Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. *Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: *That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."

For gold to be in its purest form requires a very hot Fire in order to remove all impurities. The founder knows that the gold is in its purest form when he can see his reflection in the gold.

The Saints of God must go through the Fire in order to be like Jesus when He comes in the Clouds of Glory ~

We read in St. Mark 9:49, "For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt."
 


Derwood A. Stewart, Minister
House of Prayer Sabbath Ministries
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