The Baptism With Fire...

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There is a baptism with the Holy Spirit. This is the spiritual fulfillment of the Jewish observance of Pentecost. There is a baptism with fire. This is the spiritual fulfillment of the Jewish observance of the Day of Atonement. During the previous century, numerous believers were baptized with the Holy Spirit. During the present century, numerous believers will be baptized with fire. Our God is a consuming Fire!

(6/13/2010). "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Matthew 3:11)

As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 13:40-43)

Notice the timing: "At the end of the age." We are here now.

Please notice also that at the end of the age, everything that causes sin will be weeded out of the Kingdom of God. Also, all who do evil will be weeded out of the Kingdom of God. All this at "the end of the age."

It appears that for the two thousand years of the Church Age, the Christian salvation has been regarded as one of forgiveness, grace, mercy, etc. Now a radical change is here. The Christian salvation still is one of forgiveness, but the emphasis is on the removing of sin and sinners from the Kingdom of God. The Savior has become the Man of War. Moses has become Joshua. The twenty-third Psalm has merged into the twenty-fourth Psalm.

It had to happen sometime, didn't it? We know intuitively that the Kingdom of God is not a kingdom of people who are continuing to sin. The new Jerusalem is not a city of those who do not do God's will. But when will the sin be removed—not the guilt of sin, but the sinning itself?

"At the end of the age." The time is now. The place is wherever we are. The program involves God and our cooperation with God.

Christ will not do it alone. We cannot do it alone. It is the sword of the Lord and of Gideon, so to speak. The Fire of God will burn the sin out of our personality. If we refuse to cooperate with the Lord, we ourselves will be removed from the Kingdom of God—Christian or not. It is a purging of the Kingdom, not a purging of the world!

Each one of us carries a suitcase loaded with snakes. Our snakes are in three categories: our love for and trust in the world system; the lusts of our flesh; and our self-will, self-determination. The Holy Spirit deals with each of these areas of sin in a different manner.

Concerning our love for the world spirit: we take the first step by being baptized in water, reckoning ourselves crucified with Christ. Then each day we make an effort to keep our involvement in the world, in the Antichrist spirit, to a minimum. We are not of the world and we need to act like it.

As we make this determination, God helps by bringing tribulation on us so that we have to keep praying fervently in order to come successfully through our problems. When we do our part by being in the world but not of the world, the Fire of God gives us the wisdom and strength we must have if we are to live a victorious life in the Lord Jesus.

Concerning the lusts of our flesh: the Spirit of God keeps pointing out to us the specific uncleannesses in our thinking, speech, and actions. Sexual lust, for example, is a major problem in the world today. Numerous leaders in the government and the churches are falling into sexual sin.

When we become aware of a specific fleshly sin, we are to confess it, denounce it as fit for the Lake of Fire, renounce it, turning away from it with all the strength we have, and then come to the Lord Jesus for wisdom and help so we do not fall into the same pit again. Many believers of today are going to be torn down from their high position in Christ because they are yielding to the fiery temptations that afflict our flesh.

Satan works with deception, particularly but not exclusively in the area of sexual lust. The only manner in which we can avoid being deceived is to take up our personal cross and carry it behind Jesus each day. This world is not Heaven, and when we try to make it heavenly we fall into deception.

Also, we are to pray constantly, "Do not lead me into temptation but deliver me from the evil one." God hears this prayer if we are sincere and fervent.

Concerning our self-determination: of the three areas of sin, self-determination is the most difficult to deal with, and the most prevalent in Christianity.

I believe God has impressed on me that the only way to survive the coming age of moral horrors in America is to be very close to the Lord Jesus. I make it a practice at all times to talk to Jesus about everything I am doing, sometimes praying for help. In this manner I keep in the Lord's Presence.

But as I look at how the denominations and the churches approach their work, it is as though they are doing what they think is best for Jesus and His Kingdom, but they are not actually hearing from Him. They are taking for granted that He wants everyone on earth to make a profession of faith in Jesus. But is this actually what Christ wants? They are guessing, I believe.

There has been much talk about the timing of the so-called "Rapture." But has anyone heard from the Lord or are they offering their opinion?

Concerning the welfare of America: there are calls for repentance so our nation will be saved. But is this what Christ wants? Or has the practice of abortion-on-demand pushed America over the edge where Christ is not willing to hear our prayer for our nation? Do we know for sure, or don't we? It is not enough to just assume this is what God wants.

The principal problem of mankind is that of making decisions apart from Christ. This problem began in the Garden of Eden. It has continued to the present day. It exists in secular society and it exists in the Christian churches.

How many believers of our day are listening to Jesus and obeying Him diligently? I think there may be numerous believers who do walk with Christ through the day. But I do not know of a Christian organization or group that waits on the Lord. They all seem to have an idea of what Christ wants; but their decision so often is mental, not prophetic.

What would happen if every Christian organization stopped what it is doing and assigned some people to pray until God revealed His will?

According to what I was told by Einar Gislason, an Icelandic pastor, it was by assigning an individual to remain in an oxhide tent until he heard from God that Christianity was chosen as the religion of Iceland. It is a thrilling story!

To put it simply, we Christians must cease taking things for granted, assuming what Jesus wants today. Rather, we are to keep petitioning Him to make His wishes known. I do this. He has instructed me to seek Him fervently in every decision of life, down to the smallest detail, and to encourage others to do the same. No decision we make during the day or night is too insignificant to merit the Lord's attention.

I think Jesus is saying that we now are entering the spiritual fulfillment of the Jewish Day of Atonement. It is a time of being reconciled to God as He points out the various sins of our personality. We confess our specific sins as being unworthy of the Kingdom of God. We judge them as evil. We denounce and renounce them with all of our strength, plus Jesus' help.

Some denominations may have a true call to go forth and bring the Gospel to the spiritually dead people of the world. But I believe Jesus is telling me that what He desires is that His people turn from their sins and listen to Him at all times for directions for their life.

Those who make the change from self-determination to the rule of Jesus over their life will save themselves and those who hear them, throughout the coming age of moral horrors in America.

It is time for the baptism with fire that we might be reconciled to the Consuming Fire.

But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, (Malachi 3:2,3)

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You can hear the evening sermon at evening. http://www.wor.org/audio/audio.htm

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