Title: Fire of God (Luke 3:15-17)
[Luke 3:15-17]
[15] ♠ The people were waiting and waiting, and everyone thought in their hearts whether John was the Christ or not. [16] ♠ John answered them all, saying, I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than me is coming. [17] He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire, [17] and he will clear his threshing floor, gather the wheat into the barn, and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.
When I visited Yanji, China a while ago, I met people who were serving North Korean missions. Seeing the dedication of their entire family, they came to be called the ‘Holy Fire Community’. The church is like this. As God promised to baptize with fire, when God is present with fire, works will happen and change will occur. Just as God was with them as a pillar of fire in the wilderness or when Daniel's friends were in the midst of a fire that was about to destroy them, when God is present, those who are in the midst of fire trials will receive God's protection and guidance. In the New Testament age, the fire of God dwells within us. When the fire of the Holy Spirit burns brightly, you are serving the Lord with a passionate heart. I hope that the fire of the Holy Spirit will be present on the Korean Peninsula as well and that many dedicated missionaries will arise.
What is the fire of the Holy Spirit? First, it is the purifying fire. As Malachi 3:2 says, the fire of the Holy Spirit melts the hardened heart and makes the dark heart repent and purify. The chaff in Luke 3:17 refers to hiding the glory of God in me. The fire of the Holy Spirit extinguishes the wrong heart and habits that block our relationship with the Lord and the heart that judges others. This fire goes from outside to inside and when it reaches the heart of our hearts, we see God alone in control. God wants to purify the church through the baptism of fire. Because it takes purity to entrust you with a new task. Just as Joshua commanded us to purify our hearts before crossing the Jordan River, we must have a heart that the Holy Spirit reshapes us.
The fire of the Holy Spirit is also accompanied by power and glory. When the Holy Spirit purifies you and prepares you to receive power, He enables you to live for the glory of God. The Holy Spirit seeks out people who can be with the Lord to the end, and sanctifies and empowers them. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that the brothers in Yanji are able to sacrifice themselves for others while spending the cold winter in a container. The power of the Holy Spirit works miracles. The reason we do not see these abilities is because we do not long for them. If you are baptized with fire, your heart to see the Word and the power of praise and prayer will be restored.