The word for this week is "fire"! We know that in the natural fire can be both beneficial and very destructive, depending on the situation and the use or misuse! The same is true in the spiritual sense! The first verse we'll be looking at is found in Hebrews 12:29:
29 For our God [is indeed] a consuming fire. AMP
This is our God! He IS a fire! His presence consumes sin and all of it's consequences! In Luke 3:16 we see that John prophesied what would happen in the lives of born again believers, beginning in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost!
16 John answered them all by saying, I baptize you with water; but He Who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of Whose sandals I am not fit to unfasten. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. AMP
This "fire" is the presence of the Spirit of God IN us and UPON us as we receive this infilling. When we stay filled with the Spirit, the fire of His presence will help us to avoid evil and sin. This "fire" is also the power to DO the works that Jesus did! John 14:12:
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. KJV
We ARE to be about our Father's business of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and we carry that out in our everyday lives! THAT is normal Christian living! Then we have this promise in Hebrews 1:7:
7 And of the angels he says, Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. KJV
Many people believe that this is referring ONLY to angels. Although the first part specifically speaks to angels, who DID serve as the messengers under the Old Covenant, WE are the ministers of the this new and better Covenant that we have (Hebrews 8:6)! Look at 2 Corinthians 5:18-19:
18 But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him]. 19 It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor). AMP
WE are His new messengers and HE makes His messengers a flame of fire! HIS anointing is within us and upon us and the fire (for GOOD) of His presence and His power is available to us to minister to others! YOU are a flame of fire, with the presence and power of God flowing out of you, even when you don't say anything! Expect to see people react to that presence of God in you! Here is a new song from Hillsong's new youth group (Young and Free) called "Wake":
Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!
