THE HOLY GHOST AND FIRE
Bishop Butler began by asking the congregation to exhort one another. After that, he read from the book of Luke 3:16
He said that the Holy Ghost is the third person in the trinity, and that He always Baptise with fire.
In scriptures, “Fire” refers to a number of things. It refers to protection while the Children of Israel journeyed through the desert.
According to Heb. 12:28-29, God is a consuming fire. In Isa. 4:4-5, the Bible says, God cleans the people with fire. In Malachi 3:1-5, He will purify, he says. The word ‘offering’ (used in verse 3 and 4) is ‘seed’.
We need to be in the right standing with God.
In the book of Acts, the Bible says tongues of fire tongue sat on the Apostles on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Ghost is the Fire of God.
God is a consuming fire and in order for us to receive His promises, we ought to be purged. There is a lot of teaching about the Holy Ghost but not much about the fire.
Another definition of fire – in the scriptures – is Test. The Holy Spirit will lead you to the wilderness to get tested by the devil.
According to Luke 4:1-3, John 13:23, Jesus was tested. The first thing the devil tried to test Jesus on was His identity. One of the things, the devil will test you on is your identity.
In Luke 4:5-7, the second thing Jesus got tested on was the ‘Body test”. The question is – can you pass the physical test? For instance, when the Holy Spirit wakes you up to pray very early in the morning, will you? See 1 Cor. 9:27.
God never asks you to do anything. He does the work. So, do not depend on any ability you may have. God takes people that nobody would have chosen and uses them for His glory.
“The first thing the devil tried to test Jesus on was His identity. One of the things, the devil will test you on is your identity.”
Another thing the devil tested Jesus on was the “Pride Test”. The pride test is something Christians have to pass if they want to be used by God.
The “Money Test” is another kind of test. Can you pass the money test? Can you obey God? Because what God does has nothing to do with what you see.
To God, the individual that will do what is necessary to give, is the individual that will receive. Christianity is not a “get rich quick” scheme; it is a lifestyle. Matt. 25:16-28, Mark 4:25
Anything can be a distraction, even legitimate things. Anything that you can’t give away has become a thorn in your life. Mark 4:14-19.
“The pride test is something Christians have to pass if they want to be used by God.”
God will purge things out of your life if they are the wrong things. This purging is by the Holy Ghost’s Fire, and if there is anything you can’t give away, you have failed the test. The thing about tests is you don’t get a promotion until you pass them.
This year will be a year of revival of the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit. The fruits of the Holy Spirit is about character. For there to be a revival, there has to be a death. This revival requires two things: a return to holiness and power of manifestation. 2 Cor. 11:24-28; 12:7-10
Grace is a barrier between you and what the devil plans against you. The Holy Ghost is upon you and upon any situation you are going through, whenever you change your attitude to believe that God’s grace is sufficient for you while in the midst of trials. And do not let go of what God is purging in your life.
“If there’s anything you can’t give away, you have failed the test.”
Surrender and be led by the Holy Ghost and Fire.
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