3rd August 2020
FIRE BAPTISM
David Abankwah
READ: Luke 12:49-50
John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. HE WILL BAPTIZE YOU WITH the Holy Spirit and FIRE.
-Luke 3:16 | NKJV
Fire baptism is the third baptism that Jesus Christ baptises Christians with. There is difference between a believer and a Christian. A believer is someone who has the Holy Spirit living with/upon/on him or her but a Christian has the Holy Spirit living in him or her. Per Christians, or as the Psalmist referred to as righteous in Psalms 34:19, Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all -Psalms 34:19 | NKJV, these people are the ones the fire baptism applies to. Many people even sinners, quote Psalms 34:19 when they go through crisis, thinking they are being tempted and for that reason, think God will deliver them from those things.
The fire baptism will not come until you are first baptised in water and of the Holy Spirit. We can clearly see this in the life of Jesus Christ. When He was first baptised in water and of the Spirit, the Spirit led Him to be tempted by the devil in the wilderness in Matthew 4:1. The tempter the devil had examination questions set for Him to write in the hall of desert. The Holy Spirit as the Teacher has done His part teaching you and leading you there. It is now your turn to stand the test of time. First, Jesus Christ passed the three tests but the tempter was not yet done with Him. Fire baptism is not like water baptism or the Holy Spirit baptism that you are baptised once. It is on multiple occasions.
Psalms 34:19 said AFFLICTIONS and not affliction. The fire of crisis will keep blowing at you anytime possible. As Job went through his fire baptism, so every Christian will go through his. Fire baptism can be a disease, a financial setback, hard luck, ministerial persecutions, rejection, marital issues, child death, material losses etcetera. It seemed the fire baptism of Jesus Christ was over when He defeated the devil in the wilderness but a greater fire baptism was before Him in Calvary. Today, many believers think that Christianity is like butter and bread, so anytime they go through crisis, it’s like something is wrong with their service to God.
And instead of our Pastors teaching us the fire baptism, they make us feel we have to be blessed and anytime we go through crisis, it is because of our sins or something we are not doing right. I believe many Pastors would have said Job was sinning at that time that was why he was going through what he was going through. Our works need to be passed through fire. Where are our works? Where are my works? Are our works gold, silver or bronze, wood or grass? Will we be refined after the fire baptism or we will be burnt thereof? Many want the Holy Spirit but they are unaware that He will lead them into the desert places to be tempted by the devil.
•| Prayer Diary |•
Lift up prayers for the strength of God to keep you in the faith as you go through your periods of fire baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.
Quote
If there are no sorrows in Christianity, then there is no need for the Holy Spirit to comfort us.
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© 2020 David Abankwah
David Abankwah 