Morning by Morning, October 17 - Baptism of Fire Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me hear Your heart, as I rest in Your Presence and wait for Your leading -- Heart to heart, Spirit to spirit, Deep to deep. ... On the last night of the School of the Prophets at MorningStar Ministries last weekend, about a hundred of us in the center of the gathering, along with Chris Reed, all smelled an overpowering smell of smoke. There wasn’t anything burning or smoking in the natural realm, but something was certainly on fire in the spiritual realm! The Director of the School, Ed Perez had referred early in the weekend to “the baptism of fire.” What came to my mind was the words of John the Baptist, in his ministry of preparing the way of the Lord for Your first coming: “In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight’” (Matthew 3:1-3). John declared to all who were drawing near to God to embrace the Kingdom of heaven with repentant and pursuing hearts: “I baptize you with water for repentance, but the One who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not worthy to carry His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and will gather His wheat into the granary, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:11-12). And the very next Verse says: “Then Jesus came...” (v. 13). Part of the purpose of this baptism “with the Holy Spirit and fire” is to prepare the way of the Lord in our hearts and in the earth. Just as John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way of the Lord for Your first coming, so the Father has sent the Holy Spirit to prepare the way of the Lord in the Body and Bride of Christ for Your second coming. The Last Book of the Old Testament, just before the proclamation of the coming of Christ in the First Book of the New Testament prophesied of this: “See, I am sending My Messenger to prepare the way before Me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple. The Messenger of the covenant in whom you delight--indeed, He is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of His coming, and who can stand when He appears? “For He is like a refiner’s fire and like washers’ soap; He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord, as in the days of old and as in former years” (Malachi 3:1-4). Holy Spirit, You are that Messenger. You are that Refiner’s Fire. Just as You filled John the Baptist when he was still in his mother’s womb for this calling and assignment to prepare the way of the Lord (Luke 1:15), so You are filling the hearts of the Body and Bride of Christ to prepare the way of the Lord for the second coming of Christ. You are refining and burning “the chaff” out of us. You’re burning out of us all that is not yet like Jesus. And You are setting us a blaze with a passion for Jesus. Who will endure the day of His coming? Who can stand when He appears? ... Those who have been purified and refined in the Refiner’s Fire, those who have embraced the baptism of “the Holy Spirit and Fire.” As David prophesied long ago of this day: “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false and do not swear deceitfully. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from the God of their salvation. Such is the company of those who seek Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob” (Psalm 24:3-6). Come, Holy Spirit. Baptize me in Your Holy Fire. Burn the chaff out of me, everything in me that is not yet like Jesus. Wash and cleanse my soul. By the power of Your grace, I want to be part of that Body and Bride of Christ, with the way of the Lord prepared in my heart: “Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, so as to present the church to Himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind, so that she may be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27). By the power of Your grace working in me, burning in me, cleanse my hands and purify my heart to be lifted up to the Lord my God alone, as I seek the face of God and embrace the Fire of God -- this holy baptism of Fire. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My friend, may you embrace the baptism of the Fire of God as you seek the face of God, preparing the way of the Lord in your heart and in the earth, in Jesus' name. God bless you!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Mailing Address: 412 S. Adams Street #148 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
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