"As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandal; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." [Matt 3:11]
We need a fresh baptism of fire. To baptize means to immerse or to overwhelm. Does that describe the current condition of our souls? Immersed in God's cleansing and empowering fire. Fire is a powerful force. Fire can be used to purify metals to remove impurity. Fire can also be used to produce power like on old coal burning ships and train engines.
Fire can also provide warmth to comfort. Fire can illuminate the night to help people navigate. Fire is a very powerful and necessary force. It is interesting that fire and the Holy Spirit are so often linked together. God met Moses in a burning bush. God led Israel with a pillar of fir at night. Elijah prayed and fire fell to consume the burnt offerings.
George Whitfield, the 18th century evangelist, was a soul on fire. He is the personification of being baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire. I wrote about his nickname, "Fire Bringer." Whitfield burned brightly for the Savior. Everywhere he went crowds gathered, whether before the sun rose or late into the evening, to hear him preach. Thousands upon thousands were saved. While traveling horseback, in a two month span Whitfield preached 90 times to over 240,000 people. He preached so hard at times he coughed up blood, but he would not rest resolved to fulfill His mission to tell sinners about the Savior. On one occasion, he preached for three straight hours and the people listened. 350 people were gloriously saved on that day.
He paid a price for his fiery zeal. In one community, the Catholics stirred up the crowds to stone Whitfield. He barely survived. His broken body was left in a bloody mess just inches away from death. He was pelted on his face and skull leaving scars for the rest of his life. Undaunted, he kept preaching once he recovered. That sounds very similar to an experience Paul had in the book of Acts.
Whitfield died a young man at the age of 56 on September 30, 1770. I love what Wesley Dewell wrote about Whitfield about his death. "Whitfield had blazed until he burned out for God."
We need God to baptize us with Holy Ghost fire. We need to be so inflamed with passion for Him and devotion to service for Him that we burn out in the end. Constantly seeking more of Him and ministering for Him. The love of many has grown cold in the church. Love for God has cooled as well as love for people. Where is the fire in the church these days? We have cooled off preachers preaching cooled off sermons to chilled congregants. The icy cold vice of religion as nearly extinguished the flame in many people. We need God's reviving fire once again.
None of us can be George Whitfield. We only be who God created us to be. Whitfield squeezed more fiery service out of his short 56 years than most people. This hits home. I turn 56 this year. I need, we all need more Holy Spirit immersing and empowering us with more fire in our zeal. With Holy Spirit fire we can all be much more fervent and effective in our service.
- Contemplate what being immersed in the Holy Spirit would mean in your life.
- Describe the spiritual implications of fire baptism in your life. For example, cleansing, comforting, guiding, etc.
- Ponder the implications of a fire baptized life to an intolerant God forsaken society around you.
- Pray about blazing for God until you burn out.
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