The Fire of God
Before we continue our discussion on The Blessing, let’s talk about the fire of God, His Glory, His Presence, The Holy Spirit, the anointing. All these words indicate God’s Presence, the fullness of His Presence, which most people do not experience in their lives. I heard a minister say recently that the degree of the fullness of His Presence operating in our lives is parallel to our reverence, respect and awe of God Himself. I believe that is true. Even though God is our papa, our daddy, He is to be revered and honored. He is God. He is the Head of the household. Jesus is the Head of the Body of Christ.
This present Pearls was triggered by a vision I had yesterday that is so vivid in my spirit this morning. I was saying: THANK YOU, LORD! I was thanking Him for so many things and I saw how our thanksgiving triggers the Presence of God. I saw every letter of that phrase, THANK YOU, LORD! exploding with fire all around each letter. The fire was mighty and you could tell that power was the mark of that fire. Power was being released in great torrents from the letters of the phrase. I see now that THANK YOU, LORD! is one of the most powerful phrases on earth when it is spoken with a heart of gratitude toward God.
Fire is the symbol of God. It is the mark of His Presence. Throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament we see evidence of the fire of God falling on the sacrifices in the Old Testament and coming in the Person of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and taking up residence in the bodies of human beings.
In the Word of God, God the Father, our Savior, the Holy Spirit, the Word and angels as ministers of God are compared to fire. Let’s look at some scripture regarding these comparisons.
In Deuteronomy 4:24 and Hebrews 12:29 we are told that the Lord our God is a consuming fire. Those verses do not mean that He destroys us as His children. Anything not of God will be burned up, consumed in the fire of His Presence. All of us want that. I want every bit of fleshly, carnal desires to be burned up, to be consumed out of my life. I do not want any sin to stand between me and my Father. Anything not of faith is sin. Every day I am asking Him to teach me, train me, purify me of doubt and unbelief and fear. Fear is the opposite of faith and is the essence of satan. I do not want anything that would trigger satan in my life. Fear is to satan as faith is to God. Fear gives satan authority in our lives. Faith gives God authority in our lives.
Psalm 18:12-14 speaks about the lightnings, the brightness, the thunderings of God. What we must realize is that these are glorious outbursts of the Presence of God, the Love of God, which is the indicator of His mighty power. And the Holy Spirit is God’s gift to us to teach us about His Love power, His glory, His Presence. The Holy Spirit trains us, equips us, prepares us to be containers and dispensers of the fullness of God, the love of God. We are blessed to be temples of The Blessing of God, His very being, His very nature. Are you aware that you are the temple of the Holy Ghost? God has entrusted Himself to live in your body. That should cause each of us to take a new look at the way we think, speak and act at all times.
In Malachi 3:2, Revelation 1:14, and 2 Thessalonians1:9-12 we are told that Jesus Christ will be revealed from Heaven with the angels of His power. He comes in flaming fire at the second coming. His eyes are as a flame of fire. I want you to look at these verses in 2 Thessalonians 1. In verse 9 we see what true punishment is for those who know not God and obey not His gospel: It is eternal banishment from the Presence of God, from the Glory of His power. How heartbreaking to think that someone would be forever separated from the Presence of God, from His compassion, the awesomeness of His beauty and all-encompassing love. What a tragedy! Doesn’t this make you want to be capably equipped to bring the Truth to everyone you meet and see them come into the family of God the Father.
In verse 10 we see Jesus coming, glorified in His saints, His consecrated people, and admired in them who believe. Remember that Jesus told us in John 17:22 that the glory the Father gave Him, He gave to us. We have been given the glory of God. What we must do is receive it. Most people are afraid even to consider such a possibility----the Presence of God, the fullness of His power resident in us. But it is true. Jesus has given us the glory which the Father gave to Him. It is the same glory that God, Jesus the Word and the Holy Spirit gave to Adam on the day He was created, the day God breathed the breath of life into Him. That breath of life was the glory of God which God Himself imparted to Adam, poured into Him. God gave a portion of Himself to Adam, enough for Adam to create and operate the whole universe. That same glory is what is resident in you today as a born again child of God.
In verse 11 we read this: Taking all into consideration that you have heard in verses 9 and 10, pray that God would count you worthy of your calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that He would complete or fulfill your every work of faith. I thought it rather interesting that I was to pray this, which would seem like God would do anyway for me. But then I realized that even though all is available to me, God has bound Himself to my decisions. I find that totally mind boggling, considering what a risk that is. That is the way He set it up. He has bound Himself to our decisions.
And finally in verse 12 we read that we are to pray that the name of the Lord Jesus be glorified in us and that we be glorified in Him, according to the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This present Pearls was triggered by a vision I had yesterday that is so vivid in my spirit this morning. I was saying: THANK YOU, LORD! I was thanking Him for so many things and I saw how our thanksgiving triggers the Presence of God. I saw every letter of that phrase, THANK YOU, LORD! exploding with fire all around each letter. The fire was mighty and you could tell that power was the mark of that fire. Power was being released in great torrents from the letters of the phrase. I see now that THANK YOU, LORD! is one of the most powerful phrases on earth when it is spoken with a heart of gratitude toward God.
Fire is the symbol of God. It is the mark of His Presence. Throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament we see evidence of the fire of God falling on the sacrifices in the Old Testament and coming in the Person of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and taking up residence in the bodies of human beings.
In the Word of God, God the Father, our Savior, the Holy Spirit, the Word and angels as ministers of God are compared to fire. Let’s look at some scripture regarding these comparisons.
In Deuteronomy 4:24 and Hebrews 12:29 we are told that the Lord our God is a consuming fire. Those verses do not mean that He destroys us as His children. Anything not of God will be burned up, consumed in the fire of His Presence. All of us want that. I want every bit of fleshly, carnal desires to be burned up, to be consumed out of my life. I do not want any sin to stand between me and my Father. Anything not of faith is sin. Every day I am asking Him to teach me, train me, purify me of doubt and unbelief and fear. Fear is the opposite of faith and is the essence of satan. I do not want anything that would trigger satan in my life. Fear is to satan as faith is to God. Fear gives satan authority in our lives. Faith gives God authority in our lives.
Psalm 18:12-14 speaks about the lightnings, the brightness, the thunderings of God. What we must realize is that these are glorious outbursts of the Presence of God, the Love of God, which is the indicator of His mighty power. And the Holy Spirit is God’s gift to us to teach us about His Love power, His glory, His Presence. The Holy Spirit trains us, equips us, prepares us to be containers and dispensers of the fullness of God, the love of God. We are blessed to be temples of The Blessing of God, His very being, His very nature. Are you aware that you are the temple of the Holy Ghost? God has entrusted Himself to live in your body. That should cause each of us to take a new look at the way we think, speak and act at all times.
In Malachi 3:2, Revelation 1:14, and 2 Thessalonians1:9-12 we are told that Jesus Christ will be revealed from Heaven with the angels of His power. He comes in flaming fire at the second coming. His eyes are as a flame of fire. I want you to look at these verses in 2 Thessalonians 1. In verse 9 we see what true punishment is for those who know not God and obey not His gospel: It is eternal banishment from the Presence of God, from the Glory of His power. How heartbreaking to think that someone would be forever separated from the Presence of God, from His compassion, the awesomeness of His beauty and all-encompassing love. What a tragedy! Doesn’t this make you want to be capably equipped to bring the Truth to everyone you meet and see them come into the family of God the Father.
In verse 10 we see Jesus coming, glorified in His saints, His consecrated people, and admired in them who believe. Remember that Jesus told us in John 17:22 that the glory the Father gave Him, He gave to us. We have been given the glory of God. What we must do is receive it. Most people are afraid even to consider such a possibility----the Presence of God, the fullness of His power resident in us. But it is true. Jesus has given us the glory which the Father gave to Him. It is the same glory that God, Jesus the Word and the Holy Spirit gave to Adam on the day He was created, the day God breathed the breath of life into Him. That breath of life was the glory of God which God Himself imparted to Adam, poured into Him. God gave a portion of Himself to Adam, enough for Adam to create and operate the whole universe. That same glory is what is resident in you today as a born again child of God.
In verse 11 we read this: Taking all into consideration that you have heard in verses 9 and 10, pray that God would count you worthy of your calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that He would complete or fulfill your every work of faith. I thought it rather interesting that I was to pray this, which would seem like God would do anyway for me. But then I realized that even though all is available to me, God has bound Himself to my decisions. I find that totally mind boggling, considering what a risk that is. That is the way He set it up. He has bound Himself to our decisions.
And finally in verse 12 we read that we are to pray that the name of the Lord Jesus be glorified in us and that we be glorified in Him, according to the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
posted by Rev. Kialeen Potterton @ 8:35 AM
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