The Holy Ghost Shall Come Upon You.....
Yes, that is who He is. He is a person: the Holy Ghost. And, He is fiery. He propels into action. Where ever He shows up, there is repentance, sanctification and renewal for nations and individuals.
“The sinners in Jerusalem shake with fear. Terror seizes the godless. "Who can live with this devouring fire?" they cry. "Who can survive this all-consuming fire?" (Isaiah 33:14).
Every lasting repentance and change results through contact with the Holy Ghost and His fire. The two are inseparable. But, the Word admonishes us to not quench the Spirits’ fire. Our Lord, Jesus Christ was baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire, and He did not sit down, because it would have been impossible to. He went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him (Acts 10: 38)
We know our Lord is wisdom. He knows all things, understands all things; and so He tells his disciples at His ascension: Tarry in Jerusalem, until you receive the promise of the Father. Then came the day of Pentecost, and the disciples were all with one accord in one place…and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak…as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1-4).
Such contact with fire can be likened to holding a magnifying glass between the scorching sun and dried grass. The only thing that could happen from such a merger is sparks of fire! The adventure of engaging the Lord through worship and tarrying will certainly spark a baptism of His fire. The prophet Jeremiah described this experience as a fire shut up in His bones (Jeremiah 20:9)
“My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:” (Psalm 39:3).
Often, we talk about a sleeping church: a church not given to prayer, evangelism and discipling the lost. Well, a tarrying church is a going church. Tarrying means tarrying: waiting, watching, ministering unto the Lord and wanting Him above everything else.
“If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.”
(Job 14:14)
Waiting before the Lord is waiting on Him. In His presence flesh dies, and nothing else matters. The point of surrender is the beginning of change. We believe that waiting is an art that needs to be self-taught, because no two 'waitings' are the same. It involves time and focus. And at the moment of contact, we touch the fire of God.
Our Father did promise in Malachi 3:3 that He would sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver, and that He would thoroughly purge the sons of Levi, that they may know to offer unto Him sacrifices in righteousness. He is such a Holy God. He doesn’t save us whilst we are all glorious, but his sanctification is his goal. He will do that.
When we move out into the corners of this world from one end to the other glorifying the Lord in God-forsaken lands and places, it is because we have contacted Him. We are so changed in His presence and are refined by His fire that we go forth carrying Him in our hearts telling all about this wonderful man called Jesus!
His Spirit leads us and comforts us; His fire brings repentance and revival, deliverance and purging, light and hope and we are awed.
“In your presence I am content
In your presence, I am content
In your presence there is life
Expressions of your love
Revelations of your power and might
In your presence I can bring
A love-song offering
I’m in the presence of my King”
So, we go forth in His Spirit and fire, reigning victorious!