Fire For All Nations

Jesus said in Luke 12:49, "I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already burning!" What an awesome scripture that is! However, the questions arise, "what is Jesus talking about?", "What is the fire?", "Is it hell fire?", "Is it God’s wrath?". I don’t think so. Jesus said, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." Jesus did not come to bring wrath, but salvation. He did not come to bring judgment upon mankind, but to bear the Judgment of mankind. So, if the fire is not the "wrath of God" or "hell fire", what is it? Over and over in the scriptures, God manifested His presence as fire. When He revealed Himself to Moses it was by His presence in the "burning bush". When the presence of God filled the old covenant tabernacle, it was by fire. When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost He came upon each of them "as of fire". The "fire" Jesus was talking about was and is the manifest presence of God through the Holy Spirit. It has always been, and still is today, God’s desire to fellowship with mankind. We were never designed to live outside of God’s Presence. We were created to fellowship with God and have Him burn in our hearts. Unfortunately, sin messed it all up and separated us from God. The candle of the human spirit that once burned brightly with the holy flame of God Himself was snuffed out by sin. We were all plunged into eternal darkness by the sin of the first man – Adam. Jesus’ greatest desire was to ignite mankind with God again!

Jesus has restored the way for mankind to fellowship with God. Jesus, through His work on the cross, paid the ultimate price for us. He bore our sins as His own – that we might be restored to a place of right standing with God. The good news is that it did not end there; Jesus rose from the dead, and now offers us this free gift of eternal life, right standing with God – purchased with His own blood.

Here are a few scriptures on how to catch fire:

• Romans 10:9 "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
• Romans 10:13, "For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
• Rev 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him and he with Me."
• Eph 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of woks, lest anyone should boast."

Call upon Jesus today. Acknowledge with your mouth His Lordship over your life. Verbalize your faith in His sacrificial death that His blood is sufficient to cleanse you of your sins, and rejoice in His resurrection as your victory. INVITE Him to come into your life and fellowship with you. He is faithful to come.