In the Book of Revelation, chapter one, Jesus was speaking, to the early Church, in a vision to the Apostle John. In the vision, John saw Jesus standing there in the midst of the seven golden lamp-stands; standing there in all of His majestic power: His eyes were like a flame of fire, His feet like bronze in the midst of a furnace, His voice like the sound of rushing waters, His right had held seven stars, His mouth contained a double-edged sword and His face like the sun shining in all of it’s brilliance! (Rev.1:12-16)
John was not just given a revelation of things present and things to come, He was given a revelation of just who the risen Jesus Christ was! He had known Jesus on the earth and now He was receiving a revelation of the resurrected and ascended Jesus. What a frightening experience. John says in verse 17 “When I saw Him I fell at his feet as though dead.” I pray all of us have an encounter with the risen Christ that provokes this kind of response.
Then Jesus began addressing the seven Churches in Asia minor. A few years ago I did a tour of the sites of these seven Churches in – now modern day Turkey. Turkey is now predominantly Muslim, but in the first Century there were thriving Christian Churches and Christian communities in this region. They need revival and the gospel there today more than ever before.
Jesus said to the Church in Ephesus, ‘You have forsaken your first love’ (Rev 2:4). He said to the Church in Smyrna that they would experience suffering and persecution (Rev 2:10-12). He said to the Church in Pergamus, Thyatira, and Sardis, ‘you have received false teaching, you have sinned and compromised’ (Rev 2:14-3:5).
To the Church in Philadelphia He said – ‘remain faithful’ (Rev 3:7-11). To the Church in Laodicea He said ‘you say you are wealthy, but you are spiritually bankrupt; you need to buy the gold that money cannot buy’ (Rev 3:14-22). All these things Jesus said as He was looking at them with eyes of fire. I once had an encounter with Jesus, in a vision, looking at me with eyes of fire, and I’m telling you, it changes your perspective and priorities.
Much of what Jesus saw in the early Church applies to the Church today, and I believe the fire of the Holy Spirit comes to restore our first love for Jesus, to encourage us to continue to be authentic Christians in the face of suffering and persecution. And as this takes place, we see an increase of the fire of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
The fire of the Holy Spirit comes to burn up and consume the false teaching, sin and compromise that has brought reproach on the body of Christ. The fire of the Holy Spirit comes to empower us to be witnesses, and encourage us to continue to be faithful in our walk with Jesus. The fire of the Holy Spirit comes to remind us, that it is far more important to have spiritual wealth than anything else.
Hebrew 12:28 tells us “our God is a consuming fire.” Fire by nature consumes. Today, I am believing with all of my heart that God will come to you in a fresh way and begin to consume your life. I want to challenge you to invite the Holy Spirit to come and do a deep work of purifying, purging and cleansing. Allow the fire of the Holy Spirit to consume your life today.
The great Prophet Elijah had a ministry that was marked by the fire of God. Many times he called fire down from heaven. In 1 Kings 18, the fire of God fell in answer to Elijah’s prayers, consuming the sacrifice and proving to the nation that God is the only true and living God, the God who answers by fire! In 2 Kings 1, the fire of God fell multiple times, consuming the soldiers of the King, proving that Elijah was truly a man God had called.
In 2 Kings 2:2, a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire to carry this great man of God straight into heaven. Elijah had a life of fire and went out in a blaze of glory. Today I am believing the same thing for you. That you will have a life marked by encounters with the fire of the Holy Spirit. God has so much work to do in us and that work gets accelerated when the fire of the Holy Spirit falls on our lives. Today, I want to encourage you, You may have started out well in your Christian life, but I am believing you will finish up in a blaze of glory!
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