What does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire

 

In Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist makes a profound declaration about the coming Messiah: “I baptize you with water, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” . John baptized with water to signify repentance, but he was preparing the way for One who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire—a spiritual baptism, not a physical one.

John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus (see Mark 1:1–4). John called people to “repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 3:2). The word repent means to “change one’s mind.” In the Old Testament, repentance involved turning away from sin and turning to God (2 Chronicles 7:14; Ezekiel 33:11). Because the kingdom of heaven was near (or imminent), John preached that all should repent “for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4) and to show their change of heart by being baptized.

As John baptized and preached, he looked ahead to someone greater than himself (Matthew 3:11). In fact, the words he who is coming after me alludes to the messianic hope that had defined Judaism for generations: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days” (Micah 5:2 compare with Isaiah 9:6–7).

John acknowledges that he is inferior compared to the Coming One who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11). 

First, he says that the coming one is “more powerful” than he. Indeed, Jesus the Messiah is mightier than John in every respect: Jesus is divine (Colossians 2:9), sinless (Hebrews 4:15), and the Savior of the world (John 3:16). No one can compare to Him.

Second, John states that he is unworthy of carrying the sandals of the coming Messiah (Matthew 3:11). In other words, John is unworthy of performing the most menial task in the service of the Messiah. John the Baptist believed that the imminent arrival of the Messiah meant that John would need to step aside (John 3:30).

Last, John compares his water baptism to the Messiah’s baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11). John’s baptism was a symbolic act of repentance, whereas the Messiah would inaugurate two types of spiritual baptism: a baptism with the Holy Spirit and a baptism with fire.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit occurs when a person is born again and made a part of the body of Christ. All believers in Jesus are partakers of the baptism of the Spirit: “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:13).

The baptism by fire that John predicts could be seen in two ways:

1. For those who confess their sins and repent, the baptism of fire alludes to the purifying and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. The same symbol is seen in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit descends on the disciples with a visible token: “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them” (Acts 2:3).

2. For those who refuse to repent, the baptism of fire has to do with judgment. “Our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). John the Baptist clearly had judgment in mind when he spoke of the baptism of fire, as he followed up that prediction with these words: “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12). Those who continue in sin and unrepentance are destined for the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14–15).

John the Baptist’s announcement of the coming Messiah reflects the culmination of messianic expectations and the uniqueness of Jesus’ earthly ministry. 

Now that Jesus has ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9–12), we eagerly await His return (Philippians 3:20). And we continue to worship Him who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire.

10 Characteristics of False Teachers

 When was the last time you thought about false teachers in the church? Have you had to combat false teaching recently? Is there false teaching in your church? Is it possible that you have been influenced by false teaching? These are important questions for every believer and every pastor to address. Much of the power of false teachers lies in the shadows of secrecy and disguise. If false teachers/false teaching is never openly discussed, warned against, or rebuked, we run the risk of slowly but surely allowing ourselves to be influenced (or overcome) by false teaching.

 Jesus warned the church about false teachers. Paul warned the church about false teachers. Peter warned the church about false teachers. James warned the church about false teachers. Jude warned the church about false teachers. John warned the church about false teachers. Here are 10 timeless warnings and characteristics of false teachers:

 1. They creep in unnoticed (Jude 1:4): -

Not every false teacher is easy to spot. In fact, most are not. Most false teachers sneak in quietly without being noticed. They blend in, look like everyone else, and no one usually looks twice at them. Then, when opportunity strikes, they begin to influence a church negatively.

2. They operate in secret (2 Peter 2:1-3):-

They enter into churches unnoticed and they slowly and quietly introduce false teaching and ideas contrary to Scripture. The false teachers we ought to worry about are not the loud, obvious ones; they are the quiet, sneaky ones that operate under our noses without detection.

3. They have many followers (2 Peter 2:1-3): -

False teachers are not likely to be despised, hated, or ridiculed. Rather, they are usually likable, amiable, popular, and easy to follow. The Bible warns us that false teachers will often gain a loyal following of those led astray. If possible, they will even lead astray the elect of God (Mark 13:22)

4. They create division and obstacles (Romans 16:17): -

False teachers are known for causing division and creating obstacles within churches. They cause arguments, quarrels, and disagreements over theology, practices, and anything else they can get people to argue about.

5. No matter what it seems like, they do not have God (2 John 1:7-11): -

John makes it clear that no matter what they say and no matter what it seems like, false teachers do not genuinely have God. They master of disguise and manipulation and purposely masquerade as true believers, but their faith is not real.

 6. Some began in sound doctrine (1 Timothy 4:1-5): -

Some false teachers began in sound doctrine and true faith but then wandered away from the truth. This may be a pastor or a small group leader who was teaching sound doctrine when they began, but has since wandered into teaching falsities.

7. Their words seem intelligent (1 Timothy 6:20-21, Colossians 2:8): -

False teachers are not only amiable and popular, they are also usually intelligent by worldly standards. They come across as wise and convincing in their false teaching, so that many mistake their worldly wisdom for spiritual wisdom.

8. They look like legitimate apostles of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:13-15, Matthew 7:15): -

Most false teachers will look on the outside like authentic followers of Christ. Jesus himself says that they will look like sheep on the outside, but on the inside, they are wolves seeking to destroy. Many false teachers creep in unnoticed, operate unnoticed, and remain unnoticed because they appear to be legitimate followers of Christ.

9. They target the spiritually naive (Romans 16:17-18): -

False teachers are cunning and covert and will set their sights on churches and people that are spiritually naive and susceptible to false teaching. We must guard the impressionable among us (new believers, children, etc.) Like a wolf attacking the smallest and weakest deer, false teachers will attack the smallest and weakest believers.

10. They twist Scripture (1 Timothy 6:3-5, 2 Timothy 4:3-4): -

False teachers make the Bible say what they want it to say. They are masters of twisting the words, warping the meaning, and convincing their audience that the Bible says something other than what it says. They are masters of convincing people that they are teaching biblical truth when in reality they are teaching falsities or half-truths, which are often more dangerous than complete falsities.

What our response should be: -

Churches must be on guard against false teachers. If we do not keep our eyes open, focus on the truth of the Bible, and consciously rebuke false teaching when we encounter it – we run the risk of being led astray or perhaps even completely overcome by wolves and the schemes of evil.

Read constantly the Bible and if you know the Bible, nobody can deceive you. When You listen to other Bible preacher just see their Bible teaching through the Bible to avoid deception.

FOR CLAIMING DELIEVERANCE FROM EVIL OPPRESSION,CLAIM THE FOLLOWING VERSES OF BIBLE:

Psalm Psalm 34:4-5 , Mathew 8:25-27 ,Psalm 23:4 , Luke 1:12-14, Psalm 27:1 , Luke 1:29-31, Psalm 46:1-3 ,Luke 14-27 , Psalm 91:4-5 ,Mathew 10:29-32.Psalm 56:3-4 ,2 Tim.1:7 ,Psalm 112:6-8,Mark 5:36 ,Roman 8:38-39 ,Deut.3:22 ,John 14:25-27. Claim the above verses yourself everyday and then see the result. Do not depend only on others

Struggle at higher spiritual level

There are the voices of evil and deceiving spirits,who lie in  wait to entrap every traveller entering these higher regions of spiritual life. We are seated in heavenly places in Christ, we are also told that we shall have to fight spiritual enemies. These spiritual enemies whoever or whatever they may be , must necessarily communicate with us by means of our spiritual facilities and their voices , as the voices of God, are an inward impression made upon our spirit. Therefore just as the Holy Spirit may tell us by impression what the will of God is concerning us, so also these spiritual enemies tell us by impression what is the will of God is  concerning us,though not of course giving it their name. We need to discern.

 What happened at the time of creation and how God proves that He loves mankind 

----++++++----+-+----------------+++++++-----------

It’s important to understand why things are the way they are. Why is the world polluted with evil? Theft, rape, violence, murder, lying, hatred, bitterness, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, sickness, deformity, mental illness, depression, and more: who is responsible? Have I participated? Is there a way to escape?

As far as you and I are concerned, it all began in the Garden of Eden just over6,000 years ago. Our great-grandparents, Adam and Eve, were created by God to live forever. [As an aside, some scientists in the study of longevity have come to the conclusion that the human cell should be able to renew itself indefinitely.] God had commanded Adam and Eve just one DON’T, found in Genesis 2:17:

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

GOD SAID, Don’t eat the forbidden fruit or in that day you shall surely die.

One day in the Garden, Satan spoke through the serpent to Eve. He challenged the credibility of God’s Word and suggested to Eve that God was a liar. Satan told Eve that she wouldn’t die if she ate of the fruit but would live forever like God. Eve chose to believe the lie, and Adam followed her lead. They died spiritually that very day—just as God had said—but lived on many years in the flesh before they died physically as well. The Bible speaks about our condition before salvation in Ephesians 2:1, "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins." The basic fact is that we were spiritually stillborn, spiritually dead. Our parents (Adam and Eve) no longer carried the seed of life, therefore could not pass it on. Eve and Adam sold their progeny to Satan, the prince of the power of the air.

Mankind was sold, therefore mankind had to be bought back; thus, one of Jesus Christ’s titles is the "Redeemer," which means one who buys back. Our parents, all the way back to Adam, were born spiritually dead and so were we. We were born as the children of Mr. and Mrs. So-and-So. Unfortunately, we were born wrong. This is why Jesus said we must be born-again, born a second time.

When you are born-again, you become a child of God. At that juncture, the Bible says a new name is written down in Glory—your name—if you make a decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. This is not churchianity, but the new and living way in Christ Jesus. Today, as an ambassador of Jesus Christ, I have the ability, by the quickening power of the Holy Ghost, to usher you into the presence of the mighty Christ. It’s through His shed blood that you’ll gain justification before God.

God’s offer to you is that you can be born-again. All your sins will be forgiven and forgotten and all Satan's bondages broken; today will be the best day of your life and tomorrow will be better. Have you ever had a better offer? What God requires of you is for you to believe upon Jesus Christ, His only begotten son. Repent and turn from your sins and surrender your life to the direction and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. The end of this life-changing decision is eternal life.

No matter what you have done in the past, no matter how bound you might be by sin, drugs, alcohol, lust, or hatred, the blood of Jesus Christ is ready to wash away every sin and make you a brand new person in Christ Jesus. You will become born-again—born a second time—the true birthday of redeeming consequence.

Are you ready to make a decision for the King of Glory? You’ll never make a decision of greater magnitude and benefit. It does not exist. Follow me now, audibly, in the sinner’s prayer:

Dear God, I come to you a sinner. I ask forgiveness for my sins. I believe that Jesus Christ, your only begotten Son, shed His blood to break the bondage of sin in my life, and that His blood and only His blood can wash away my sins. Wash me clean in the blood of Christ. I promise to follow Jesus Christ with all my might from this day forth. Thank you, God, for saving my soul! Thank you for making me a new creature. In Jesus name I pray, believing it’s done. Amen.

Welcome to the Commonwealth of Israel. Congratulations, you are born-again. You are a child of God and today is the best day of your life.

Romans 10:10 reads:

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

To seal your salvation, you need to confess your salvation. Let’s do it together.

Repeat out loud after me: "I am born again. I am a child of God. All my sins have been washed clean in the blood of Jesus. I am a new creature in Christ Jesus. Thank you, Father, for my beautiful salvation!"

Now go and tell others what has happened to you. Be sure to follow the Lord Jesus Christ in water baptism, by immersion, and seek a church that honors the Word of God.

This is the beginning of everlasting salvation. New and phenomenal things have begun to happen in your life already. Before, you sat in darkness, but now you have seen a great light.

WHAT NEXT?

Welcome to the Commonwealth of Israel!  Here is your “new resident’s information package:” 

🟌 A miracle awaits you.  Be filled with the Holy Ghost as they were on the day of Pentecost.  Take in the Holy Ghost Series now!  Take this series one-by-one and when you reach Feature 5, the second-greatest miracle of all time awaits you.  

🟌 Forget religious dogmas that are not rooted in your majority-text King James Version of the Holy Bible.  Explore the Which Bible? Series for more information. 

🟌 Be free of the doctrines of men.  Visit Which Religion? to find out more.

🟌 As a born-again believer, you’re going to want to find a church: one that stands on the Word of God.  Use the guidelines in “I am Trying to Find a Church Out Here!” to help you.  

🟌 It is written of John the Baptist, who also baptized Jesus, the following in Mark 1:5:

And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

Get baptized at your new church by immersion. 

🟌 You are a new creation now.  You have new joys and new desires.  You are a new kind. 

Let your childlike faith prevail!  You are a born-again child of God because the Spirit of God bears witness with your spirit and because you said so—and continue to say so.

Few Questions to See if Your Phone is an Idol

 I have been imagining that where I am giving more time is taking most time of my life and Idiscovered that mobile is taking my most of the time.

Suppose everything I do with my phone is about Jesus, but has it become an idol? Maybe, as I do, we need these 4 questions we can ask ourself to see if our phone is an idol.

 The Definition of Idolatry: -

Idolatry is a sin. It’s the second of the ten commandments and one that God takes four whole verses to explain.

“You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Exodus 20:3-6 

In the New Testament:

1 John 5:21 tells us to keep ourselves from idols. 

1 Corinthians 10:14 tells us to flee from idolatry, and 

Colossians 3:5 tells us to put idolatry to death.

 

In fact, the 254 instances of the word “idols” in the Bible are mentioned, and it was the number one cause for God’s judgment of His own chosen people (Israel). 

 

Now, when we think about idols, a lot of us think about those old statues people worshipped in Bible times. But Christians now are not in any danger of worshipping Molech, Baal, and Ashtoreth.

 

No, the danger for us has more to do with placing our desires, pursuits, and attentions on things other than our God. It was called Modern Idolatry.  Meeting Needs Without God. In it, there were four categories of needs that people meet either with or with out God. Those categories form the basis of the questions here.

 

Question 1: What is the focus of your life/time?

1.Does your phone occupy a large portion of your time?

2.Do you check it even before you greet the Lord and thank Him for a brand-new day?

3.When you are not sleeping or working, do you find yourself scrolling and scrolling, your phone never far from your fingers?

4.When you put it away, do you find yourself stressed to be apart from it?

5. Is it sometimes difficult to pull your mind away from your phone to do other things?

6.Are you surprised to find big chunks have time have passed with nothing really accomplished except looking at your phone?

7.Even if everything you are doing on your phone is godly and even ABOUT God, are you paying as much attention TO God as you are to your phone?

 

(SERIOUS QUESTION SHOULD BE ANSWERED TO SELF TO KNOW OUR CONDITIONS)

 

Question 2: Where does your comfort come from?

When you’re sad or upset, do you search for solace in your phone? Does it provide an escape from the real world, a place to numb your mind from the physical or mental pain you might be going through? Do you feel better when you are on your phone than you do without it? Has your phone become an immediate “quick fix” to anxiety or discomfort when time in prayer and worship might take a little more time and effort (but be of real help instead of a cheap substitute)?

 

Question 3: How do you feel connected/like you belong?

When you feel lonely or disconnected, do you reach for your phone? Does time on social media posting, commenting, and liking posts fill your need for fellowship? Does it make you feel important/loved when others like or share your posts? Are you seeking to fill a deep void of loneliness and connection that only God can fill (because that is what we are designed to be filled with)? Note: This is not to say that you cannot have Christian fellowship online. This is to point out the times when we use it as a substitute for connecting with God.

 

Question 4: Who/what provides your guidance?

When you have a question about what to do in your life, is “pray and wait for God to answer” your strategy? Or is your first response to post a question on social media or message other Christians to give you advice? Are there other ways you look for guidance online? Do you allow anything other than God to speak over your life?

The Solution If Your Phone Has Become an Idol

If you are like me, the answers to more than a few of those questions brought a ping of conviction. While phones are a great resource to keep us up to date with what is going on in the world and connected with other Christians, it can be a problem if we are using it too much or to meet the needs that God is supposed to be meeting for us.

So, if our phones have become our idols, what should we do now? Charles Spurgeon had a sermon about idolatry in 1891. It’s called Three Decisive Steps. In it, he details the three things we can do to get out from under the sin of idolatry. 

 Step 1: Confess and Repent

Do not make excuses. Tell God that you have sinned in making your phone an idol and that you are sorry. Cry out to Him and beg Him to help you not to do it anymore. Then believe and trust God that He will help you.

Step 2: Prepare Your Heart

Declare your decision and intention not to allow your phone to be your idol anymore. Settle it not just in the action of refraining from using it as much but in actively acknowledging that your phone doesn’t actually meet your needs at all. Think back on all the times you came away from your phone still feeling sad, still unsure of what to do, and still feeling lonely – but with hours of time wasted and nothing accomplished.

Step 3: Serve God Alone

It’s not enough to turn away from your phone if you will use other things to meet those same needs instead. Turn to God with your whole heart! Spend time with God, allow Him to be your comfort and connection, and seek Him for His guidance.

Your Phone is an Idol If It Comes Before God

Idolatry is no small thing to God. It is not something to take lightly and must be dealt with when God brings it to our attention. Cell phones can be useful tools, but if we are using them too much or as a substitute for time and attention to God, we must repent, get our hearts right, and serve God alone.

WHEN JESUS RETURNS TO TAKE HIS PEOPLE AND HE FINSS US PLAYING WITH PHONE THEN WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?

Let us give more time of 24 hours of our day to God

What does “every spiritual blessing” mean in Ephesians 1:3?

In Ephesians 1:3–14, the apostle Paul opens his letter with an extended benediction. The entire twelve-verse passage constitutes one continuous sentence in the original Greek language. Paul gushes forth with declarations of God’s blessings without stopping for a breath. He begins, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (verse 3).

Every spiritual blessing refers to all the conceivable gifts of redemption that Christians receive by being united with Jesus Christ. Paul draws an intentional reference to the Trinity in Ephesians 1:3–14 and again in verse 17. God the Father is the originator and source of every spiritual blessing. The realm or scope of these gifts is “in Christ.” Only through our identification and union with God’s Son are we eligible to receive His untold blessings. And the nature of the gifts is spiritual. The Holy Spirit is the executor who applies the work of Christ to our hearts and lives.

Paul goes on to outline “every spiritual blessing.” First, we have God’s gift of being chosen and predestined “for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:4–5). Just as Yahweh chose Israel to be His treasured possession, He chooses believers to receive the great honor and privilege of becoming His beloved spiritual children through the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Our heavenly Father loves us so very much that “he calls us his children, and that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1, NLT).

Next, Paul features the gift of God’s “glorious grace” that He has “poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding” (Ephesians 1:6–8, NLT). Our heavenly Father is rich in grace, kindness, forgiveness, freedom, wisdom, and understanding, and He makes us rich in the same, in Jesus Christ, His Son. For this reason, Paul could say, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Certainly not the least of God’s blessings in Christ is that “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:7). The Greek word translated “redemption” here refers to the act of making full payment to free an enslaved person. When we believe in Jesus and receive Him as Lord and Savior, our sins are forgiven, paid for by His death on the cross (Matthew 26:27–28; Colossians 1:14). Christ’s death satisfies God’s demands, releasing us from sin and its associated death sentence (Romans 8:1–2) and making us “holy and blameless in his sight” (verse 4).

Another spiritual blessing in Christ is that God makes “known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ” (Ephesians 1:9–10). Paul is speaking here about the divine mystery of the New Testament church, which was formerly kept a secret but is now revealed in Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:26–27). God’s plan is for both Jews and Gentiles to share equally in the gospel of salvation and form one new people united in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:12–13; 3:3, 5–6, 9).

Every spiritual blessing also includes the truth that we have obtained a heavenly inheritance (Ephesians 1:11–14). For now, we are “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (verses 13–14). We are marked with God’s seal—the Holy Spirit—who provides us with spiritual security and proof of ownership. In eternity, we will take full possession of that inheritance.

Every spiritual blessing encompasses all the gifts of the Holy Spirit given by God the Father to those who have experienced His salvation in Jesus Christ. Peter affirms that God’s “divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3). Believers in Jesus have no shortage of reasons to praise God for abundantly blessing us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.