Catch on FIRE!!!

Psalm 104:4:  “Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire”

  

     We know that fire will cause devastation and will consume any and everything in its path. Fire generates heat and light. It is a result of a chemical reaction called combustion. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames are produced. Flames consist primarily of carbon dioxide, water vapor, oxygen and nitrogen. In order for combustion and fire to occur, 3 things must be present: fuel, oxygen and energy (usually in the form of heat). Now that is in the Natural.

     A fire spiritually will consume any and everything in its path that is not like God. This spiritual fire is fueled by God’s anointing and Power.  “Flaming” in the Hebrew is Lahat. It means to lick, to blaze; set on fire; a flash of fire. It is the same Hebrew word in Psalm 104:4 (“his ministers a flaming fire”) and Genesis 3:24 (“and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life”). Our God himself is a consuming fire (Hebrews12:29). If he’s fire, and he is, then what about his ministers. Fire in the Bible is generally used as a symbol of destruction of evil and error. It stands for cleansing and purification. In its true essence, it is the fire of Spirit or the divine energy which never ceases its life-giving purifying glow. When its cleansing work is completed in man's mind and body, there is no more error to be consumed, and it then manifests in purified man as Eternal life. That is why we have to have the mind of Christ.                                                     

     God’s fire serves two purposes: to consume and purify. When we surrender to him, the fire purifies and consumes all the bondages. When we refuse to accept his will and his way after receiving the truth, that same fire will consume you along with the bondages (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).      

SOMEBODY SAY “CATCH ON FIRE”.    

     There were miracles associated with fire in the old testament. In Genesis 15:17, fire miraculously descended upon and consumed Abraham’s sacrifice. Fire consumed David’s offering upon the altar of burnt offering in (1 Chronicles 21:26). Elijah called down fire in 1 Kings 18:38 which consumed the sacrifices, and that same fire lapped up the four barrels of water and wood that had been poured on the burnt sacrifice. MY God!!! What a display of fireworks!

     When Solomon dedicated the temple of God, “the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house” (2 Chronicles 7:1). There was a display of fire in the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 9:24) and in Elijah’s translation (2 Kings 2:11). The same fire consumed the conspirators with Korah, Dathan and Abiram in Numbers 16:35. The captains and their companies of 50’s were consumed because Elijah called down fire upon them (2 Kings 1: 9-12). What an awesome God! He does not even need a match because he’s fire all by himself!

     In Exodus 12:8, the Passover lamb had to be roasted with fire. The Israelites saw him as fire (Exodus 24:17). To the Israelites, the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.

   Psalm 104:4 states: “his ministers a flaming fire”. That is saying we have to be on fire for God. We have to be so full of the anointing and zeal that nothing - no thing can stand before us. We have to have absolute authority and power over all of the works of the devil to represent God among men. All of this power and all of this fire is on the inside of us. Jesus said in St. Luke 10:19,  “Behold I give unto you power”, meaning exousia or delegated authority - the right to use power as received and when needed to destroy the works of the devil. It’s all on the inside of us.  

     I know over the years we have been told we don’t have any power, but I’m here to tell you that the devil has been lying to us. Now that we the church, the body of Christ, the Ecclesia, has come to the revelation of who we are and whose we are, we will operate with the fire of God consuming any and everything that’s not like God.    

  Brothers and sisters, when we accepted Christ as our Lord and savior, asked him to forgive us for all of our sins, and to come into our heart, he did. It was by faith. After we received him into our hearts, we didn’t just receive him a piece at a time. We received the whole Godhead - God the father, God the son and God the Holy Ghost. They are one! When Jesus breathed on the disciples in St. John 20:22, he said unto them: “Receive ye the Holy Ghost”. On the day of Penecost, they already had the Holy Ghost, and that’s when they received the fire baptism. There appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire. It was on their heads because it was illuminating their minds to the universes of God to make their minds begin to think with fire power. Before Peter was filled with this fire power, he was denying that he even knew Jesus. After being on fire with the anointing and fire power, he stood and preached and thousands of souls were converted. The Fire is the difference.                                                                                                                                                                                         

     We must never let this fire go out. Why?  It gives us:

1) holy boldness. (Acts1:8)

2. power to cast out devils.

3. power to lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.

4. power to speak things into existence`

5.  power to bind and loosen

6. power to set at liberty those who are bruised and to preach and teach the Kingdom.

 Somebody say “catch on fire”.   

     We must guard our mind and stay in the presence of God and meditate upon his word day and night to keep the fire burning. Without fellowship and worship and prayer and praise, the fire will begin to “flicker”.  This means to burn or shine unsteadily; to move with a quick, light, wavering motion; to become lukewarm.  That‘s what was going on in the church of Laodicea. They were neither hot nor cold, but he wished they were either hot or cold. Because they were lukewarm, God said he would spue them out of his mouth.  Not only were they lukewarm, but they were proud and self-satisfied. They were ignorant of the true state they were really in. They were dead spiritually and had no zeal; indifferent and careless all because the fire had gone out. Brothers and sisters, let us not fall into this state.  Let us keep the fire burning continually. It is not an option it is a must.     

     In Leviticus 6:13 when Moses gave Aaron and his sons the law of the burnt offering he told them “the fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out”.  We must never let the fire go out. Continue in worship, praise, prayer and fellowship to keep the fire burning. We are ministers of flaming fire!  

                                                                                                            

~ Evangelist Mary Perry