“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.” (Matthew 3:11)
During World War 2, many bombers carried what were known as incendiary bombs. These were large bundles of smaller bombs that had a sharp nose, with a tiny detonator and small fins, to make them fall straight down. In each one was packed highly flammable material. When released from the planes, the bundles would come apart. These little bombs would scatter as they fell all over a targeted city. Instead of exploding when they hit, however, they were designed to break through the shingles on the roofs of houses and set the attics on fire. These bombs had but one purpose, to set things on fire.
Did you know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a fire-lighter too? And within that Gospel is the promise of the Holy Spirit–and with that promise comes fire. You see, the Holy Ghost is not given just for us to speak in other tongues. No! He comes to put a flame in human hearts, just as those incendiary bombs put a flame in the attics of hundreds of houses.
In Matthew 3:11, we see John the Baptist baptizing at the river Jordan. When asked if he was the Messiah that the Israelites had expected to come, he emphatically let them know that no, he was not the Messiah. That the Messiah was coming after him and whereas he was baptizing in water, the Messiah to come would baptize in the Holy Ghost and with fire.
Later on, Jesus gave specific instructions to His followers just before He went back to heaven. He told them they were to do nothing until the Holy Spirit came upon them. That they were to wait until they were empowered by the Holy Spirit. That was just how important being fire-baptized in the Holy Ghost was. And it is still that important! We need the fire to burn hot in our lives, that we may set this world on fire for Jesus.
Earlier in Jesus' ministry, He had sent the disciples out in pairs. That reminds me of Sampson sending foxes out two by two. Do you remember that story in the book of Judges? Sampson caught 300 foxes, then he tied their tails together and put torches in the knot he had tied in the tails, and then he sent 150 pairs of foxes on an arson raid into the Philistines corn fields. This is what happened when Jesus sent His disciples out in pairs. They were walking incendiaries, scorching the devil's territories. Everywhere they went with the gospel fire, they were ablaze.
This is how the Church must be in the day that we live in. We must be set on fire by the power of the Holy Ghost. We must move and operate in a blaze of holy fire. This is the only way that we can be combat effective as spiritual warfighters in this cold-hearted world. For too long, the Church has settled on lukewarm experiences. For too long, people have been content not to have the fire of the Holy Ghost burning in their hearts. Until the fire falls, church services and our lives are boring and routine. We need a fresh baptism of fire so we can set this world on fire for Jesus. Fire by arson!
Understand this, a lot of people have let their fire go out. Now they’re nothing more than a bunch of smoldering ashes. But hear me, ashes and smoke alone does not accomplish things for the Kingdom of God. Fire does. It affects what it touches and makes a difference. I don't know about you, but I want to be like Moses’ burning bush, ever burning but not consumed. Our fire must not go out. It must not burn low. It must burn bright, so the world may know that we've got something they need. Without fire, there is no Gospel. Without the Gospel, there is no salvation. Without salvation there is only hell. Oh, God, set your Church on fire.
In Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist introduced Jesus, saying, “He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.” This was how John the Baptizer introduced Jesus the Baptizer. But Jesus was a different kind of baptizer. John used water, a physical element, but Christ baptized people with the Holy Spirit and fire. Water and fire–what a contrast. While John the Baptist stood in the cold waters of the Jordan River, Jesus stood in a river of spiritual fire. That is how we should be today as spiritual warfighters. We should stand in that river of spiritual fire, but not only stand in it, we must walk in it, live in it and stay in it.
We need to arise in the power of heaven’s sweet Holy Ghost to meet the coldness and indifference of this world. Some church efforts to whip up a little enthusiasm do no more good than rubbing two wet sticks together. They may provide a lot of friction, but no fire. God, in these last days, is dropping His Holy Ghost incendiary bombs all over the world. Those who are flammable immediately burst into flames, but those who are wet and soggy from years of hearing a dull gospel simply let the flame burn out.
Did you know that a fish has the same temperature as the water in which it swims? Too many Christians are like that. They have no more warmth of the spirit than the cold unbelieving world around them. They are stone cold in their experience with the Lord, but yet they can't understand why the fire isn't burning like it once did in their lives. They can't understand why they are not able to walk in the victory of Jesus Christ.
A lady one day came up to an evangelist and told him that she was saved, but there was a demon sitting on her. Do you know what he told her? He said this, “Flies can only sit on a cold stove, and on a cold stove they can sit for a long time. Get the fire of the Holy Spirit into your life, and that dirty demon will not dare to touch you, lest he burn his filthy fingers!” Do you need victory in your life today? Do you need to learn how to be an effective spiritual warfighter? Then get the fire of the Holy Ghost down inside your life and watch victory after victory come your way. Problems can't stick around very long on a Holy Ghost, fire-baptized warrior of God!
There are a lot of people in the Church today who are like that old saying, “All talk but no show.” But noise alone doesn't count. We need some Holy Spirit firepower in order for things to be accomplished. God measures results, not noise of activity. The fire of God is not sent for the enjoyment of a few emotional experiences. No. The fire of the Holy Spirit brings power and authority to the Church. May our prayer be, God send a downpour of fire from heaven's own Holy Spirit. Fire us up, Lord, that we may fire the world around us up. God set your church on fire. Make us to be Holy Ghost arsonists!