|
|
|
|
The fire they bring is NOT of God The Neo Pentecostal/ Charismatic signs and wonders teachers have brought division to the churches by their teaching of fire. It has now reached its Zenith. This has got to stop -- this fire baptism they claim is from heaven (from the fallen cherub) will burn up all of what’s left in the church that is accurate. There is nothing like this in Scripture unless you distort its meaning, which Rodney Browne and Benny Hinn have done from the beginning. Let’s examine the Scripture in context to see if what these men are saying about a separate fire baptism is true. Acts 2:2-4 “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. We see the Disciples baptized in the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 (fulfilling what John said prior of the Holy Spirit) but we never see a baptism of fire. No believer received a baptism of fire. The shekinah glory appeared above their head this one time only with the rushing wind. It is described as like fire in the New Testament in this kind of context (on the day of Pentecost as a one time event with the apostles, those in the upper room). Back then they did not have electricity to give light, but this certainly can be described as a light over their heads, as God manifested himself as light in the Old Testament. The Spirit came only once as a rushing wind and light to the disciples and apostles gathered together waiting on the promise Acts 1:5 “but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” They (the people present outside) heard the wind and went to the place of origin. In Acts 2:6 “everyone heard them speak in his own language” (it lists the languages they heard) V.13 “Others (those who did not understand any of the languages) mocking said, "They are full of new wine.” They heard them speak and they didn’t understand the languages they spoke. So it is the mockers (that did not understand) that claimed they were drunk. Peter says NO they are NOT drunk, (and they certainly weren’t falling to the floor paralyzed or rolling around, or anything we see today under the claim of being drunk in the spirit.) Peter then gives testimony of Jesus to all present at Pentecost. What actually is the baptism of fire? First, I want to make it clear that I understand people referring to a fire symbolically, as a representation of the Holy Spirit’s work inside us. But this is not that, this is not what is being taught or described, they are not using it this way. They are speaking of another baptism, sometimes greater than the Holy Spirit. That they themselves can transfer on you by calling it down from heaven or from the laying of their own hands or God responding to their words as they call down fire. In Matthew 3:11-12, (also Luke 3:16, 17) John, speaking to a mixed multitude, of believers and unbelievers mentions both the baptism of the Spirit and the baptism of fire. When, he was speaks to believers only the baptism of fire is not mentioned (Mark 1:8). He distinguishes his baptism (by water) and the Messiahs baptism of the Holy Spirit that would come later in Act 1:4-5, Acts 2:2-4 on the Day of Pentecost when believers were baptized into the newly formed body of Christ, the Church. No true believer will ever experience the baptism of fire. The believers are to be baptized by the Holy Spirit ONLY, it is the unbelievers that are baptized by fire. What it means to be baptized with fire: Luke 3:17, makes it clear that the baptism of fire is a baptism of judgment, it is for the chaff. There the Lord is pictured as a winnower of grain and chaff. In the Old Testament the grain was tossed into the air, the chaff is blown off the sides of the threshing floor. It is then swept up together and burned. John explains the two are different in Matthew 3:12 He will “gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Here is how Jesus explains it in a parable. Matt 13:24-30: “Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;” but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.” But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. “So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?”’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’“ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.’ Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” Matt 13:36-40 And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. “The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. “The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. “Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.” John says to the mixed multitude Matt 3:10-11 “And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. It is as Jesus said in John 15:5-6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” Some other scriptures to consider Luke 3:17 Jesus says they “will burn with unquenchable fire.” (see also Heb. 10:27; II Thess. 1:8) Matt. 13:40 as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire. Matt. 13:41-42 those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire Matt. 13:49-50 The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire Matt. 18:8 It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire Matt 25:41 then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: Mark 9:48-50 Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.' Luke 9:53-56And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?" But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." So fire is understood in Scripture as destructive. While those who call fire down and not asking for it to consume others they are calling it down, (something we are layer told the antichrist will do Rev.13) The judgment of fire God sent FIRE FROM HEAVEN not to bless but to judge Num 11:1 Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for
the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned
among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp." For example in Job's testing of his faith we read in Job 1:16 The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants" 1 Cor. 3:13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire ; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.” In other words what is not of God is burned up at our judgment. 2 Thess. 1:8-10 "in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed." 2 Peter 3:7 are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men, which goes along with Zeph.3:8 (also Ez.21:31;22:21; 38:19 Jude 6-7 He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” Jude 23 others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” Jude uses fire as the destination of those unsaved, we are to rescue them from it. Throughout revelation the last of the end days fire is used as judgment Heb. 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire. Again, no one had a baptism of fire, it is always called the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit is often represented as liquid, more often water, not fire
|
|
