THE HOLY SPIRIT III.
MEMORISE:
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16
READ: Matthew 5:13-16
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
MESSAGE:
There is something about fire: whatever comes around it feels its heat. It changes things around itself. Even the atmosphere around it is different. Fire does not conform to its environment; it changes it. When you get into a new environment, can people notice the Holy Spirit in you? When they come around you and everybody else? Many Christians these days try to quench their fire so as to blend in with the environment. I will never do that! If you are not on fire for God and you come around me, you will have to catch the fire. Fire is fearless; it does not run from things, things run from it.
You should not be adjusting for sinners; sinners should be adjusting for you. Everybody knows irrespective of the nature of the occasion, as long as you give me the microphone and I know that there are some sinners in that hall, I will talk about holiness and I will make an altar call. If you are not willing to live holy, you will find it difficult to stay around me because I will not stop talking about holiness. When you get to a new environment, do you preach the gospel to them or try to hide your fire? Peter was going to hide his fire in John 18:15-27 because of fear. He was so timid at the crucifixion of Christ that he denied Jesus three times. After Jesus died, Peter decided to go back into fishing (John 21:3), but on the day of Pentecost, the moment the fire of the Holy Spirit fell on him, his fear disappeared and He witnessed in public. If you are too scared to open your mouth and preach the gospel now, what you need is the fire of the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 1:7 says:
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Fear is a spirit and if it is not a spirit from God, then it is from the devil. The Holy Spirit will drive that spirit of fear out of your life, in Jesus’ name.
When fire is in a place, certain things cannot come near that environment. There was a mad man in Ilesha many years ago who chased a lady everywhere she went. She eventually ran into my mother’s compound and the mad man stopped. He couldn’t go in because the demons in him could not go near the fire. When you step into a place, demons should not be able to operate there anymore because of the fire you carry. Are demons still disturbing you? You need to cry to God for fire. When the fire comes, all the demons will flee.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please let me carry Your fire, in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 3 JOHN.
HYMN 21: ROCK OF AGES, CLEFT FOR ME.
1. Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.
2. Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.
3. Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
4. While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
