TEXT: Matthew 3:7-12:
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
11 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:
12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
After preaching the Gospel every day for 367 days straight throughout the 2016 presidential campaign season, I am preaching the Gospel every day throughout the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s term. If you think a new president being in office is the only thing needed to save America and ‘make America great again’, you are woefully deceived. The church must follow through and “keep the main thing the main thing: and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,’ and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to ‘pray without ceasing’ for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders.” So, we encourage you to pray for the new president, but not to get caught up in the political happenings like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord. And that is what this campaign is all about.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 70, day 437 since Jan. 1, 2016.
Ray Stedman said, “Fire is always a symbol of judgment. John is saying, ‘This one who is coming is going to deal with everyone in the world, without exception — by dispensing the baptism of the Holy Spirit or the baptism of fire which is the judgment of God. If you don’t want to be baptized with fire, then confess your sins, and be baptized with water as a symbol of it, so that, when he comes, your baptism may be that gracious outpouring of the Holy Spirit which perfects and fulfills God’s plan for men.’”
We have talked about the baptism of water unto repentance that John administered. We have also talked about the baptism of the Holy Ghost that Jesus brought about. The first was a baptism for those who were preparing to receive the Lord. The second is a baptism for those who have received the Lord. John says, however, that Jesus is bringing a third baptism as well — a baptism of fire. This is a baptism for those who have chosen to reject the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and those who are the enemies of the Kingdom of God.
Now, the word translated as “baptize” means to immerse, to submerge, or to overwhelm. We can imagine being immersed in water. We have often done it ourselves when swimming or soaking in the tub. But you probably wouldn’t want to imagine being immersed in fire. Yet, that is the baptism that John the Baptist says Jesus will bring. Now, some commentators conflate the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of fire. And, while the Holy Spirit is often symbolized by fire, Dr. Warren Wiersbe says, “The baptism of the Spirit came at Pentecost (and Jesus said nothing about fire). The baptism of fire refers to the future judgment.”
Jesus came to save. But He will also return to judge those who would not be saved. Returning to agricultural imagery, John refers to Christ as Him “whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” When harvest time came, the farmers of that day would gather the wheat in a huge pile on what was called a “threshing floor.” They would separate the good, useful wheat from the useless chaff by tossing it up in the air. The chaff would be carried away by the wind, and the wheat would fall to the ground and be gathered for storage. John says that Jesus will burn the chaff, representing those who have not been saved, “with unquenchable fire.”
Those who take part in the baptism of water are blessed. Those who take part in the baptism of the Spirit are saved and brought into God’s house forever. But those who are baptized in fire will be tossed aside into the fires of Hell for eternity.
Elisha A. Hoffman wrote:
The judgment day is coming,
We warn you faithfully;
A shelter find in Jesus;
Be saved eternally.
We plead with fervent pleading:
From wrath and peril flee,
And find in Christ a refuge,
A hiding place for thee.
The shoals and rocks hold peril
And danger, soul, for thee;
On Jesus cast thy anchor,
And find security;
When thou art called to judgment,
What then will be thy plea?
The blood of Jesus only
Will then avail for thee.
The day of judgment hastens;
What shall thy sentence be?
Redeemed and saved through Jesus,
Or lost eternally?
If you are ready to partake of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, allow me to show you how you can place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as your Saviour:
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to GospelLightSociety.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Saitama Light News 