Posted: 03/07/2013 at 6:24am | IP Logged

Spiritual Spring and the Baptism of Fire

By Ron McGatlin

The heavenly seed of fresh new life of the real kingdom of God is planted within the hearts of many of God’s people. It may feel like an inner living desire for more reality of God. For some, at times it may seem like a need to scrap most of the life we have been living, a need to get away alone with God and away from the required rituals and practices of routine life.

Now, in this spiritual spring season, the seed is beginning to sprout and send forth the small green blade of real kingdom life.

However, for many if not most believers that are experiencing the sprouting of this internal kingdom seed, the sprout cannot break through the restraining layer of religious debris of half burned residue of past life traditions and strongly entrenched beliefs.

The strong and somewhat erroneous or incomplete beliefs from the past are as wooden beams and bricks among other debris holding back the growth of the sprouting inner seed of the real kingdom of God.

The half burned and broken wooden beams of church system related structures of human government have been partially dealt with but the residue of lingering traditions and beliefs of man-made church structure and governance needs to be fully dealt with for Christ Jesus to bring forth the full growth of the real kingdom of God lifestyle by His Holy Spirit in and among His willing vessels.

Early Spring Cleansing of the Land (Heart)

Father God is sending forth the fire of His love and power to cleanse our hearts from all debris to release the full growth of His kingdom within us.

This is the work of God in Christ by the Holy Spirit and not a work of man. However, we have a real part in agreeing and giving place to the things that God is doing in and among us.

The release of the cleansing fire to fully burn the residue of our old religious structure and the throwing out of the religious rocks in our hearts require our full agreement and participation.

The process of this spring cleansing of the land will not be completed against our will. We must be willing to lay down our lives, including our religious strongholds, at the altar of God and allow Him to burn away or throw out all that He deems needful to be done away with.

If we will release ALL at the feet of Jesus, He will return to us that which is His desire for us to have. But, even more importantly He will fill our hearts with the full growth of the seed of Christ Jesus and His kingdom life and authority within us to be shared freely with the world around us.

THE BAPTISM OF FIRE REVEALED AND RELEASED

Spirit revelation is a wonderful gift of grace from God. It is so amazing to have a degree of head-knowledge of a spiritual work of God and at some point of time receive a powerful clear revelation of what God is saying and doing. The living revelation from God brings real life to our spirits and enlightenment to our understanding. God seems to simply lift the cover or lid from the bundle of pure light revealing with clarity that which is to us fresh new reality of His word and specific direction for life now on earth.

Personally, I have been blessed to receive a measure of light from God regarding His kingdom including the works of the Holy Spirit. I had read many times the words that Christ Jesus would baptize us with the Holy Spirit and FIRE. I always had that underlying feeling that there was more to the baptism of fire than what I knew at the time.

Mat 3:11-12: I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Now in this season, God is lifting the cover and revealing what the baptism of fire really means. This is the time of the restoration of the baptism of fire.

The Next Big Restoration

Through recent centuries God has been progressively restoring more of the work of Christ to the Body. Many layers have come forth. As an example, a few of the high spots of restoration are: salvation by faith through grace around five centuries ago, the baptism of the Holy Spirit about a century ago, the gospel of the kingdom in the past half century, and now the baptism of fire is being restored.

The baptism of fire was probably to some degree more experienced in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries than in more recent times. However, it became completely lost to the church. In the early twentieth century Pentecostal movement it morphed into a legalistic attempt of man’s external efforts to be holy. In the lukewarm church it was completely lost. In the Charismatic move of the mid twentieth century it was taught that the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire was receivable by faith alone. And there is truth in that but it is not the whole truth. It ignored the powerful sanctification experience of the baptism of fire. This led to great mixture of impurity in that movement that continues to this day.

The baptism of fire is to sanctification what the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to power. These two should work together and should be received together.

God’s fire always has to do with God’s cleansing of man and/or earth. Sanctification is a cleansing work of God that is a total change of our lives that can occur in a burst-of-light type experience with God in the baptism of fire. Because of the loss of the baptism of fire, sanctification has been seen as only achieved in a gradual never ending process of a little here and a little there line upon line. In the past we have spent many hours of prayer ministry dismantling and removing piece by piece the heritage of family line and self- instigated iniquity. This is not the victorious life of abundant life of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit that Jesus and the early disciples proclaimed.

Sanctification piece by piece, here a little and there a little, line upon line is like an individual working manually to clear the wreckage of a partially burned building by dragging of one piece at the time and piling it to be burned. The baptism of fire is like bringing in a huge piece of power equipment to clear the whole site in only a day or so and setting fire to the whole pile of waste.

The baptism of fire does not have as much to do with sin and its forgiveness as it has to do with removing our tendency to sin and all of the past of our lives that has hindered and limited us from being truly holy as He is holy. It is the outpouring of the passionate, powerful consuming fire of God cleansing our lives.

The baptism of fire is the burning of all our past stuff, painful stuff, religious stuff, family line stuff, prideful stuff, regretful stuff and any other stuff or things that have shrouded or hindered the fresh sprout of the life of Christ Jesus and the kingdom of God from growing forth into our lives and subsequently into the world around us.

The baptism of fire will only be experienced by in those who will humbly and sincerely ask God for it, those who will in the presence of God by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, lay down their entire lives – who they were and who they are and what they believe, all upon the altar of God at the feet of Jesus.

Only that which is of God Will Remain

Like a roaring fire can totally consumes everything in its path the baptism of fire leaves neither root nor branch of our past tree of life. Even the buried seeds of our past life are destroyed by the baptism of the fire of God. The landscape of our past life is only ashes with nothing left that is not of God to spring forth from the ashes.  Our spirit being (who we are) will emerge from the ashes as true sons without defilement, filled with the life of Christ and none of our own life.

This is our final crucifixion with Christ and the completion of resurrection life of Christ in us. The final blow to our self-life and it is the beginning of the sprouting forth as sanctified empowered sons in whom Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit now lives where we once lived. Christ Jesus is our life as we live by the Spirit and walk in the Spirit and not in our own understanding.

No longer bound in our minds by our past religious traditions and practices which are now only ashes of the past. Nothing can be built back from ashes and since the seeds of the old life died in the fire only the fresh seed of Christ sown in us by the Holy Spirit is alive within us. And there is nothing left on the land to hinder the fresh green sprout of the real kingdom of God growing with others into the full stature of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).

Powerful Angels of Roaring Fire

Powerful ministering spirits of fire are come to attend to all who are willing to surrender their whole hearts - those who will ask in great humility and sincerity for God to baptize them in His Holy Fire of sanctification.  These powerful angels are of the same powerful nature as those who came to Isaiah with a coal of fire from the altar in heaven to touch and cleanse his unclean lips.  As the fire touched his lips his iniquity was taken away and sin purged out or him (Isaiah 6:1-7).

Isaiah, in the presence of God, realized that he was unclean and lived among unclean people and cried out to God “Woe is me!” Then the ministering spirit came from above the altar with the fire and instantly cleansed him. When we, in God’s presence, realize our need and see our woeful condition even as believers, the baptism of fire can cleanse us from the residue of iniquity (tendency to sin) and purge us from all sin.

This is a spiritual work in our spirit beings that changes us within and works out from inside to change our lives in this world. God’s provision is perfect and complete. And, it is for everyone. However, not everyone will receive God’s powerful provision of this powerful work of sanctification.

Some have stopped at the first work of coming to the cross of Christ Jesus for the new birth. Others have balked and even fought against the work of receiving the power of God though Christ within by the fullness and saturation (baptism) in the Holy Spirit. Even some who have received these works of God will now reject the baptism of fire that comes to complete our sanctification unto becoming mature sons of God.

Fires of cleansing judgment are coming upon the nations.

God is not willing that any should perish. He will provide a strong work of NTURAL FIRE to bring destruction to our unwilling rebellious lives to turn us onto a new path of surrender of our lives to the powerful life of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit – the kingdom of God life now on earth.

We have a few years to prepare.

This spring season of 2013 is the beginning of our expedited preparation over the next two to three years of preparedness for the next season to come of natural fires of chaos and cataclysmic events in this world that will cause the great harvest of the world. Much of the prophetic scripture in the Book of Revelation will then become reality in the natural world.

The rapid preparation of the Holy Spirit and Fire baptisms are a major factor in our becoming what we must be to do the job before us of dealing with the multitudes who will turn to God in the time of worldwide trouble, while at the same time another multitude will be in full combat mode against Christ Jesus and the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

Do not loose heart. Do not be afraid and dismayed by the coming season of trouble upon the earth. This is only the cleansing that is preparing us to fully walk in the fullness of the Kingdom of God as mature sons of God – the holy purified Bride of Christ.

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom Luke 12:32.

Ron McGatlin

archive.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

Posted: 03/07/2013 at 10:56am | IP Logged

Thank you Ron.  So was God with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the firey furnace so will He be with us.  Once again, though it doesn't feel good, it's for our good and more importantly for His glory!

Quo

Posted: 03/07/2013 at 11:10am | IP Logged

 Thank you Ron ,

   Quo good word !

Posted: 03/07/2013 at 12:44pm | IP Logged

Can someone help me out - I'm confused.  Is this not different from what Ron is talking about by the Baptism of Fire?  Do Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego not represent the fires of affliction we go through - the trials and yes the Lord is with us in these, and the Baptism of Fire is more like a sweeping cleansing.  (Sorry, I can't think of another way of putting it.)

Posted: 03/07/2013 at 2:18pm | IP Logged

Val you made a very valid statement, as all of my life I was taught that the story of the three Hebrew boys was about trials of affliction and then one day I heard it preached a whole different way and it sent me spinning.  And I began to seek God about it and began to see the revelation and not that which was apparent.  As I sat here I heard the Holy Ghost say “this is the fire that reveals the glory of God”.  He said look up the word affliction and I did.  It means something that causes pain or suffering. This can mean either mental or physical pain.  And then He said now go back to the word and I read Daniel 3 all the way through again and then went back to 3:24-27,

24. Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

25.  He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

26. Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

27.  So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, ²⁷ and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

I can’t say that this example is about the ‘fires of affliction’ because fire is symbolic of God’s Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. I see it more clearly as the sons of God being revealed to a man (King Nebuchadnezzar) who was serving idols.  Through this experience the King came to know that the God of the Hebrew boys was the only True God.  Why were the guards consumed by the fire?  Well I see clearly that it was because of their evil intent in following through with the orders to destroy God’s children.  Because they were following the orders of an evil King, they themselves were destroyed.  But to the Hebrew boys this fire did not cause them any suffering but in fact showed forth God’s glory.  And the only thing that was consumed by the fire was the ropes that they were bound with when thrown in.  They were made free while IN the fire.  If there had been anything in them that was not the will of God or not of God it would have been burned by the fire.  This is the process of Fire baptism.  The Hebrew boys had a relationship with God.  They knew Him and He knew them.  When we come out of the fire we come forth as glorified sons of God.  Or as Job put it in 23:10, “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold'. And in this God gets all the glory because out of the fire comes His purified sons and daughters, His Crucified Ones.

I pray this helps you to understand better what I posted earlier.  Be blessed.

Quo

Posted: 03/09/2013 at 9:28am | IP Logged

We have a few years to prepare.

This spring season of 2013 is the beginning of our expedited preparation over the next two to three years of preparedness for the next season to come of natural fires of chaos and cataclysmic events in this world that will cause the great harvest of the world. Much of the prophetic scripture in the Book of Revelation will then become reality in the natural world.

The rapid preparation of the Holy Spirit and Fire baptisms are a major factor in our becoming what we must be to do the job before us of dealing with the multitudes who will turn to God in the time of worldwide trouble, while at the same time another multitude will be in full combat mode against Christ Jesus and the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

Do not loose heart. Do not be afraid and dismayed by the coming season of trouble upon the earth. This is only the cleansing that is preparing us to fully walk in the fullness of the Kingdom of God as mature sons of God – the holy purified Bride of Christ.

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom Luke 12:32.

Posted: 03/09/2013 at 8:01pm | IP Logged

1. All to Jesus I surrender;
   All to Him I freely give;
   I will ever love and trust Him,
   In His presence daily live.

2. Refrain:
   I surrender all,
   I surrender all;
   All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
   I surrender all.
3. All to Jesus I surrender;
   Humbly at His feet I bow,
   Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
   Take me, Jesus, take me now.
4. All to Jesus I surrender;
   Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
   Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
   Truly know that Thou art mine.
5. All to Jesus I surrender;
   Lord, I give myself to Thee;
   Fill me with Thy love and power;
   Let Thy blessing fall on me.
6. All to Jesus I surrender;
   Now I feel the sacred flame.
   Oh, the joy of full salvation!
   Glory, glory, to His Name!

Posted: 03/11/2013 at 4:37am | IP Logged

Amen Quo.

Powerful Angels of Roaring Fire

Powerful ministering spirits of fire are come to attend to all who are willing to surrender their whole hearts - those who will ask in great humility and sincerity for God to baptize them in His Holy Fire of sanctification. These powerful angels are of the same powerful nature as those who came to Isaiah with a coal of fire from the altar in heaven to touch and cleanse his unclean lips. As the fire touched his lips his iniquity was taken away and sin purged out or him (Isaiah 6:1-7).

Isaiah, in the presence of God, realized that he was unclean and lived among unclean people and cried out to God “Woe is me!” Then the ministering spirit came from above the altar with the fire and instantly cleansed him. When we, in God’s presence, realize our need and see our woeful condition even as believers, the baptism of fire can cleanse us from the residue of iniquity (tendency to sin) and purge us from all sin.

This is a spiritual work in our spirit beings that changes us within and works out from inside to change our lives in this world. God’s provision is perfect and complete. And, it is for everyone. However, not everyone will receive God’s powerful provision of this powerful work of sanctification.

Ron

Posted: 03/13/2013 at 9:32am | IP Logged

Amen Ron!

Gayle your comment reminded me of a recent dream wherein there were many gathered into a house meeting.  The lights were off (because of the circumstances of the times) and many of the people were kneeling on the floor.  It was so crowded there was hardly room for anyone to move without stepping on another. 

I heard the song come up in my spirit by Misty Edwards, "Baptize my heart with your fire, desire come and Baptize my heart...." so I started to sing it very softly and slowly and suddenly others began joining in it.  For those of you who are not familiar with this song, near the end the words are, "cause I don't want to be offended, no I don't want to be offended, I don't want to be offended when it all comes down."  The thing I've found about the baptism of fire is that it brings a death within you to be replaced with more of Him.  In this, like Elijah, John and Jesus, you become an offense to those who are perishing and prepared for preaching the gospel of the good news of the Kingdom.     

Ron McGatlin wrote: This is our final crucifixion with Christ and the completion of resurrection life of Christ in us. The final blow to our self-life and it is the beginning of the sprouting forth as sanctified empowered sons in whom Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit now lives where we once lived. Christ Jesus is our life as we live by the Spirit and walk in the Spirit and not in our own understanding.

.

Posted: 03/16/2013 at 5:50am | IP Logged

Amen Stacey

Posted: 04/05/2013 at 10:35am | IP Logged

Ron I was reminded of this again this week.  And HG is reminding us to stay focused during this time because the preparation is being expedited and feels like we're in bootcamp meaning there's alot to cover in a short amount of time.  We must stay the course.  It's vital that we stay the course.  I believe the most vital part is Him showing us exactly how the enemy works because we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities.  The enemy would have us fighting one another and when this happens its because we don't understand that the battle is not between people but between satan and Christ.  My adversary is not my brother or my sister but satan the accuser of the brethren.  When we have a clear understanding of how satan works through vessels that he has control over we'll be able to see him clearly through discernment and will respond correctly which is with love and Truth because the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty to the pulling down of strongholds.  We will not gain the victory by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord.

Quo

Posted: 04/05/2013 at 10:26pm | IP Logged

Thank you Ron for this teaching.  I remember reading John G. Lake's sermon on the complete sanctification of the body soul & spirit by the baptism of fire...that there would be some in the future who would reach this work through Holy Spirit & how necessary it was.  I pray I may be willing for this when it's time, as well as all of you & our famililes. 

I also wanted to thank you for alluding to the fact that we in our current state receive correction & revelation now only here a little & there a little, line upon line.  But that when this fire baptism arrives & we undergo it, we're moved into the fullness of receiving both our healing & revelation, moving us into the completeness of Christ (I'm paraphrasing :) ).  I've heard so much teaching about line upon line etc, holding this up to us as the bonafide way we are to learn, as if it's Father's best, when (if I'm understanding your intent) it's 2nd or 3rd best compared to His original plan because we can't presently receive more fully as He intended.  (Hope I'm making myself clear in what I mean here...).  Anyway, thanks Ron!!  :)

Posted: 04/06/2013 at 11:50am | IP Logged

Coleen, if you haven't read it lately you will enjoy reading Isaiah 28 where this concept of line upon line came from. It is astonishing how clear this is presented as a very poor thing amongst a people that will remind you very much of much of the church systems that we are coming out of by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Ron

Posted: 10/04/2013 at 11:12am | IP Logged

Re-up

Posted: 10/04/2013 at 2:13pm | IP Logged

YES AMEN RON!!

Spring Is here it is harvest time

The Lord is calling come all who are mine

Come all my children be my hands and my feet

Come follow me there’s a deadline to meet

Evil had reigned on the earth too long

My Kingdom has come to me it belongs

So rise up and soar my precious ones

My precious daughters and my precious sons

This is the time my love will flow

The powerful winds of change will blow

Many will see but they won’t understand

The things I am doing by my own hand

I am sorting and sifting and tearing things down

Many will cry many will frown

But my Kingdom’s eternal on earth it will reign

Millions and millions will call on my name

Spring is here it is harvest time

The Lord is calling come all who are mine!

Posted: 10/06/2013 at 8:58am | IP Logged

Thanks can't explain it as lots of probs around the home, wits end corner whilst child hard at work, I had a huge light bulb moment & this post was part of the process,  but by days end I got the power and could thank the perps !

Posted: 10/06/2013 at 4:56pm | IP Logged

re up

Posted: 10/08/2013 at 2:50pm | IP Logged

GOD’S OWN HOLY FIRE

Consumed by God’s own Holy Fire

Every church and every spire

Out of the ashes his love will grow

For his glory it will show

Waters flowing over the earth

To everyone giving new birth

Washing away the kingdom of man

Showing the greatness of the I AM

The one and only creator of all

Through him we will overcome the fall

We will gather around the tree of life

There’ll be no more wars no more strife

There’ll be just joy and peace and love

Communion with heaven above

Flowing down all over the earth

Celebrating lifting Jesus first

Above all things in our lives

Unity all around husbands and wives

Mothers daughters fathers and sons

United together in the Holy One

Consumed by Gods own Holy Fire

Every church and every spire

Out of the ashes his love will grow

For his glory it will show