Message
Anyone whom God wants to use as His vessel must be baptised, not only with the Holy Ghost, but also with fire. Fire has many functions, one of which isthat it purifies. In , after Isaiah realised how unclean he was, the angel of the Lord used a live coal to touch his lips and said, “This hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged” (). Isaiah received a baptism of fire that cleansed him and made him a useful and worthy vessel to carry out God’s assignment.
Before the apostles were sent out to proclaim the gospel of Christ around the world, Jesus instructed them to wait for the baptism of the Holy Ghost, as we see in :
And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
They obeyed this instruction, and they were baptised by the Holy Spirit and fire in . This encounter marked the beginning of their exploits for Jesus, starting with Peter’s sermon, which God used to save about 3,000 souls that same day. If you want to be a worthy vessel in God’s hands, you must allow Him to set you apart and baptise you with the Holy Ghost and fire.
Beloved, God is still looking for vessels He can purify with fire and put to use in His vineyard. Today’s Bible reading tells us that God is a refiner and purifier of those who will serve Him in righteousness. Until the Lord refines you with His fire, your offering cannot be pleasant to Him. Offering in this context means your life. Gold in its raw state is not beautiful, but after it has been purified by fire, it becomes precious. This is why it is called a precious metal. If you don’t want to remain a common vessel in God’s vineyard, ask Him to visit you with His fire. Allow His fire to take away any filth in your life that will not allow you to be useful and precious in His sight. If you really want to be a useful vessel for God, pray today’s prayer point with all your heart.