4 Ways Fresh Fire Transforms Your Spirit: How to Walk in Last Days Power
The power of the Spirit is called for in times of crisis, compromise, and opportunity.
The power of God is revealed when the Person or the work of the Lord is threatened.
A baptism is required when normal efforts fall well short of the fueling-charge needed. A believer can be overcome by desires; a leader can neglect his gift; a movement can compromise its call; prayer can become a ritual. Above all, when God is preparing to open a vast door of opportunity, He seeks to empower us to seize it for Christ’s glory.
How can we turn the shallow converts in our movement who are full of birth defects into warriors, except by the power of the Holy Spirit? How can we stem the tide of spurious and carnal teachers, except by a general baptism of fire that purifies the appetites of Charismatics?
Does anyone really believe that this horrible competition and outright contention between “Spirit-filled” churches will go away if we all have coffee together?
Until these leaders are engulfed in new flames of the Holy Spirit, they will not progress. It is by the Holy Spirit that a preacher’s heart is freed of hurt and pride and is restored to the childlike joy of advancing the Kingdom with a pure love for believers.
The fire will burn off the carnal appendages that have attached themselves to the work of God and are choking our life. The fire will awaken appetites for holiness, greatness, and compassion.
Can you simply admit your need for a new overflow of Spirit power? So much frustration will end; so much pain will be prevented. Fresh fire was a recurring theme of Paul, the apostle. He, himself, received it time after time. One very clear example is when the apostle was challenged by Elymas. Paul was suddenly filled with the Spirit:
Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him [Elymas] and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeking the sun for a time.” And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord (Acts 13:9-12 NKJV).
Now let’s look at two prayers of Paul that are unmistakable prayers for deeper baptism of God:
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:14-21 NKJV).
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy (Colossians 1:9-11 NKJV).
These prayers reveal the benefits of added outpourings.
Paul speaks of power to do God’s work, being filled with the knowledge of God, mighty strength, and joy.
This bears out the four characteristics of fire:
It purifies
It fuels
It illuminates
It warms
Let’s examine these vital effects of fire:
1. The purifying work of fresh fire.
The most outlandish error of Charisma was to overreact to early Pentecostal legalism. We went from no makeup to critical mascara. Holiness is not legalism; legalism is fear and hatred garbed in rules. It judges by outward appearance and afflicts the flesh in order to gain power. This is a corruption of the Cross of Christ. Holiness is born in love! It is the behavior of royalty. True holiness transcends the flesh by gracing the heart with a delight in the commands of the Lord. Holiness is the new affection of a new heart.
Fads in Charisma have refused to elevate the believer to a higher plane; it chose, rather, to lower God.
The vehicle for this deception was a misapplication of the doctrine of justification.
Yes, we are justified by the blood of Christ at rebirth, but this dealt directly with what we had done. It now takes the daily work of the Cross to deal with what we are.
Teachers began to espouse the idea that we already had privileges and authority and were innately blessed because we were born again. We had only to release our inheritance and awaken to the already completed work.
Sanctification dropped out of our vocabulary.
Character development was, at best, peripheral.
This error took one further step by redefining success in terms of church, size, money, possessions, and visibility—instead of humility, compassion, and a Christlike spirit.
The first touch of fire purifies. False motives for serving God disintegrate; counterfeit faith goes up in smoke. Hay, wood, and stubble projects are consumed. No other work of darkness is more lethal than the insidious pride that lies to us about our true condition.
Samson “knew not that the Spirit had left him.” He rose up as at other times expecting victory, only to embrace Philistine ridicule and death.
The New Testament Samson was the church of Laodicea. First, the Spirit exposed their condition: “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17 NKJV).
Then fresh fire was prescribed.
I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see (Revelation 3:18 NKJV).
But what was their greatest danger? They were in the midst of moral disaster and knew it not!
This new flame, this next dose of raw Holy Spirit power, is meant to launch our next level of conformity to the image of Christ.
The furnace is our friend. We emerge from its holy work a vessel unto honor. God will find important things for a holy person to do! He will delight in them; He will joy over them!
Satan’s knees just buckled at the thought that you might surrender to this purifying work of fresh fire.
2. Fire illuminates.
Stephen had the face of an angel. With an angry mob poised to pound the life out of him, a miracle happened. He was filled with the Spirit and saw Jesus standing at the Father’s right hand. Death lost its fearful advantage; pain was rendered inconsequential. The vision of Christ lifted Stephen to a plane of glory that robbed the murderers of satisfaction. All that was left for them to do was to stone the wrapping that he was discarding.
This was a crisis baptism! It has been the divine gift of godly warriors and holy martyrs throughout the ages.
And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (2 Kings 6:17 NKJV).
The servant saw innumerable fiery chariots poised to vaporize any threat to the anointed. Nothing influences our behavior like our perspective. What we see is the thrust of our life.
Fire carries light. Fresh fire carries divine light. Scales fall off our view of things; and to see rightly, is to empower to live rightly.
The fire, which is from God, awakens the nominal believer. They are elevated to being seated with Christ in heavenly places (see Ephesians 2:6). What an astonishing difference when you gaze at life from this vantage point!
You make excellent choices. The looming problems of your life become insignificant compared to the vista that floods your soul! The walls of doubt become speed bumps.
You can’t compromise because you see the glory that will be revealed in you. You walk holy because you see it is making you like Christ. You take hold of mighty projects because you can see the completion of them.
Your passion for the lost becomes gigantic because you see their dreaded state. You are given the gift of sight! Eyes of the Spirit! By this fire’s light you become a mighty warrior.
As mentioned previously, how significant that as David’s mighty men were being described for their special strength, the weapon of the men of Issachar was: “They knew the times and what Israel should do.” Their perception was their weapon!
So will the light of the Spirit give us sight in this present darkness. We will forgive our enemies, for we see their offenses from heavenly ramparts. We work with fellow soldiers because the vision of unity pervades us. We march with swords drawn and placed at the very throat of Satan, because we see his doom is sure.
3. Fire fuels.
“…according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV).
Change requires power. You may want to change; you may possess the will to change and the opportunity. Yet the desired alteration escapes you. We are prisoners of a force greater than we know!
Even when all the elements for transformation seem present, nothing will happen unless a vital ingredient is present.
It is that irreplaceable element that converts good intentions into resurrection living. It is that fuel that fires up the engine of lasting change.
It is a wonder that the same fire than can destroy can be utilized as fuel.
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you (Romans 8:11 NKJV).
For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13 NKJV).
Sometimes progress is so hard to come by that radical action must be taken. Our inner self must be jump-started; reemerging lusts must be overpowered; and extra force must be applied when the weight of daily life threatens our advancement. The fresh fire experience is a power surge that animates failing limbs, weak knees, and a faltering spirit. But this fuel is so much more! The fire that I speak of imparts the energy to do the will of God!
Saul cowered before the destiny Samuel described for him. “How can I do this thing?” Saul asked. Hear the prophet’s resolute reply, “The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will be turned into another man” (1 Samuel 10:6 NKJV).
Fresh fire is no mere “clean up your act” encounter. Here is the fuel to fire up the engine.
Was it this infusion of dunamis that Daniel prophesied? “…the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits” (Daniel 11:32 NKJV).
Let the crowd become warriors and the faint a force. Let us embrace our launching from mere living, to multiple triumphs. Fresh fire is higher octane for a higher calling.
4. Fire warms.
“…The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10 NKJV). A lifetime of study will not reveal the full weight of this statement!
Joy from God is our great distinction from the world. The pagan must have right circumstances to have right feelings. Remove possessions from the world of pagans and their life stops. For the lack of God they are bound to outer life support systems for satisfaction.
Curiously, the church forgets her first love so easily! You can tell when the level of the “oil of gladness” is low; it shows in the preaching. When pulpiteers heap perks onto the gospel to make it palatable to secular ears, it is because their own vision of Jesus has been tarnished. He is no longer all they need, so He is no longer all that they prescribe.
The reward of salvation is Jesus. He alone is the treasure in the field; He is the pearl of great price; He is the Person of wonder that “bids our sorrows cease,” as the beloved hymn tells us.
Jesus spoke and our parking lot became a garden; how soon we forget!
When Paul said, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content,” it was the fire of joy that elevated him to a higher awareness than his standard of living (see Philippians 4:11 NKJV).
The well of living water within us is our greatest protection. It keeps God’s commands in the proper context—light and reasonable!
Tell me if there is anything worse than the coldness of modern life. Natural love is gone, children are deemed disposable, and the grind of the workplace chews up hope.
The person without God has no refuge, no reason to keep trying. Daily they toy with various progressive forms of suicide.
The joy of the Lord is a force field that insulates against the destructive, draining spirit of this age. A layer of love keeps the infection of despair off us. “Godliness with contentment is great gain,” said the apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 6:6 (NKJV). Perhaps the greatest blend in a saint would be the combined zeal and flat-out-in-love-with-Jesus spirit of a young convert joined to the solid wisdom, strength, and experience of a veteran warrior!
These then are the four major effects that fresh fire will have on us.