Fire is Free

Fire is Free

I hear alot of talk these days about finances and obtaining wealth in order to impact society. There are many preachers who put a whole ministry focus on getting people to see that God wants them materially rich. Sure spiritually and physically rich also, but I see the focus on material wealth.

One of the reasons why it is ok to chase, yes pursue after and focus on the bigger house or bently or rolls royce, is to better win the lost and impact society for the kingdom. That is what many of these preachers will tell you is the reason why it is God’s will to have more and more and more. 

But fire is free. You cannot buy it, sell it or make a genuine imitation. Fire is fire and fire does not cost a thing, materially speaking. Look at the lives of the apostles of the early Church. 

Acts 2:2-4 “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Now there is a cost when it comes to fire, but it is not a cost that has anything to do with money. It is the cost of death to self, the cost of being consumed by the fire of God that when you come out, you are burned beyond recognition. You will not look the same anymore, people will wonder what happened to you, when you truly encounter the fire of pentecost!

This Holy Ghost fire in the heart of a man is more powerful than an army, more dangerous to the devil than 1000 years of seminary, more life-giving than other thing on Earth. And this Holy Ghost fire, when it begins to burn within men needs no advertisement! I always enjoy hearing about how during the Azuza Street revival observers would call the fire department because they saw flames on top of the building where God’s presence had come in such a marvelous way. I love reading about John Wesley and the mighty impact his preaching had in England. He said “Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn.” People being swept into the kingdom of God happen through the hand of God, not the intelligence, whit, business savy, or material wealth of man. 

You see a man filled with the fire of the Holy Ghost knows that he has all he has need of to reach a dying world for Jesus Christ. Look at what a difference the fire of the Holy Ghost made to Peter. Peter, the one who was always quick to have outbursts, who actually was called the devil by Jesus, Peter who cursed and rejected Christ 3 times; this same Peter, when set on fire by God, was a totally different man. Peter was the first new testament street preacher and boldly preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that 3,000 Jews that day were wonderfully saved! When it came down to it, did Peter need anything more? If we have the fire of the Holy Ghost burning within our hearts, is there really anything greater that could add something to our lives anyway?

Do we need money? Of course, we have to eat and live and get from place to place. But when money becomes our focus for evangelism and ministry, and not holy spirit preaching of the Gospel, we have gone way off the deep end. We must see that one man filled with the holy ghost and fire is 1000 times a greater threat to the devil than the man who is a material millionaire, but compromised! “When you’re born in fire, smoke will never do.” Leonard Ravenhill These early apostles had nothing in their mind about overtaking Roman government in order to reach the people for Christ. They had no thought of obtaining wealth in order to show the world how blessed they were! No they had a whole other passion of their heart. They knew they only hope for the world, was that they themselves be filled with the holy ghost and fire! 

As they sat in the upper room and God came down, surely did they remember the words of Jesus. Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” What should the focus of the great commission be? Obtaining wealth and worldly stature? Or should are focus be on being filled with the fire of God, and to go forth in power preaching the gospel to every creature? Focus is the key. When we begin to focus on the means, rather than the end, destruction and error are sure to follow. 

Let us see that though money is useful to advancing God’s kingdom. It is not necessary! Yes, that is right! I don’t need a rolls royce, a mansion and $100,000 in my bank account to go preach the Gospel and see sinners saved. All the miracles ever done in the book of Acts, all the times people were supernaturally delivered and set free from the powers of darkness, all of them did not cost a dime. Fire is free. Fire burning within the hearts of men is what is needed today. That is non-negotiable. Resources that come from the Lord, will follow the man who’s heart is set on fire to see the lost be found, not on those who seek to be rich in this life.