Topic:THE BAPTISM OF FIRE

Text: Matt 3 vs 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.

MESSAGE

This service is a one time opportunity to be baptized with fire. John the Baptist in speaking to the people in the above text informed them that Jesus Christ would baptize them with Holy Ghost and with fire. John the Baptist was a great minister of God who preached in the wilderness. If you have ever been to the wilderness, you will know that it is not a pleasant place. However, John was preaching that the kingdom of God was at hand and people came from all cities to meet him in the bush. The question that should then come to mind is – what authority backs up his preaching that was attracting multitude from every city to meet him in the bush? There were no fliers or handbills, but still the multitude heard his voice and searched for him. John was so great that Jesus Christ in describing him said that there was no man greater than John the Baptist.

John the Baptist, in speaking about Jesus explained that Jesus will baptize the people with the Holy Ghost and with fire. There is a distinction between these two. When a man carries the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost gives him guidance. But when you carry fire, you possess the authority to make decisions and pass judgment upon the face of the earth. When a man carries the baptism of fire, he is imbued with the capacity to command abundance of blessings and ability to destroy the works of darkness. Every believer needs the baptism of fire. There are people who speak in tongues and yet they are kidnapped with ordinary handkerchief because they lack the baptism of fire. What today’s church lacks is not the ability to speak in tongues, but the baptism of fire. From the scriptures, we can see that Jeremiah carried the baptism of fire when he said “your fire is shut up in my bones.”

Generally, the arrow of the enemy cannot penetrate a life that is on fire, because there is no limit to the strength of fire. Goldsmiths use fire to purify gold, and fire is also used in the destruction of things and metals. That is to say that fire can purify, yet fire can destroy. Herein lies the position that the believer assumes when the fire comes. He is placed in a position where he can either destroy or purify. The position is such that when the believer speaks to ordinary men, they are purified. A sinner becomes a minister and spiritually dead man comes alive by virtue of the fire resting upon the believer. Likewise, when such believer is challenged by witchcraft authority, he can declare destruction upon them and they will be destroyed instantly. Such a person can also dispel the devil out of a man because he carries a verdict of fire. A man that is baptized with fire begins to speak God’s words, and not his own words. When he speaks, the heavens tremble because it is as if God himself has spoken. You need to tell God to put his words in your mouth. I remember is 2006/2007, I was praying for a girl who was possessed with some very strange and tough spirit. As I began praying, the girl threatened to report me to the queen of the forest. That was

the first time I got to hear about the demon called the queen of the forest. I then told her to report that I am the son of Olukoya, and as soon as I mentioned that name the serpents in her started running out, for they were many. The bottom line is that I mentioned the name of a man and the demons began to run out. This means that the name of a man can scare a demon to the core. I then began to mention other names like Daddy Adeboye, Bishop Oyedepo and the likes and their names produced the same results. The once bold demons became very timid and afraid. However, when I mentioned the names of some ministers, some demons returned; and that was how I knew that those ministers do not carry the baptism of fire.

Brethren, the name of a man carrying the baptism of fire cannot be mentioned in the kingdom of darkness. The reason you always pray and command your belongings on any evil altar to catch fire is because you lack the baptism of fire. The enemies know that they cannot put your picture/material on their evil altar when you carry the baptism of fire. It is the baptism of fire that distinguishes you from an ordinary tongue speaking believer. It is not in how long you speak in tongues, it is how much of the fire you are baptized with. Brethren, the devil does not respect tongues, the devil respects fire because the fire is what backs up your spiritual language [tongues].

It is sad that there is a shortage of the baptism of fire in this generation and time. How I wish that everyone would receive the baptism of fire, so that heaven will be glad. Brethren, it is that baptism of fire that makes the impossible, possible. A man born blind can see through the prayers of a man baptized with fire; a man born deaf can hear through the prayers of a man baptized with fire; a man born lame can walk through the prayers of a man baptized with fire. Truly there are men that no longer pray and yet they get results. The great Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola was a man that was deeply baptized with fire. One day people rushed to his house over their deceased child while he was having his bath in the bathroom. Baba could not come out because he was bathing, but they kept crying. He then directed them to scoop some of the bath water flowing out of the bathroom and pour on the head of the deceased child. As soon as the water touched the dead child, he came back to life. The Apostle did not pray, the water flowing out of his body was sufficient to yield results. When fire touches anything dead, it must come alive. Apostle Babalola was greatly baptized with fire such that his instructions produced unprecedented results, and till date we are yet to have another minister like him in our time.

The baptism of fire makes you authoritative in the spirit realm. Today, pray earnestly and seriously until the fire comes upon you and the miraculous breaks out in your life. That baptism of fire will make the things that people see as extraordinary become ordinary to you. What men see as difficult becomes simple and natural for you. Imagine that your natural life was like Jesus’ own, because to be Christian means you are “Christlike.” Better still imagine that every believer in church was like Christ, then you will be able to fathom how effective the kingdom of God will be on earth. It would be such that even the ushers at the entrance would heal the sick and cast out devils just by welcoming people to the service. This means that even the least of us will be too hot for the enemy to handle.

It takes the baptism of fire to shift a season. The Bible tells us that an ordinary man like Elijah locked up the heavens and there was no rain in the land for three and half years. When the appointed time came, he opened the heavens. This means that one man was holding the key over a whole nation. It is the baptism of fire that makes a man in charge of a nation. Likewise, it takes the baptism of fire to prove to your family that you are in charge. Brethren, the reason you have strong men in your family is because some persons allowed the devil to baptize them. The believer therefore needs to be baptized of God so they can destroy those strong men and be in control. Note that the word “strong man” is not a bad word in itself; it is only bad because it is in the hands of the enemies, When it is in the hands of a believer it is called “Dominion.” Thus, the believer needs to take over and become the strongman in the family so that family members can be allowed to prosper; because if power is in the hands of a demon possessed person, he would put everybody under oppression. When the person with fire comes, power will change hands; the one who was once called powerful will be brought down. Philip was a deacon who went to a city, and there was a sorcerer called Barjesus in that city. Barjesus had bewitched the whole city with sorcery such that they thought he was a god. But when Philip arrived, he began to destroy the works of the devil and the people burnt their witchcraft and magic books. Then, the people began switching their allegiance from Barjesus to the real Jesus. The baptism of fire was upon Philip, a helper in Ministry, and so he took over the whole city for Christ without waiting for any of the Apostles to come. The victory was so great that the entire city, including the sorcerer, gave their lives to Christ.

The baptism of fire is what makes the enemy attentive to a believer. It makes the enemy afraid of you such that he cannot carry out his demonic activities around your vicinity. Your house and environment will be protected because of you. The baptism of fire is real and a believer must carry that baptism. There are some people that have double spirits living in them – the Holy Spirit and evil spirit[s] because there is no baptism of fire. When the baptism of fire comes upon you, demons cannot stay because the demons do not respect smooth English but they respect fire. The believers of today must challenge the devil and refuse to be ordinary. We must awake and carry the fire of God; our children must carry the fire. The question is: if witchcraft children can fulfill the devil’s assignment by initiating the children of believers, why can’t the believers put fire on their children so that their children can also go to schools and set other children on fire? A little boy attended a meeting like this and decided to practice what he learnt in school. He started laying hands on other children and they fell under the anointing. As the teacher attempted to stop him, the little boy laid his hands on her and she also came under the power. Although he was a little child, he was effective because he carried the baptism of fire.

You don’t need a title in order to carry the baptism of fire, i.e. you don’t have to be a pastor. It is God’s desire that every believer should be baptized with fire. Moses said he wished that all men were prophets. Even our Lord Jesus commanded his disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they be endued with power from on high. To tarry means to stay, but today’s believers jump out and go places without carrying the

baptism, and that is why they have no result. It is unfortunate that in recent times, outward beauty has replaced inward fire. It is not a quest to baptize a million people in two days, but it is sufficient that those of us that are available carry that fire and when we carry that fire, then we have established the foundation properly. It is enough that you and I carry that fire so that life can become easy for us.

When the baptism of fire comes upon a man, natural sicknesses and spiritual sicknesses disappear. We had an impartation session at a small leadership gathering, and afterwards, a sister testified that she had been falling sick repeatedly before that meeting but the sickness vanished as soon as the power of God came upon her. We also held a crusade at the University of Lagos where we introduced the fire to the students, and by Sunday of the program when we called for testimonies there was a very long queue of testifiers. Almost every testifier had one healing experience or the other. The testimonies were massive that I almost fainted after reading a report of the testimonies.

When the fire is introduced into an environment, demons begin to jump out, and unnatural activities are stopped. If you are wondering why you do not experience favour, you need to introduce the fire into your life and whatever is causing the disfavour will burn. If the enemy has put a mask upon you such that you are not seen by helpers, such mask will vanish as soon as the fire comes upon you. The Bible tells us that Jesus grew and was in favour with God and man. When the fire comes, you must be in favour with God and with man; people will be compelled to favour you even if they do not like you. In other words, the baptism of fire keeps you in God’s good record. When God looks on earth, He sees you as an important arsenal that can cause a quake on earth.

The scriptures tell us that the Lord will not do anything unless He reveals it to his servant. But you must know that the servant is one that is baptized with fire. There are activities that God will never do in Ajegunle community without first telling me. In essence, God will not do certain things in a vicinity without revealing it to those He has appointed in that vicinity.

Dear believers, you cannot continue allowing the devil to mesmerize while you keep complaining that life is not fair. Beloved, life has never been fair to anyone, what makes the difference is fire. Our Lord Jesus Christ was the son of a carpenter, but He was more famous than his father, the carpenter. People did not know him for carpentry, he was only known for the baptism of fire. Also, when you carry the fire, your business prospers and whatever repels customers before, begins to draw them close.

The baptism of fire is real and what the church needs the most is that baptism; what the nations need most is that baptism. We need men that can command the atmosphere and stop the activities of demons. God requires men that will destroy the works of the devil, but they need to be baptized with fire. Tonight, I encourage everyone to cry out for that baptism of fire.

PRAYER