...And You Shall be Baptised With the Holy Spirit and Fire

The Fire of God is a fascinating topic. When you do a word study on Fire in the Bible there are certain characteristics that show us when the Fire is from God and when it is the creation of or by people. One of the symbols of the Holy Spirit in Scripture is that of oil.

Lk 3:16-1716 John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire . NIV

We use the symbolism of oil when we are speaking about being anointed by God. You will discover that this anointing oil is also used in conjunction with the lamp stand or that which burns in the lamp stand. One of the concepts connected with fire in scripture is the refining that fire brings forth. The example that we most often think of related to this concept is the refining fire that causes a separation of the gold and the impurities in it, which are separated out when enough fire is applied to the gold.

The fire of God keeps buring in our lives until we go to meet Jesus. The purifing work of the Spirit's fire can cause us to wonder if we will survive the anointing of God in our lives.

There are three books that I want to recommend to you if you find the anointing of the Spirit just a little to hot! The Upside of Adversity by OS Hillman, Surviving the Anointing by David Ravenhill and Praying Through Job by Elmer Towns.

The Up Side of Adversity by Os Hillman

It can be extremely difficult to see God's Hand in our lives when we are going through hardship and adversity. TGIF Today God Is First Daily Devotional author Os Hillman knows this all to well. He lost his marriage, his business, and his financial "nest egg" all within a short period of time. Through a challenging seven-year process, Os learned that God was at work using these painful circumstances to prepare him for the calling God had on his life.If you are in the middle of adversity, or you know someone who is, or just want to learn more about why God allows adversity into our lives, this new book by Os Hillman will be a tremendous encouragement as well as a Biblically-grounded discovery of what God may just be up to "behind the scenes" during this painful and challenging time.

In The Upside of Adversity, you will learn…
Why some people are called to extraordinary adversity.
Why adversity is sometimes necessary to fulfill your ultimate destiny
Whether you have the key attributes of a Joseph Calling upon your life and what this will mean for your future
What the Black Hole is and whether you are in it!
The four tests Joseph had to pass to fulfill his destiny and why you MUST pass these same tests
Why good people suffer
Why leaders God uses always experience adversity
The role generational strongholds play in adversity
Why fear of failure often causes adversity
What you can learn from successful people who have faced adversity
How to avoid becoming a victim to your circumstances
What the upside of adversity really is
Why adversity is sometimes necessary to fulfill your ultimate destiny
Whether you have the key attributes of a Joseph Calling upon your life and what this will mean for your future
What the Black Hole is and whether you are in it!
The four tests Joseph had to pass to fulfill his destiny and why you MUST pass these same tests
Why good people suffer
Why leaders God uses always experience adversity
The role generational strongholds play in adversity
Why fear of failure often causes adversity
What you can learn from successful people who have faced adversity
How to avoid becoming a victim to your circumstances
What the upside of adversity really is


Surviving the Anointing by David Ravenhill


Surviving the Anointing is a solid teaching tool for church leaders who are facing not only their own struggles but also reaping the fallout of recent moral failings of nationally well-known church leaders.
David Ravenhill addresses the very real issues of how and why modern-day pastors and church leaders succumb to the enemy. He offers practical ways to survive the calling and the anointing. He openly discusses the inherent pitfalls of being anointed and compares today's trials and troubles to those faced by biblical leaders.

This book candidly discusses a wide range of important topics, including:
Intimacy
Authority
Persistency
Empathy
Humility
Worship
Diversity
Family
Adversity
Integrity
Unity
Eternity

Each topic is thoroughly discussed and documented as it pertains to a leader's responsibilities and its importance to Surviving the Anointing.


Praying the Book of Job by Elmer L. Towns

The book of Job was the first book written in the Bible. It represents the thoughts and logic of the early patriarchs. Even though early and embryonic, it contains the root fundamentals of Christianity. It contains a view of a sovereign God, Creator, guide, and judge of all men. The author tells us salvation is found only in God and even though we pass through the inevitability of death, yet there is coming a resurrection when we shall see God. The righteous will live with God and the wicked will be punished in Sheol (Hell).
This book will help you understand why there is suffering in the world and what God wants to accomplish through it. Also, learn the wrong reactions to suffering. Some of the "poor theology" you might hear in hospitals today is as old as Job.
Praying the Book of Job is not just a translation to help you know better the book of Job, but this is a devotional to help you know God. So reach out to touch God as you pray the book of Job, but more importantly — let God touch you.

The materials above are from the publishes web sites or from sites trying to sell this work.