Dear Brothers & Sisters:
May His wonderful joy, peace, and love flood your hearts. We are writing you this short note with much expectation in our hearts as our Lord Jesus moves in power in our region - the Pacific Northwest. As we have spent times in seeking His face, He has been speaking to us concerning the days ahead. We would like to share with you some of what we have been hearing.
Jesus has been speaking to us about the importance of His name. There is no other name given to us whereby we can be saved. Please be encouraged to walk in His name. Do not be ashamed to speak His name, even though there may be peer pressure to keep silent. As soon as His name is spoken, there is a division which takes place. There are those who are for Him and those who are against Him. As we identify with Him, those who are against Him will be against us. But those who are for Him will often identify with us and we all become aware of His presence in our midst. We then can become the church released! Where two are three come together "in His name" He is in our midst to save, to heal, to comfort, to deliver, etc. Jesus desires to be present "with us" in the ordinary places of our lives - the work places, schools, market places, factories, buses, neighborhoods, streets, and parks! He desires His church to be released and walk in Him!
Jesus is the one who baptizes us in the Holy Ghost and fire. No other one can do this. He has been speaking to us about this baptism - especially about the baptism in fire. Many brethren want to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, but they are not too sure about the fire part. We have sensed Him sharing with us three aspects of the baptism in fire and we want to share them with you.
The Baptism in the Fire of His Love. The two disciples who walked "with Him" on the road to Emmaus said to one another, "Did not our hearts burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures?" (Luke 24:32) There is a baptism of fire which causes our hearts to burn in His presence. The Holy Spirit teaches us all things, guides us in all truth while the fire of His love burns in our hearts. When Jesus asked Peter if he would leave Him, Peter answered, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life." (John 6:68) The fire of love was burning in Peter's heart and he couldn't leave. Do you remember the prostitute who washed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. The fire of His love burned in her heart and healed and delivered her. Her sins were forgiven. (Luke 7:37-50) The fire of His love burns in the hearts of our lost brothers and sisters, calling them home to Jesus.
The Baptism in the Fire of Affliction. The fire of affliction refines us as a refiner's fire. Jesus desires that our hearts would be as pure as refined gold and silver - with all the dross brought to the surface and removed so that He can shine through our lives. In Isaiah 48:10 we read, "Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." Do you remember the time Jesus said, "[T]he prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me."? (John14:30) The baptism in the fire of affliction purifies us so that Satan has nothing in us, so that we do not give him a foothold in our lives. As we embrace this baptism of fire we generally experience a greater humility so that we can be a servant. Jesus wants us free from pride, free from the fear of the devil, and free from the fear of death. He wants our hearts.
The Baptism in the Fire of Persecution. As we are baptized in the fire of His love and in the fire of affliction where we are purified, we are made ready for the fire of persecution. It is an honor to be counted worthy to suffer persecution for His name. (Acts 5:41) The New Testament has many references to suffering and persecution because we live and move and have our being in Jesus. (Acts 17:28) Paul writes Timothy that he had to endure many afflictions and persecutions and that ..."Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:11, 12) Jesus said we are blessed when we are persecuted for righteousness' sake and when we are reviled or persecuted because of Him. (Matthew 5:10,11)
This present revival and awakening involves the fear of the LORD, the power of His awesome presence, and the resulting persecution against the saints. We need to understand that His visitation to our region, and to our nation, will be accompanied by violence against the true church. There is a price to pay for standing for Jesus in the midst of a wicked and perverse population. There has been a price paid for standing for Jesus and against the slaughter of the pre-born children. Many have already been jailed and many have been harassed by lawsuits -laying down their lives for righteousness' sake. The wicked have become used to winning in this nation. They do not enjoy the increasing presence of God and the fear of the LORD (Yahweh) which is increasing the conviction of their wicked ways.
Lies and liars abound at every level of life in our country..."they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity. (Jeremiah 9:5)" Those who love their lying ways hate those who walk in righteousness and truth. All liars, who do not repent, will be in the lake of fire. The homosexuals are continuing to press for their desire for a modern-day Sodom. We must understand the power and bondage of this sin on those given over to it. For example, remember the homosexuals who wanted to "know" the angels who were at Lot's house in Sodom. They were struck blind by the angels, but they continued to grope for the door, even after they had encountered the power of God. This shows how terribly addicted they were to their sexual perversion. This helps us to understand Romans chapter one which explains how such people will hate the people of God enough to do violence against them. Those who promote and practice sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, pornography, homosexuality, etc. are workers of iniquity, and if they do not repent, they will be in the lake of fire. The increasing power of His presence with the accompanying fear of the LORD (Yahweh) will cause the wicked to rise up against the righteous.
The power of God, the awesome fear of the LORD (Yahweh), and persecution of the righteous - are you ready for these? This is why we need the baptism of fire - the fire of His love which burns in our hearts, the fire of affliction which purifies and refines us, and the fire of persecution which causes the revival to spread. The dragon has had a heyday in our land but he will be cast down and overcome because we, the saints of God (the bride), overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of our testimony; and we love not our lives unto the death. (Revelation 12:10,11)
Thank you so much for your continuing prayers and financial support. Your encouragement means so much to us - more than we can ever say in a letter. We especially appreciate your personal notes. They keep us going and stir us up to continue on. May we all be baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire. May the fire of His love burn in our hearts and draw us near to Him. May the fire of affliction refine and purify us - His church, His Bride. May the fire of persecution make us strong and willing to lay down our lives for Him and for one another. Let the fire burn!
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