Welcome to Battles of Faith. 00:00:15.96\00:00:17.49 We are your hosts Ivor and Atonte Myers. 00:00:17.53\00:00:20.69 Throughout this series we have been talking about the 00:00:20.73\00:00:23.89 entertainment industry. 00:00:23.93\00:00:25.58 Today we want to switch gears just a little bit. 00:00:25.61\00:00:28.43 we entitled this program Flame On. 00:00:28.46\00:00:31.74 We want to encourage our young people and our viewers 00:00:31.78\00:00:35.73 to get on fire for the Lord. 00:00:35.77\00:00:38.50 That is what we are going to be discussing today. 00:00:38.54\00:00:41.35 Atonte some people may be wondering, flame on, 00:00:41.39\00:00:44.16 that sounds familiar. 00:00:44.20\00:00:46.01 When I was little there was a comic book I used to 00:00:46.05\00:00:48.50 love to read. 00:00:48.54\00:00:49.66 There were 4 individuals and there is actually a movie 00:00:49.70\00:00:53.89 out now about these superheroes. 00:00:53.92\00:00:57.93 One of the superheroes name was Johnny. 00:00:57.97\00:01:01.44 Johnny had this ability to become a human torch. 00:01:01.48\00:01:08.83 So he would say, flame on, 00:01:08.86\00:01:11.04 and all of a sudden he would flame on. 00:01:11.08\00:01:13.46 You know I said it before, I think that a lot of what 00:01:13.50\00:01:17.74 Hollywood presents out there, one it is a mockery of God, 00:01:17.77\00:01:22.01 and two it is a counterfeit of what God has in store for 00:01:22.05\00:01:25.88 His people and so we want to talk about the biblical 00:01:25.92\00:01:29.72 concept of flaming on. 00:01:29.76\00:01:32.05 What does it mean to be on fire? 00:01:32.09\00:01:34.14 What is it mean to be burning with a love for 00:01:34.18\00:01:38.60 Jesus Christ in your heart? 00:01:38.63\00:01:40.41 That is right, on many of the other programs we have been 00:01:40.45\00:01:43.03 sharing what we have found in the word of God. 00:01:43.07\00:01:45.65 And what God has taught us personally. 00:01:45.69\00:01:47.75 We have talked about the entertainment industry. 00:01:47.78\00:01:49.81 We have talked about television. 00:01:49.85\00:01:50.82 We have talked about movies and music and video games. 00:01:50.83\00:01:53.55 Different things like that, but today we really want 00:01:53.58\00:01:56.34 to show the other side. 00:01:56.38\00:01:57.79 What it is like to be on fire for God, 00:01:57.82\00:02:00.38 especially as a young person. 00:02:00.41\00:02:02.22 What God has in store for you. 00:02:02.25\00:02:03.99 What God's mission is for you and how you can get 00:02:04.03\00:02:06.62 on fire and stay on fire. 00:02:06.65\00:02:08.32 Now we also want to tie in the battle plan again. 00:02:08.35\00:02:12.62 What we want you to understand as we have an enemy, 00:02:12.65\00:02:16.07 a spiritual enemy, and he is going to try to prevent us 00:02:16.10\00:02:19.49 from doing what? from flaming on 00:02:19.52\00:02:22.63 So we are going to present both sides and we want to 00:02:22.67\00:02:25.15 encourage your viewers out there today to grab your Bibles 00:02:25.18\00:02:29.21 because we are going to be going 00:02:29.24\00:02:30.47 through our Bible and see what it means to flame on. 00:02:30.51\00:02:33.79 Let's go first of all to Revelation Chapter 3. 00:02:33.83\00:02:36.51 Revelation Chapter 3 and we are going to begin with 00:02:36.54\00:02:39.32 verse 14 through to verse 16. 00:02:39.36\00:02:43.06 And God here is speaking to His church. 00:02:43.10\00:02:46.97 He is addressing seven churches and this particular 00:02:47.00\00:02:50.65 church is Laodicea, the last church before Jesus comes 00:02:50.68\00:02:56.93 back to the earth. 00:02:56.97\00:02:59.01 Here's His message to the Laodicea church. 00:02:59.04\00:03:01.86 The name Laodicea means the people of judgment. 00:03:01.89\00:03:05.95 The people of judgment and so notice what it says in 00:03:05.98\00:03:08.69 verse 14, 00:03:08.73\00:03:14.96 It's interesting Atonte that Christ is speaking to his church 00:03:40.95\00:03:45.60 He is telling them, I want you to be either cold or hot. 00:03:45.64\00:03:49.82 Now evidently to be hot means to be on fire for Him. 00:03:49.85\00:03:53.16 to be cold is saying I do not want to serve Him. 00:03:53.20\00:03:56.43 But God is saying I'd rather you be hot or cold, 00:03:56.46\00:03:59.66 but I don't want you to be lukewarm. 00:03:59.70\00:04:02.91 Now it is interesting Atonte that when you take these 00:04:02.94\00:04:06.51 words hot and cold, and you mix them together, 00:04:06.54\00:04:08.77 what do you have? 00:04:08.81\00:04:09.85 You get lukewarm. Ivor: you get lukewarm. 00:04:09.88\00:04:12.14 You might even say that you may even get cool. 00:04:12.17\00:04:15.55 And God is saying listen, I think He is speaking 00:04:15.58\00:04:18.04 especially to the young people, He's saying listen 00:04:18.08\00:04:22.97 you cannot be hot and cool at the same time. 00:04:23.01\00:04:27.83 I believe that one of the things the enemy is trying to 00:04:27.87\00:04:32.66 do in these last days, he has this generation focusing 00:04:32.69\00:04:37.45 being cool versus on being hot. 00:04:37.48\00:04:41.55 That's right instead of being hot they are so focused on 00:04:41.58\00:04:45.23 being cool and that being hot is not even desirable. 00:04:45.26\00:04:48.87 no, it's not cool, it is not cool to be hot. 00:04:48.91\00:04:54.29 We want to explode that and say that God is calling us to 00:04:54.33\00:04:59.01 be hot, being hot doesn't mean being stiff. 00:04:59.04\00:05:02.25 Being hot means having a vital connection with Jesus Christ. 00:05:02.29\00:05:06.33 I can testify to this because I grew, up most of my teen 00:05:06.36\00:05:10.08 years, because my husband did as well, trying to be cool. 00:05:10.11\00:05:13.79 So I was always try to do the things to fit in with 00:05:13.83\00:05:16.27 everybody else, what the cool thing was to do, I did it. 00:05:16.30\00:05:21.77 However, when I found Jesus for myself and started a real 00:05:21.81\00:05:27.43 relationship with Him, being hot or flaming on was much 00:05:27.46\00:05:33.05 more exciting than I ever had being cool. 00:05:33.08\00:05:36.61 The joy, the peace, the happiness, the security in His 00:05:36.64\00:05:41.75 love was all there. 00:05:41.78\00:05:43.60 And it was exciting when I was called to share, when God 00:05:43.64\00:05:47.02 would open up a situation where I would have to even 00:05:47.05\00:05:50.25 witness, or tell somebody about Him, it was the most 00:05:50.28\00:05:53.44 exciting thing in my day. 00:05:53.47\00:05:55.57 It was like there is nothing better, nothing more fun, 00:05:55.61\00:05:58.86 nothing that make me any happier than that. 00:05:58.90\00:06:01.91 What God hates most, and God does not hate a lot. 00:06:01.95\00:06:07.21 What God hates a lot is when His children want to be 00:06:07.25\00:06:12.44 so accepted by the world that they resort to peer pressure, 00:06:12.47\00:06:18.75 they resort to being cool in stead of being hot. 00:06:18.78\00:06:23.90 The Bible talks in Matthew 7:15, Jesus here gives a 00:06:23.93\00:06:29.01 principal, notice what it says. 00:06:29.04\00:06:30.78 Well what is the matter with this picture? 00:06:39.90\00:06:41.77 You have got wolves who are dressed up as sheep, 00:06:41.81\00:06:46.10 that is what the Bible says. 00:06:46.13\00:06:47.54 God hates that because it is deceptive. 00:06:47.58\00:06:49.98 The wolf is hiding out in sheep's clothing. 00:06:50.02\00:06:52.39 And God says stay away from that. 00:06:52.42\00:06:54.56 Have you ever stopped to think about the concept of 00:06:54.59\00:07:00.20 sheep in wolves clothing? 00:07:00.24\00:07:01.82 A sheep, in order for us to get closer to the world, 00:07:01.85\00:07:07.03 in order for us to be accepted of the world we are going 00:07:07.06\00:07:11.73 to start talking like the Wolf, and acting like the Wolf, 00:07:11.76\00:07:16.40 and dressing like the Wolf, so that we can be accepted 00:07:16.44\00:07:21.01 but inside I am really a sheep, but they just don't know it. 00:07:21.05\00:07:24.69 I think that principle is something that God wants us to 00:07:24.72\00:07:28.02 stay away from because it is the principle of deception. 00:07:28.06\00:07:31.23 Same thing wolves in sheep clothing, same principle. 00:07:31.27\00:07:34.38 Sheep in wolves clothing, He says let the wolves be wolves 00:07:34.41\00:07:37.48 and the sheep be sheep. 00:07:37.52\00:07:40.51 Let there be a clear distinction between those who are hot 00:07:40.54\00:07:44.77 and those who are cool. 00:07:44.81\00:07:46.83 God is calling for that distinction and says in Me, 00:07:46.86\00:07:50.17 I can teach you how to flame on. 00:07:50.20\00:07:54.67 That's right, Jesus can teach us how to flame on. 00:07:54.71\00:07:59.13 Wouldn't it be so exciting to have a youth group where the 00:07:59.16\00:08:04.22 base was the word, and studying the word and being filled 00:08:04.26\00:08:09.28 more and more with the Spirit. 00:08:09.32\00:08:11.54 Because so many times we form youth groups to entertain, 00:08:11.58\00:08:15.28 or let's go play a game, or let's go do something 00:08:15.31\00:08:18.72 entertaining, and there is nothing wrong with that. 00:08:18.76\00:08:21.52 We should have some fun with our young people, 00:08:21.56\00:08:24.29 there is nothing wrong with having fun. 00:08:24.32\00:08:25.62 Wholesome good fun, however the word, you still have to 00:08:25.65\00:08:31.58 be deep in the word, it is important. 00:08:31.61\00:08:33.63 This generation is the next generation. 00:08:33.66\00:08:35.64 And Jesus is coming soon. 00:08:35.67\00:08:37.34 We were talking about biblical illiteracy in the 00:08:37.38\00:08:40.04 last program and I have seen a lot as I have traveled 00:08:40.07\00:08:43.76 and spoken with different youth groups and 00:08:43.79\00:08:46.41 young people all over. 00:08:46.44\00:08:47.97 Youth groups, are large part of the youth ministry, 00:08:48.01\00:08:53.87 today is about entertaining. 00:08:53.91\00:08:56.14 Then we give a little nugget about the word of God, 00:08:56.17\00:08:59.50 and we say we've done our work. 00:08:59.54\00:09:01.05 But I believe that a biblical youth group should be a 00:09:01.08\00:09:05.08 group that is based upon the word of God. 00:09:05.11\00:09:07.14 A biblical youth group is a youth group that says we are 00:09:07.18\00:09:11.05 going to fulfill the mandate that Jesus Christ has given 00:09:11.09\00:09:14.93 us to go out and evangelize the world. 00:09:14.97\00:09:19.76 To win the world, to tell them about the gospel of 00:09:19.79\00:09:22.71 Jesus Christ, to turn their eyes upon Jesus, and to turn their 00:09:22.75\00:09:26.35 eyes to the word of God. 00:09:26.39\00:09:28.00 I think one of the biggest problems is that many of our 00:09:28.04\00:09:31.54 young people, because of the lack of the knowledge of 00:09:31.58\00:09:35.04 the Word of God. 00:09:35.08\00:09:36.49 So many things are going on out there where. 00:09:36.52\00:09:38.31 We are being entertained and that we don't have a 00:09:38.34\00:09:40.81 knowledge of the Word of God so I'm now fearful to go 00:09:40.84\00:09:43.82 out and share because I do not know what I'm sharing. 00:09:43.86\00:09:47.48 So when God makes this call and He says I want you to be 00:09:47.51\00:09:51.10 hot in the church, on fire, 00:09:51.13\00:09:54.10 or cold out but don't be cool. 00:09:54.14\00:09:57.03 I believe what Satan has done is that he is made us afraid 00:09:57.07\00:10:02.68 to want to push this for the young people because of the 00:10:02.72\00:10:08.30 history in the past of the church. 00:10:08.33\00:10:10.34 I'm not talking about any one particular church, 00:10:10.37\00:10:13.02 I'm talking about the Christian church overall. 00:10:13.05\00:10:17.35 These things were pushed to study the word, pray, 00:10:17.38\00:10:20.40 all these different things, but young people weren't 00:10:20.44\00:10:23.33 seeing some of the adults and other older members of 00:10:23.37\00:10:26.80 the church truly having a real supernatural personal 00:10:26.84\00:10:30.24 connection with God. 00:10:30.28\00:10:31.72 Ivor: they didn't see the fire. 00:10:31.75\00:10:35.56 They didn't see the fire, so they do not want to be 00:10:35.60\00:10:38.19 hypocrites so they are just saying come on we'll do 00:10:38.23\00:10:40.66 God thing and you should pray and read your Bible a 00:10:40.70\00:10:43.25 little bit but let's go on have fun and make sure we 00:10:43.29\00:10:45.81 have a good time together and we are friends. 00:10:45.85\00:10:48.14 It is important for youth leaders and pastors and 00:10:48.18\00:10:50.40 other people in the church to connect with young people 00:10:50.44\00:10:53.21 on that level, but it is not more important than 00:10:53.24\00:10:56.34 studying the word. 00:10:56.38\00:10:57.81 We have to have a balance. 00:10:57.85\00:10:59.33 That's right, well let's talk about how to flame on. 00:10:59.37\00:11:01.41 This is where God wants us to be at. 00:11:01.45\00:11:04.79 I have a text to your in Matthew 3:11. 00:11:04.82\00:11:08.09 John the Baptist here is speaking and he says something 00:11:08.13\00:11:11.93 very powerful and very eye-opening. 00:11:11.97\00:11:14.06 In verse 11. 00:11:14.10\00:11:15.75 That is a powerful text Atonte, because you can imagine 00:11:33.29\00:11:37.11 baptism, baptism if you have seen a baptism before, 00:11:37.15\00:11:40.28 what happens is the minister stands before you and puts 00:11:40.31\00:11:43.83 a white cloth over your nose and mouth which symbolizes 00:11:43.86\00:11:47.34 you have stopped breathing. 00:11:47.38\00:11:49.00 Atonte: symbolizes death. 00:11:49.70\00:11:50.67 death and he takes you down into the water 00:11:50.68\00:11:52.84 and it is baptism by submersion. 00:11:52.88\00:11:55.35 So you are fully underwater, which represents burial. 00:11:55.39\00:12:00.37 Then he brings you back up and he removes that cloth. 00:12:00.41\00:12:05.36 You take your first breath, so to speak. 00:12:05.39\00:12:07.94 What I want to focus in on is the fact that you come up 00:12:07.98\00:12:11.21 wet, you come up doused in water as it were. 00:12:11.25\00:12:14.40 Now we need to understand that because when the Bible 00:12:14.44\00:12:18.24 talks about being baptized with fire, just imagine 00:12:18.27\00:12:22.00 in your mind, the concept of God taking you down in a pool 00:12:22.04\00:12:26.80 of fire and bringing you back up, and what are you on? 00:12:26.83\00:12:31.55 Atonte: you're on fire. 00:12:31.59\00:12:33.06 You're on fire, you are submersed in fire and God says 00:12:33.10\00:12:35.99 this is what it means to be baptized in fire. 00:12:36.02\00:12:38.13 It means you are submersed in the presence of God. 00:12:38.17\00:12:40.95 Hebrews 12:29 the Bible says, 00:12:40.98\00:12:44.21 "our God is a consuming fire. " 00:12:44.25\00:12:47.41 So be baptized in fire, we baptized in the Spirit of God 00:12:47.45\00:12:52.25 means to go down and submersed yourself into God, 00:12:52.28\00:12:56.23 into the Spirit of God, into the Word of God and come up. 00:12:56.26\00:13:00.25 When you come up you are on fire, you have flamed on. 00:13:00.28\00:13:04.24 Not by any fire of your own, 00:13:04.27\00:13:05.94 but by the fire of God Himself. 00:13:05.97\00:13:07.57 I think that once we are baptized by the water we 00:13:07.61\00:13:11.11 kind of miss this point sometimes because it says, 00:13:11.15\00:13:14.61 "and with fire. " 00:13:14.65\00:13:15.99 It is very important that we get baptized by the water 00:13:16.03\00:13:19.46 and we feel like we are just the same regular old people. 00:13:19.50\00:13:22.90 that has publicly said we are going to follow Jesus. 00:13:22.94\00:13:26.24 But the second part about being baptized with fire, 00:13:26.28\00:13:29.48 or the Spirit of God, is so very vitally important. 00:13:29.52\00:13:33.29 That is right and what that fire does, fire consumes. 00:13:33.32\00:13:38.03 What that fire does is it consumes the carnality that 00:13:38.06\00:13:42.15 is in our hearts, it consumes all those desires that 00:13:42.18\00:13:46.24 we once had out the world. 00:13:46.27\00:13:48.09 I no longer want to be cool, I want to be hot. 00:13:48.13\00:13:51.37 That is what this fire does, it teaches us how to love 00:13:51.40\00:13:54.65 Jesus, it teaches us how to be on fire, how to burn, and 00:13:54.68\00:13:58.64 how to have a burning desire in our hearts to serve Jesus. 00:13:58.67\00:14:02.59 Really a lot of times this is what is missing. 00:14:02.63\00:14:04.86 So we go out into the world and try to find other things 00:14:04.90\00:14:07.98 that will make it appear that we may be on fire, 00:14:08.01\00:14:12.20 when we really are being cool. 00:14:12.24\00:14:15.01 God says I want you to come to Me and submerse yourself 00:14:15.05\00:14:18.71 in Me, He didn't say I want you to submerse yourself in 00:14:18.74\00:14:22.72 music, He said I want you to submerse yourself in Me. 00:14:22.76\00:14:26.67 In My word, and it is through His word that He sends forth 00:14:26.70\00:14:31.13 that this reaction takes place in us and we could walk 00:14:31.17\00:14:35.57 around like fireballs. 00:14:35.60\00:14:36.78 You're not literally on fire, but you are walking 00:14:36.82\00:14:38.41 around flamed on. 00:14:38.44\00:14:40.51 And I know there is a young person watching right now who 00:14:40.54\00:14:44.04 is thinking can that happen for me overnight? 00:14:44.07\00:14:47.38 Can it really happen? 00:14:47.41\00:14:48.45 Well I know for myself I just got to the point, 00:14:48.48\00:14:51.76 and this is what I would recommend to anybody. 00:14:51.79\00:14:55.00 I just got to the point where I desired that, I desired 00:14:55.03\00:14:57.65 the fire but didn't know how to get it. 00:14:57.69\00:14:59.91 So I prayed a simple prayer to God and I remember being 00:14:59.95\00:15:04.15 in the Oakwood College sanctuary. 00:15:04.19\00:15:05.98 It was a prayer meeting on Wednesday night and I kneeled 00:15:06.01\00:15:09.32 down and whispered a prayer, Lord by any means necessary, 00:15:09.36\00:15:12.64 I had been very heavy into Malcolm X., 00:15:12.67\00:15:15.38 by any means necessary please save me. 00:15:15.41\00:15:18.05 Nothing that I did within myself to start it, but I believe 00:15:18.08\00:15:22.31 that the Holy Spirit really started working on my heart. 00:15:22.35\00:15:26.54 My thoughts and my feelings started to change. 00:15:26.58\00:15:29.07 The things I wanted to do. 00:15:29.10\00:15:30.81 The desires that I wanted to do. 00:15:30.84\00:15:32.58 The music I started to listen to, it wasn't all overnight 00:15:32.61\00:15:35.74 but it was a step and a process. 00:15:35.77\00:15:38.19 No matter where was in the process as long as I obeyed 00:15:38.22\00:15:41.16 God and followed Him, I was on fire. 00:15:41.19\00:15:43.52 Even though I still have much more growing to do, 00:15:43.56\00:15:45.59 I was still on fire for where I was. 00:15:45.62\00:15:47.28 That's right, you know when you think about that invisible 00:15:47.32\00:15:51.59 reality of God, that invisible realm. 00:15:51.62\00:15:55.28 That great controversy they cannot be seen with the 00:15:55.32\00:15:59.30 natural eyes, when God opened up my eyes to see this 00:15:59.33\00:16:03.28 conflict that is what caused me to flame on. 00:16:03.31\00:16:06.02 When I saw there were invisible realities that there was this 00:16:06.06\00:16:10.53 great controversy in which the souls of human kind, 00:16:10.56\00:16:13.94 to me this was greater than any movie I had ever seen. 00:16:13.97\00:16:17.31 And it was real. 00:16:17.35\00:16:18.64 I thought Lord you want me to have a part in 00:16:18.67\00:16:20.84 this great controversy? 00:16:20.88\00:16:22.32 It was like the greatest honor and just from that concept 00:16:22.35\00:16:26.63 alone, the Lord said, son, flame on. 00:16:26.67\00:16:29.62 Ever since I have come into being a Christian, it has been 00:16:29.66\00:16:33.92 fire, and I'm not boasting about myself. 00:16:33.95\00:16:36.09 I'm not saying look at me I'm on fire, 00:16:36.13\00:16:38.23 I'm not saying that. 00:16:38.27\00:16:39.24 What I am saying is that the desire of God has burned 00:16:39.25\00:16:43.20 away my desire for anything in the world. 00:16:43.23\00:16:45.91 That is where God is calling us too. 00:16:45.94\00:16:48.04 When God does this for you, when you say Lord I want to 00:16:48.08\00:16:52.73 flame on, He gives that to you. 00:16:52.77\00:16:54.62 It's a gift and He will not, not answer that prayer. 00:16:54.66\00:16:57.16 God desires this more than anything. 00:16:57.19\00:16:59.22 He gave His Son for this reason and He wants you to be 00:16:59.26\00:17:02.04 on fire, He wants to get to know you better. 00:17:02.08\00:17:03.94 He will do this and you will see that the things of the 00:17:03.98\00:17:07.10 world will become darker. 00:17:07.13\00:17:09.19 You won't desire them, and you can't change that within 00:17:09.23\00:17:13.58 yourself, God has to do it. 00:17:13.62\00:17:15.40 I used to absolutely love soap operas and other things 00:17:15.43\00:17:18.54 on television, movies and different kinds of music. 00:17:18.58\00:17:22.12 Now when I am in that presence and I have to be forced 00:17:22.15\00:17:25.47 to be in the presence of a television program that I 00:17:25.50\00:17:28.68 don't feel comfortable with, it makes me absolutely 00:17:28.71\00:17:31.76 miserable inside, and I couldn't do that for myself. 00:17:31.79\00:17:34.81 Only God could do that. 00:17:34.84\00:17:36.60 What you know if God wants us to flame on, we know that 00:17:36.64\00:17:39.55 the enemy wants us to what? Cool down! 00:17:39.59\00:17:42.35 Cool down, cool off, cool off. 00:17:42.38\00:17:45.36 I think about the text of Revelation 12:15. 00:17:45.39\00:17:48.38 I'm going to read that here. 00:17:48.41\00:17:49.66 Now we know in the Bible water according to Revelation: 19 00:17:57.98\00:18:03.25 rather Revelation 17:15 that waters represent peoples, 00:18:03.28\00:18:08.52 Nations, multitudes, and tongues. 00:18:08.55\00:18:10.36 So the Bible says here that Satan cast out of his mouth 00:18:10.40\00:18:13.43 people, Nations, multitudes, and tongues. 00:18:13.47\00:18:17.24 And everyone goes with that, the culture, the flow of 00:18:17.28\00:18:20.40 worldliness after the woman to cause her, the woman 00:18:20.43\00:18:23.30 represents the church, to cause her to be carried away. 00:18:23.34\00:18:26.34 One of the ways I see this text Atonte, is that the devil 00:18:26.37\00:18:29.33 in order to cool down the church he has cast out 00:18:29.37\00:18:32.57 this flood of worldliness. 00:18:32.61\00:18:34.57 God is saying flame on and be baptized in fire. 00:18:34.61\00:18:38.34 Satan is casting out this flood of worldliness 00:18:38.37\00:18:42.07 into the church. 00:18:42.11\00:18:43.48 It is up to us to say who am I going to go with? 00:18:43.51\00:18:46.55 Am I going to go with the flow that Satan is pushing, 00:18:46.58\00:18:50.28 or am I going to be baptized in the Spirit of God and 00:18:50.31\00:18:53.97 stand against that flood. 00:18:54.01\00:18:55.62 The Bible says in Isaiah 59:19 "when the enemy shall" 00:18:55.65\00:19:00.07 "come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift" 00:19:00.11\00:19:04.50 "up a standard against him. " 00:19:04.53\00:19:06.16 Part of that standard is when He says to flame on. 00:19:06.20\00:19:08.71 I'm going to allow you to stand strong against that flood, 00:19:08.74\00:19:11.68 and that flood will not move you away. 00:19:11.72\00:19:13.99 You will be standing firm on the rock of God's word. 00:19:14.02\00:19:17.00 You know as we are speaking about this I am actually 00:19:17.04\00:19:19.83 envisioning a young person in their living room or 00:19:19.87\00:19:22.13 in their bedroom, where ever they may be watching 00:19:22.16\00:19:24.35 this program, and getting excited and wanting to do this. 00:19:24.39\00:19:29.03 Sharing it with others. 00:19:29.07\00:19:30.72 Can you imagine an army of youth? 00:19:30.76\00:19:34.92 I call it an army because the name of this program 00:19:34.95\00:19:37.85 is Battles of Faith. 00:19:37.89\00:19:39.49 It is a war because Satan is not going to give up on 00:19:39.52\00:19:43.21 you easily, he is not just going to say okay just go on 00:19:43.24\00:19:46.89 and be on fire, go be with the Lord. 00:19:46.93\00:19:50.00 He is not going to give up on you easily, but like Ivor 00:19:50.03\00:19:53.61 just said, that God will lift up a standard and you can 00:19:53.64\00:19:57.18 trust Lord has more power and strength. 00:19:57.22\00:19:59.83 You just have to hang on and He will, God will allow 00:19:59.86\00:20:03.33 Satan to come in and test you. 00:20:03.37\00:20:05.84 You will go through some testing at times, but it is just 00:20:05.88\00:20:08.99 to purify you and draw you closer to God. 00:20:09.03\00:20:11.67 Not to give up. 00:20:11.70\00:20:12.87 One of the greatest lessons I learned from a friend when I 00:20:12.91\00:20:15.05 came into this church was this. 00:20:15.08\00:20:16.37 You take a group, you take a couple sticks and put them 00:20:16.41\00:20:21.65 together and light them on fire, 00:20:21.69\00:20:22.92 they are all going to burn. 00:20:22.95\00:20:23.92 If you take those sticks out of that bundle and set it to 00:20:23.93\00:20:25.97 the side, that stick is going to go out, 00:20:26.00\00:20:28.68 the flames are going to die out. 00:20:28.72\00:20:29.81 God calls us to be around like-minded people. 00:20:29.84\00:20:34.97 He says I don't want you to get away from the burning 00:20:35.01\00:20:38.69 brands, I want you to be around like-minded people. 00:20:38.72\00:20:41.74 I think about all the friends I have met before 00:20:41.78\00:20:44.76 coming to this church. 00:20:44.80\00:20:46.01 My own brother Sean, he is a minister now, he and I were 00:20:46.05\00:20:48.95 in a group together and he is and encouragement to me. 00:20:48.98\00:20:52.08 A good friend of mine Marquis Johns, he just escape the 00:20:52.12\00:20:55.19 black hole two years ago and he is now preaching 00:20:55.22\00:20:57.34 the word of God. 00:20:57.38\00:20:58.52 I think about all these different people who have come 00:20:58.55\00:21:01.59 out and we encourage one another, strengthen one another. 00:21:01.63\00:21:05.20 He is on fire and they are on fire and I want to be around 00:21:05.23\00:21:08.53 people who are on fire because it helps me to be on fire. 00:21:08.57\00:21:11.73 There might be some of the other thinking, well, it's 00:21:11.77\00:21:14.86 easier for you, you grew up in the world and you just came 00:21:14.90\00:21:18.05 into the church and now you're on fire, but his story is 00:21:18.08\00:21:21.20 totally different from mine. 00:21:21.23\00:21:22.38 I might be like you, were you were raised as a Christian, 00:21:22.42\00:21:25.67 and not yet made that decision to really follow God. 00:21:25.70\00:21:31.76 You can do to, you don't have to go to the world and come 00:21:31.79\00:21:35.35 back, I would rather you not have my story, or his story. 00:21:35.38\00:21:40.13 But just to start being on fire now, without having to 00:21:40.17\00:21:44.88 have those experiences that the world has offered 00:21:44.91\00:21:47.21 because it does leave scars. 00:21:47.25\00:21:48.42 Let me share why it is so important Atonte to be on fire 00:21:48.45\00:21:53.58 in light of the great controversy and in light of 00:21:53.62\00:21:56.11 the final reward at the end of time. 00:21:56.14\00:21:58.18 Why does God, the Bible says in Hebrews 12:29 that God 00:21:58.22\00:22:02.31 is a consuming fire? 00:22:02.34\00:22:04.19 The question is why is God a consuming fire? 00:22:04.22\00:22:07.68 Why does God manifests Himself as fire. 00:22:07.71\00:22:10.93 Is it to terrify and scare us, I would say not. 00:22:10.97\00:22:13.65 Let's look at the text in the Song of Solomon, and 00:22:13.69\00:22:16.34 Atonte what is the Song of Solomon about? 00:22:16.37\00:22:20.85 Well it is a love story. 00:22:20.89\00:22:22.90 Ivor: that's right a love story between Solomon and the 00:22:22.94\00:22:29.01 Shulamite woman and in this book, 00:22:29.04\00:22:31.22 this is a beautiful book. 00:22:31.26\00:22:33.07 In this book there is this relationship being described 00:22:33.11\00:22:36.79 between these two lovers. 00:22:36.82\00:22:39.92 You will find here something powerful in Song of Solomon 8:6, 00:22:39.95\00:22:45.25 Speaking about fire. 00:22:45.29\00:22:46.61 Now notice verse 7. 00:23:04.73\00:23:05.93 "Many waters cannot quench love. " 00:23:06.58\00:23:09.82 Why does God manifests Himself as fire? 00:23:09.85\00:23:12.39 Because God is love. 00:23:12.43\00:23:14.05 Have you ever said to yourself, I have a burning desire 00:23:14.08\00:23:16.90 in my heart for this person, for that person. 00:23:16.94\00:23:20.44 You may remember courting, or if you are married you 00:23:20.47\00:23:26.16 should have a burning. 00:23:26.20\00:23:27.72 You mean the way you feel about me right now? 00:23:27.75\00:23:28.94 Ivor: that's right, you should have a burning desire 00:23:28.97\00:23:31.56 in your heart, we call that fire, I'm on fire for my wife. 00:23:31.59\00:23:34.74 So God manifests Himself as fire not to terrify us, 00:23:34.78\00:23:39.71 but to say listen I am love and this is the best way I can 00:23:39.74\00:23:43.92 reveal My love to you. 00:23:43.96\00:23:45.61 It's interesting Atonte, that after mankind sinned, 00:23:45.65\00:23:50.88 God all of a sudden became a fearful being. 00:23:50.91\00:23:55.05 We ran from Him in the garden. 00:23:55.08\00:23:56.43 Adam and Eve ran from Him, whereas before they came 00:23:56.47\00:23:58.32 running to Him you see. 00:23:58.35\00:23:59.90 It is interesting that once sin entered, we began to view 00:23:59.94\00:24:03.81 God and His fire as something to be afraid of. 00:24:03.85\00:24:07.62 God says listen, the reason why I want you to be baptized, 00:24:07.66\00:24:10.68 every time I think about this it blows my mind. 00:24:10.71\00:24:15.47 We need to realize that heaven is the city of fire. 00:24:15.50\00:24:20.25 You think about it Atonte, God's throne is a throne of fire. 00:24:20.28\00:24:24.76 Revelation 15:2 talks about a sea of glass mingled with 00:24:24.80\00:24:28.83 fire and the righteous are standing on that sea of glass. 00:24:28.87\00:24:32.87 The Angels, the Bible says, 00:24:32.90\00:24:35.33 are ministering spirits of fire. 00:24:35.36\00:24:38.03 God's throne that I mentioned is fire and when you think 00:24:38.06\00:24:41.61 about that, when we get to heaven, the Bible says the 00:24:41.65\00:24:45.13 righteousness stand on the sea of glass mingled with fire. 00:24:45.17\00:24:48.44 How is that so? 00:24:48.48\00:24:49.92 It is amazing when you think about the story of Moses 00:24:49.96\00:24:54.25 and the burning bush. 00:24:54.29\00:24:55.62 When Moses encountered that burning bush he asked 00:24:55.65\00:24:58.14 the question, how is it that this Bush is burning, 00:24:58.18\00:25:00.63 but it is not being consumed? 00:25:00.67\00:25:04.21 In that bush God had illustrated the plan of salvation. 00:25:04.24\00:25:08.84 What He was saying, Moses heaven is the city of fire and 00:25:08.87\00:25:12.58 in order for you to dwell with Me and not be consumed, 00:25:12.62\00:25:16.97 you have to be baptized, you have got to flame on so that 00:25:17.01\00:25:21.33 when you enter into the city of heaven, 00:25:21.36\00:25:23.57 you will be on fire. 00:25:23.61\00:25:24.94 The Bible actually says in the book of Isaiah 33. 00:25:24.97\00:25:28.68 Let me find that real quickly Isaiah 33, a powerful text 00:25:28.72\00:25:32.28 here, Isaiah 33:14. 00:25:32.32\00:25:35.87 Now the question here is being asked, who among us are 00:25:50.36\00:25:52.79 going to be able to live in everlasting fire? 00:25:52.83\00:25:56.18 To live among everlasting burnings. 00:25:56.22\00:25:58.86 We have to be on fire to be able to coexist in the fire. 00:25:58.89\00:26:01.86 That's right, now the devil would say that it is the 00:26:01.90\00:26:04.80 wicked that burn for ever, but notice what the Bible says. 00:26:04.83\00:26:07.07 Isaiah 33:15. 00:26:07.11\00:26:09.52 Atonte the Bible says it is the righteous that will 00:26:23.81\00:26:27.33 get to dwell with the everlasting burnings, 00:26:27.36\00:26:29.87 which is Jesus Christ. 00:26:29.91\00:26:30.96 The righteous that get to stand on a sea of glass and not be 00:26:31.00\00:26:34.34 consumed, the wicked, as the city of God is coming down 00:26:34.38\00:26:37.58 out of heaven and they see the righteous standing in the 00:26:37.61\00:26:41.01 city and they are going why is it that the fire is going 00:26:41.05\00:26:44.41 and they are not consumed? 00:26:44.45\00:26:46.38 Is because while they were here on earth they learned 00:26:46.41\00:26:50.17 what it meant to flame on. 00:26:50.21\00:26:52.42 And God wants us to experience that now. 00:26:52.46\00:26:55.48 That is right He wants us to experience that now. 00:26:55.52\00:26:57.29 You know Atonte, when the flood came and destroyed all the 00:26:57.32\00:27:01.29 creatures on your there was one creature that was not 00:27:01.32\00:27:03.34 destroyed that was outside the ark. 00:27:03.38\00:27:05.08 When you read Genesis you will see that the sea creatures 00:27:05.11\00:27:08.34 were not destroyed, why, because they were already water 00:27:08.37\00:27:11.56 creatures, God has sent water down and they were 00:27:11.59\00:27:14.09 already water creatures. 00:27:14.12\00:27:15.09 When God destroys the earth by fire, there will be those 00:27:15.10\00:27:17.96 who will not be affected, why? 00:27:17.99\00:27:19.96 Because they learned what it meant to flame on. 00:27:19.99\00:27:24.71 They were fire creatures. 00:27:24.74\00:27:26.82 They were baptized in the fire of God, the Spirit of God, 00:27:26.85\00:27:30.94 so the fire has no effect over the righteous, 00:27:30.98\00:27:34.86 but it will destroy the wicked. 00:27:34.89\00:27:36.52 We are saying flame on now before it is too late. 00:27:36.55\00:27:40.22 God is calling us to be on fire. 00:27:40.25\00:27:42.25 That's right, it's God's desire that we be on fire. 00:27:42.29\00:27:46.61 I know as young people many times we think, well it's 00:27:46.65\00:27:49.89 my parents, it's my grand parents, or is the pastor 00:27:49.93\00:27:53.14 or the other people at the church who should 00:27:53.18\00:27:55.54 be on fire and not me. 00:27:55.58\00:27:57.06 But God is calling you especially. 00:27:57.10\00:27:59.76 Jesus is coming soon and time is running out and He wants 00:27:59.79\00:28:04.22 to use young people, He has a calling for you. 00:28:04.26\00:28:08.07 We are out of time join us next time. 00:28:08.11\00:28:10.56 God bless! 00:28:10.60\00:28:11.90