Catching The Fire
Deuteronomy 5:23-29
23 And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;
24 And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.
25 Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.
26 For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
27 Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.
28 And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.
29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
I have entitled this today: “Catching The Fire”
The Lord had audibly had spoken the Ten Commandments to Israel, and then wrote them on two tables of stone and gave them to Moses.
The Words of the Lord were spoken out of the midst of the darkness, and then it says in verse 23 for the mountain did burn with fire.
The people came near where they could hear the Lord speak.
The people said, behold, the Lord our God has showed us His Glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire.
They saw and heard that God does speak with man and man does live.
They did not die upon hearing the voice of the Lord.
Look at Deuteronomy 5:25
25 Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.
The people were afraid that if God continued to speak to them in an audible voice, then ultimately they would die as a result.
Look at Deuteronomy 5:26
26 For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
To them, this was something new and unheard of, God speaking to man in a voice that they could understand.
Moses had already, in times past, heard the voice of God speaking from the fire; He had his calling from the burning bush.
Deuteronomy 5:27
27 Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.
Fear had entered into the people, so they did not want to hear the voice of the Lord.
They said to Moses, “You go and hear what the Lord is saying and you give us the message.”
We will hear and we will do whatever the Lord speaks.
Deuteronomy 5:28
28 And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.
The Lord approved of what Israel had requested, because they expressed a proper reverence and a due sense on their part of unworthiness of sinful man to come into the Presence of the great and Holy God.
According to verse 29, God wanted the people to fear Him and keep His commandments always, that it might be well with them and their children for ever.
God is a God who looks at the heart and He will not accept any service or worship that is not rendered from the heart.
Deuteronomy 5:30-31
30 Go say to them, Get you into your tents again.
31 But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.
Abraham was a friend of God,
Jas 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Moses was considered a friend of God,
Ex 33:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
We are considered, as Christians, friends of God,
Joh 3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
Moses was to listen to God and teach the people what He said.
Moses was to observe and do what the Lord spoke, He nor the people were to turn to the right or to the left.
They were to stay focused on God and where He led them, they were to follow.
Deuteronomy 5:33
33 Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.
All of this is of extreme significance, in that these people were raised up for the purpose of serving.
When we read the Old Testament accounts, we should understand that each happening brings us a few steps closer to the redemption we now possess in Christ.
I have entitled this today: “Catching The Fire”
Dream 1-27-06
I dreamed that the church had caught on fire. I called Philo High School to see if we could use the auditorium for services. I said to Rita, “At least we are going to have a new building.” I knew that we had insurance.
Interpretation
Jer 23:29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
Fire represents the Holy Spirit; I believe the church is catching on fire.
I believe that we are someday going to a new building.
The reason is we have insurance, Jesus Christ.
Are you catching on fire for God?
I believe that we are about to experience God in a deeper Revelation.
1 Peter 1:13-16 NAS
13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,
15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."
Prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
We need to learn to be obedient children and not conformed to what we used to do.
Romans 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Are you catching on fire?
God is trying to speak to you right now.
God might never speak audibly to you, but He can, one thing I do know is that He can and He will speak through the Word of God.
The Word is active and alive in your situations if you let Him be.
Catch on fire and let God take you where it is that He wants you to be.
Draw nigh to God and He will drawl nigh unto you.
Hebrews 1:1-3
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
God speaks through His Son!
Does that mean God cannot speak audibly? No, because He can.
Does that mean that there is not the Prophetic? Again, no because Prophecy is a gift of the Spirit.
We need to catch the Fire of the Holy Ghost!
Acts 2:1-4
1 And when the day of Pentecost was 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 all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
We need the Holy Ghost fire in our services and that we have had.
We need the Holy Ghost Wind to blow our direction.
We need the Holy Ghost wind to fill our whole house.
Closing
About 11 years ago, I got out of bed and went to our living room to pray. I literally heard the Holy Ghost Wind blow in our living room.
I jumped back, because I got nervous, but God wanted me to know if I believed, not only could I feel His wind, I could hear it as it blew.
Catching The Fire
If you are interested in seeing some God given dreams given to me and others in our church go to:
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/w/windoffaithdrea/
Go to the new text page for the God given dreams.
