Destruction by Fire? We Will Survive Through The Fires!

Destruction by Fire? We Will Survive Through The Fires!      Kelly Durant   8-20-17

Matthew 25:41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

2. Fire is one of man’s basic needs! Have you ever thought about that? God created all things and the purpose of fire is to provide all humanity with light an warmth, pleasurable smells, a means to cook food, and a way to purge for refining elements such as gold. People would not survive without fire!

Fire contained and controlled on a stove, or within rocks at a camp serves its purpose and no one fears its destruction when they know it is treated with respect and managed properly. And by law all buildings must have fire extinguishers as any out of control fires must be contained immediately. Thank God for firemen in fire departments! Many of them are volunteers!

A fire can even be beautiful to look at! I recall when I was 16 and worked in a brass factory after school drilling holes and sanding parts for oil rigs and there was a refinery section that refined copper. The fires escaping the oven doors were a beautiful emerald green! Different elements burn different colors.

3. I think most of you know why I am talking about fire, it is because once again our Family Store was attacked with fire. The huge dumpster was set on fire and all the contents burned with a column of smoke so large the whole neighborhood knew about it!

Thank God for the firemen who soaked it and soaked it again and again with water put the fire out! I think firemen deserve more respect than what is often given, their job is never an easy one, and their bodies are always at risk to suffer major harm and pain.

But out of the 4 fires set at our place so far, only one really did any damage, this one did not affect the Store in anyway and we see God’s hand of protection! So everyone wants to know, who is doing this and why? Well, anyone who plays with fire at this level knows they are committing a felony and risking getting locked up for many years, so whoever is doing it is either blindly full of hate, drugged and crazy, or just malicious by nature with a demon. When we see destruction be know the destroyer is the one behind it influencing his subjects to carry out destructions.

4. Some demon possessed people have an appetite for destruction and they get their subjects to harm themselves and others by fire. There was a disturbed boy that Jesus healed who was always in danger by fire.

Mark 9:21-23 21 And he (Jesus) asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. 22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. 23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

People who tend to destroy, be it others or themselves, can be healed by prayer and a touch of Jesus! How many bad people have we seen get healing and a new start in life? The evidence is in the testimony of millions of Christians is that Jesus can take away in anyone the desire to harm, destroy, burn, or even murder. Those who do such destructive things are in tune with Satan as he is the destroyer. 

 John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

5. How many of you have every suffered a burn? I think most of us have and it is very painful. Let me share some good news with you, after you pass on, after Jesus returns, in your new resurrected body you will not be able to be burned! Fire will have no power over you.

Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Isn’t that amazing! Even in our Biblical history we know about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who could not be set on fire and burned by the evil king of Babylon who demanded everyone worship Him as the supreme God. Don’t we see this despotic desire in dictators today? They want to be worshipped as god when they are full of the devil always ready to imprison and kill opponents, while stealing to be rich. Those who disagree with their oppressive, anti-Christ politics are always persecuted.

6. Satan over and over does get away with harming innocent people by fire. A horrible example we know of are those who invade by war, burning everything so no one can survive to fight back. This has not only happened in the recent 2 devastating world wars, but has always been a destructive tactic of war. The entire city of Atlanta was burned to the ground in the civil war and it pains me to read how wars, conflicts, and political ideologues brings out the worst in people so that they are hell bent on destroying others horrifically burning their food and shelter!

But here is something I know, God is the one who gets revenge! Listen to this verse. Revelation 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Our patience is that people will pay for what they do!

And in the final days, God will raise up 2 witnesses and they will have power to destroy those that are of the devil with fire. Revelation 11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

7. Fire is God’s tool! The devil uses it but only for temporary victories. Hell, most often is referred to as a place of destruction with eternal fires. It was known in Jerusalem as Ghehenna, the garbage dump of the city where fire was burning 24/7 to burn up dead bodies and trash. Fire does destroy germs and bacteria and that is essential to our human survival. But spiritually, fire is God’s method of purging souls and often it is symbolic referring to being refined in the spirit.

Jesus warned of hellfire often, but many modern day preachers will not even mention this fact. The verse of today warns of the future of those who are evil: they will face hell’s eternal fire when judged!

Matthew 25:41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: (Let’s continue in context)

Matthew 13:42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

8. We must warn others of hell and of destruction by fire! It is a reality that rebellious contaminated evil souls will have to be thrown into God’s burning garbage dump when the judgement comes. Hell was originally created only for Satan and his rebellious angel followers, but the demon possessed, murderers, and all evil unrepentant proud God haters will be sharing hell with these other punished devils who come from all history.  

You know that in order to prevent forest fires park managers will set controlled fires to burn away all the leaves and brush that could blaze up to allow a big fire. In other words, without a controlled purge, there is danger that a fire could destroy the whole forest! It is the same with us! We need purging!

When a person is born, they are harmless and innocent but over time the world contaminates them with sin. Only Jesus can clean our sins away and purge our souls before the judgement time. I invite you today to ask Jesus to purge you of any sin, and deceitfulness, of any lust and greed, of any self-righteousness and hypocrisy, of any wrong.

9. God’s fire is good, it may temporarily hurt as it purges us, but in the end it saves and purifies! The Salvation Army lives by its slogan, ‘blood and fire”. We need the blood of Jesus to forgive our sins and then we need the fire of the Holy Spirit to purge away the desire to sin!

If we do not allow God’s fire in our lives now, later we will be faced with the fires of hell! Warn others about fire! Do you recall when the story of Jesus of the rich man who went to hell and begged for water but got none and he wanted to come back to life to warn others of the fire?

But Jesus replied, John 16:30 And he (the man in hell) said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he (Jesus) said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

We believe Jesus! He rose from the dead and we will escape God’s judgments by fire if we get His purging fires in our lives today. Ask God for His fire today! Ask to be Holy Spirit renewed and on fire for God!