Fire from Heaven

Intro

The Bible predicts fire descending from heaven in last days. What is and what does it mean? I’ll be back in a moment with the prophetic perspective on “Fire from Heaven.”

Message

Hello, this is Cody Francis with Prophetic Perspectives. There have been a number of times in Biblical history when fire fell from heaven. Sometimes it was the retribution of divine judgment, other times it was of showing heaven’s acceptance of an offering and still other times, it was publicly vindicating the worship of the God of heaven. The first recorded instance that we have of fire falling from heaven, is when the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were consumed with fire as a result of their rebellion against their Creator God. When Solomon offered his dedicatory prayer of the First Temple, God answered by fire from heaven and consumed the sacrifice. When Elijah stood alone upon Mount Carmel, he proposed a challenge—whichever god answers by fire is the true God. The prophets and priests of Baal frantically danced around their altar, but to no avail. Not a spark alit upon their sacrifice. When Elijah knelt and prayed a simple prayer to the God of heaven, fire leaped from heaven and consumed the sacrifice, water and altar itself. Jehovah God was seen to be the true god, but in Revelation we have a counterfeit of this story. In Revelation the promoters of the mark of the beast are given the authority to call fire down from heaven and because of this miraculous demonstration, they persuade the inhabitants of this earth to worship the beast and receive its mark. What is this fire from heaven and how can we not be deceived by this terrible counterfeit. Let us pray, as we study “Fire from Heaven.”

Outline

                  I.    World receives the mark of the beast by fire from heaven – Rev. 13:3

                  II.   There is the true gift of tongues & true fire from heaven.

                        A.  Fire = Holy Spirit – Acts 2:1-4 (Matt. 3:11)

                              1.   Must test – I John 4:1

                              2.   Some true; some false

                              3.   Find some received false gift

                              4.   Honest mistake no condemned, refusal reform

                        B.   True gift of tongues – Acts 2:5-11

                              1.   15 languages

                              2.   Tongue = language

                              3.   True miracle; ano Panalan mo

                        C.  Gentile converts – Acts 10:44-48

                              1.   Italian – Acts 10:1

                              2.   “Same as we have” – Acts 11:15, 17; 15:8

                        D.  Rebaptism – Acts 19:1-6

                              1.   Ephesus commerce capital

                        E.   Pastor Hugh Stevenson – South Africa

                        F.   Correcting an abuse

                              1.   Church at Corinth very backsliden condition

                                    a.   Carnal, divisions, fornication, suing, heresies

                                    b.   In danger of another Spirit – II Cor. 11:3, 4

                              2.   God decides – I Cor. 12:11, 18

                              3.   Many different members – I Cor. 12:12

                              4.   Tongues least imp. gift – I Cor. 12:28-31

                              5.   Received witnessing & using to disrupt church

                                    a.   I Cor. 14:2 – no understand; no benefit

                                    b.   I Cor. 14:9 – speaking to air

                                    c.   I Cor. 14:14-16 – how say amen

                                    d.   I Cor. 14:19 – 5 words w/understanding

                                    e.   I Cor. 14:27, 28 – interpreter

                                    f.    I Cor. 14:40 – decently & in order

                        G.  Every instance = a language

                  III. The world is deceived into receiving the mark of the beast through the false gift of the Spirit.

                        A.  Devil counterfeit & speak people – Mark 1:23-26

                              1.   Much today – ecstatic utterance, gibberish,

                              2.   Not all that is supernatural is true

                        B.   Ecstatic utterance long before Pentecost

                              1.   Ammon worshiper Egypt 1100 BC

                              2.   Plato – ecstatic utterance, praying, healing

                              3.   Virgil, Aenid – Sbyliline priestess Apollo cave

                        C.  Isaiah warned – Is. 8:19, 20

                        E.   Pentecostal movement does not match Bible test

                              1.   Major movement today

                                    a.   “largest & most important religious movement to originate in the US”

                                    b.   “Third Force in Christendom” Time 1958

                              2.   Not known languages – ecstatic utterance

                              3.   Not leading into all truth – John 16:13

                                    a.   Driving force of ecumenism

                                    b.   Over 11,000 denominations

                                    c.   Uniting Protestant & Catholic

                                    d.   Eph. 4:4-6

                        F.   Breaking God’s Law – John 14:15-17

                        H.  Pentecostal/Charismatic is false fire from heaven, preparing world to receive the mark of the beast.

Conclusion:

I.        God is calling His people to obedience to Him – Rev. 14:12

II.   God wants to give His true Spirit to His obedient people

III. Will you flee to Him in obedience, so that you will not be deceived?