Today's Passage - Luke 3:15-17

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 3:15-17   "...John answered them all, 'I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.'"   John the Baptist came to baptize with water, which is the baptism of repentance that result in forgiveness of sin.  John, however, said that Jesus will bring about another baptism, which is done with Holy Spirit and fire.  The baptism by Jesus is related to the descending of the Holy Spirit during the Pentecost, which brought power and holiness.  The baptism of the Holy Spirit brings power, and the baptism of fire brings cleansing.  The baptism by Jesus differs from the baptism described in 1 Corinthians differ in the preposition that was used.  When Luke 3:16 mentioned the baptism by the fire of Holy Spirit, it uses "with" the Holy Spirit.  1 Corinthians 12:13, however, says that we are baptized "by" the Holy Spirit.  In 1 Corinthians, the Holy Spirit is the one who baptizes believers in order to make us part of the body of Christ, and it is inward in nature.  Anyone who accepts Jesus as their personal savior also accepts the baptism by the Holy Spirit in order to become part of the body of Christ.  In Luke, however, Jesus is the one who baptizes, for He uses Holy Spirit to baptize so that believers will receive power for living, and it is outward in nature, just like what happened during Pentecost.  The baptism in 1 Corinthians happens as soon as a believer accepts the Lord, and the baptism in Luke, which is the filling by the Holy Spirit, must be waited upon with eagerness and submissive heart.   Filling by the Holy Spirit is also a command that God gave to everyone, for He asked every believer to seek it.  Not only just filling by the Spirit once, but be filled by the Spirit daily.  So, what is the filling by the Holy Spirit?  Some explain it with the analogy of an empty cup be filled by the Spirit, but that's not really the meaning of "filling."  A more accurate analogy is a conduit that should not be blocked by anything.  We need to allow the river of the life of Jesus Christ to flow through the conduit of our life; the more it comes in, the more will go out, but if nothing comes in, nothing goes out.  We will just conduits, so the filling by the Holy Spirit is the way we are used, thus every day in our life we need to seek to be filled.  John 7:37-39 specified the process of filling by the Holy Spirit: 1) Thirst for God and desire to be used by God, for God is glad to fill an eager heart, 2) come before the Lord to seek Him, ask the Spirit of the Lord to fill you, and 3) believe in the Lord's promise; seek Him by faith and receive Him by faith, and "streams of living water" will flow from whoever have faith in Him!       Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, I thank you because you are willing to fill us, and you also want us to be filled by the Holy Spirit.  Please let everyone who sees this message experience the Holy Spirit like streams in their lives, and also let them experience your joy, peace and satisfaction, thus bringing forth power in ministry and bear fruit in life.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!