The Messiah’s Secret – The Refining Fire
Evening Lectionary Luke 2: 22-40. Malachi 3: 1-5. RSV Bible
Evening Lectionary Luke 2: 22-40. Malachi 3: 1-5. RSV Bible
Nowadays, many messages are sent by text, I have put three examples on the sheet with the code to interpret the message. The phone is used as the means to communicate the message.
Example: ‘Repent, 4 the KOH is at hnd.’
Example: ‘Repent, 4 the KOH is at hnd.’
John Baptist was fulfilling Malachi’s prophecy
John the Baptist is recognised by the church as being the messenger who communicated the message from God in preparation for the coming of the Christ “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 3: 2.
John Baptist pointed to the Christ who would baptise them with the Holy Spirit and the unquenchable fire. Luke 3: 16, 17.
John the Baptist is recognised by the church as being the messenger who communicated the message from God in preparation for the coming of the Christ “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 3: 2.
John Baptist pointed to the Christ who would baptise them with the Holy Spirit and the unquenchable fire. Luke 3: 16, 17.
Malachi used the term, ‘the refiner’s fire.
The processes that purifies precious metals: The smelting process separates gold from the rock. The refining process vaporises other metals that has clung to the gold particles they are burnt off as gases to produce pure gold.
Malachi is using the ‘Refiners Fire’ in connection with judgement. He writes, “But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?” judgement begins at the house of God. He spoke of the refining of the Levites, in the previous chapters we read of the offerings that were brought had blemishes, they should have not been accepted by the Levites as offerings only the best from their flocks would be acceptable to God.
I am sure Jesus alluded to Malachi’s prophecy when he said, “I came to cast a fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptised with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished!” Luke 12: 49, 50.
’The fire that had not yet been kindled,’ the fire of judgement that both John the Baptist and Malachi prophesied. In the verse he said that he was constrained, so what held back before he would bring in the unquenchable, refiners fire?
Two things:
Two things:
1. When he saw the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of his day. In his parable of the ‘Good Samaritan it reflects what he thought of the Levite who turned away instead of helping the injured man on the road to Jericho. Luke 10: 32.
2. When he said that he was constrained because of fulfilling the baptism of his death, resurrection and ascension.
Jesus like pure gold was separated from the sin that he bore on the cross in his death by his resurrection. The sin that caused him to cry out, “My God , my God why have you forsaken me? It’s the only time in conversation with God were he did not call God his Father. We know he was sinless, therefore a fire of judgement could not touch him, but he had to die laying down his life to bear the sins of the world.
So Jesus in himself was free from sin, he was innocent, and therefore, God raised him from the dead, the offering of himself which was acceptable to God.
If God did not spare his Son, then no one is spared from refining fire.
St Paul in his letter to the Corinthians wrote, when Jesus calls out the church, the body of Christ, all Christians come before the judgement seat of Christ, not for punishment but for rewards. 1 Corinthians 3: 11-15. 2 Corinthians 5: 10 Romans 14: 8-12.
Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life.” John 5: 24
Christians born into the kingdom of God are purified from original sin and all past sin up to accepting Jesus as Saviour.
Afterwards when we fall into sin and repent Jesus forgives us. Before we became a Christian sin and guilt had kept a continuous hold on our heart, weighing us down and oppressing the soul. Through faith and grace in Christ our ongoing repentance and receiving forgiveness for sin, sin has no dominion over us, no longer a slave to sin. Paul in letter to Titus 2: 14 wrote, “For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own, who are zealous for good deeds.”
Every Christian goes through the refining fire
Jesus’ refining fire will separate our oneness with Christ from where we have lapsed into working out our faith by doing things for Christ in our own strength, depicted as: wood, stubble and hay these are burnt up.
Afterwards when we fall into sin and repent Jesus forgives us. Before we became a Christian sin and guilt had kept a continuous hold on our heart, weighing us down and oppressing the soul. Through faith and grace in Christ our ongoing repentance and receiving forgiveness for sin, sin has no dominion over us, no longer a slave to sin. Paul in letter to Titus 2: 14 wrote, “For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own, who are zealous for good deeds.”
Every Christian goes through the refining fire
Jesus’ refining fire will separate our oneness with Christ from where we have lapsed into working out our faith by doing things for Christ in our own strength, depicted as: wood, stubble and hay these are burnt up.
Malachi spoke of the Messiah coming suddenly to the temple
The Messiah will come without warning. However, the church has been given warning of his coming, like Simeon and Anna in Jesus’ day who were watching out for the Messiah, Luke 3: 15.
They both in turn recognised that the baby Jesus was the promised Saviour
They both in turn recognised that the baby Jesus was the promised Saviour
Jesus spoke of his unannounced return to his disciples they should be found watching and ready to receive him. “Lest he come suddenly, and find you asleep. And what I say to you, I say to all; Watch.” Mark 13: 32-37 Whereas the world will not be ready to receive him.
Last September we had a Bible Study Day at Scargill House Kettlewell, Yorkshire we watched a clip from a Christian film were it portrait Malachi, Jesus, Joel and Zechariah’s prophecy that has yet to be fulfilled, the sun and the moon not giving any light, and the turmoil that followed. This takes place after the church has been called out 1(Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. 1 Thess 1: 10)and after the period of the tribulation then the Lord comes.
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory;” Matthew 24: 29, 30.
The church and all the armies of heaven return with Jesus.
Zechariah prophesied, “On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives which lies before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley; so that half of the Mount shall withdraw northward, and half southward. And the valley of my mountains shall be stopped up, for the valley of the mountains shall touch the side of it and you shall flee as you fled from Uzziah K Judah. Then the Lord your God will come, and all the holy ones with him.” Zechariah 14: 4, 5.
Christian message for today Repent for the Kingdom of God is coming soon, these Biblical prophesies will be fulfilled.
One of the hymns we sang from Mission Praise 587
“Search me, O God and know my heart today; try me, O Lord, and know my thoughts I pray see if there be some wicked way in me, cleanse me from every sin and set me free.
I praise thee Lord, for cleansing me from sin; fulfil thy word, and make me pure within; fill me with fire, where I once burned with shame, grant my desire to magnify thy name.
Lord, take my life, and make it wholly thine; fill my pure heart with thy great love divine; take all my will, my passion, self and pride; I now surrender – Lord, in me abide.
O Holy Ghost, revival comes from thee; send a revival – start the work in me: Thy word declares thou wilt supply our need; for blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead.”
J Ewin Orr.
After the service a discussion took place.
“Dorothy, it says in the Creed, ‘He shall come to judge both the quick and the dead’ so we all come before Christ for judgement.” Matthew 25: 31 – 46.
My response, “There are those who become Christians during the tribulation and die (Revelation 7: 14) and there are Christians who are alive after Jesus returns with all the company of heaven. Both the living and the dead coming before the throne of Christ for judgement.Matthew 25: 31-46
Jesus reigns on the earth for a 1,000 years after that time John records that the devil will be released again into the world for a period of time. It is followed by where the dead are judged before the white throne as the books are opened. Revelation 20: 1-15.
Go to: The Messiah’s Secret – Fire of God
One of the hymns we sang from Mission Praise 587
“Search me, O God and know my heart today; try me, O Lord, and know my thoughts I pray see if there be some wicked way in me, cleanse me from every sin and set me free.
I praise thee Lord, for cleansing me from sin; fulfil thy word, and make me pure within; fill me with fire, where I once burned with shame, grant my desire to magnify thy name.
Lord, take my life, and make it wholly thine; fill my pure heart with thy great love divine; take all my will, my passion, self and pride; I now surrender – Lord, in me abide.
O Holy Ghost, revival comes from thee; send a revival – start the work in me: Thy word declares thou wilt supply our need; for blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead.”
J Ewin Orr.
After the service a discussion took place.
“Dorothy, it says in the Creed, ‘He shall come to judge both the quick and the dead’ so we all come before Christ for judgement.” Matthew 25: 31 – 46.
My response, “There are those who become Christians during the tribulation and die (Revelation 7: 14) and there are Christians who are alive after Jesus returns with all the company of heaven. Both the living and the dead coming before the throne of Christ for judgement.Matthew 25: 31-46
Jesus reigns on the earth for a 1,000 years after that time John records that the devil will be released again into the world for a period of time. It is followed by where the dead are judged before the white throne as the books are opened. Revelation 20: 1-15.
Go to: The Messiah’s Secret – Fire of God