When Jesus walked on the Earth, He would use parables all the time. He also used animals and the creation to speak of the things of the Spirit, to make spiritual things tangible to our minds. The Spirit of God does that all the time. For example: In the Bible, we see Jesus and many others refer to snakes and vipers and comparing them to a certain type of people. Where do snake bites come from? From people, from events, from situations. Paul got bitten by a venomous snake but because God’s power rested on him, he was able to shake it off really fast. Paul had a destiny, a future mandate to bring the Gospel. In this word, I want to make it clear for us as Christians that everything that happens to us when we are chosen is for the Glory of God! It does not mean we will not face the elements and the hardships of this life, just like Paul did.
God had touched Paul with His supernatural power. God showed Paul how many things he would have to suffer for His name’s sake. In this modern Christianity, we left this suffering out! For His name’s sake, not for my name, or political party, or for your name, but for His name’s sake, we will go through a lot. Paul went from a murderer to a brother because of that one encounter with God. The world and the religious still try to look at the normal.
Many that were on that ship thought of Paul, “This guy who got a court order to arrest all of us is with us now? God, do you know what you are doing?” Does it sound familiar?
Let us read Acts 9:8-18.
If we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are chosen. People were filled with the Holy Spirit; however, God is the one who wanted to do it. YOU CAN ASK FOR ANYTHING BUT GOD IS THE ONE THAT DECIDES IF YOU ARE WORHTY OF IT OR NOT.
Go now to Acts 28.
We need to start shaking many things off today. For example, words are like snake bites. We must shake off the lies, the half-truths, the broken promises, betrayals, the gossips and talebearing, rumors, and the venom of the world.
When they saw that venomous snake biting Paul, they thought Paul was a murderer, that his ways and his past were finally catching up with him. The world thinks that if something goes wrong, it is because people have done something wrong, but we must know and trust that things go wrong for a reason.
In the kingdom of God, all is for His glory! We must trust God. God will get the glory during all the hard times. So, we must shake it all off! Just like Paul shook of the snake in the fire!
God allows so many things to happen to us. God is on the scene all the time if we are chosen! We just do not see Him, but He is there. Never forget that: He is with us. Just as He was with Jesus all the way to the very last point when He poured out His wrath, He is within us. He cannot deny himself. Even now He is with us and He will never leave us. He will always get the glory!
God wants us to start shaking some things off so we can go higher! This is for those walking in the fire! There will always be testimony after testimony for those who learn to shake off all the snake bites! God will use us to shut the mouth of the gainsayers, sceptics, and agnostics!
People started listening to Paul because he got bit by a snake, but nothing happened to him. Now, he got their attention. Did Paul come up with that great idea? No. It was God.
We see Jesus using everything in the natural as a spiritual demonstration. Paul recovered his spiritual sight through the manifestation of the recovering of his natural sight. Because many say that they see, they remain blind.
If you are filled with the Spirit, you are chosen, and especially because you are chosen, you will have affliction. We are to be considered radical, weird, and, in many instances, people will call us a cult. That is right! Because the remnant will not bow down to anything else but to one man: JESUS CRHIST. People will not understand that, but this is how we are supposed to live our lives. If you bow To the King on this side and on the other side, you will get a crown. But some will never believe even with all the signs that God can give. Many still will not believe that God’s business is taking place.
If something undercomes us, we must overcome it! It is time to shake all off, like trials and tribulations, sickness, any storm of life, persecutions, and sufferings. Shake all off and keep moving on! We must get our mind on Him! Set your mind on things above.
There can be no deliverance if there is no captivity! There can be no breakthrough if there is no opposition!
Sometimes God sets something up right in front of us so He can show His power! We have got to be on fire, or we will not make it…Just like when God brought them out of Egypt. Do you think that He forgot there was a big Red Sea in front of them? No. He used it for His glory to show His power!
You know why God used the fire? Why God used the snake coming out of the fire? Contrary to popular belief, snakes do not like the hot temperatures of summer any more than most of us do. In fact, on particularly hot days, snakes must scramble to find shade, or they'll overheat and die. That’s why snake love lukewarm Christians. Snakes move away from fire. These snakes retreat underground to avoid temperature extremes (don’t let find a place in you). Overheating caused by exposure to conditions above 95 Fahrenheit (35 Celsius) will prove fatal to most species in just a few minutes. So, if snakes represent the demonic, let us burn like never before then! That is why religious people get annoyed by every Christian on fire!
Do you want to protect yourself against snakes? Get on fire! Snakes hate fire! Jesus Christ called the Pharisees a brood of vipers. If you are not on fire for God, there is no way to shake those snakes off.
Read Matthew 12:34-36.
When man does not fear God, man becomes God. Where is the place where there are no snakes anymore? In the place called THE SPIRIT. Way up there! Snakes don’t go to high mountains. Go up to the hill of the Lord! Who can go up there? Those with clean hands and pure heart. We need the fire for this deep purification! We must disappear and the fire of God will appear in the burning bush! Let us be that bush! A big oak of righteousness!
Let’s go to Romans 3:10-18.
So, you know why many have learned to never ask God why? Because of trust! TRUST! We can ask Him, “what?” We can ask Him, “how?” Sometimes we can ask how long? And if He does not answer you, what shall you do? Keep doing it until He tells you to stop. We need to understand that all is for His purpose, for eternity! We are not living for this age! Covenant is not about what we deserve. It is about an exchange.
Read Psalm 24.
The fire of God purifies us. If God is in us, fire is in us! Who shall ascend to the Holy place, high place? The pure heart and the eagles! Eagles fly high up to 10,000 feet!
In reality, eagles tend to use very little energy when they fly so high. Even though they can reach altitudes of over 10,000 feet, they are usually soaring to these heights, and taking long easy glides to cover ground, then soaring up again and repeating the process.
Is that not interesting that snakes cannot really go higher than 8,500 feet? The wind is like the Spirit and the eagle can fly as high as 10,000 feet. That high altitude is the place where snakes cannot be. There is no striving with eagles. They flap their wings to fly and when they get that high, they just glide! So, let us walk in the Spirit. We are not supposed to be a chicken. That is what the carnal church is. Be on fire for God and we will be like an eagle at 10,000 feet where no snakes can go. The largest mountain is at 29,000 feet high – that is just one third of the way up. Let’s climb the hill of the Lord and let Holy Spirit take over!
It is not about doors; it is about opening. If you open that door, He will come in and sup with you! People in the Old Testament like David in Psalms were asking: Who is this king of glory? Today, those of the New Covenant can tell you who He is: Christ Jesus!
Higher than the snakes, higher than the eagles, this is how high God wants you go! Walk in the Spirit! Peter was not just walking on the water; He was walking in the Spirit! The bush was not consumed but everything that is not of God will be consumed completely.
Be on fire for God, filled with passion and zeal! Let Him be that all-consuming fire. God is Fire. He was in the burning bush and He is with us now, baptizing us in fire! He is an all-consuming fire...Exodus 3:2.
Fire is a purifier…Hebrews 1:6-8 …Hebrews 12:12-29.
We must live a lifestyle of repentance, of checking with God and His Word before we run our lives our own way. There is no hope for those who don’t hear what the Spirit is saying to His church! We are called to be discerners of good and evil. Ten thousand feet high! We must live our lives from above. Let’s shake off of ourselves all of our carnality! Let’s shake off our diapers! We need that fire to be able to shake off all things that weigh us down!
Covenant is not what we deserve. It is an exchange. We shall go through the fire. He is in the fire with us, through snake bites, through a lot, but wait to see how He gets the Glory! He is going to get the glory from all the rejection, hate, false accusations, false witness, entrapment, endless genealogies, set ups, and gossip! Shake all of these off! He will get the glory! Keep your mouth shut and just shake it all in the fire!
Look at what the Pharisees and the mob did to Jesus Christ and look at all glory that God got and He is still getting today! The same glory that the Father gave the Son, God is giving us, but we must embrace the fire! Look at Joseph! God got the glory in every step of his trials!
“Father, help us to shake off everything that is weighing us down! Father, renew our strength so our spiritual man can grow. Help us to stir that flame inside of us. We thank you, Father, for the One that came after Jesus Christ! Christ Jesus promised to baptize us in the Holy Spirit and fire! Baptize us in the fire, again, and again, and again! A greater level of the fire be released over us, today! And tomorrow, and forever, ever consuming! Let it be inside of us!” Shane Roessiger
FULL MESSAGE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5klAWoeHK8
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