unquenchable fire

Matthew 3:12

"Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

The Sadducees and Pharisees that John the Baptizer is addressing were better people than many we face in our modern culture wars. He severely criticizes them. Giving them a message filled with fire and brimstone! Which he concludes in today's densly packed verse; "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with UNQUENCHABLE FIRE."

Here John is referring to a situation that was common and very familiar in his day; the “threshing-floor.” This is a large hardened surface the sheaves of grain are thrown on it, and oxen tread on them, breaking the grain free from the chaff. Next a person with a large winnowing fan blows on the grain and chaff mixture the full force of the strong current of air. Their goal is to leave the wheat in the middle, while the chaff is driven to the outskirts of the field to be afterwards swept up and burnt.

GOD'S Church, then and now is filled with a mixture of wheat and chaff. That's the good and bad, the fruitful and unfruitful, all are joined together in the Church. GOD'S plan is to rid his Church of all hypocrites and ungodly persons. GOD will gather the wheat, the truly faithful, taking them to heaven for their eternal reward. And, the chaff, those who produce no fruits of righteousness, He will burn with unquenchable fire! He will destroy them as worthless and unprofitable trash. The Baptizer is speaking to the Sadducees and Pharisees, but this message is for everyone rejecting Christ. There is still time; REPENT.

The good parts of these daily devotionals are inspired by the sermon at Holy Ghost Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg Texas. You can watch it by following this link... https://youtu.be/Bwmak69BVpA

Comments

Elisha’s example

1 Kings 19:19-21 "19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? 21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him." In Luke 9:54, after James and John sought to call down fire on a Samaritan village that rejected Jesus, they referenced Elijah, saying, “even as Elias did?” Jesus then taught three lessons about rejection: 1- Discipleship demands sacrifice, embracing hardship and forgoing earthly security. 2- Following Jesus requires immediate, un...

I will make you

Matthew 4:19&20 "19 And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him." In our "Follow Me" series, we study Jesus calling His disciples in the Gospel of Matthew. By the Sea of Galilee, a thriving fishing hub, Jesus saw Simon and Andrew casting nets as humble fishermen. His disciples were ordinary workers, not wealthy or educated elites. Jesus approached them and said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Remarkably, they immediately left their jobs to follow Him. This brief exchange conveys a profound truth: Jesus says, "I will make you." Only God can transform us to accomplish His purpose. We should often pray, "Help me, God," seeking Jesus' guidance to follow His plan for our lives.

God’s patience

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." God did not immediately punish King Solomon when he allowed his foreign wives to build altars for false gods. Despite multiple compromises, God remained patient. Over time, Solomon’s endorsement of idolatry defied God’s covenant, leading to divine judgment, including the loss of the kingdom for his son. Some mistake God’s patience for indifference or inaction, but He follows His plan in His timing. If our nation, culture, church, or we ourselves stray like Solomon, we can repent and return to God’s path. And, should do so sooner than later! Amen!

Sermon Notes; a Daily Devotional

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