"John answered.., 'I baptize you with water.  But One Who is more powerful than I will come....He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and 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.'"  (From Luke 3:16 & 17)

I wonder how many preachers and others over the years have connected verses 16 and 17.  The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is not just some jumping around, shoutin' "camp meeting."

I recommend that you and I look more closely at today's text, and see verses 16 and 17 as one continuous thought.

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for burning up chaff.  Amen.  

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2