In order to get fully ignited for God you have to lay aside, or "set on fire" everything that threatens your spiritual walk said Pastor John Baldwin of Atlanta, Georgia as he addressed dozens of young people, parents and youth leaders at the Ignishun Youth Conference at the Parish Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Stapledon Gardens last Thursday.
The three-day conference, which was hosted by Generation Next, the church's youth arm, was themed 'On the wings of mercy' and sought to encourage young people not to buy into the world's message of "hopelessness", but rather become ignited so that they can make a positive impact on the world.
Pastor Baldwin told the audience that getting "ignited for Christ" is vital as it relates to getting to the heart of their spiritual self where real change begins. In addition, he also acknowledged the powerful anointing he said was present as a result of prayer and worship. He admonished the youth to build their lives on a foundation of prayer and worship.
"We must be willing to get set on fire and be willing to burn fervently because being set on fire means you can change the world," he said. "Everyone wants to talk, but you must be willing to walk.
"Fire needs to pair with an oxidizer, and heat needs something to ignite it. Without something to ignite it, the oxidizer just stays as energy but when ignition takes place with oxidizer, fire is produced."
Baldwin encouraged parents and youth leaders not to believe the nay sayers who claim that the youth are "lost". He said that the problems and issues facing many of our young people are a direct result of the failures of those who were entrusted to mentor them. He said that proper role models are lacking and young people have very few who they can emulate.
He said that when it was first invented, dynamite was designed for scientific purposes, but, was later used for war and in the creation of bombs. Rev. Baldwin compared youth who have been improperly led and mistreated to dynamite. He said that in the wrong hands, even the most innocuous of instruments can become extremely destructive.
Rev. Baldwin added that if they are turned on to the Word of God and The Holy Spirit, young people can become a powerful force for good and positive change in any nation.
He said that while youth on fire for Christ can be beneficial to the kingdom of God, young people on fire can also be extinguished through fear, doubt and unbelief.
Speaking specifically to the young people in attendance, Rev. Baldwin cautioned that "fire extinguishers" can take the form of "teachers, who hold you back from achieving your full potential; peers, who mock you; people who discourage you from doing your best and people who try to tell you that you are not good enough."
"If you find you have a natural swag and then you find yourself being teased or made fun of, that [can] steal that God-given swag and confidence and leave you feeling insecure. This can manifest in destructive ways. It can steal your fire," he said.
Rev. Baldwin encouraged the young people not to listen to those who would be used as extinguishers, "For God has not given you the spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind," he said.
He also told them that doubt and unbelief will slow them down and retard their faith because unbelief is the opposite of faith. He said that when doubt and unbelief begin to creep into their lives and draw them away from God, "it is time to reassess your priorities."
In contrast, he said, confidence and faith can keep the "fire extinguishers" at bay and make young people burn brighter and hotter than ever.
He said that some of the symptoms of fear, doubt and unbelief include promiscuity and anger, both systems of behavior that will keep them from a life filled with the fire

of God.
He used the story of Jacob and Rachael leaving Laban's house as an example of taking bad habits on a spiritual journey. He said that when God told Jacob to leave Laban's house on his spiritual journey, Rachael, afraid they would be excluded from her father's inheritance took valuable "gods" from her fathers house, and hid them.
"You can't take something from the last place you were in into the new place where God is taking you," he said. "You have trust and hold onto what's right and righteous because God will provide for you."
Rev. Baldwin said that an angry, argumentative person, who joins the church and takes their bad attitude on their spiritual journey could find themselves ostracized by the church members for not being able to speak to people properly.
"If we are going to get ignited we need to clear the air and give up some stuff," he said. "Sometimes it's not the devil holding you back but yourself."
Baldwin cautioned young people not to be influenced by friends who engage in behavior that is against God's Word.
At the end of the message, many young people answered the alter call and received prayer.
The conference which ended on Saturday ended with a Jesus Party, the purpose of which was to show young people that they can have fun while serving God.

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