Paul’s pointed remarks to the believers in Corinth, who he states as acting immature and childish gives us understanding in walking out our faith in Christ. As we build on the Rock Christ Jesus which is our foundation. (1 Cor. 3:10-17, 10:4) Paul says, “each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.” Paul declares that there is a day that our life’s activity will be unveiled and dealt with through a process of God’s fire. Those things, which remain, will be rewarded.
My brother and I had such a desire to be outdoorsmen when we were young, that one day we planned on getting some of our friends together after school and meeting in a grove of pine trees behind a row of houses on the edge of our subdivision. All five of us Elementary students had agreed to bring some needed things from home and the school lunchroom such as matches, milk carton and more.
In the same manner that mankind needs fire the Christian needs the fire of God even more. It’s a game changer! (more…)
We were going to have a bona fide cook out with a real campfire. It was such a perfect day…until the crackling of the fire and the growing smoke alerted a lady working in her backyard. She screamed out to her husband, “call the police, there’s some boys trying to burn down the forest”! In a moment’s notice what seemed to be an innocent fulfillment of our childish imaginations was now beginning to come crashing down and turn into a marathon escape from the law. Scrambling in every direction all five of us ran as hardened criminals. I took the shortest route home through the houses. The others took their choice path of escape from the fear of the long arm of the law. Each one quickly being apprehended by the police and put in the back seat awaiting a free ride home to talk to their parents. I had almost made it safely home franticly riding my banana seat bike, when I hear the sounds of a car pulling up alongside of me. The deep authoritative voice “put the bike down and get into the car” drew my attention to a police officer that was speaking from his car. With a glance I could see my brother and friends looking from the back seat with eyes that told the message of “we’re in so much trouble”. After a humiliating lecture from the officer and my father letting us know that even though fire can be good it can also destroy things, we were released into the loving arms and custody of my parents.
Fire has been a part of mankind all down through history. In scripture we see fire is used often whether for sacrifice, judgment, natural use as well as, to describe God Himself. One of my favorite authors, Leonard Ravenhill said “Holy Ghost fire both destroys, purifies, warms, attracts and empowers.” In the same manner that mankind needs fire the Christian needs the fire of God even more. It’s a game changer! If we will embrace the Fire of God and the fire that He allows in our lives it will change us for the better. Peter says in 1 Peter 1:7, that our faith will be purified like gold when it is made more pure by fire and will bring honor and glorify to Jesus when He returns.
We all have things in our lives that are displeasing to God that need to be tossed like wood in the campfire. Let’s choose to throw another dishonoring log on the fires of God, so we can be more like Him.
I believe most of us have had days that seemed to drag on with one bad circumstance after another pelting you. You might have even felt like you have some invisible bulls eye on your back that everyone else can see but you. Whether your day started out getting laid off at work and then on the way home you run out of gas to finally arrive to your house to find that the air-conditioning system is not working. That my friend is a day that you could pin the phrase, “the hits just keep on coming”. I imagine we all have a story we could tell about some day that goes down in our history as one of those days. The question is, can we prevent it or not?
I remember while I was in junior high school, I tried out for the basketball team. Though I made the team, it was to my disappointment that I was only good enough to be on the B-team. The coach challenged us saying that if we worked hard in practice that we might get promoted up to the A-team. I took the challenge to heart and began to practice my hardest, only to find that I was still on the secondary team. After several weeks had gone by, with no advancement, I began to let my disappointment get the best of me. I soon began to settle for my lot in life, so I thought, and got content with being on the B-team, not trying anymore to be promoted. I knew at least I would get a letter at the awards banquet for participating.
Trash talking and gutter gossip is nothing more than fruit from the pit of Hell! (Jas.3:1-12) and it seems to be such a big part of our society. We have TV shows and magazines solely dedicated around slander and gossip. It has always astounded me how different ones can constantly be involved with corrupt communication. In many communities of believers we even cloth it with religious jargon saying it’s a prayer request. But sadly there never seems to be the prayer just the gossip.
Bill Virgin Blog - Leave room for Cream 