Tag Archives: salvation

Keeping the fire of God burning in your life

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hqdefaultIn the midst of the early wintery conditions I found that my fire was essential during my time high on the mountaintop. It was at the foot of the summit overlooking a crisp mountain lake on one side and a steep intimidating ravine on the other, where I chose to set up camp. I had taken time out of my schedule to clear the clutter of the daily routine in my mind and refresh my passion for the Lord. Over the years I have found it necessary at different times to disconnect from the white noise of our society so to reset and re-ignite the fire of God in my daily walk with Him.

We read Gods instructions for the priests that He gave through Moses in Lev 6. It says in verse 12-13, “And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, … it shall never go out.”

In like manner as it was the priest’s responsibility to keep the fire burning it is our responsibility to keep a spiritual fire burning on the altar of our hearts, since our lives are to be “living sacrifices” as Paul declared. It was God who started the physical fire on

God Starts the Fire but we must maintain the Fire

the altar as we read in 2 Chr 7:1, the “…fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices…”. Therefore, it is the same spiritually; God starts the fire, but it is you and I who must keep it burning.

This simple but over looked responsibility became very real as I began my adventure on the mountaintop. That fact is when the fire goes out after the Sun goes down, it quickly becomes cold, dark and so quiet it becomes deafening. It is the same for the believer when our spiritual fire goes out we become spiritually cold, our lives become darkened by our surroundings and the things of God become silent to us.

The pile of wood that I thought would last all-night rapidly diminished in the grips of the consuming fire. I can’t help but think King Solomon himself must of experienced this same phenomenon when he wrote in Prov. 30:16 “… the fire never says, “Enough!”.

The intensity of work that it took to keep a fire burning in my camp was totally amazing. I have always loved sitting and enjoying the soothing crackling and popping of a campfire, but when it is a necessity you find that it goes from enjoyable to just plain work. A fire demands your time, strength and attention to keep it going. Getting plenty of firewood to last through the night must become a priority. You see once the fire goes out it is much harder to remake a completely new fire than nurturing one already burning or at least having embers that you can blow on to rekindle the flame.

In the same manner, as believers we must make fueling the fire of passion for the Lord, a priority! Though it can be exhausting and even inconvenient at times, it is our responsibility. It will take “roll up the sleeves” kind of work to tend the fire of your souls. Prayers, communion, worship and Bible study are all part of keeping the fire burning on the altar of our heart. For God calls each of us to be His ministers a flame of fire. (Ps 104:4) We must do our part! Remember, it is God who started the fire within us but we must keep the fire burning!

 

Radically Convinced brings radical Actions!

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Image When Revival comes upon any people and place, people will do whatever it takes to get their friends to Jesus.  The harvest will truly come in, whether you are ready or not! And it will probably look differently than you had pictured it in your mind.  Let’s look at the story in Mark 2: 1-13.

One extremely afflicted individual, an overly crowded meeting and four radical friends. It doesn’t sound like a recipe for a move of God, but in the gospel of Mark we read that God moved mightily in a situation just like that. Why, because Jesus was in the midst of it!

The news rushed through the streets of Capernaum that Jesus was back in town.  Before long there were so many people coming to see Him, that there wasn’t even room about the door where He was teaching. Though the room was full to overflowing, it didn’t stop four individuals who were carrying their friend, a paralytic, to the meeting. They were so determined to get their friend to Jesus that they went to the roof and lowered him down in front of Jesus.  Now, think about it?  The house is full to the brim, Jesus is speaking words of life and then out of the blue, four individuals whether they ripped a hole in the roof or just came to an opening in the ceiling began lowering their apparent friend down to Jesus.

Talk about being downright disruptive and rude!  Either they had never been to a church service or they were totally ignorant of the protocol of such a meeting.

In churchanity of our day, in the same situation we would have had the head usher and security on top of the commotion immediately. The atmosphere of the room would most likely had been filled with a rumble coming from the sounds of the saint’s praying and rebuking the enemy, as the security dragged the men off to jail. With the only testimony being how we put to silence the enemy and regained the focus of the meeting back to waiting for God’s miracles to be manifested in our midst.

It’s extreme and out of balance to think that every commotion is of the enemy.  But one thing for sure is when we stop giving room for the supernatural activity of God in our services it will lead us down a road into legalism and lifeless religion.  So often in our feeble attempts to please the Lord we catastrophically blunder and reflect a wrong picture of His heart to others.

Now back to the story. I believe that they were so convinced that their friend’s answer was in Jesus, that they came to desperate measures?  It definitely paid off, because at the words of Jesus, this paralytic’s life was change forever.  He arose and walked out the doors that he couldn’t get in.  Also, the people were so amazed at what they saw, that the multitude followed Jesus to the sea and He taught them.  Not only was this paralytic made whole, but a whole multitude followed after Christ.  It started with four courageous friends who had a radical unction!  Or maybe a better way of saying it is they understood who Jesus was. They were convinced Jesus was the answer and because of that confidence their friend was made whole!  Being radically convinced brings radical actions.  Revelation of who Jesus is and what is on His heart will fuel the passion for revival.

Revival changes the most reserved person into a radical servant of God. It will motivate friends to do whatever it takes to get their friends to Jesus.

  •  Are you convinced Jesus is the answer?
  •  Which one of your family or friends need you to get radical and do whatever it takes to get them to Christ?
  •  Today, It’s time to get desperate and radical about bringing the hurting to Christ?

Because we are His children through the blood of Jesus, we can come boldly before His throne and ask for our inheritance, which are the souls of men. It’s time for Radical results from being radically convinced of who Jesus is.

It’s Time to get Radically Convinced!