Survival Fire
September 11, 2010
Matthew 3:11-12 (Message)
"I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama—compared to him I'm a mere stagehand—will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He's going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned."
Any survivalist will tell you that fire is a key element to survival in the wilderness. Without proper heat, it is impossible to maintain body heat, sterilize water and prepare certain foods. It is important to start a flame but it does no good unless it is maintained. The term “tend the fire” is to not only begin a fire but monitor it during its early spark and flame to ensure that it grows into a fire. Flames will go out if exposed to any adverse conditions such as moisture or wind. Unexpected moisture in the tinder used may not reach the flame until after it is ignited, but will snuff it out upon contact. Wind is fire’s friend but will eliminate a newly formed spark that has just turned into a flame and is not yet established. A flame is only the beginning of a fire. It has the potential to grow into something greater but it requires constant attention to promote its development into a useful fire that has the ability to benefit anyone.
Imagine having one match and being lost in a forest in the middle of nowhere. There is no clear path of escape and it is evident that you will be here for awhile. It is highly unlikely that you will carelessly strike the match and hold it to a branch hoping for good results. No! You are going to gather tinder and wood being careful to only select those that which will cause your tiny flame to fully ignite and continue to burn until it becomes a raging fire. You will choose to build your fire near a shelter of some sort for protection. The fire will be large and powerful rather than small and weak. The idea is to build a fire that will continue to burn without the constant attention required in the beginning. When you strike the match and ignite the fire, the success of your effort could very well be a matter of life or death. Survival depends on making good choices with limited options. Every decision counts. Maybe if Christians understood that we are simply survivalists attempting to survive in a foreign land until our Rescuer arrives than they would be more cautious with the flame of salvation and take the time to build their life around the flame of the Holy Spirit and ignite righteous living in their heart. A raging passion for God that water cannot quench and wind cannot blow out! Is that you today? Are you having trouble surviving in this environment? Do you feel lost and confused? It is time to ignite your heart for the Lord and fan the flame of God’s Living Spirit that has been living dormant in your life!
John was baptizing new Believers when Pharisees and Sadducees came to participate as well. Their actions were driven by the latest trend rather than a sincere heart of repentance. They were looking for something to happen in the water but John pointed out that the Kingdom of God would be ignited on the inside of each person. It would be a spark created by the Holy Spirit that would take a lifetime to reach its maximum potential growing every day! A life full of God’s Light cannot remain unchanged. The darkness that seems foreboding creates an atmosphere that changes radically when light is shed on the scene. 2 Timothy 1:5-7 is a passage from a letter from Paul to Timothy. Paul reminds Timothy of the great faith handed down to him by his grandmother and mother. Life a torch passed from generation to generation. Yet Paul reminds Timothy after the Holy Spirit came into His Life personally, it was up to Timothy to “fan the flames”. My faith is not good enough for you! Your parent’s faith is not good enough for you! Your pastor’s faith is not good enough for you! Your faith is the only one that counts when Jesus looks into your heart. Paul also reminds Timothy that God’s intended life is not fear, but of power, love and self-discipline. Without faith, we will never experience a fear-free existence. The Light of God’s love fueled by a fiery passion to know God and please God smolders into the raging love affair that God desires with you! It begins with a spark but it requires your immediate attention. Your life depends on it!
Hebrews 12:28-29 (Message)
Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He's actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself is Fire!
God is a consuming fire! To live in coexistence with the Lord you must ignite God’s flame and build a life that is easily consumable by the things of God and protect the fire in your soul! The watered-down ways of the world are unacceptable and must be kept clear of your new found flame. Survival in this world of darkness without the Holy Spirit alive and well inside of you is impossible, it is too hard, too dark and too overwhelming. The fire in your soul combined with the passion in your heart for Jesus is your hope that as it grows with your faith and trust will lead you to the safety of God’s Presence on earth until you reach Eternity. Do you need some light in your life? It is already inside you! God is fire! Tend the fire of your heart! It will spread and you will be blessed!
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