Fueling the Fire

Jeremiah 15:16 (ESV) -

Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.

---

Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV) -

Blessed is the one... whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers.

---

John 20:22 (NIV) -

And with that (Jesus) breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

---

Acts 2:1-4 (NIV) - 

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sounds like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit...

---

Revelation 3:14-15 (NIV) -

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

---

Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) -

"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

---

A fire needs three things to burn - fuel, oxygen, and heat. The more there are of these things, the brighter and hotter the fire

will burn. Remove or limit any one of these three, and the fire will diminish until it eventually goes out. It is the same for a

Christian who has been filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit. A Christian's fuel is the Word of God; their oxygen is the Presence of God (found most commonly in prayer); and their heat is the love of and for God (as expressed through their obedience and evangelism).

A Christian who does not regularly feed on and nourish themselves with the Word of God, or who only ever feeds themselves with "tinder" - experiences which burn brightly for a moment but quickly fade - is a Christian whose faith will dwindle as the cares and worries of life consume it. A Christian who does not regularly enter the Presence of God through prayer is a Christian whose faith is being suffocated into nothingness by Satan. A Christian who does not express their gratitude for God's love (and, by doing so, express their love in return for Him) by participating in His work of sanctification and spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is a Christian whose faith is being quenched until it is lukewarm at best, unable to spread light and heat.  

On the other hand, a Christian whose fire is initially lit through an encounter with God then sustained through the daily consumption of His Word, fanned by the breath of the Holy Spirit as they enter into His Presence daily through prayer, and kept hot by living out His heart in obedience and sharing His good news with others, is a Christian whose light will shine brightly to push back the darkness and provide a beacon to those who live in it, and whose heat will thaw even the coldest of hearts to provide comfort, warmth, and life to those who had been lost in the wilderness, cold and afraid. THIS is a convincing Christian whose testimony will be seen, heard, and believed, because the fire of the Holy Spirit burns bright within them and confirms the truth of their testimony of Jesus in the hearts of those who hear it.

I will not pretend for a moment that I am a good example of this. I have fallen short many times before and continue to do so today. However, this is what I aspire to, and I am encouraged towards that goal by this truth - that the fire which has been placed within us by the Holy Spirit, which we receive when we confess Christ as our Lord and Saviour, may be dimmed momentarily but can never fully be put out. Our God is faithful and mighty to save, and He promises to complete every work in us which He has started. Since He is the One who gave us this flame and who dwells within us, He will create in us the grace and strength to see it grow until it has become a raging fire which burns within us, consuming us with zeal for His house and illuminating everything and everyone we come into contact with, so that His Name would be glorified in all the earth.

Praise be unto Him, who is faithful and provides all our needs.

Jordan.