My Stories - Page 2

Psalm 104v4: "He makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire."

Luke 12v49: “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!"

What does a fireplace do?
It provides a safe place to start a fire and so provides warmth, it stops people getting cold, it creates a warm, comforting, peaceful atmosphere. 
When a fire is not lit, the room becomes cold, the individual becomes cold and unsettled, uncomfortable and a desire to become warm grows but, what if that person has no fuel to put on the fire? They may put layers of clothes on and even blankets or a coat, gloves, hat, scarf. They dont always warm us enough, they don't always reach the extremities.
How many of us have wrapped ourselves like walking duvets but still had cold finger tips or cold noses that turn red and start to run like a waterfalls?

Fire needs fuel to heat up a room and, in turn, us.
How many of us, as Christians, become cold in our faith because the fire inside has gone out? Have any of us had people in our lives that have helped to put out the fire inside with words of discouragement or negativity.
The bible says in Ephesians 4v29: "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."
There are people who can deeply hurt others by their words, many times, unknowingly.
Whoever said "Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you" had it completely wrong. Words can be very damaging and can stop someone reaching their potential and can traumatise someone who is not confident or who has a difficult life for whatever reason.
Proverbs repeatedly talks about the damage the tongue can do and Paul in the New Testament, also speaks about the power of the tongue and how we are to guard our mouths because of the damage our tongue can do.
We have the power to speak life or death into our lives and the lives of others.

You know, our bodies are a temple for the Holy Spirit and, the word of God tells us not to quench the Holy Spirit.
In other words, don't let your fire go out. Keep the fire fueled with the word of God.
It is also important to fan the flame in others, to help them keep their fire fueled. It is important that we edify each other.
According to the dictionary, Edification means to teach, build up, cultivate, guide, enlighten, uplift or elevate and comes from the Latin word aedis (dwelling) and facere (make) making the word aedificare (build), The Greek word for "edification" is oikodome. It literally means "building up" or "construction" and is often used in a metaphorical sense to describe the act of promoting someone's spiritual growth and development and this is one thing that Paul talks to us about throughout the new testament;
1 Thessalonians 5:11 says: "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing"

Our fireplace is made of different sized stones and slithers of slate. You may think what good are those small pieces of slate? They can't be that important, they're just gap fillers. Mortar isn't enough to support the stone above as it is soft at first and that stone will become unstable, uneven and unable to bear the weight of the one above, therefore, If those small pieces of slate weren't in those small spaces, the larger stones would wobble and be unable to support the stones above it, making the whole structure unsafe, ineffective.
In the same way, some people feel the same about those considered small, inconsequential,  unimportant members of society that are often ignored in society and, sadly, sometimes, the church.
Every member of the church is like the stones and slithers of slate in the fireplace, we support each other, strengthen each other and together, we make the fireplace effective which means we are stopping people growing cold... in their faith. Make sense?
We are all part of the same fireplace that can help spread the word of God and bring an atmosphere of warmth, comfort and peace to the homes of many people.
A person may have been a Christian for many, many years and become like a large stone in the fireplace but never underestimate someone that appears as a slither of slate. We can all, support each other, we can all uphold each other and bear one another in prayer.
Ephesians 2:22 tells us "And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit."  We are being built together, not apart. We are one, together, not seperate.

Let's go back to the first scripture
Psalm 104v4: "He makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire."

What does fire need to get going and keep going?
It needs heat from a spark, where does that spark come from? It comes from energy such as striking a match, some kind of source. And who is our source?  God
It needs fuel, where does that fuel come from? Wood, paper etc. Where does our fuel come from? The cross, the word of God.
It needs oxygen, oxygen breathes life into the fire and gives it life and maintains it along with fuel.
Can you see where I am going?

Each of us, individually need the fuel of the word and keeping the cross in the centre, we need the breath of God, the spoken word and the Holy Spirit continually in us to keep the flame burning to create an atmosphere of warmth, comfort and peace where ever we go.

We must fan the flames in each other aswell as ourselves.

2 Timothy 1v7: "I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline" some translations use the words: Sound Mind.

To fan means to stir up or intensify the gifts in us and others.

Jeremiah 20v9: "If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot."

Let's not keep the fire shut up where it will dwindle and die but, (again, quenching the Holy Spirit), let us open up the vents to allow fuel and air in to feed the fire of the Holy Spirit that dwells in us and dwells in the people of the church.
Let us stir up and intensify our efforts to uphold, guide, teach and encourage the young and old in Christ, to edify each other to achieve the potential so that we, as a people, can become a bonfire in this place.

I pray, brothers and sisters, that we will not let the enemy dampen our spirits, we will not let him get a foothold in our minds. I pray that we fill our thoughts with things of God leaving no space for the enemy to enter in.
Father help us to fan our own flames and then the flames of others bringing a joy that comes from knowing you.
Help us to guard our tongues, to guard our hearts, putting on Your armour each day and walk in the truth of Your word and to walk in faith that comes through meditating on Your word and the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus.
We thank that we now have a hope and a future. The future is bright!

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