Acts 4:31-33 And when
they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken;
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of
God with boldness. Now the multitude of those who believed were of
one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he
possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And
with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the
Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.”
The type of fire down in the
spirit of a child of God can ignite an entire church with what the 1828
Webster’s dictionary defines as: (1)
Light; luster; splendor. (2) Liveliness
of imagination; vigor of fancy; intellectual activity; animation; force of sentiment
or expression. (3) The passion of love; ardent affection. This being on
fire for Christ burns down to the very soul (mind, will and emotions). This
describes the Christian, and collectively, the church “on fire for Christ.”
Last weekend, Little Church
in the Pines @ Bass Lake, California opened its sanctuary door for the first
Sunday Worship Service in two months. Pastor Herk preached that Evangelism is a
high priority and a church on fire for God needs to carry the message of the
gospel to a world that so disparately needs to hear the good news. No pastor
would ever want to hear from anyone that the Christian church just going
through the motions, a social event more and giving worship, honor, praise and
adoration to the Lord, singing but not worshiping God is not resonating in the
people, there is no connection to the Lord felt, and no decisions for Christ
are being made. The church is not about “what it was” or “what it could be”,
but “what it is” and “what it is becoming”. God has a purpose and plan for His
church to thrive, not just survive.
1 Corinthians 2:4-5 “And
my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom,
but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith
would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”
The church needs this fire
in the soul to draw and save. Where is the fire? IT takes God’s power to
fulfill God’s purposes. We cannot depend upon man-made excitement, publicity,
programs or popularity. Numerical growth is not fire; spiritual growth is. People
must be stirred with enthusiasm (that
noble passion, the elevated fancy, a warm imagination, an ardent zeal, that
forms sublime ideas, and prompts to the ardent pursuit of laudable objects. Such
is the enthusiasm of the patriot, the hero and the Christian). The Holy
Spirit is involved and the key component.
Prayer from the heart will
make the difference and change the church, so prevail in prayer, speak the Word
of God with boldness. What happens? The soul is saved and filled with the
Spirit. Fan the coals and embers, then add kindling to ignite the flame of this
spiritual fire. It’s not making things happen, but allowing the Lord to move in
your heart, soul and spirit. Hand in hand as a church, the ground level is
Calvary. Together, it is an attitude of dependency and faithfulness because we
need the power of God. Do not minimize your importance in the fire of God’s
church. This is where God is working in ministry to the world, so join in.
In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus
said, “Go therefore and make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that
I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end
of the age.”
Sometimes, we misplace our
importance. Everyone has spiritual gifts to be used in the Lord’s ministry. The
mission of evangelism and discipleship is to share Jesus with those around us.
Soul winning is the business of the Christian church because it is a hospital
for sinners, not a “rest home” for the saints. Lose your purpose and the fire
goes out. There is a fire in the church! Catch it in your soul and spread the
fire of God’s love and salvation.
In Christ, Brian
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