Are you on fire?

When we were camping this past weekend and discussing baptism among other things with our children, our daughter made an interesting comment.  She said she didn't want to just be a spark that went out quickly.  She wanted to be on fire for the things God would have for her.  We were overjoyed our 15 year old daughter wants to know the ways of the Lord and to walk with Him in such a close relationship and to share Him with others. 

This one little statement got me to thinking though.  What does a fire do?  To the left is a picture of the fire we built at camp on Saturday night.  It was burning well and it was burning hot.  By Sunday morning, there was nothing but ashes in the firepit and we had burned about 15 pieces of wood since 5:30 Saturday evening.  A fire consumes whatever it is fed: twigs, leaves, paper, logs, etc...the fire will burn it until nothing remains but ashes.  Sometimes, if the fire is not fed, the flame may become smaller until there is only a glow of embers.  The embers can be stoked and a flame could reignite if they are still burning hot enough.  To keep the fire burning bright and hot, it must be provided the correct fuel to burn.

Our relationship with the Lord is very similar to a fire.  What we stoke the fire with and what we feed it determines how hot it burns. I have heard many people say their relationship with the Lord is very personal to them and they don't share it with others and they don't talk much about what the Lord has done in their lives or anything like that.  While I do agree that our relationship with the Lord is a personal one-on-one relationship that no one else is including in, but at the same time we are commanded in the Word to share the gospel.

Mark 16:15

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all creation."

The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ!  We can share the message of Jesus Christ's birth, death, and resurrection and saving grace for all who believe.  We can even use personal testimony and life experiences to show great examples of what God's grace, mercy and power can do with a life if we allow Him to work in us.  Sometimes a personal testimony and shared life experience can make an impact on an individual and bring a level of understanding and conviction to another through the Holy Spirit.  To use our personal life experiences requires us to step outside our thinking of "it is personal to me." 

How do we do that?

It all depends on what we feed our fire...what we feed our spirits.  Because a fire is an all-consuming thing, it is the same within us.  The more we feed our spirits the things of God, the more time we spend in prayer with Him, the more we study is word and wait for Rhema revelation, the more we are stoking the embers and feeding the fire. 

Our fire for the things of the Lord should so consume us that there is no way we can keep what He has done for us to ourselves.

We should be so consumed with fire for His works for us, that nothing else satisfies us. 

Jesus wants those that are committed to Him 100%.  He wants those that are consumed with the fire of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said in Revelation 3:15-16

15 - I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I would that you were cold or hot.
16 - So because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth.

Jesus says here He does not want us to sit on the fence of compromise.  He wants us to make a decision on where we stand.  We are either on fire for Him, or we are not.  We also must remember, that we are the light of the world...we are a city on hill.

Matthew 5:14-16

14 - You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 - Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the grain-measure, but on a lampstand.  And it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 - Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

Did you know that when you are camping in the woods, with no street lamps, that it is difficult to see your hand in front of your face without the moon and the stars to shine their light?  When we build a campfire at our camp, you can see the light from the fire from a great distance.  It also provides light and warmth at the campsite. 

How much more could the light and warmth of Jesus Christ be shown to the world if we only let our lights shine bright?  Don't quench the fire of the Holy Spirit within you by keeping the good news to yourself.  Feed your spirit the word of God daily.  Feed your spirit through prayer and study time with the Lord. 

Be so consumed with the fire of the Holy Spirit that you are truly a city set on a hill...a light to a dark world showing them the power, saving grace, and love of the One who died for them...