How Hot is Your Fire?

1 John 5:5

Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (Whole Chapter: 1 John 5 In context: 1 John 5:4-6)

Please receive the Word of God that says he who believes that Jesus “is” the Son of God not “was” the Son of God. Is our faith living and vibrant today, or is it past tense? Unfortunately, many of us enjoy the thrill of something new and then allow the thrill of that to fade into nothingness. We get so accustomed to living a life without the fire of God’s Love consuming us, that we get all excited about a revival and then slip right back into a lazy, complacent love life with Him afterwards. We not only do it with Him, but also with those we’ve said before God and others that we dedicate our lives and our love to. Our passions seem to resemble a campfire. Many of us can relate with this because we’ve been there and know the importance of keeping the fire fed if we want to stay warm during the night.

Have you ever noticed how quickly combustible materials get consumed by a hot fire? Many of us are struggling on walking the walk of Christ and living for Him because we are not spending time with Him and thus feeding the fire of our faith. Oh, we may have a mustard seed of faith just like a little match that can set a huge forest into flames. But, have you noticed how long it takes a match in and of itself to warm a room?, practically forever. A match is not meant to be lit only for itself, but is meant to join with other combustible material so that a raging fire can be had to warm or feed others. A mustard seed of faith is not meant to stay a seed, but is meant to blossom into a beautiful, huge living plant that gives life to others.

Have you noticed how some people struggle with sin, and then how others seem to soar over it? Why is that? Again, you can compare it to a fire. Place some papers into a small fire and you can actually watch the fire slowly consume the papers but throw those same papers into a raging fire and POOF! There gone! How do our lives become like a raging fire for Christ so that we can soar over the trials and tribulations this life seems to have in abundance? I believe that the greater we “believe” Jesus “is” the Son of God, the greater our victory over those things of this life that hold no eternal value. Matthew 17:14-20 14When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15"Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him." 17"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." 18Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. 19Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" 20He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."[1] If our Faith is true, then just like a match it needs to grow so that it will truly glorify the One that made it so. Luke 19:17-19 17And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. (Whole Chapter: Luke 19 In context: Luke 19:16-18)

Unfortunately though, many of us will enter Heaven with the same mustard seed of faith that we were given with no growth of relationship with Him. Love comes through interaction not through knowledge accumulation. I can read the facts about my wife all day long but unless I interact with her, that knowledge is useless. Christ wants our interaction with Him, not our outward display to others of our head knowledge of Who He Is, but an inward happening of relationship of Who He Is. Unfortunately many of us will enter Heaven as paupers with very little to show of the faith He planted within our hearts; 1 Corinthians 3:15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (Whole Chapter: 1 Corinthians 3 In context: 1 Corinthians 3:14-16) So, do we want to guarantee our entrance into Glory? 2 Peter 1:10-11 10Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Than let’s feed the flames of relationship with Christ and grow our faith. How is that done? Not through ritual or head knowledge, but through interaction with Him. Is it any wonder that Christ says the following in Mark 9:28-29?; Mark 9 28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? 29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. What is prayer and fasting? It’s interaction with Him. My heart’s desire is not to be known by men, but to be known by Him. I look into the nature of God by the Light of His Word and stand in awe of His Love, Beauty, Power, and Wisdom. I look at the Heavenly Father who says Look at My Son in Whom I am well pleased Matthew 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Whole Chapter: Matthew 3 In context: Matthew 3:16-18) and I look at satan who says bow down and worship me Matthew 4 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. and I say I desire to live in eternity with my Loving Heavenly Father where just the nature of the Trinity is Love and Beauty and not with the liar of this world who only lives for himself.

As hard as it’s been to live with our destructive paths of sin, I’m glad that our Heavenly Father has allowed it to run its course so that all of creation can see the foulness and deadliness of sin. The more I look at my pride in contrast to His Holy Loving Heart, the more I desire Him and the less I desire of my sinful, selfish ways.

Heavenly Father, ever teach our spirits how to drink deeply of You and how to spend more time pressing near to Your heart. In Jesus Name we thank You, Amen

The hotter our fire for Him, the less our desire for the world. May our lamps ever burn brighter and brighter until He calls us together for the wedding feast of the Lamb. Revelation 19:9 Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God."(Whole Chapter: Revelation 19 In context: Revelation 19:8-10)

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