Rekindle the Fire

For weeks now this scripture has been at the forefront of my mind. It's been bubbling up within my spirit and I feel it is an imploration from heaven to me, and to all His people who follow Him.

The scripture comes from 2 Timothy 1 v 6. 

That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands

Paul is talking to Timothy, a believer, a leader and possibly even the pastor in the church at Ephesus. He's warning him to rekindle the fire. Timothy was a hard worker, and Paul thought very highly of him. He is a passionate man of God, who learnt through Paul's ministry and who serves diligently in the church. He's got a position of authority in the church, He serves faithfully and He loves Jesus. Yet Paul is telling him that he needs to rekindle the embers and stir up the gift within, ensuring that the inner fire is kept alive. Fires are difficult to put out if they have the right atmosphere - heat, oxygen and fuel to burn. Once they start raging, they are difficult to extinguish. This is a warning to us all - if the fire can start to die down in Timothy, we need to take heed.  No one is immune from this - from the "top dogs" in the church hierarchy all the way through to the average Joe's like me: we can lose our inner fire and neglect the gift of God. 

What is the inner fire though? I believe it simply putting Jesus first. It's having Jesus at the forefront of everything you do and being so full of Him that we're passionate about Him so that He is outpoured in everything we say, think and do. It's being in love with Jesus, and focussing on His will and His righteousness (Matthew 6 v 33).    

First I want to look at what happens when we lose our inner fire. I believe there are two main issues that we face when we lose our inner fire for God. 

When we look at a verse, we must look at what precedes that verse, and what follows as the text is not isolated. The first thing that happens is found in the next two verses in Timothy: For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. Do not blush or be ashamed then, to testify to and for our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for His sake, but [with me] take your share of the suffering [to which the preaching] of the Gospel [may expose you, and do it] in the power of God
A spirit of fear and timidity and a loss of power, love and a balanced and calm mind will threaten to overtake us if we lose our fire and neglect the gift of God. We will be at risk of becoming ashamed of the gospel too! I'm of the opinion that the bible must be looked at in context.  There is a reason Paul talks about this when he has just beseeched Timothy to not neglect the gift of God, and to fan the flames. If we let the fire dwindle, then we open the door to a spirit of fear, and when we are in fear we are not operating in faith, and without faith we cannot please God (Hebrews 11 v 6).

The second issue, and probably the most terrifying verses in the bible in my opinion is found in Revelation 3 v 15-16. Before we actually look at the scripture, let me just lay down a few facts about these verses:

• Jesus spoke these words. 
• Jesus Himself said these words. Yes, it's worth repeating! 
• He said them to His church. 
• These words were not addressed to unbelievers but to the church, the people who serve Him. 
• A loving, holy, just Saviour Who loves us so much that He would give Himself for us, said these words to His beloved church. Again, I'm just wanting to really emphasise the context here:

I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot!So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth
I shudder at these verses because this was directed to the Laodicean church and in my mind, I can't refute in any way that our current church age is this very church Jesus is speaking to here in Revelation. The Laodicean church are wealthy, comfortable in their lives, and don't need for much physically, they think they have it all going on, but Jesus says they are in fact spiritually poor and wretched, blind and naked!

They have no dependence or reliance on God because they are financially doing well and yet they are not using their blessings to reach out and help the lost and the poor and needy. They have a sense of piousness and religion which isn't real, it's all a show - they're spiritually blind and pitiable, Jesus says. They're doing something, as Jesus says He sees their works, but whatever it is, it isn't pleasing God. We know that faith pleases God, so they aren't using their faith.
They aren't on fire for God, they've got a form of religion with little relationship. They are facades of Christians, not completely back-slidden and fallen away from the faith, but not on fire for God. They go to church and go through the motions, they may shout "amen" occasionally and outwardly look the part, but inwardly, there's no true connection.  Jesus calls them lukewarm. And the state this church is in, the lukewarm state, is worse than being turned off, or "cold". It is so detestable to Jesus, it makes Him want to be sick!
You'd think a "cold" Christian or a back-slidden believer would invoke this incredible response. But not so, it's the lukewarm Christians that Jesus finds detestable. That is truly a Selah moment. It's time to pause, and think about this and consider that Jesus Himself, Who dearly loves His church, has come to the point of having to say to them that they make Him want to spew them out of His mouth. 

Have you ever had a person you loved and cared for treat you with ambivalence and make you feel like they aren't really that bothered about spending time with you? Maybe they slot you in when they feel like it; they don't listen when you want to talk, and are only interested in themselves; they make excuses to not meet up, or just use you for what they can get out of you? It's a horrible feeling if you're on the receiving end of a friendship/relationship like this. I've been there myself and it's hurtful. Yet this is probably how a lot of people treat God. It's hardly surprising that it makes Him feel sick.When we love someone, we want them to love us back. If your spouse wasn't dotty about you, you'd feel all sorts of rubbish wouldn't you?  The fact is that God wants your whole heart because He loves you so deeply. He's completely and utterly passionate about His people, and we can't comprehend the breadth, length height or depth of His love for us (Eph 3 v 18). 

How do we comprehend this love? It's a supernatural love and because of that, we need special power to comprehend it (see Eph 3 v 18). The power comes from the gift God has bestowed upon us. Acts 1 v 8 tells us that we will have power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us. The power of God lies in the gift of God. The gift is the Holy Spirit and Paul was urging Timothy to stir up the gift of God. So, we know the gift of God is the Holy Spirit, we know that He gives us power, and through Him we come to know Jesus more, and to begin to comprehend and experience the love that He has for us.  How do we stir up the Holy Spirit then? We do it by engaging with Him. The main avenue to do this is to pray,  particularly by praying in the Spirit (in tongues). If you have never done this, just ask to do so. We don't receive if we don't ask. There's so much power in praying in tongues. God doesn't do things for nothing. There's a reason behind everything God does, and He wouldn't give us a gift of tongues for us to do nothing with it. If you have a gift, use it! The gift of tongues is bestowed on every believer and we have a duty to be using what He has given us. 

Praying in the spirit releases power - dynamic power the bible tells us. It edifies us; it edifies the church; it connects us to heaven; it draws us closer to Him; it draws us into worship; and when we pray in the Spirit, we intercede on behalf of the saints. Studies have shown that those who speak in tongues suffer less mental illness than those who don't, and are less stressed! So it's good for the mind - well, we can infer that from Timothy, regardless of the studies - [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/07/health/07brain.html

http://www.dana.org/News/Speaking_in_Tongues__Glossalalia_and_Stress_Reduction/

Therefore we need to submit to the Holy spirit, praying, praising, singing to God in worship, seeking and doing His will, and being in a constant relationship with Him; this is what He is asking from us. It's the constant relationship, not the part-time on-a-Sunday-Morning-only that He wants. He's desperate for YOU. That's not hyperbole, or even irreverent. The God Who created this universe is desperate for you to come to Him and just love Him like He loves you. He's besotted with you, and that's why it is detestable to Him for His church to be lukewarm.When we are self sufficient, like the Laodicean church, then we are drifting from Him and the fire dwindles and we become lukewarm. It is that leaning on Him for everything that pleases His heart, and brings us close to Him, but He doesn't force His love on us, and He doesn't coerce us into anything. We have to take steps and action to show that we're in this and we're willing.  
Everything I do, I want it to be borne out of my burning love for Jesus. I don't want to be a half-hearted, lukewarm Christian. I may look odd or strange to some people, and I may not blend in with the rest of the world, but my hope is in the passages below. I don't want to make the love of my life feel ill from my lack of passion. My heart overflows with love for Him, and I want that love to overspill every area of my life. I am determined to fan the flames, rekindle the embers and stir up the gift of God, setting the inner fire ablaze!

I'm signing off with a few verses from Ephesians. This is the church Timothy was based at. Ephesus actually means "beloved" or "desirable". He is asking us, His beloved, to be on fire for Him. If you're not on fire for Jesus, fan the flames, rekindle the spark, and set that fire for Him burning again. 

These verses from Ephesians are what God desires for you and for me, this is my hope, this is my destination, not just when I step off this rock into eternity, but here and now.
Jesus wants to make His home in our heart, He wants to give us power through the Holy Spirit to know and grasp His love for us, and be filled with God Himself. There's simply nothing greater in the entire universe. 

Be blessed

Ephesians 3 v 16 - 19
May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].
17 May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,
18 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];
19 [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself