fanning the flame

Several other Scriptures associate fire with God. Two such instances are: the pillar of fire that led Israel by night, the burning bush faced by Moses in the wilderness. Both are clearly instances of God's presence, as seen by the language used. In mentioning this, I remind you that we, as born-again Christians, are literally vessels of God's presence. In a way, you could say we are both keepers and carriers of the flame. We take God's presence wherever we go; what we do with it is up to us. We can choose to cover it up, or, we can expose that flame to the world. I just want to remind you that the fire you carry is what saved you from eternal torment and delivered you to eternal life. How is that fire going to help others if you don't expose them to it?

That fire consumed your sins. It changed you, just as fire changes those things it touches. The flame inside you keeps your spirit alive and warm when the cold dark world tries to destroy it. Just as a raging fire speaks through its crackling and roaring, the flame in you speaks to others as you let it be heard. To a person lost and cold in this world, its crackling and popping invites them to its warmth, but to a person comfortable in their sinful lifestyle, its roar warns them of impending destruction. A flaming firebrand held high leads the way through the darkness, warning of and exposing the dangers hidden by darkness. Just as cooking meat full of things that can kill you destroys those deadly microbes and bacteria, exposure to that flaming word from within you destroys the deadly things hidden in what the world offers, rendering them ineffective. A flaming torch set to a flammable object sets it on fire also, just as a Christian burning brightly can set unbelievers on fire and fan the sputtering flame on a tired and weary Christian. That flame that resides in you has done much, in fact every thing for you. We must remember, though, a fire set apart from anything else and covered over will soon be reduced to dying embers and become useless. Won't you consider its (His) presence within you, and work to fan the flame? Give it plenty of kindling by taking in His Word, the Holy Scriptures; call upon His Spirit to blow His breath upon it and cause it to roar in to life. Don't hide that flame, but instead, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Be a light in the darkness.