Flammable Chain Reaction

2Chron. 7:3 When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”

Fire spreads and consumes.  That’s its job.  Holy fire doesn’t destroy as it burns, it purifies that which it ignites.  And it goes out to touch and ignite others. 

I’m taking an inventory of the areas of my heart, mind and life that need to be ignited and purified by God’s holy fire.  The list is longer than I’d like to admit.  Tepid habits.  Cold attitudes.  Waning hopes.  Spititual inertia.  Unless consumed and purified by God’s holy fire, there is no glory for Him in these places.  And so, no blessing for others nor joy for me.

What might be on your list of places in you that need God’s fire to fall?  Is there a friendship that takes more work and grace than is convenient?  Financial concerns that lead to worry rather than trust?  Thoughts of the future that are dull or dark?  Perhaps a love relationship with Jesus that has taken a back burner among the busyness of summer?  Not to worry.  They’re all flammable. 

And what if God’s fire could fall on you and transform all that needs a spark of life and inspiration, and then spread out to all those around you?  Family, friends, marriages, workplaces, churches — all would be blessed and changed as God overwhelmed them with His glorious presence.  Sound impossible?  It happened to Solomon.

Solomon had just finished praying a passionate prayer of praise and repentence, and calling on God to glorify Himself.  The glory of the Lord filled up the temple so much that the priests were unable to do their work.  Work and life could not go along as usual.  Fire fell, and it all resulted in more praise and more glory for God.

I am going to take a cue from Solomon and pray a passionate prayer telling God how great He is, how un-great (and often ungrateful) I am, and then crying out for His glory.  I expect that things are going to get pretty hot in my heart and life.

Why not do the same?  I’m convinced that God is just as eager to glorify Himself right now as He was when Solomon prayed.  My expectation is that after we pray, God will move, and the business of our lives will not go on as usual.  It will be supernaturally glory-saturated.  Fire will fall.  And as you and I rise from the ashes, our lives will even more reflect the glory of God, and we’ll look a whole lot more like Jesus.  I know that’s what I need and what He wants.

Then we will shine for Him as never before, and those around us will never be the same again, as they become glory gushers in the Spirit’s chain reaction.

Matt. 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Let the fire fall, let the flames spread, and let the name of Jesus be glorified to the ends of the earth. 

Here comes that prayer…

Taken Back – is it worth it?

Proverbs 24:11 ”Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.”

I saw the movie “Taken” last week.  If you don’t want a plot spoiler, don’t read on, cause it’s about to get spoiled.  It is a violent movie, so if that creeps you out, you may want to skip it.  High body count.  In fact, my friend, Matt, tells me that the Blu-Ray version has a body count option on it.  That might be worth a re-veiwing.  Through all the violence, I saw the Gospel played out in this movie. 

A father loves his 17 year old daughter.  She goes on a European vacation vacation with a friend and is violently abducted by a gang that kidnaps young women, addicts them to heroin and turns them into prostitutes.  I can’t imagine the agony for parent or child.  The father immediately flies to Paris, determined to find and rescue his daughter.  He uncorks a kind of vigilante mayhem that is unrestrained.  He risks absolutely everything to find and rescue his daughter.  His daughter, someone he dearly loves, was taken from the safety and love of her rightful family, and was in the captivity of those who would turn her into a slave, in a most grotesque and evil way — turn her into something so different than she was created to be.  Her father deemed her, and her rescue, worthy of the highest levels of risk, even of his life.

Here are a few thoughts and questions for those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus.

The incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus was a rescue mission.  Can we claim to follow Jesus if our lives are not also a rescue mission?

The Scripture above tells us that God resuces those being taken away to death.  Is that how we see sharing the Good News of Jesus?

Hom much love must one have for another to risk everything so that they might be rescued?

Is that not the same love Jesus has for us, and offers to place in our heart for those far from Him?

When the father in “Taken” encountered any of the other young women who had been abducted, he treated them with great compassion, caressed their faces and saw who they were created to be, not what they had been turned into.  Do we do the same for those who are far from Jesus and wrecked by sin (either their own or someone else’s)?

The father did not beat up the young women, he beat up (and absolutely mutilated!) those who had turned them into drug addicted sex slaves.  Do we sometimes hate and beat up the captives, rather than hate and beat up the captor, the Devil, whose grand design is to steal (abduct), kill and destroy?

If we are not willing to risk our comfort, our reputation, our time, our money and our very lives to rescue the perishing, can we truly claim to follow Jesus, who came and gave everything “to set the captive free?”

Risk it all.  Seek as Jesus seeks.  Love as Jesus loves.  Serve as Jesus serves.  And tell of Him who has come to rescue those who have fallen victim to Satan, sin and death (even if they’ve been accomplices in the abduction).

I am inviting the Holy Spirit to unearth the deep parts of me that prevent me from risking it all for those who are abducted and imprisoned.  And as He exhumes those sinfully resistant attitudes in me, I will repent of them.  And Jesus will forgive me of them, and in that same soil, plant His compassion, love and grace, and a heart that cannot rest until the captives are free, and the captor is defeated – no matter the risk.

Will you join me in that?  That’s God’s plan, His beautiful mission of redemption.  And it’s so worth the risk.  I love you – Tom

Speak Sparks

1 Corinthians 14:3 (ESV) “On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.”

 How often have you needed someone to speak into your life words of elevation, encouragement and comfort?  How many people whom you will encounter today are craving that too? 

The great news is that the prophetic gifting that the Lord so desires to bless His people with, leads us to speak these life-giving, soul-igniting words into one another through the power of the Holy Spirit.

So, speak words of “upbuilding,” elevation, confidence, courage and strength into others today.  Many are torn down in their hearts and minds, whether they appear so or not.  Look not only for the one who is obviously needing this, but also for the one who least deserves it.  Kindle the fire there, too.

And speak words of “encouragement,” enthusiasm, faith, future, motivation and promise into others today.  How many more great things might the Lord accomplish in and through people if only they did not lose heart?  If only someone would speak the spark back into them?  Go do it.

And speak soothing words of “consolation,” comfort, understanding, hope, calm and relief into the many stessed and depressed people you will encounter.  Your loving word may turn around their attitude, their day, and their life.

That’s a lot of prophetic speaking!  And you cannot pour out what you haven’t got.  So pray and ask for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit.  Let God’s Word speak upbuilding, encouragement and consolation into your heart.  Then go speak life into others — blow on some embers until they glow bright red, and throw off sparks. 

Before we know it, fires could be breaking out all over the place.  And you know what that would look like?  The Kingdom.

Love, Tom

Be Combustible

Thanks for visiting.  If you’re looking to be easily lit into a burning inferno for Jesus, then you’re in good company.  Sometimes I feel like I’ve gone through life wearing fireproof kids pajamas, the kind with feet in them.  For those who know me, get that picture out of your mind, it could be damaging.   I long to be kindled and provide kindling for other’s lives so that together the fire of the Holy Spirit may burn unquenced and unrestrained in us.  Start with the Word of God.  Ask the Holy Spirit to not only open your eyes and heart to it, but to sear it on your mind and heart.  Then, praying in the most beautiful name of Jesus, let it break out of you to bless Him and others.  We’ll both be blazing in no time.  It’s going to be glorious.

Guard your fire, and keep the flame.  Stop by when you need more kindling.