FROM THE PULPIT: HOW BRIGHTLY BURNS YOUR FLAME?

As I was walking by the front door of our church, I noticed it was very dark inside. Completely dark. This was not too surprising since it was before sunrise, except Except for the eternal flame candle. Wasn't it supposed to be burning? Where was the dancing, softly burning flame from the eternal light? It had gone out, overnight. I realized that I looked for a certain degree of comfort from that eternal light candle. It was a reminder of the presence of God to me.

What a picture of what we often refer to as a "normal" Christian life. At some point in life, we "get religion." our zeal and excitement for God is high. We actively witness, we devour the Bible, we attend Bible studies, prayer meetings, conferences and seminars. We are at every church service, teach Sunday School, serve one another willingly, pray every day.

But sometime down the road, all this stops, or at least slows down. We become "normal" again, after having "gone off the deep end." After a few months or a couple of years we may still attend church, but our witness is silent, our enthusiasm dim, and our activities revolve around something, anything, besides God or church or religion. What happened?

I remember from junior high science that 3 ingredients are necessary for a fire to burn, heat, fuel, air (oxygen). Take away any of these 3 ingredients, and there will be no fire.

The same word in the Bible translated "spirit" also means "breath" or "wind." The Holy Spirit is like the wind, Jesus told us. (John 3) The Holy Spirit is as necessary to our spiritual life as air is to a fire. Without the Holy Spirit, our religion is only an empty shell. Like a skeleton, or a corpse, the body may exist, but there is no life in it. (Ezekiel 37) Only as the Holy Spirit lives in us can we do or produce anything good. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23) Someone once asked Dwight Moody why he so often prayed to be filled with the Holy spirit. "I leak a lot," was his reply. Pray often for the Holy Spirit to fill you.

A fire needs fuel. What is fuel for the Christian life? It is God's Word. It is prayer. It is Holy Communion. Whatever keeps us in contact with the living God is fuel for our spiritual fire. That is why spiritual disciplines are so important. (For an excellent treatment of the Spiritual disciplines, see Richard Foster's book, The Celebration of Discipline). Without the Bible, prayer, the Lord's Supper, etc., we are cutting ourselves off from our very own lifeline to God. A scuba diver would not slice his air line with his knife. Yet when we do without these very things, we do the same spiritually. Nor can you fast when preparing for an athletic event. You will run out of energy. So also we must read and study our Bibles, meditate and pray, and participate fully in the life of the church, and service to one another.

A fire also needs heat. One can concentrate light into a very hot center and start a fire with a magnifying glass. John the Baptist told the crowds, "I baptize you with water. But one who is greater than I. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Matthew 3:11) Just as the sun warms the earth

and causes seed to grow, Jesus, the Almighty Son of God warms our hearts with new life. It is Jesus who showed us the way to God. It is Jesus who died on the cross for our sins. It is Jesus who arose from the dead on the third day to give us eternal life and hope of resurrection. Keep Jesus as the focus, the center of your life.

There is a saying, "Tf God seems far away from you, guess who moved?" Don't let your spiritual fires burn dim or go out. Or if they already have, take heart, God delights in "lighting your fire." After all, just as I expect and hope to see the eternal flame burning in its place, the world is looking for peace and for hope. "You are the light of the world," Jesus told his disciples. (Matthew 5:14) Invite the Holy Spirit into your life daily. Practice the spiritual disciplines. Keen Jesus as your focus. And you will burn brightly for God!