Time To Check The Fire

Acts 28:1-3 And when they were escaped, then they knew that
the island was called Melita. And the barbarous people shewed us no
little kindness: for
they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present
rain, and because of the cold.

For those of you who do not live in our region, it is a cold, snowy morning. The snow is not very deep, but the bitter temperatures and road conditions have forced us to cancel services today. Even with our adequate heating system, I can now feel the cold creeping in  and into my study. Certainly brings life to those Christmas songs playing in the living room! And it brings back childhood memories when Winter was Winter, and Christmases were like the picture cards. We had an old wood/coal stove for heating. There were 7 of us; 5 brothers and 2 sisters. It was us brother's job (of course) to tend the stove and bring in the coal and wood. We paired off and took turns. If we got lazy or forgot, we'd soon know it. The fuel would burn up, the fire would diminish, and soon it would begin to get colder, and fast! Then the worst part. Mom would be hollering. If we still procrastinated, then she would corner us with something we didn't like in her hand. It was not a biscuit either! We dreaded our turn, for it meant being the first to crawl out from under those warm covers each morning, leave the other guy (we slept 3 to a bed) snoozing, and get the stove banked up and hot. For some reason we could not understand, the fire, going unattended throught the night, would burn down. And if we didn't bank it good the previous night, it would go out. Then we would definitely be in the hot seat!!

After
the shipwreck of Paul and others the barbarians kindled a fire. Luke took the time to write
this and it says the same thing to us 2,000 years later. The greatest
need was a fire. Someone kindled a fire. I don't know about you, but I need to check my fire. It may be burning low, or may even be almost out.

A fire is more
appreciated the colder it gets. We don't use heat in the summer time. A
fire feels good especially with the cold snaps we've been having
lately. The coldest times are the darkest times. Some go to work in the
dark. Cold and dark go together.

Many things are important in
our lives, but a fire is most needed. A fire is easy in dry times, but
it is another thing to keep it going. In the middle of this storm, they
built a fire. Impossible? This was soaked wood. You just have to know
what you're doing. If they could, we can and we can keep it going. The
survivors and the others gathered wood and everyone did their part. The
success depended not on one…but then it does. You, me, and all of us
with God alone can do it. They tried and God allowed fire for their
warmth. The fire was a blessing.

Do we need a fire? There was a
real need there, and we do need it too. Surrounded by a society and
environment that gets colder and colder and damper and damper, we sure
need a fire. It dampens the spirit. It causes discouragement. Even in
the midst it seems all resources are wet, there can still be a fire.
Wet wood will burn if started right. Truth will prevail. God is still
here. No matter the darkness, God will show us how to build the fire.

We've
seen dry times in the past when it seemed hard. The wood burned then.
Even though the devil fought we got through the 70's, the 80's and the
90's. Remember when we thought the world might come to an end when the
year 2000 came? Here we are in 2008. Each decade we thought surely the
Lord will come; it can't get worse that this. We kept the fire through
all those times–in the midst of it all we found a way to kindle the
fire. It's worse now. Things are bad, but despite all the wood is
there; the resources are there and God is still the same.

We
can keep a fire. We need to bring our resources to God and trust his
resources. The devil will try to discourage us, but we can find the
wood we need; even if it's damp, it will still burn. Throw it on the
pile and figure out a way. It's easier to rekindle our souls than to
start a fire with soaked wood but it can be done. We can't do a thing
about the darkness or any other elements around us. But we can build a fire. We have the house of God and each other; we can build a fire and find warmth against this cold and dark world.

Let's
seek God and ask for a fire of love and passion for souls and the
truth. Believe God and not the nonsense of the world. Bring your soaked
wood to the altar and God can start a fire.

The serpent didn't
like it when Paul dropped him into the fire. The devil doesn't like to
have the heat turned on him. The devil doesn't have to bite us if our
wood is wet, but put him to the fire and see what happens. The same
fire that warmed Paul roasted that serpent.

Get the heat back in church, back in our hearts–the devil will have to leave. How is your fire? Have you checked it lately? Let's seek the Lord, and ask Him to help us get the wood back in and stoke that fire hot again..