But I tell you the
truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away,
the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to
you. When he comes he will convict the world of guilt in regard to
sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness,
because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer;
and in regard to judgement, because the prince of this world now
stands condemned. I have much more to say to you, more than you can
now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes he will guide you
into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only
what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will
bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to
you...
John
16:7-14 (NIV)
When a large fire occurs
in town, firefighters rush in and try to stop the blaze. Sometimes
their best efforts fail and the fire destroys the building. Fire
chiefs and inspectors search through the burnt debris and look for
clues for the cause of the fire. Among the dust and burnt wood
answers can be found.
Every
denomination started from a Holy Spirit fire. This caused a
spiritual movement. The Pentecostal denomination started in Azusa
street, and the Wesleyan church started from a camp meeting. These
events changed the coarse of church history. Many years later we
wonder if that fire still exists. How can that fire exist today? I
want to look at lessons from the fire.
First lesson from the
fire is heat.
But we ought
always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because
from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying
word of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you
to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
2Thessalonians 2:13-14 (NIV)
A fire
provides us with heat. It takes away the chill from a cold night.
We feel cozy and snug the closer that we are to the fire. We need
to take the effort required to get close to God. Our closeness to
God will give us a greater understanding of the great power of the
Holy Spirit. Inside we will begin to boil like the water that is on
a stove. That heat that is within you will be hard to contain.
If a house is on
fire, anything flammable next to the flame will ignite. The counter
tops, walls and ceiling will be engulfed in flames. The heat caused
the fire. You do not have to touch the fire to feel the heat. The
Holy Spirit has the power to set an individual on fire. That
individual will cause many lives to be ignited by the flames of a
higher power. In this fire, churches, towns, and perhaps the world
is touched.
I believe that
heat still exists today. The Holy Spirit can show us amazing events
that can only be explained through the power of God. The miracles
that happened in church history can occur again but not necessarily
in the same way.
Second lesson from the
fire is light.
Now an angel of
the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road-the desert road-that
goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." So he started out, and on his
way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of
all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had
gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his
chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told
Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." Then Philip ran up
to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do
you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. "How can I",
he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip
to come and sit with him.
Acts 8:26-31 (NIV)
In the dark
it only takes a little light for us to see more clearly. When the
fire is lit we can see the path that we travel on more clearly. We
know that it is the proper path. There is no more crawling in the
dirt to find the right path. We live in a time where everyone has
the answers to your problems. Solutions are easy to find, but will
they last? Put your faith and trust in someone that has proven
himself. Trust in the Holy Spirit, and Wall in the light that He
provides.
We can become a
beacon of light that stands out in our homes, churches and jobs.
Life will seem different and our pathway will become more familiar.
The Christian road is hard because it is counterculture to society.
People want to go where there is light. The Holy Spirit living in
you can light your path and a friend's as well.
A good light
shows dust and dirt. Although you did your best to clean, dust may
remain undetected. A huge light from the Holy Spirit causes us to
change attitudes and behaviours. Our changes can make us powerful
warriors for God. Do you remember the disciples? They were weak,
scared and helpless. The Holy Spirit visited them in the upper room
and they were forever changed. They became powerful individuals.
Third lesson from the
fire is protection.
"...And I will ask
the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you
forever-the Spirit of truth. The world can not accept him, because
it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives
with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I
will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore,
but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that
day you will realize that I am in my father, and you are in me, and
I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obey them, he is the one
who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too
will love him and show myself to him."
John14:16-21(NIV)
In the
jungle a fire can prevent you from being attacked. All animals have
an instinctive fear of fire. When we have the Holy Spirit in our
life we will be protected. He is that invisible soldier working on
our behalf protecting us against the temptations and traps that
Satan will put on to our pathway. Our silent warrior will keep us
safe from many dangers.
Every day that we
live there is one thousand reasons to lose sleep. Once you hear the
news we discover a new fear. The world has become a cold, heartless
and sometimes violent place. This can cause us to lose hope. We
lose sleep at night. Fretting about horrible possibilities that
exist. Give all our fears to God. He is the only one that is
qualified to help.
If you believe
that God is working on your behalf, things will change. Life will
become more than a ritual of events, but will turn into a great
adventure. We will find great treasures in scripture that will
apply to our daily life. Living the Christian life should be joyous
not a drudgery. We know the answers to life's hardest test. That
answer is God. He will be with you in the present and future. You
can depend on Him.
Conclusion
After a huge fire
residents will say, "I have lost everything." When the Holy
Spirit's fire enters your life you can say, "I have found everything
that I need." Allow the Holy Spirit to come into your life and
amazing things will happen.