Should I Stop, Drop, and Roll??

All-Consuming Fire

So I know you guys often hear Rome and I say things like “Oh God set us on Fire” or “God used us to share his Fire”... or other things regarding burning up in flames.

What does this even mean? Why are you guys pyromaniacs? 

Well, remember when I was lukewarm? If you don’t, go read my blog post about my testimony (http://a4cnewhope.blogspot.com/2013/04/lise-lukewarm.html). The bible says something about that in Revelation 3:16

So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

So essentially, I knew Jesus, but not enough to want to be like him. I loved Jesus, but not enough to really allow him to be in complete control. I was Christian, but not Christian enough to really follow the Bible. I WAS SO LUKEWARM!! I was room temperature, good for nothing, barely refreshing, sitting-too-long Bathwater!!!

The way that God set me on fire is how a lot of things catch on fire. Think of it... A dropped cigarette in a living room in a house. First, the rug catches on fire, then it spreads to the drapes, then the drapes fall and it catches on to the couch, then it continues in this manner till the whole house is aflame (sorry to use such an analogy, but Smokie the bear imprinted this on my mind at an alarmingly young age). 

But the way this happened for me was that I saw someone else that was on Fire! Then I kept finding myself around people who were on Fire! God kept putting me in situations with people who not only believed in Christ being the Son of God, his death, and his resurrection, but they followed him! They didn’t even question the music they listened to, clearly they wanted to listen to anything and everything that was about Jesus. Parties? Oh, if they weren’t going to be playing Christian music, they definitely didn’t want to go. Smoking and drinking? Why? We worship and get drunk in the spirit (I will elaborate later). These people were truly all about their Dad and what he desired. These people couldn’t think of a day when they didn’t talk about Jesus to SOMEBODY. They looked for opportunities to share the Gospel, constantly. Spending time with God every day was not a chore, it was the thing keeping them alive, it seemed. Worship night was THE MOVE. Church was never boring, it was the best part of their week. “What, it says I can do this in the Bible? Ummm, guys we are trying it this weekend.” These, my friends, are examples of what Fire looks like. 

God purposely put me around these people to kindle this fire he placed in me. The water (living water, haha) that was inside me had just been put on the stove and the stove was turned on HIGH.  You see, because I was saved, God had always intended for me to be more than just lukewarm. By being lukewarm, I was literally like one of the people who was looking on as Jesus died on the cross, but neither feeling sad, nor rejoicing... Maybe just looking on with curiosity as to what all the hubbub was about. It’s sad to say, but it’s true. 

So when I was around these people it was like an eye-opener. (I have to use my word here for people who know) I felt this cognitive dissonance... it was like, I say I’m Christian... and I love Jesus... but I don’t look like them, and I don’t feel the way they do about God. What am I doing wrong?? 

John said in Luke 3:16

John answered, saying unto [them] all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

So more than one thing happens when you are baptized with the Holy Spirit when you are saved. You are baptized with the Holy Spirit and with Fire. What does this mean? Well we know what it means for the pot of Lukewarm Lise on the stove. Eventually she is going to boil. Then if we have a source hot enough, like, oh, I don’t know THE ALL CONSUMING FIRE OF GOD, She is going to explode into flames. 

Hebrews 12:29 says For our God is a consuming Fire.

Remember that verse that was talking about how God is love (1 John 4:8)? Yeah, God is a lot of things... Yay Dad! But anyway, this Fire that consumes us is literally God himself. It is Holy Spirit living within us. So when we look at that verse again, Holy Spirit becomes the Fire that inhabits us. He is the one who sets us on FIRE for his cause (And I am sure he enjoys seeing us on fire for him). 

Instead of just hearing worship songs and chilling, eventually a song hit me that made me burst into tears. Instead of just watching a young lady sell herself short for a young man... I felt how God felt about her.. and burst into tears. Instead of just passively listening to Gucci Mane, J Cole, and Kanye West, Holy Spirit began to scream inside me because the lyrics were against everything I knew to be right and true (God’s word).... and I burst into tears. 

God completely changed me when Holy Spirit set me on Fire.  I found myself saying “Praise God” instead of “Oh true”, “cool” or anything else that is usually placed there. Instead of just trying to fit the Bible into my life, I began to fit my life into the Bible. Instead of wishing that I could do some things that the Bible said not to do, I completely lost all desire for them. COMPLETELY.

God’s every word became my life source. I NEEDED IT. I jump at every chance to be in the presence of God (worship nights, worship service, Lise and God time, ANYTHING). Things that used to be a chore to me, gained new value and meaning because Holy Spirit allowed me to see them from his eyes. My whole world had changed, because finally, I was no longer part of this world. I belonged with my Father in Heaven. #kingdommindset

Jesus said in John 17:16 They are not of this world, even as I am not of it. 

So, now that you know what happened to me... What does this mean for you? Like I said, God meant for all of us to be on Fire for him and his cause! 

So here is another challenge:

• Ask God for his FIRE! Ask Holy Spirit back into your life again! 
• Keep yourself around on-Fire believers! Fire catches, and there is no such thing as “too on-fire for Christ”. Remember that the Bible says that Iron sharpens Iron... Not wood sharpens Iron... or cotton sharpens Iron (Hehe took this from Rome). We are Iron!! Let’s sharpen each other! Proverbs 27:17 As Iron sharpens Iron, so one person sharpens another. 

• Be Unashamed!! Jesus said  in Matthew 5:14- 16 that you shouldn’t light a lamp and put it under a bowl! It is pointless. You cannot hide a city on a hill!  Let your light shine before others and glorify God in Heaven (yeah I paraphrased). So once God sets you on fire, remember that it isn’t just for you, but it is so others who are in darkness can see your light and be drawn to Holy Spirit inside you. “What is that glow you always have, Lise?”... “Oh, you know, Holy Spirit living inside me and constantly setting me aflame.” You know me ;) 

Oh yeah, about my on-Fire friends that turned-up for the Lord... There is a reason that in Ephesians 5:18 Paul said that you shouldn’t get drunk on wine, but be filled with Holy Spirit instead. It’s going to take a whole different devotional to explain that though. There is parallelism in that scripture, if you catch my drift. #teamturnupwithHolySpirit

Love you guys!!

Lise, A4C

P.S. ANNOUNCEMENTTTTT!!! So, as we all know, A4C started it’s Bible Study called BRiO.  It is Wednesday nights at 6:30 In the youth room above the gym. Be there and bring every question you have ever had, ever. We are excited to see you all!! 

P.P.S. Check out our Blog!! brionewhope.blogspot.com :)


Photo By Petritap (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons