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January 9, 2009
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=========================== TODAY'S ARTICLE ==========================
Revival Fire, by Mike Barres
It was Christmas morning, and I got up earlier than everyone else. I
went outside and walked around and prayed. Our Christmas outreach,
banquet and candlelight service had all gone really well, and I was
thankful. I decided to start a fire in our little fire pit. It had been
raining, so some of the wood was a bit wet. I got the fire going but
some of the new branches that I put on the fire took a while to get
burning.
I noticed something coming out of the ends of the branches that I had
broken and cut. It was like the heat of the fire was driving out the
moisture, so that they could burn well.
If the fire of God's Holy Spirit forces out the junk ...
Looking at a fire always makes me think of the "fire" of genuine
revival. When I try to light a fire with lighter fluid, I notice that
it flares up quickly but soon dies out. That's what happens to many
individuals seeking spiritual revival -- a quick flash of intense
flame, but then the fire dies out. At other times, however, I have seen
white, hot, coals fueling a pulsating fire deep in the middle of the
flame. That's what I want revival to be like in my heart -- deep, hot,
pulsating, and sustaining fire.
Many of us desire revival fire because it excites us and "fires us up"
spiritually. But, the fire in the pit that day was doing something else
as it heated up the wet wood. The fire was getting rid of things that
were hindering the branch from burning -- it was actually forcing the
moisture out of the wood. That's what more of us need: not just the
excitement of the moment, but real "revival fire" to burn within our
hearts and lead us to repent of what is wrong in our hearts and our
behaviors. If the fire of God's Holy Spirit forces out the junk, we
will burn brighter and longer with genuine revival so we can live for
Him.
Jesus came to the earth, not to momentarily excite us, but to save us
and to change us. Let's let the purifying work of His Holy Spirit do
its work of genuine revival, so that we can burn bright for Him.
[John the baptizer said] "I indeed baptize you with water unto
repentance, but He [Jesus] who is coming after me is mightier than
I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with
the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matthew 3:11 NKJV).
---------
(c) 2009 Mike Barres <mbarres@dnet.net>.
RELATED LINKS:
* Revival in the Land
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200207/20020709_diary49.html
* I Offer You My Tent
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200108/20010821_tent.html
* Setting the Stage for Revival
http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20010503
This article can be found on the web at:
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200901/20090109_revivalfire.html
=========================== FEATURED PRODUCT =========================
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JESUS, by John MacArthur
What did Jesus mean when he said, "Follow me"? In this 20th anniversary
edition of his classic work, MacArthur warns against "easy believism,"
explains his understanding of biblical faith and works, emphasizes the
cost of discipleship, and ...
http://shopping.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/link?257
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