Don't let anyone put your fire out!

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." Romans 12:11 (NIV)

I remember years ago when my cousin, who was big into drugs and womanizing turned to Jesus. He was a changed young man, on fire for the Lord and eager to share the love of Jesus to anyone who would stand still long enough to listen. There was a new spark of life in his eye.  Of course, as is the case with new Believers, he was now so conscious of avoiding sin in his own life that he sometimes felt the need to point out the sin in other people's lives. Some people just ignored him, some rolled their eyes at the over-eager young zealot, but some people got annoyed or even upset.  In fact one person complained to me about it and made the comment, "He's so heavenly minded that he's no earthly good. He'll settle down and that fire will go out."

What?

Is that even possible? I don't think so.

I understand what she meant. Some new believers lack the discernment to know how to allow the Holy Spirit lead you in sharing God with others in a way that is tactful and respectful. It can be offensive to those who don't know Christ, but as a fellow Christian we should understand their excitement and hope that fire never burns down, much less goes out.

That was early in my Christian walk. Right then I made up my mind that I would never let my zeal for Christ and for helping people know the saving grace of salvation through Him. I keep my fire stoked through the Word, prayer and fellowship with other believers.

How about you? Is your fire burning bright or is it down to barely glowing embers? The world need us to be ablaze with the glory of God so that we will be a light in the darkness.

How will you build up your fire today?


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Why Should I Attend Church?

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." Hebrews 10:24-25

Do you attend church regularly? As we can see from the scripture above, God considers getting together with other believers important. He tells us not to neglect it. 

Why?

What good does it do?

Well, the easy answer to "why" is because God said so.

The longer answer to "why" is the answer to "what good does it do?."

The Benefits of Church Attendance (as I see it)

• It gives me a place to belong and a spiritual family to belong to.
• It gives me a chance to spend time in worship with other believers.
• I learn more about God by hearing His word and the message that He has laid on the heart of the Pastor.
• I am encouraged to greater love for others and to good works as I serve those around me (and not just in church).

These are all great reasons to attend church, but I've left one very important reason out. You see, all of the above is focused on what I get out of church, but what's more important is what I give to others while I'm at church. I'm not talking about money, although, giving the tithe (10th of my income) is a part of my weekly worship. I'm talking about helping others to experience the benefits I've listed above. How can I help others to get the most out of coming to church?

I can...

• Welcome them with a hug or handshake and a sincere, "It's good to see you this morning. How was your week?"
• I can enter fully into the worship time by singing the songs, clapping my hands, raising them to God. This may encourage others to worship God wholeheartedly, too.
• I can listen intently to the message, taking notes and jotting down scripture references. After church, I can share briefly a highlight or a scripture that particularly spoke to my heart and ask others what spoke to them.
• I can show real love by being attentive to the needs of others and by serving in some capacity in my church.
• I can be part of a small group that meets during the week to go over the message again and dig a little deeper into the topic, so that we all can grow in our relationship with God.

God wants us to stir one another up. 

Sometimes that takes a negative form. Some use the time after church to criticize the Pastor, the message, or another believer. They might complain about the music, the temperature in the room, or any number of things. That will stir things up, for sure, but that's NOT what God meant. We are to encourage one another, refresh one another, even challenge one another to take the next step in spiritual journey. 

Daily life - problems, busyness and stress all tend to weary us through the week. Sundays give us the chance to revive, refresh and renew. Not just for ourselves, but to be a part of building others up. We were never meant to do life alone. We are better together.

So, I leave you with this; how will you strengthen others this Sunday? How will you "stir up one another to love and good works", this week? How can you give as much as you get?

As you put this into practice, you will find that the more you give to others, the more you will be blessed by great friendships and support, yourself. Go on, give it a try this Sunday and let me know how it works out.

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