Ignite The Flame --- Fan The Flame

IGNITE THE FLAME… FAN THE FLAME…

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

I have a large candle sitting beside me as I preach, I have 4 or 5 small candles laying on the altar and around the church. As I start the lesson I light the big candle. As I teach about FANNING THE FLAME, IT IS MY HOPE SOMEONE CATCHES ON TO THE LESSON AND DECIDES THEY WILL LIGHT THEIR CANDLE. It cost the big candle nothing to light the small candles. (Always remember safety.)

10? ALL 10 ARE VIRGINS. ALL 10 HAVE LAMPS. 5 HAVE BEEN CARELESS AND WERE NOT READY, NOT PREPARED…

Matthew 25:7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

FOR OUR LAMPS HAVE GONE OUT!!! HOW SAD? WHY DO LAMPS GO OUT?

MANY DO NOT DESIRE TO BE CORRECTED.NOT EVERYONE LOVES THE LIGHT…

John 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

WE NEED THE LIGHT TO EXPOSE THE HIDDEN DIRT, WHEN WE CLEAN HOUSE --- WE WILL FIND THE MISSING COIN…

Luke 15:8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?

BEWARE, OUR ENEMY CAN PROJECT A DISTORTED LIGHT…

Luke 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

WE DESIRE TO EXPOSE THE LIGHT SO ALL CAN SEE…

Luke 11:33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. 34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. 35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. 36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

Luke 8:16 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.

I SAW THE LIGHT: WHEN WE COME INTO THE LIGHT WE WILL BE FOREVER CHANGED….

Acts 22:6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

TAKE HEED: CAN WE IDENTIFY THE RED FLAGS IN OUR SPIRITUAL CONDITION?

*ZWW (ZEAL WITHOUT WISDOM)

*WWZ (WISDOM WITHOUT ZEAL)

Years ago I was at a minister’s retreat at Barren River Resort in south central Kentucky. I had the great honor of sitting and listening C.M. WARD a famous radio preacher from the 1950s, 1960s and the 1970s. The old preacher was full of great wisdom. He had traveled the world and had been on all the major religious TV programs. He was a very powerful speaker. He was entertaining the preachers with his wit and wisdom.

C.M.WARD started asking some difficult to answer questions. He asked the question that opened a heated discussion. HE ASKED: WHICH IS MORE DANGEROUS TO THE CHURCH: ZWW or WWZ? He looked at me, I knew better than opening my mouth. He explained ZWW was ZEAL WITHOUT WISDOM? Then he defined WWZ as ZEAL WITHOUT WISDOM.

At first several answered: ZEAL WITHOUT WISDOM is a terrible danger zone to the church. Most agreed and they explained ZEAL WITHOUT WISDOM is dangerous as IGNORANCE breeds many problems and bring great harm to the body of Christ. There was a brilliant conversation about how dangerous ZEAL WAS COUPLED WITH

THE LACK OF TEACHING… the word NOVICE can up several times. One preacher quoted the verse:

1 Timothy 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

There was the conclusion was ZWW was a great danger to the church.

C.M. just quietly sat in the center and soon the discussion was turned to the thought of WISDOM WITH ZEAL and a preacher used the book of Revelation…

Revelation 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: