Is The Fire Still Burning

IS THE FIRE STILL BURNING?

EXODUS 3:2/ "And the angel of the Lord appeared unto

him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was NOT CONSUMED." PRAYER

I. I’m sure that most of you will remember this setting of story from which my text scripture is taken.This is the account of "Moses and the burning bush"; a story that most of us remember learning as a child in Sunday School......

Among many points of interest that can be seen in the story of Moses and the burning bush as read in Exodus chapter 3, it is interesting to note that many popular songs and sermons have been have been sung and preached using the theme from this setting of story...so I would like to ask you this question which is the title of my message:

"IS THE FIRE STILL BURNING?" Do you believe the fire is still burning?

Wednesday, May 25th, 2005; Crosby, Texas...the news media broadcasts a historical event in our day...It appears that the ground itself is burning and it will NOT STOP! In reality, it is a gas well that is burn- ing out of control! The natural gas from beneath the earth has caught on fire and it seems impossible to be able to put out the fire!...I ask again:......

"IS THE FIRE STILL BURNING?"

I heard on the news that the local residents around the area of the burning well in the Crosby area had been warned about the possible dangers of gas fumes or burning gases backing up into pipelines toward their homes, and that they should vacate and find lodging elsewhere until the well fire was put out and the well was capped. They were told of the dangers of even "flipping" on a light switch, or using electrical appliances that could cause a spark and ignite any natural gas or vapors that might surround their homes....even underground!

My friends, with all of the modern conveniences that we enjoy today, it is astounding the amount of dangers that we surround ourselves with just to be able to enjoy what we think of as simpler lives that come from the technological advances of mankind! Ah, the GOOD OLD DAYS!...We have heard these words...But really, how many of us would like to go back to the "good ol’ days?’....Farming with horses or mules, instead of tractors?...Better yet, farming at all?...

Walking to school or work, or riding a bicycle, instead of hopping into the automobile and getting there in a fraction of the "old days" time?...How about going to the ’spring’ to ’fetch water’ to cook or bath with, or ’drawing’ it out of a well that may someday go dry instead of turning on the faucet to get a cool refreshing glass of water!...or sitting on the front porch in the evening and opening all the windows in the house at night to try to ’beat the Texas summer heat’?...instead of the air conditioning that we have become so dependant on!...Better yet, were you the ’lucky’ one that was chosen to get up early in the morning to ’stir’ the coals in the old wood-burning stove or fireplace to RE-BUILD the fire that had kept you warm the night before?...that is, IF,... you were fortunate enough to be close enough to get a good spot around the fireplace!.....

I tell you my friends, it is tough enough to face the elements of this Texas weather without these modern conveniences that we sometimes take for granted!...The gasoline prices have soared, but we STILL PAY the price for it because of the inconveniences that are placed on our lives without it!But I ask you again:"IS THE FIRE STILL BURNING?"

The fire of the refinery’s are still burning, in spite of the 23 people that lost their lives at the Philips plant several years ago!...and the 15 people that lost their lives at the B.P. refinery March 23, 2005!...In spite of the hundreds, even thousands that are injured or killed every year to bring us this "BETTER LIFE" that we enjoy and even sometimes take for granted!

But let me let you in on a little secret my friends, it is not JUST to allow for you a better life that the FIRES OF INDUSTRY are still burning!....it is because of the mighty DOLLAR BILL that these fires are still burning! Oh if we as people, and we as Christians could just grasp the reality of the ultimate cost of the ever burning fire of materialism and modernism...I believe that we would look to Almighty GOD for better answers than these that we adhere to today to better our lives and to further help mankind in times of need! Hallelujah!