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:
There was good conversation about how sick it can be to have WISDOM with NO ZEAL. The flames seem to burn low and we become MISERABLE, POOR AND BLIND… WE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. We need great ZEAL and ENTHUSIASM.
There was great agreement at the end of the discussion. ZWW and WWZ ARE BOTH DANGEROUS AND CAN HINDER THE PROGRESS OF GROWTH WITHIN THE CHURCH.
REMEMBER: KEEP THE FIRE BURNING BRIGHTLY…
Have you ever been camping? You get some small twigs and you lay some dry grass or dry hay around the twigs. Then you light the fire in the dry grass. One blows on the small fire. Often there is a lot of smoke. The burning dry grass ignites the small dry twigs. Then you place some small branches around the flame. Soon the flames spread… NOW IT IS TIME FOR SOME LARGER LOGS and you have a strong fire burning.
You wake up in the night and the FIRE has burned down to a pile of EMBERS. We then FAN THE FLAME or blow on the embers and put more fuel embers… the next thing you know YOU WILL HAVE A ROARING FIRE AGAIN.
2 Timothy 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:6 (NLT) This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
PAUL IS AN OLD MAN AND HE NEARS THE END OF HIS MINISTRY AND HIS LIFE… SO PAUL WRITES AN IMPORTANT LESSON TO TIMOTHY… PAUL KNOWS WE CAN DIG SPIRITUAL RUTS… TIMOTHY, MY SON, KEEP THE FIRE BURNING.
DO WE REALIZE IT MIGHT BE EASIER TO START A FIRE THAN IT IS TO KEEP THE FIRE BURNING? IS OUR SPIRIT BURNING BRIGHTLY? OR MIGHT WE BE DYING EMBERS? WE NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT TO CALL US TO RE-IGNITE THE FLAMES --- WE MAY NEED MORE OXYGEN AND MAYBE SOME MORE FUEL?
How can we FAN THE FLAME of God? SINGING can fan the flame. PRAISING will fan the flame. Calling on the name of the Lord will build the flames. WAITING WITH PATIENCE will help keep the fire burning brightly. If we stop studying and learning the flame will die.
We are responsible to fan the flame! WE NEED COURAGE AND A HOLY BOLDNESS TO STIR UP, EVERY GOOD COOK KNOWS YOU MUST STIR … IT IS SO EASY TO GROW DIM… APATHY? Lazy? Lose the focus…
Understand the difference in abuse and NEGLECT?
1 Timothy 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
CONCLUSION: GOD SAID 4 WORDS: LET THERE BE LIGHT… Do we really understand the importance of SPOKEN WORDS. All life comes from LIGHT… PHYSICAL LIGHT! Spiritual light!
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)
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
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