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This is just a little devotional by E.M. Bounds (1835-1913), but it's powerful, and I'll share some after it:
"Zeal is a contagious, but not a popular, element. Our fathers took their tea piping hot; we take ours iced. Iced Christianity is more popular and tasteful than iced tea. We can endure in our churches enough warmth to take the chill off, but more than this is offensive. We have added many good elements to our preaching, but these cannot make up for the loss of fervor. The average mind can only be moved to action by a flame. Some men may pull through to heaven on a cold collar, but they are the exception. A dwindling flame destroys the vital and aggressive forces in church life. God must be represented by a fiery church or he is not truly represented. God is all on fire, and his church, if it be like Him, must also be aflame with the great and eternal interests of religion. Zeal need not be fussy to be consuming and forceful. Christ was as far removed as possible from nervous excitability, the very opposite of intolerant or clamorous zeal, and yet the zeal of God's house consumed him.
The lack of ardor in Christian profession or action is a sure sign of the want of depth and intensity. The lack of fire is the sure sign of the lack of God's presence. To abate fervor is to retire God. God can tolerate many things in the way of infirmity or error. He can pardon much when one is repentant, but two things are intolerable to Him, insincerity and lukewarmness. Lack of heart and lack of heat are the things that He loathes. "I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth," is God's judgment on our lack of fire in the Church. Fire is the motor that moves the Christian life. Christian principles that are not aflame have neither force nor perfume. Flame is the wing by which faith ascends, and fervency is the soul of prayer. Love is kindled in a flame, and fire is the air that true religion breathes. It feeds on fire. Christianity can stand anything better than a feeble flame.
Christian character needs to be set on fire. Lack of heat makes more infidels than lack of faith. Not to be in fiery earnest about the things of heaven is not to be about them at all. The fiery souls are the ones that win in the heavenly fight. Nothing short of red hot can keep the glow of heaven in these chilly times. We must grasp the live coal and covet the consuming flame."
"If we truly cherish God's Word, we're going to want to listen to the weightiness that it has." - My Dad's Pastor.
What should we do when we feel as if that fire's gone out, or is quenched, going out, or that we have become lukewarm? Well, we can say try not to get to that place in the first place, but truth is, it happens. We need to rekindle that fire of holy zeal the moment we notice a little coolness.
When I go camping I'm almost always the fire keeper. Been that way since I was about 12. I don't let it go out, and I've been known to put too much wood on it for comfort. there would always be coals left in the morning, and sometimes even flame amongst the coals. For me personally I need to approach my spiritual walk with Jesus as a fire keeper, and not let that flame die: keep it fervent and hot.
When Bounds says "Christian character needs to be set on fire," I imagine that glow, that shine that graced Moses face, so much so that he had to wear a veil for the glory. I've at times been told I was glowing, but never to that degree. Moses was reflecting God's glory from direct encounter on the mountain. But we can still reflect God's glory as the light of Christ shines through us. Isn't He the same yesterday, today, and forever? Does the Word say the LORD changeth not? If so, then let's not let the cold quenching of this modern ice age put out the Holy Flame!
I have to return to E.M. Bounds works here, this from The Possibilities of Prayer, 1923, as this is part of the way to have that zeal and fire he speaks of in the first quote:
"In the fearful contest in this world between God and the devil, between good and evil, and between heaven and hell, prayer is the mighty force for overcoming Satan, giving dominion over sin, and defeating hell. Only praying leaders are to be counted on in this dreadful conflict. Praying men alone are to be put to the front. These are the only sort who are able to successfully contend with all the evil forces.
The prayers of all saints are a perpetual force against all the powers of darkness. These prayers are a mighty energy in overcoming the world, the flesh and the devil, and in shaping the destiny of God's movements, to overcome evil and get the victory over the devil and all his works. The character and energy of God's movements lie in prayer. Victory is to come at the end of praying.
The wonders of God's power are to be kept alive, made real and present, and repeated only by prayer. God is not now so evident in the world, so almighty in manifestation as of old, not because miracles have passed away, nor because God has ceased to work, but because prayer has been shorn of its simplicity, its majesty, and its power. God still lives, and miracles still live while God lives and acts, for miracles are God's ways of acting. Prayer is dwarfed, withered, and petrified when faith in God is staggered by doubts of lies ability, or through the shrinking caused by fear. When faith has a telescopic far-off vision of God, prayer works no miracles, and brings no marvels of deliverance. But when God is seen by faith's closest, fullest eye, prayer makes a history of wonders."
You know someone said recently you can't multitask. Really? I'm listening to a sermon from my Dads church, reading Bounds here, E.M. Bounds - The Possibilities of Prayer: 14: The Possibilities of Prayer: 14: Wonders of God Through Prayer and typing this message. My Dads Pastor is preaching on Repentance, and it's a fiery sermon. In other words, I'm heaping wood on the fire. No video games or TV. No unwholesome music: none of the things people spend hours, WASTE hours every single day doing, and I mean professing Christians do this! Then they wonder why they struggle with sin, why they don't have that fiery zeal, why they stumble and fall all the time, and you hear them cuss and swear, and get caught up in things they ought not do, and then complain and say "I'm trying." Well, you're not trying, or maybe the problem is you are trying on your own without Him, thinking you can assist God, when God has provided all things for your salvation, and for life and godliness! Get out of the way and let Him work, cuz His fire will burn hot and purge away all that ungodly and unwholesome stuff...
And above all, when Prayer life is slack, the Holy fervor, that most vehement flame, will not be so hot. I hear people say "I pray before meals." That's it? Well, that's good. I confess, I don't pray before every meal, but sometimes partway through it. But the point is, Prayer that is coming from a tradition is often empty words, done out of habit. When you give thanks for your food, are you truly thankful for this daily bread, or are your words out of habit? Prayer needs to be personal, heartfelt, direct between you and the LORD. Praise and Thanksgiving, and intercessory, and petitioning: all these kind of prayers must be practiced, and this along with feeding on God's Word daily, and getting good solid preaching and teaching all will feed the fire.
Make your relationship with God through Jesus Christ as this: "Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame." (Song of Solomon 8:6) That's the flame of Yahweh in Hebrew, "ShelhevetYah" - most vehement flame. The way the love and the jealousy there is described is how we need to be towards our saviour, and that is a good jealousy, to be jealous for the things of God, for He is jealous for His people, and wants us exclusively in our devotions, that no other god's come between. Amen
"Zeal is a contagious, but not a popular, element. Our fathers took their tea piping hot; we take ours iced. Iced Christianity is more popular and tasteful than iced tea. We can endure in our churches enough warmth to take the chill off, but more than this is offensive. We have added many good elements to our preaching, but these cannot make up for the loss of fervor. The average mind can only be moved to action by a flame. Some men may pull through to heaven on a cold collar, but they are the exception. A dwindling flame destroys the vital and aggressive forces in church life. God must be represented by a fiery church or he is not truly represented. God is all on fire, and his church, if it be like Him, must also be aflame with the great and eternal interests of religion. Zeal need not be fussy to be consuming and forceful. Christ was as far removed as possible from nervous excitability, the very opposite of intolerant or clamorous zeal, and yet the zeal of God's house consumed him.
The lack of ardor in Christian profession or action is a sure sign of the want of depth and intensity. The lack of fire is the sure sign of the lack of God's presence. To abate fervor is to retire God. God can tolerate many things in the way of infirmity or error. He can pardon much when one is repentant, but two things are intolerable to Him, insincerity and lukewarmness. Lack of heart and lack of heat are the things that He loathes. "I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth," is God's judgment on our lack of fire in the Church. Fire is the motor that moves the Christian life. Christian principles that are not aflame have neither force nor perfume. Flame is the wing by which faith ascends, and fervency is the soul of prayer. Love is kindled in a flame, and fire is the air that true religion breathes. It feeds on fire. Christianity can stand anything better than a feeble flame.
Christian character needs to be set on fire. Lack of heat makes more infidels than lack of faith. Not to be in fiery earnest about the things of heaven is not to be about them at all. The fiery souls are the ones that win in the heavenly fight. Nothing short of red hot can keep the glow of heaven in these chilly times. We must grasp the live coal and covet the consuming flame."
"If we truly cherish God's Word, we're going to want to listen to the weightiness that it has." - My Dad's Pastor.
What should we do when we feel as if that fire's gone out, or is quenched, going out, or that we have become lukewarm? Well, we can say try not to get to that place in the first place, but truth is, it happens. We need to rekindle that fire of holy zeal the moment we notice a little coolness.
When I go camping I'm almost always the fire keeper. Been that way since I was about 12. I don't let it go out, and I've been known to put too much wood on it for comfort. there would always be coals left in the morning, and sometimes even flame amongst the coals. For me personally I need to approach my spiritual walk with Jesus as a fire keeper, and not let that flame die: keep it fervent and hot.
When Bounds says "Christian character needs to be set on fire," I imagine that glow, that shine that graced Moses face, so much so that he had to wear a veil for the glory. I've at times been told I was glowing, but never to that degree. Moses was reflecting God's glory from direct encounter on the mountain. But we can still reflect God's glory as the light of Christ shines through us. Isn't He the same yesterday, today, and forever? Does the Word say the LORD changeth not? If so, then let's not let the cold quenching of this modern ice age put out the Holy Flame!
I have to return to E.M. Bounds works here, this from The Possibilities of Prayer, 1923, as this is part of the way to have that zeal and fire he speaks of in the first quote:
"In the fearful contest in this world between God and the devil, between good and evil, and between heaven and hell, prayer is the mighty force for overcoming Satan, giving dominion over sin, and defeating hell. Only praying leaders are to be counted on in this dreadful conflict. Praying men alone are to be put to the front. These are the only sort who are able to successfully contend with all the evil forces.
The prayers of all saints are a perpetual force against all the powers of darkness. These prayers are a mighty energy in overcoming the world, the flesh and the devil, and in shaping the destiny of God's movements, to overcome evil and get the victory over the devil and all his works. The character and energy of God's movements lie in prayer. Victory is to come at the end of praying.
The wonders of God's power are to be kept alive, made real and present, and repeated only by prayer. God is not now so evident in the world, so almighty in manifestation as of old, not because miracles have passed away, nor because God has ceased to work, but because prayer has been shorn of its simplicity, its majesty, and its power. God still lives, and miracles still live while God lives and acts, for miracles are God's ways of acting. Prayer is dwarfed, withered, and petrified when faith in God is staggered by doubts of lies ability, or through the shrinking caused by fear. When faith has a telescopic far-off vision of God, prayer works no miracles, and brings no marvels of deliverance. But when God is seen by faith's closest, fullest eye, prayer makes a history of wonders."
You know someone said recently you can't multitask. Really? I'm listening to a sermon from my Dads church, reading Bounds here, E.M. Bounds - The Possibilities of Prayer: 14: The Possibilities of Prayer: 14: Wonders of God Through Prayer and typing this message. My Dads Pastor is preaching on Repentance, and it's a fiery sermon. In other words, I'm heaping wood on the fire. No video games or TV. No unwholesome music: none of the things people spend hours, WASTE hours every single day doing, and I mean professing Christians do this! Then they wonder why they struggle with sin, why they don't have that fiery zeal, why they stumble and fall all the time, and you hear them cuss and swear, and get caught up in things they ought not do, and then complain and say "I'm trying." Well, you're not trying, or maybe the problem is you are trying on your own without Him, thinking you can assist God, when God has provided all things for your salvation, and for life and godliness! Get out of the way and let Him work, cuz His fire will burn hot and purge away all that ungodly and unwholesome stuff...
And above all, when Prayer life is slack, the Holy fervor, that most vehement flame, will not be so hot. I hear people say "I pray before meals." That's it? Well, that's good. I confess, I don't pray before every meal, but sometimes partway through it. But the point is, Prayer that is coming from a tradition is often empty words, done out of habit. When you give thanks for your food, are you truly thankful for this daily bread, or are your words out of habit? Prayer needs to be personal, heartfelt, direct between you and the LORD. Praise and Thanksgiving, and intercessory, and petitioning: all these kind of prayers must be practiced, and this along with feeding on God's Word daily, and getting good solid preaching and teaching all will feed the fire.
Make your relationship with God through Jesus Christ as this: "Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame." (Song of Solomon 8:6) That's the flame of Yahweh in Hebrew, "ShelhevetYah" - most vehement flame. The way the love and the jealousy there is described is how we need to be towards our saviour, and that is a good jealousy, to be jealous for the things of God, for He is jealous for His people, and wants us exclusively in our devotions, that no other god's come between. Amen
