Holy Fire

December 21

“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Luke 3:16

Jason and Sherry had gotten iPhones specifically so they could ‘Face-Time’ during his deployment. The fairly-new app allowed them to see each other while they talked. “Hi Honey,” Jason greeted his wife’s call. “It’s really hot here!” he teased, knowing it was probably cold back home in the Midwest.

Sherry’s response was tactful and direct, “I’ll trade you places anytime you want, dear. The thermometer broke last night when the temperature hit -27°!”

Jason’s reaction was one of concern, “Are you serious?! Did it really get that cold last night?”

Her grin told him he’d been had… “Nah…but it felt like it when Ricky and I brought wood in for the stove.”

An involuntary shiver coursed through Jason’s body and he smiled. It could get pretty cold at home when the Canadian winter air descended from the north. As a matter of fact he had spoken with his eldest son just prior to leaving for Afghanistan about not letting the fire go out because it was harder to get the temperature back up when the house grew cold. “Is Ricky following orders?”

“You’d be proud of the job he’s done, Jay. It’s been toasty in here, and the fire has never come close to going out. Ricky took what you told him seriously,” Sherry answered.

†

In his book,“Viral”, Leonard Sweet writes, ‘…in ancient cultures, the most important thing a household did was to never let the fire go cold. In rural Korean cultures the same ancestral fire burned for centuries, and when they moved they took the fire of their forefathers with them. When your fire went out, it was thought, you lost your connection with heaven. Would that Christians were as careful about tending spiritual fire as these ancients were about natural fire.’

It’s our responsibility to keep the spiritual fire burning, yet for some reason many don’t place an emphasis on it, and fail to keep and communicate the importance of our Holy Fire to their children.

Prayer

“Lord, I want Your Holy Fire inside me to be fanned into a flame that never goes out and is seen and felt by others. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Help Me Forgive

December 20

“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

Romans 12:19 NKJV

“Jean should be here by now,” Tracie told Ed. “She’s not answering her phone and her text said she’d be here around 9:30. I’m going over to the farm to see if something’s wrong.”

“Call me when you get there,” Ed responded.

Tracie’s mind wandered as she covered the three miles. But she could not have foreseen nor imagined what she was about to encounter. Pulling into the driveway, she spotted Jean lying behind the house, a pool of blood staining the snow around her head. Running to her side Tracie screamed, “Jean! Oh, no…Jean!” the horror of what had happened was inconceivable. No, God, please! This can’t be happening! Tracie’s mind was numb as she dialed 911.

The Sheriff’s report would state that Jean’s farmhouse had been broken into in what appeared to be a home invasion. At some point a gun became involved, and in defense of her home, Jean was brutally murdered.

†

A kind and godly woman, Jean would have given anyone anything they needed...as long as they asked. But as the murderer discovered, she would stand against anyone, or anything, that threatened her home and loved-ones.

Such a loss is deeply felt and intensely grieved. The devastation left in the wake of a crime so heinous and senseless is incalculable. The long-term effects can shatter and destroy the lives of those left behind if they fail to respond correctly, because when something like this happens our initial desire is to exact revenge. But revenge is as destructive as murder; it’s one of Satan’s most powerful weapons.

The only action that will bring freedom from such evil is forgiveness, but taking the first steps can seem impossible, because to forgive feels like we are betraying a close friend, yet choosing not to forgive fosters bitterness. Once rooted, bitterness chokes out everything good in our lives.

It will most likely take time, but asking God to give us the desire to forgive is a good place to begin. And God and time, given the chance, can heal even the deepest of wounds.

Prayer

“Lord God, forgiver of our sin, Give me the desire to forgive those responsible for Jean’s death. Help me forgive as You forgave us for killing Your Son. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Awaiting Our Return

December 19

…he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him…

Luke 15:20

Sitting in the back of the fire bus, Steve was experiencing a crisis of faith. He decided he was somewhere near, if not at, his emotional bottom. Dealing and using drugs to numb the pain of an abusive and violent childhood had never come close to accomplishing the goal, and Steve remained unsettled.

Where the hell have you been, God?! his soul cried out. Unexpectedly, a picture of a poem Steve hadn’t thought of in years came to mind. ‘Footprints in the Sand’

Instantly, his vision focused on what he’d been gazing at outside the bus. Two sets of raccoon tracks followed the edge a swift-running creek. Watching as the bus continued on, one set of tracks suddenly disappeared, and God whispered, “I have never left you, Steve. I have carried you through all those years of heartache and trouble. I was grieved when your father threw shoes at you. I have always been there.”

For the next six hours God ministered to Steve, reminding him of times long forgotten; the good and the bad. Slowly, Steve’s perspective of a punishing and angry God, looking a lot like Abe Lincoln sitting on his concrete throne at the Lincoln Memorial, faded, to be replaced by the true, loving nature of God.

As the fire bus pulled into the station, God whispered once more, “Return to Me, Steve. I’ll take care of the rest.”

†

Much like the prodigal, many of us have squandered our spiritual inheritance, only to realize the life we’ve chosen isn’t meeting our needs or expectations. Yet unwilling to admit blame we demand, “Where the hell are you, God?!” And because of His great love for us He disregards our obstinacy and immediately picks us up and begins wiping away the dirt and filth. He places the robe of royalty upon us, and on our finger He puts the signet ring of Sonship. All that matters is that we have returned!

In our deepest pain, at our lowest point, God is waiting for us. He wants to tend our wounded hearts and set us free from the things that separate us from a healing, loving relationship that brings joy and peace. The only requirement is that we surrender control.

Prayer

“Abba Father, I’ve had enough of running my own life. I say yes and ask You to take care of the rest. In Jesus’ Mighty Name, amen.”

 Unstoppable Resistance

December 18

Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

Lindsay wasn’t your normal sixth grader. Even now she was planning her Valedictorian address…something that would, in six more years, come to pass. To this point in her scholastic career, Lindsay had not missed a single day of school…for any reason.

She was proud of her unblemished attendance record. Through childhood diseases and the common cold, she had pushed herself, not allowing sickness and personal discomfort to hinder her education…or that shiny record.

But this morning her daddy figured the streak might be in jeopardy because the face that greeted him was anything but bright and cheery. Daddy’s little girl looked pasty white. “Hey, Poodie. Whatsamatter?” he asked in concern.

“I’m okay,” came her brief reply.

“You sick?” he asked, placing his hand on her forehead to see if she was running a fever.

“No!” she blurted. “I’m fine and I’m going to school,” she proclaimed. And with that she went in the bathroom where she quietly forced herself to throw up, getting rid of the nausea, and got ready for school…something Daddy wouldn’t find out about for a few years.

†

Drastic? Perhaps. Dedicated? Most definitely! The point is that Lindsay put up more than a casual resistance to sickness and discomfort in order to reach her goal. She was determined not to give in to the temptation to stay home.

What a great example of how to approach today’s text.

Lindsay did not then, nor has she ever suffered from an eating disorder. Her actions were born out of a deep desire to achieve a perfect attendance record upon graduation. She succeeded.

Understanding we will not do it perfectly, we are to actively pursue holiness…never giving an inch to the enemy. We are not to give nonchalant lip service to our temptations.

Paul said in Philippians 3: 12, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

When the enemy visits you with temptation, let the power of Jesus Christ take hold of you and press on in unstoppable resistance!

Prayer

“I need Your strength, Lord Jesus. Take hold of my life and my will and give me the power to resist the enemy. Amen.”

Sent To Prepare The Way

December 17

I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.

Malachi 3:1

My friendship with Terry was born out of questionable circumstances…

“God, I know I deserve to be here,” my prayer began that Friday afternoon in 2003…followed by my selfish plea, “but please don’t send that punk to LMCCC.”

I’d been sentenced on multiple drug-related charges, and was awaiting transfer to the facility where I would begin serving my sentence. That punk was Terry, whom I’d developed a strong dislike for in a short period of time. I didn’t want to serve my time locked up with a guy who was always looking for trouble. But…God always knows and does what’s best for me, and He knew that Terry wasn’t as hard on the inside as he appeared on the outside. So He sent him on ahead of me. To put it mildly…I wasn’t too excited about it.

Then, one December night, the weekend of my daughter’s twenty-first birthday, we went into lock-down. ‘Lock-down’ meant no visitation; I wasn’t going to get to see my little girl on her big day. I was angry and on the verge of doing something stupid. That was the night God sent Terry. He wasn’t looking for anything in return…he just knew I needed a friend. And regardless of having stayed out of each other’s way before, Terry approached me that night, and asked if I wanted to talk. He helped me avoid making a very serious mistake, and he’s been my friend ever since.

†

Today’s text prophesies the coming of John the Baptist, and in Matthew 11:9-11, we read about the fulfillment of this prophecy. When God is about to do something important, He sends someone ahead of His arrival.

God sent Terry to prepare me to make the right choices, because He knew that for me to do otherwise would derail, or at the very least, delay the mission He’d set before me. The fact that you are reading this is in great part due to Terry’s kindness and compassion on that fateful night.

God continues to prepare the way for us. He sends exactly who we need, exactly when we need them.

Prayer

“Father God, thank You for sending people like Terry to prepare the way for us. May You find me willing to be sent when needed. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Honor

December 16

Honor your father and mother…

Exodus 20:12

The phone call was brief. Milt’s father had called to thank him for taking him to his surgical appointment the day before. Milt, his wife, and his mother, had spent nine hours at the out-patient clinic while his father had undergone removal of skin cancer from his face and ear. They removed small amounts of tissue each time, sending his father back to the waiting room after each procedure until they received the ‘All Clear’ from the lab’s microscope technician. In all, four procedures had been needed.

Milt smiled as he thought about the laughter and conversation that had taken place during those nine hours. It had been the best time he’d spent with his parents in a long time. “You’re welcome, Pop,” Milt said. “It was fun…maybe not so much for you,” he joked, “but it was a blessing for Nanc and me to share so much time with you and Mom.”

“I can’t remember laughing so much!” Jack said. “And I’m so glad your Mother didn’t have to sit alone all day.” Three more times Jack thanked Milt for his and his wife’s thoughtfulness.

“I’m glad we could be there, Pop,” Milt reiterated, touched by the sincerity in his father’s voice. “In light of all you’ve done for me over the years, it’s the least I could do.”

In truth, Milt had been more blessed than his father. It really had been a wonderful day.

†

Honoring our parents is not a suggestion; it is the greatest desire of God’s heart apart from our salvation through the sacrifice of His Son.

Nine hours in an out-patient clinic may not be our first choice for deepening relationships, but it should never amaze us at how God shows up in the most unusual places. Whenever we follow God’s commands, we are ripe to experience His blessing.

By learning to sacrifice on behalf of another, we find fulfillment and joy in the offering. There’s something about sharing time with our parents that, no matter the circumstances, causes God to breathe life into the relationship as we honor them in love.

Prayer

“LORD, may You and my parents find in me a love that honors the sacrifices made on my behalf. Amen”

 Being the Body

December 15

The body is one unit...its parts should have equal concern for each other.

1Corinthians 12:12, 25

Rachel had been chosen by her professor as the perfect candidate for an expeditionary assignment to Alaska. Everything had gone according to plan until her return trip home. Currently laid up in a hotel room in Seattle, Washington, due to the onset of an unexpected illness, Rachel was suffering alone, separated by thousands of miles from anyone she knew. Due to the H1N1 pandemic no airline would allow her to fly while still displaying symptoms. She would be in Seattle for at least another forty-eight hours.

When word reached her hometown church, Pastor Don naturally felt led to reach out. Checking the online registry for Assemblies of God in the Seattle area, he found one within a mile of Rachel’s hotel. Picking up the phone, he called and spoke to the secretary, explaining the situation. She assured him she would get a message to her pastor, who was having vehicle problems, as soon as she could.

An hour later, Pastor Don received a call from the Seattle pastor. Through their subsequent conversation he assured Don that he and his wife would go to the hotel and minister to each of Rachel’s needs, taking care of her until she was on a flight home.

†

Christ’s Church is an organism with many parts meant to function as a unified body. Today’s story is one such way we show that kind of love.

I believe that had Pastor Don not been able to find an Assemblies of God near Rachel’s hotel he could have called on any of the other numerous denominations within the area for help, and received it.

Paul’s explanation of Christ’s Body in today’s text is one of complete inclusion. It does not single out Gentile or Jew, denomination or creed.

Jesus isn’t concerned with where we’re from, only that we’re being His hands and feet. It is without question that we are to put aside our differences in hopes of finding a greater purpose under One banner.

God says, “You are all My children. Love one another.” John 13:34

“Prayer”

“Lord Jesus, may You find in me a willingness to consider all believers my brothers and sisters, with the same concern for everyone, regardless of denomination or creed. Amen.”