Sunday, September 24, 2017

ARE YOU ON F.I.R.E. for JESUS?

 I was born again at this point in time (AUG of '80) for about two months. Up until then, I had been to a few different kinds of Bible studies; they were all good to one degree or another - some were based on a lot of history; others invited the perspectives of the Christians gathered together as they expressed what they thought on any given verse.

Other studies were centered around the Bible directly, and the verses changed every week, but it was always the Gospel message, given to those who had already received it.

Then I arrived at this point in time, two months into my salvation, I entered into this house in my neighborhood where I heard they had really awesome Bible study - I descended the stairs into the basement and found a few people gathered there. I saw this blond haired lady with glasses and a guitar resting on her lap. Across from her was a tall, dark haired man - her husband.

When I introduced myself, she repeated my name, "Jim Fire? Are you on fire for the LORD?"
I beamed, nodded and gave a resounding "Amen!"
I then sat down and listened to my first message by pastor Chuck Smith, on the Beatitudes - and that began my life long journey in the Word of God. And I must say, those first few years were foundational and grounded me on the Rock. I went home after every visit to that house, having received anywhere from 3 to 5 cassette tapes at a time and devoured them, writing notes down, underlining passages in my Bible, and returning the tapes with a number of questions directed at my spiritual parents in the faith.

That flame of the Word has kept me through the years and is a testament to its ability to keep a saint on FIRE for the LORD!
In this article, I want to talk about what it takes to be on F.I.R.E. for Jesus:

First let's look at two scriptures that tell us WHY it's absolutely necessary to be ON FIRE for JESUS!

MATTHEW 24
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

REVELATION 3:15-16
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 spew thee out of my mouth.

F.ERVENCY I.NDWELLING R.IGHTEOUS E.VERLASTING


From the IN CHRIST BIBLE STUDY website (note: this author does not necessarily endorse everything as taught on this site) we have the following on: 

FERVENCY -

ROMANS 12:9-12
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

NKJV renders it as follows:
"not lagging in diligence, FERVENT in spirit, serving the Lord"
FERVENT —Greek: zeo  (dzeh'-o) - verb
MICKELSON’S ENHANCED STRONG'S DICTIONARIES:
to be hot; (of liquids) to boil; (of solids) to glow; (figuratively) to be fervent (earnest)
THAYER'S GREEK DEFINITIONS:
 used of boiling anger, love, zeal, for what is good or bad etc. fervent in spirit, said of zeal for what is good
ULTIMATE WORD STUDY DICTIONARY:
To seethe, bubble, boil, from the sound of boiling water. In the NT, only applied spiritually, meaning to be fervent (ACTS 18:25; ROMANS 12:11).

JOHN GILL - EXPOSITION OF THE ENTIRE BIBLE:
Fervent in spirit; in their own spirits, for the glory of God, the honour of Christ, and the cause of religion, in imitation of Christ himself, and as Phinehas and Elijah were; which fervency of spirit is opposed to that lukewarmness of soul, REV 3:16, that coldness of affection, and leaving of the first love, so much complained of, and resented by Christ in his people: or else in the Spirit of God; for there may be fervency in men's spirits, which comes not from the Spirit of God, as in the Jews, and particularly Saul, before his conversion, who had "a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge", ROM 10:2; but when "the love of God is shed abroad in the heart" by the Spirit of God, ROM 5:5, this will make a man's spirit fervent in the service of God, for which the apostle would have these believers concerned.

A disciple of the wise men among the Jews is said to be, "fervent", because the law is as a boiling pot unto him; much more should a disciple of Christ be fervent, who has the Gospel of Christ, the love of God, and the grace of the Spirit to inflame his soul with true zeal and fervour.

What makes water boil but heat, typically by means of fire? - And is not our God a consuming fire (HEB 12:29)?, So to be fervent, zealous, 'on fire' for the LORD is to abandon oneself into the very Spirit of God, much as Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were fully abandoned to the fiery furnace that Nebuchadnessar consigned them to (DAN 3). It was in this place that they themselves were unharmed, but those things that bound them (their ropes) were burned away.

Likewise, as we surrender ourselves to the LORD and allow His Holy Fire to consume our sinful ways, we find that our flesh binds and hinders us less and less - enabling us to grow closer to the LORD in love, worship, revelation of the deeper things of God.


Steel will glow when super-heated by flame - and likewise, the light of the LORD will shine as we surrender ourselves to refining, the burning away of our sinful ways, so as to not pollute the name of the LORD, but instead honor and glorify Him!

Just as a sword will endure the forge and as a result, the metal is tested and strengthened, having all of the impurities burned away, likewise the saint that endures affliction, trials and suffering at the hand of God, will become strengthened and an able weapon in His Majesty's Sacred Service!

Both water and steel will require time in the flame - the water doesn't boil automatically; the steel does not become molten in a moment. So too with our trials and hardships -under the watchful eye of the Master Smith, He extends our time in the flame just long enough to accomplish His glorious purposes.

ISAIAH 48:10-11
10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. 11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.

Fervency is the opposite of hardheartedness, of cold apathy and hypocrisy; it is a condition of the heart that yearns for the LORD, and having received of Him His graces and gifts is at the same time satisfied and yet also hungers for more. It is an unquenchable passion that is dissatisfied with any of the lures this world will provide, and focused on JESUS - caring for the things that are on His Heart, engaged in His mission, desirous to get involved in His plans, exalting His Word, glorifying His name, and blessed when He is the center of attention - not oneself.

INDWELLING

EPHESIANS 5:18
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

ROMANS 8:9,11
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you
.


Being 'on fire' can be the result of religious fervency as was noted previously (ROM 10:2). However such fervent attributes are of human manufacture (or even demonically inspired), and not of the LORD, and thus ultimately impotent.


What sets apart godly fervency apart from its cheap, religious imitation is God Himself; specifically God indwelling the heart of a human being. As we know, the heart is a wicked, devastatingly, incurably wicked thing that God cannot even think to inhabit (JER 17:9); this is why we need and why God provides for us, a new heart, miraculously generated by His Spirit (EZEK 36:26; JOHN 1:12-13; 3:3-5); and this happens every time a sinner repents before the LORD, and receives His salvation by faith, believing the Gospel of Christ Jesus!


By the indwelling Spirit of God, being on fire for JESUS is not dependent on our mood or emotions, or our will power, or determination - it is the power of God manifest in us; even when against all odds, when all the forces of hell and earth are arrayed against us and attempting to cause us to submit to their ungodly ways - the Spirit of the LORD rises up in us, empowering us to not bend the knee to the god of this world (2 COR 4:4). It is the indwelling Christ that brings the Christian to spiritual victory and allows us to overcome all the world by faith (1 JOHN 5:4).

In all reality, every single born-again Christian is a living Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 COR 6:19-20) - that is mind boggling when you think of it! The Eternal, Almighty, Omni-present and Holy God lives inside of our hearts! That single truth, when pondered upon and understood, will rouse up the sleepiest saint from their lethargy, and when brought together with a feasting on the Word Inspired, with reverent worship of God, with a life committed to the Gospel - will ensure that the saint's inspiring inferno for Immanuel Who indwells His people shall endure! 

This indwelling Spirit of God has been mentioned in Scripture as the "earnest" or down payment (2 COR 1:22; 5:5; EPH 1:14) that God has laid down for us who are the redeemed, until the time comes for the redemption of our bodies (ROM 8:23), just as He has already redeemed our spirits or hearts (and is working on redemption of our souls or minds). 
Our heart (or spirit) is indwelt by the Spirit of God, our soul/mind is in process of redemption (ROM 12:1-2), via sanctification, and one day, these corruptible bodies shall put on incorruption, themselves being redeemed at the rapture/resurrection of the church (ROM 8:23). 

In the references cited above from CORINTHIANS and EPHESIANS, the word "sealed" is used, which in the Greek is sprigizo:  
"to stamp with a signet or private mark - (such as Pilate used to seal the tomb of Jesus; such a seal cannot be broken except by the one whose stamp made it) for security or preservation; to attest to, to set one's seal upon. It indicates security and permanency; of the certain doom of Satan [who cannot escape judgment] as a seal of GOD was set upon the abyss where he will be imprisoned for the thousand year Millennial Reign of Christ.
It refers to ownership, the thing being stamped as owned by the one whose signet stamped them, as were slaves in ancient cultures. It stresses the sacred formalities of the transaction and guarantee of the full complement of the content. For the believer, so sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, this refers to the idea of destination as something certain - "unto the day of redemption". 


Both PHIL 1:6 and HEB 13:5 indicate that the LORD will complete the work that He began - that this is a promise and a certainty because of His power and foreknowledge: He is both able to complete and shall indeed complete the work of salvation in the life of the genuine believer. He will not leave nor forsake us, it says in HEBREWS 13:5

Since God knows all things, He knows who among the many professing believers are actually saved, and of these, He has sealed them with the Spirit, promising with this 'down payment' that He will complete His work.
If such a one were to fall away, such a down payment would never be made, as He would know that they would do so. What we may conclude from this is that the genuine believer is secured, permanently in their salvation by the earnest of the indwelling Spirit.

Such a comfort and security in the heart of the true child of God would never entice them to letting sin to continue, that grace may abound (ROM 6:1), but have the blessed peace and knowledge that He that began the work of grace and salvation, will see to it Himself, that we are completed in Him! This in turn will well up in the heart of the genuine believer such a fervor, such a joy, such a peace that can never be quenched or dis-annulled by any trials, circumstances, lapses of faith or anyone or anything else that would seek to separate us from the love of Christ (ROM 8:35)!


RIGHTEOUS

What hope does this world ever have to know the true and living God, when we are a race of fallen humanity (1 TIM 6:15-16; ROM 7:10-14)? How can we have fellowship with God when our very nature is unrighteous and therefore unacceptable to a Holy God, whose holiness is beyond the scope of human understanding?

It is because of Christ and Christ alone that we have atonement for our sin, as well as the righteousness of Christ imputed ("charged to our account") to us (ROM 3:22; 5:17) so that we may have every confidence in approaching the very throne of God in our prayer, and interaction with our Creator God (HEB 4:16), without fear of wrath or rejection from He Who is now Someone we cry out to as "Abba, Father" (GAL 4:6).

This is a joy beyond compare - that we are not only accounted righteous by the vicarious work of Christ's crucifixion, death and resurrection, but also by the Spirit enabled to grow in righteous conduct that is pleasing to our Father. Any born again believer will tell you that "it's good to be good!" And we have our LORD to thank for that!

1 TIM 1:5
5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:


This is not a righteousness that belongs to an exclusive society - but the righteousness which is the very quality of God's holy character - and available to all who want it (MATT 5:6)! Amazing! No religion can produce this, no philosophy can ever conceive of it, no morality can ever come close to it (ISAIAH 64:6) - and yet by the whispered prayer of a broken and contrite heart, God 'sits up and takes notice' and responds with His grace and mercy (PSALM 51:17)!

Before I was saved, before understood what the Cross and salvation was really all about, I was plagued by the questions, "How can I prove myself to be righteous before the LORD? What must I do to be accepted by Him?"
Those questions were summarily answered by the LORD Jesus Christ in His WORD, when I read for the first time ROMANS 4, and this led me to my salvation!

Being on FIRE for JESUS is being so in love with Him, because of His great love with which He ably demonstrated His heart to us, that the fire is not seen at all as something radical, but reasonable! We saints are made acceptable in the beloved (EPH 1:6-7). We are His sons and daughters, adopted and brought into the household of God (EPH 2:19). It is no wonder that we may become so on fire for the LORD, with every good reason to be so ignited!

PSALM 9:7-8
7 But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

The ONLY ones who will not only survive, but THRIVE under the scrutiny of God's Holy Eyes in Judgment are the saints that are granted the righteousness of Christ - the exact same quality of righteousness with which He will judge the world (and our sins were judged at the cross already - we will only be judged at the Bema seat of Christ - not for our sins, but for our works done in Christ's Name - whether they were truly of Christ or our own work (2 COR 5:10).

EVERLASTING

We are partakes of the Everlasting Covenant; we are the object of Everlasting Love; we are the beneficiaries of Everlasting Grace and infused with Everlasting Life; we are strengthened and equipped by the Everlasting arms of the LORD!

HEBREWS 13:19-2119 But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.
20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Some covenants, like the Mosaic and the Land covenants were conditional; that is, God promised to do certain things for Israel if they were faithful to do their part. Other covenants, like the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants were unconditional, which meant that the burden of fulfilling them was on God alone - regardless of what Israel would or would not do. The everlasting covenant is likewise an unconditional covenant in that it rested solely upon the shed blood of the LORD Jesus Christ; the significance of this everlasting covenant was in that fact - that the new testament was sealed and legitimized by the death of the testator, the LAMB of GOD (HEB 9:16) - and His blood being shed for our sins. The faithfulness of the LORD in securing for us this everlasting covenant - for Israel as well as us Gentiles - is something that can ensure that the flames of our passion and love for Him remains fiery!

For information about all the different covenants that GOD made for Israel and for those of the world at large, see the following:

What are the Covenants in the Bible? 

JEREMIAH 31:3-4
3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
4 Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.

The love of the LORD is an everlasting love - not fickle or uncertain; His love just like His grace is unconditional (DEUT 7:6-8). Whereas our own love is human, prone to failure, weak in its potency compared with that of the Almighty's - His is stalwart and infinite. He is Himself the very personification of love: agape love in the Greek, which means that the one who does the loving is focused solely on the one who is loved, concerned with their needs and fulfillment, with no regard whatsoever to one's own needs or costs in providing that love.

Considering how much God loved this world, without regard for what it would cost Him - the death of His own beloved and only begotten Son - how profound and deep is this love (JOHN 3:16; 1 JOHN 4:10)! Partaking of such love - and receiving freely through the knowledge of His Word ("a love letter penned over thousands of years, written in the blood of His dear Son") and by His Spirit (ROM 15:30) is something that will ensure that we stay "on fire for JESUS!" Let us never be so busy that we ignore our relationship with the LORD, and neglect His love for us. This was the LORD's charge against Ephesus in His letter, written in the book of REVELATION 2:1-5.


1 PET 5:10
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you
.


PSALM 100:5
For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations
.


"Grace and mercy" are often spoken of as the 'Siamese twins' of the Scriptures - you seldom see one without the other, and grace always precedes mercy - grammatically in the verses of Scripture as well as doctrinally. His mercies are everlasting, thus we recognize that grace is likewise. The God of - not some, many or most but - "all grace" - Who has called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus is the One from Whom we receive these vast treasure troves of beneficent blessings (EPH 1:7; 2:7). The reservoir of God''s riches in grace will never run dry - any more than the most expansive and deepest lake in the world run dry because a sparrow desires to take a drink from it (HEB 4:16). Having provided such grace for us, we may rest assured that by such enabling virtue, we can persevere in the passionate fire for Jesus all the days of our lives!

DEUT 33:26-28
26 There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.
27 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.

Consider Who it is that brings us every necessary provision, every stalwart defense, every Word of encouragement, wisdom and peace; Who alone brings us salvation - and who can prevent His delivery of these precious commodities to us? NO ONE! 

His strength under-girds us, His protection surrounds us, His benefits overshadows us; and they arrive in God's divine sense of punctuality. While we are yet speaking, He answers our prayers (ISAIAH 65:24). We need not wait for His help to arrive - as we would for the police if we report a break-in, or a child who is ailing in bed calling out to their parents - He is ever-present, and ever ready to bring us the aid that we need, when we need it (PSALM 46:1).
With such resources as these, brought to us by His everlasting arms - His mere hand measures the heavens (ISAIAH 48:13)! - we may be assured that such passionate zeal and love for Him is not in vain. His faithfulness indeed endures to all generations.

Let us take these valuable truths as found in God's Word, and stoke our hearts with them, and pray that the LORD inflames us to such intensity, that we will never be snuffed out by the smothering influences of this world or the darkness that rules it!

PSALM 89:1-5
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
2 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,
4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.
5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.

You may also be interested in the following:


TOUCHED BY A FIRE - By PEOPLE and SONGS



ZEALOUS For The NAME of The LORD

WE COUNT THEM HAPPY THAT ENDURE 

ARE YOU PERSECUTION PROOF?

This teaching is on video, recorded at The ETERNAL LIVING WORD Church:

ARE YOU ON F.I.R.E. for JESUS?




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