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IndexPart 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
WHAT WE CAN AND MUST DO TO LIGHT THE FIRE AGAIN!
A - The word has lost first place in our lives and we are not producing the fruit that we desire.B - Our love walk has become impossible and our temper seems to be getting out of control.
C - If the world's ways are beginning to look better to us than God's ways.
We must once again join ourselves to the Lord by fellowshipping with Him and abiding in His word. John 15:7
1. We must draw nigh or come back to where we know there are hope, peace, love, acceptance, and forgiveness. The Throne of grace or presence of God is where we must dwell and find ourselves at for the help we need. Psalm 91 and Hebrews 4:16 tell us that is where we are to get our help. The world will not help us and certainly will not understand our faith in God. When we are fellowshipping with God we must speak to Him concerning His covenant, so He knows we believe Him and are honoring His Word by placing it first in our lives.
HOW CAN THIS BE ACCOMPLISHED? A. By getting back to the basics and reading or abiding in the Word or Covenant of God. Then faith will once again begin to arise in our hearts. Proverbs 3:1-3 says not to "forget my teaching. For length of days and years of life they will add to you". (We are to bind them around our necks and write them on the tablet of our hearts. In other words we are to saturate our minds and hearts with the Word of God. (see Romans 12:2)
Proverbs 7:1-3 "My son, keep my Words, and treasure my commandments within you. Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart."
Paul told Timothy in his letter in 1st Tim. 4:13 "Until I come, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhortation and teaching."
When we feed our spirits on the Word of God, they receive nourishment and strength and a new confidence in God. Paul also said in 1st Tim. 4:6 "In pointing out these things to the Brethren, you will be a good servant of Jesus Christ, constantly nourished on the Words of Faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following."
May this simple lesson stir our hearts to draw nigh to God the Father and to the Lord Jesus Christ so that we may please Him, and find ourselves walking in the center of His will and in the Light of His Word.
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Today, we will look at another step that we can take to insure that the FIRE is stirred and the Faith is kept in our hearts.STEP 2: We can STUDY the Covenant Word of God for ourselves to see what men for centuries have been getting excited about. In 2nd Tim. 2:15 Paul admonished Tim to Study as a workman rightly dividing the Word of God. In other words we are to dig into the Word of God to see if what we have been told is true, and find the divine nuggets that will not only insure our salvation, but cause us great success in life and in our spiritual growth.
1st Peter 4:11 tells us that we should speak and serve by that which God supplies, so we must study to see what it is that God has supplied.
Jesus resisted every temptation with the phrase “It is written”. How then, are we to resist and answer every temptation if we do not know WHAT IS WRITTEN? (see Luke 4:3-13)
Let us light the fire again by STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD and finding the rich inheritance that belongs to us and a fresh understanding of His Love.
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PART 3.WHEN OUR FAITH GROWS WEAK, LET US LIGHT THE FIRE AGAIN
We have been speaking to you concerning how to light your spiritual fire again. In other words, what can we do to spark more depth in our relationship with the Lord, His word and our interest in these matters.
STEP 3: WE CAN MEDITATE ON THE WORD OF GOD. For many years I had heard that meditation would cause you to be a success both in the things of the natural world, and in the Kingdom of God. However, I did nothing toward this cause because I could not figure out how it could help me as a person or as a Christian.
A. The Word of God is more than a book of clever sayings. It says of itself that it is inspired, God breathed or God indwelt. (2nd Timothy 3:16) This means that it is God speaking to us literally and that His Word will direct our paths and guide us if we will meditate on it.B. The Word of God also declares about itself in Hebrews 4:12 “for the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow and is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
If we believe this then we should all place a great importance on what it is saying to us as children of God. Moreover those who want His peace, guidance, and will for our lives will be meditating on His living Word so that He can speak to us through it.
C. Meditating is the step that we have eliminated between reading the Word of God and doing the Word of God. We do not stay with the Word of God long enough to have it effect us. Meditating will cause the Word to have it’s perfect work in us.
When we neglect meditating on the Word of God, then we remove God’s very inspired spirit from speaking to us, and we begin to think like the world. If however, we meditate on God’s Word, especially the New Covenant, it will cause us to do what the Lord has written for us and this will cause us to prosper in our spirit, soul, and body.
Joshua 1:8 implies that if we have been failing to do what the Word says, then meditation on it DAY AND NIGHT will cause us to begin again to do what it says. Listen to what God says to Joshua. “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be CAREFUL TO DO according to ALL THAT IS WRITTEN IN IT; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”
Psalm 119:15 “I will meditate on the precepts and regard thy ways.” (also see Psalm 119:48 and 1st Timothy 4:15 “Take pains with these things; (or meditate on these things) give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.”
We are all going to think on, ponder or meditate on something, what will you choose to think on today? I have made my choice and will meditate on God’s Covenant Word. Won’t you join me so you too will become successful and prosper and also have the peace of God knowing His will for your life.
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PART 4.WHEN DOING THE WORD SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE THEN WE MUST LIGHT THE FIRE AGAIN !
When we are challenged to do what the Word of God is speaking to us, then we are probably going to respond in 1 of 2 ways. We will either say it is too difficult and do nothing with what we know to do, or we will dig in further and ask the Spirit of God for help and grace to keep putting our spiritual feet one after another until we see the Lord face to face.
Here are some helpful keys to being a doer of the Word. (James 1:21-25)
A. When we hear the Word or read the Word. We can immediately put it into our lives as the Spirit of God has shown us. We must rely on His divine help in this.B. Write down what we hear preached, meditate on it until it is no longer a passing thought or good sermon, but God’s instruction for our lives.
C. Stay with the Word long enough for it to change you from a Sunday hearer to an effectual doer.
As we practice doing the Word, we will become more accustomed to doing it until finally it becomes second nature to us. In other words it will become a natural thing for us rather than what it may be now. Practice makes perfect as they say. It is not going to happen overnight, but as we continue in His Word, and put it first then the changes will come in our lives.
May God bless you today as you become a DOER OF THE WORD, and not merely a hearer of it.
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TO START A RACE IS NOTHING;
TO COMPLETE ONE IS EVERYTHINGPART 5.
DILIGENCE AND PERSEVERANCE IS NEEDED IF WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR FIRE BURNING BRIGHT FOR JESUS
In Philippians 3:10-17 Paul speaks from his heart to complete the race, or the calling that is upon his life. He had many opportunities to quit and would have but because of diligence he kept going and pleased God. Here are some things that Paul said that helped him, and will help you:1. A desire to be found in Christ must constantly be maintained in our spirit.2. We must recognize it is through faith in Christ that our righteousness (or right standing) with God is found.
3. To come to a place where we know Him, not just about Him; the power of His resurrection, the indestructible life within, and to be conformed to the death He died so we might attain to the resurrection from the dead.
4. We must desire to press on to another level of faith found in Him, which brings maturity.
5. We must be willing to forget what lies behind us, both good and bad. Some things have become hurtful so we must forget and forgive, while others will bring a prideful posture in our hearts and cause us to think more highly of ourselves than we should think.
6. God has laid hold of each one of us for His own calling and purpose. We must not lose heart but press on until we have accomplished by His grace that which we were called unto. (Eph. 4:1-3)
In closing, I would say to you today that we should keep Colossians 3:1-3 in our hearts: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth, for you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
Let us run our race so that we might win, let us all press in to the Lord Jesus as we see the day of His appearing drawing nigh so that we might long for His appearing and not shrink back to destruction again. May God bless you all today as you LIGHT THE FIRE IN YOUR HEARTS FOR JESUS!
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