Fire House
About a year ago the Lord put these words on my heart; Fire House. What does this mean, Lord? I wasn't sure what this pertained to; our home, house church? Yes, God! Let this home be a place people experience Your fire!
I prayed about it, but time went on and I haven't thought much about these words since, to be honest. This has been a challenging year, and it really hasn't been until recently where the Lord is reminding me of some words He has spoken to me over the past few years.
This morning, another reminder. Fire House. This time, more clarity. A fire house is where equipment is housed to put out fires. Firemen/women stay at the fire house on call and ready to respond to fires.
Often my husband and I will walk the Schuylkill Trail. On a part of this trail you can see the Berks County Fire Training Center. It's where our local firefighters do their training. The last time we were walking back there they actually had a fire going. There were people in there! Thank you to our firefighters, for not only putting out fires, but being brave enough to walk into a burning building or home and rescue people!
Firefighters go into homes that are burning down to save people. And while I am not a firefighter and do not know how they handle every situation, I do know they go in, and may go back in, to rescue people. When I was a little girl, there was a fire across the street from my house. I lived in the city, so the house across the street was a stones throw away. I heard the commotion outside, got out of my bed, and as I pulled back the curtains to see what was going on, I immediately felt the heat hit my face as the house was in flames. If I felt that heat from the window in my bedroom, I can't imagine what it's like being in an actual burning home.
The Lord put this on my heart this morning. That we as the Church need to go in and back in, when necessary, and rescue people from the fire. I KNOW! We are NOT the Savior. I am not saying that. Only Jesus is the True Rescuer. He is the One who saves. But if we try to save people from burning homes, if people go back to rescue them and bring them to safety, why are we sitting by watching people spiritually burn? This is heartbreaking. People are dying without knowing Christ, and His desire is that not one would perish without coming to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
If I was at the store and someone near me fell to the ground, was clutching their chest and screaming for help, I wouldn't walk past them. I would stop to help them. I would call 911. I would scream for other people to come and help. I would stay with that person. I would ask that person "what is wrong?!" I would pray with them! If the person was unresponsive I would do CPR. All of these things combined could save this person's life.
I live in the city. There are fire trucks out responding to local fires all the time. They are driving faster. They have sirens on. There is no doubt, in that moment when you see and hear them, they are responding to an emergency.
We see spiritual fires burning all around us, people lost, broken and completely dead in their sins, and we just watch. People's lives spiritually hanging in the balance, and we just sit back and do nothing. Maybe not always, but sometimes. Why? We are scared what people will think? We feel like we just need to mind our own business? That's what the world tells us, to mind our business. (And there always needs to be this disclaimer: Yes, in LOVE! Not the distorted love the world is pushing, but true Kingdom love. But we need Truth as well.)
Now is not the time to hide. We must share who Jesus is. We must let people know what He has done for us. Yes, Holy Spirit does the work. He is the One that woos us and draws us to Himself. But what if our testimonies were like fire extinguishers. What if our testimony helps extinguish the work of the enemy in people's lives. Scripture tells us "They triumphed over him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony..." Revelation 12:11
Our testimonies tell the story of how Jesus met us, healed us and brought redemption into our lives. Our testimonies share that His blood speaks the better word! Hebrews 12:24. When we share our testimonies, we share how Jesus set us free from our sins and the bondage of the enemy. Our testimony speaks forth the new life we have been given in Him. He gets all the credit and all the glory!
Maybe there is someone you know that is struggling with the very thing Jesus set you free from. Maybe you don't feel like you can say anything because you don't want them to be offended. Can I encourage you to share it? Your testimony may be exactly what they need to hear to bring them to repentance. Our culture says anything goes, everything is okay, you do you, live your truth. But don't let that stop you from sharing. Just this past year alone, we have been "taught" to stay quiet or you will be canceled. Conform to this world, or you will be canceled. In the meantime, it seems like there are raging fires all around us.
Church, we don't conform to the patterns of this world. Romans 12:2 Jesus can't be canceled. The Gospel can't be canceled. Our testimonies can't be canceled. So we continue to "go." Matthew 28:19
If you are reading this and you are struggling with a certain sin in your life, such as sexual sin, addiction, hate, pride, the love of money, etc., and you think you can never change, I want you to know Jesus can heal you. Not only can He heal you, but He will give you a new life. Your past will be gone. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Our culture may tell you that nothing can change, that what you are struggling with is just too big. But God is way bigger. You CAN have a new life in Him. He DESIRES this for you! You just have to be willing to lay it down at His feet. You have to be willing to love Him more than your sin. You have to be willing to call upon His name. Romans 10:13
Brothers and sisters, if you struggled with sexual sin and God healed you, what an incredible voice you have to someone who is in the midst of that struggle. If God healed you from addiction to pornography, what a voice you have to speak into the life of someone hiding behind closed doors right now clicking on the images. We need to hear your voice! God has given you a voice and a testimony...use it!
There is a call for voices to rise up and bring His Kingdom down on earth as it is in Heaven.
Maybe you are the very person someone needs to hear from! This isn't just for the pastors or the people at the pulpit every week. Its for the entire Body!
You have a voice. You have a testimony of the goodness of God in your life! Go back into that building and with the help of Holy Spirit, use what God has given you to put out some fires. Go into the burning building and drag someone to Jesus so he/she can be consumed by HIS FIRE!
Church, let's be a Fire House! Let's be people consumed by Him, and may His fire burning within us put out the flames of the enemy. May we also be people willing to go into the burning buildings and bring people to the feet of Jesus.
"For our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:29
Consume us, Lord.
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