Fire Journal - Sharing the Fire of God

Sheep

God has blessed me beyond measure with the chance to be with my family in Spain for a time.  I especially praise God for the great truths He is teaching me through my family.  I would like to share an exerpt from a letter my father wrote for me when I first came to Christ.

What is God like? Who does God say I am? What is God’s voice like?

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and I am his sheep. I can
trust Him. He is leading me, and He will make me know
His voice. I can be absolutely certain that He will
make me be able to know what He wants me to do. I
never have to worry about that.

What the Bible says . . .
Psalms 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you
should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.

John 10:1-16
The sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep
by name and leads them out. When he has brought out
all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep
follow him because they know his voice. But they
will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run
away from him because they do not recognise a
stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech,
but they did not understand what he was telling them.
Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I
am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before
me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not
listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through
me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find
pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and
destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have
it to the full. “I am the good shepherd. The good
shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep
know me–just as the Father knows me and I know the Father–and
I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep
that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them
also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

Sheep.  This is an example my Dad has used many times over the years; he likes to make sure people know that they are like sheep (NOT a very intelligent animal to be compared to!), so it is God’s grace that we have a good shepherd to lead us.  Thanks, Daddy Towner!  Thanks, Daddy God!

To Be Holy

This spiritual era is marked by a call to holiness.  The quest for glorious encounter with God comes hand in hand with a life of surrender.  Oh, how I have longed, with bitter tears, to experience the greater depths of Christ.  My pitfall has been the enemy’s “You’re just not good enough.”  This mentality led to striving for holiness by my own strength, rather than walking in the blood.

Striving has been an ageless attack against the body of Christ.  Since the Law was introduced, men and women of God have tried, tried, tried to prove their faithfulness to God by obeying all His commands.  Yes, true followers of Christ should yearn to be in His will, according to Leviticus 11:45;

“For I am the LORD, who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” (NKJ)

  Grace

Grace?  Oh yes…that’s the word I was looking for.  I love the Lord Jesus Christ with all my heart, but just for the record, I’ve tried to be holy, and I didn’t pass the test of time.  Only recently have I begun to understand the depths of the word.  Grace.

Grace is when one cannot be perfect, yet is accepted, forgiven, and used by God.  Grace is our human nature being tweaked and turned to reflect His glory.  Grace is knowing that even in failure, God is still there; and anyway—it is His job to transform His little ones.

I love you, you love me; it’s as simple as can be.

He spoke to me through Pastor Annette when she taught me this rhyme.  The Lord asked me to quit my striving and rest in the knowledge of the love we sharea.  Rest?  Yeah…that’s another good word.  Grace and Rest.  Rest in Grace.  They go together.

I feel like no one loves me

I feel like I am all alone

I feel sick

I feel like my life isn’t going anywhere

I feel like God doesn’t care about me

Don’t let your feelings become a prison for your faith

Okay so you’ve been struggling with something badly.  Put your trust in him, then praise him for the weakness because it helps you depend on him.  Suddenly, after you’ve cried out to him he will give you strength and out of that strength will come your best ministry.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 corinthians 12:9-10

This happened recently.  I was hurting, and my strength was low.  I was sitting next to one of the strongest men I know.. and yet I was the one who ended up ministering to him.  I wanted to be ministered to.. because I was weak.  But, I admitted my weakness to the Lord and he strengthened me to give some of the most accurate ministry I’ve had.  Praise God that when we are weak he is strong! 

I started this bible study and was shocked by how many scripture I came accross on waiting on the Lord.  The world tells us “NOW NOW NOW” and God tells us to wait on him. 

Do not say, “I will recompense evil”; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you. Proverbs 20:22

Whoever keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit; So he who waits on his master will be honored. Proverbs 27:18

Wait on the LORD;Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! Psalm 27:14

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Psalm 37:7

For evildoers shall be cut off;But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth. Psalm 37:9

Wait on the LORD,And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. Psalm 37:34

These all wait for You,That You may give them their food in due season. Psalm 104:27

But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master  Luke 12:36

But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Roman 8:25

so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 1:7

For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. Galatians 5:5

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. James 5:7

Are you the hand? — then why are you disconnected from the arm?

Are you the ear? — then why aren’t you connected to the brain?

Are you an eye? — then why are you not setted into the eye socket?

Being independant and outside of a church makes as much sense as a body part laying on the ground independant from the body. It is useless and eventually dies.

WE ARE CALLED THE BODY OF CHRIST FOR A REASON

If we are to advance the kingdom of heaven in our own lives and in the world then we need to be accountable to one another. We NEED each other. Why do so many Christians think they can do it alone? Rebellion.

To out-of-church Christians: come back because we NEED you…

Is your house clean?  Is your car being taken care of and fixed?  Are you eating right?  Are you getting enough sleep?  Are you getting to work on time and staying on task while you are there?

Being faithful in the little things is very difficult.  God is very clear in his word that we need to be faithful on a daily basis with the little things before we are bestowed great responsibilities or great wealth.

“A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.” Proverbs 28:19-21

How can anyone say that our flesh isn’t sick?

To our flesh the pleasure of the moment outweights the destruction of life.

Deny it and live.

What is bread from one man to another? It is a good act. But will wither away and never be remembered. But to sow bread into another hand through the spirit of Christ. THAT is what pushes back the kingdom of hell and echos through eternity. Are you sowing in the flesh? The flesh is powerless. Are you sowing in the spirit? Your actions will become that of a spiritual flame from the heart of Christ to the hand of another man and their spirit will rejoice.

I was TIRED of sowing in the flesh. Went to work… day after day and nothing was returned, no ground gained, and the kingdom of hell tromped over me and wittled my faith down. Was this the life that Christ died for me to live? To sit behind a computer while my boss runs over me. To not grow spiritually and grow dull and flat? Absolutely not!

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO WALK ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT AND NOT ACCORDING TO THE FLESH

(more…)

As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly. Proverbs 26:11

Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. Proverbs 26:12

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered. 28:26

A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back. 29:11

These verses are all self-explanitory. I just felt on my heart that someone out there will need to hear these.