SermonIndex Audio Sermons
SermonIndex - Promoting Revival to this Generation
Give To SermonIndex
Discussion Forum : General Topics : Keep the Fire Burning!

Print Thread (PDF)

Goto page ( Previous Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 Next Page )
PosterThread
Meg
Member



Joined: 2003/12/14
Posts: 13
Augusta Ga USA

 Re:

This is really a great discussion. Thanks everyone for sharing your insights and inspirations. Markso's speaking about being a methodical and diciplined person made me want even more to set aside a regular time to pray, something that I don't always do since my day-to-day life can be sort of scattered.

I saw a few people saying that God has put them on hold, and I wanted to recommend a book Jesus led me to that has made a huge difference in the way I perceive my relationship with Him; its called "Can You Stand To Be Blessed, Insights To Help You Survive The Peaks And Valleys" by T. D. Jakes. I saw it on the shelf, and when I started to flip through it, I see the words "God is not hiding in the bushes giggling..." (while you search for Him). I bought the book, and Jakes tell it like it is style has been, and very likely will be again, a real comfort and inspiration to me when I find myself in a valley again. From what I understand, valleys are normal, as are peaks. Sometimes our walk with The Lord is all exciting and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, and sometimes its just the usual daily routines. When itds just the routines, it can feel like you're letting Him down somehow, but thats not it. He's just teaching you to be patient (after all, He's very patient with us, and fair is fair... :-) )

May the Grace of Christ be with everyone. Its fun coming around here to share.

Meg

 2003/12/24 7:48Profile









 Re:

Another thing to remember as far as any passion and 'fire' one has is to keep taking it back to God. God is our Father, and look at all he has given us. Take what He gives you and give it straight back to him. Whether in prayer, reading the bible, or using the gifts that he has given to you for Him, make sure you do it for Him and keep a selfless attitude. It's the only way to make God your God....100%

 2003/12/27 21:55
Will
Member



Joined: 2003/10/1
Posts: 79
Auckland, New Zealand

 Re:

I was directed to this thread and can relate quite a bit to you PJ.

I too have been brought up in a Christian home, and growing up I thought of myself as a Jesus Freak, someone on fire of God.

But I am so thankful, that by His grace He's shown me just how far away from being on fire I really was. And it was by listening to Leonard Ravenhill's sermons that I was challenged and convicted to revive my devotional life and start praying and reading God's Word every day.

Ravenhill also sparked my enthusiasm for revival in these last days. In fact I compare Revival to the ring in the Lord of the Rings. The more you read about it, hear about it and think about it, the more it consumes you! It does make me depressed at times to see the state of the Churches around me. Why don't they see it the way I see it, I ask. As Ravenhill would put it, 'It's the most critical hour in human history and the Church is playing games!'

But I refuse to let that dishearten me and I've started a prayer meeting on Friday nights, primarily to pray for revival.


_________________
Will Schmidt

 2004/2/1 22:14Profile
soulfire52
Member



Joined: 2004/1/30
Posts: 12
Tulsa, where Jesus is coming back first. :D

 Re:

Quote:
But I am so thankful, that by His grace He's shown me just how far away from being on fire I really was. And it was by listening to Leonard Ravenhill's sermons that I was challenged and convicted to revive my devotional life and start praying and reading God's Word every day.


ME TOO.
I can't help but wonder why we or at least I have never heard or understood the stuff that he preaches?
But thank GOD I'm getting it...


_________________
Tab

 2004/2/11 19:08Profile
KeithLaMothe
Member



Joined: 2004/3/28
Posts: 354


 Re: Keep the Fire Burning!

Brothers and Sisters,

Thank you for sharing about the Lord's work in your lives, it's very encouraging.

God began a life-altering work in me last November when He brought me to the teachings of Ray Comfort, and began to show me the problems with most modern evangelism. He's lit an evangelistic fire in me; one I don't always appreciate because I'm naturally the kind of person that leaves others alone, but if He wants me to "bother" (witness to, give a tract to, preach to, etc) someone, that's the final word.

Giving out tracts and verbal witnessing weren't particularly difficult because of His work, but open air preaching was just too much for me, at least alone. I think He would have made me what I needed to be to do it alone anyway, over time, but He used my weakness to motivate me to seek others to serve Him with me. He graciously got me in touch with a local evangelist, John Duncan, who was starting a campus ministry (I attend the University of Georgia), who had encountered Ray's teachings some years before and had been preaching in the open air (particularly on campuses) for a while. I've been preaching and witnessing with John for nearly 2 months now, and God's been teaching me a lot. John told me about "Ten Shekels and a Shirt" and it was in searching for that sermon that I found this site. It is a tremendous blessing, by the way, those responsible for this website are in receipt of my profound gratitude.

Being involved in a "real" (for lack of a better term) ministry has been a tremendous blessing. God's exhortations that I examine my life and discard anything not of Him have much more traction on me now. Now I'm generally either sleeping, doing something essential, spending time with God, working on something as part of the ministry God has me in (largely writing and reading, and of course going out to witness and preach), or on rare occaision schoolwork. There's been a bit too much sleeping, but I have faith God will deal with that before long as well.

TV? Entertainment? I have some memory of those things, though it's fading fast :)

God's got a lot more work to do on me, though. Indeed, I think many of you are far closer to Him than I at this time (not that it's particularly important how we compare to one another). I may be consumed with labors for Him the majority of my waking hours, and He's definately moving in me and others I know, but I can't say I feel a "fire in my bones," at least not for more than a couple of hours when listening to some of the sermons here. If the Lord wants to bless me with that, though, I'm sure He'll get to it as soon as my stubbornness gives way enough :)

Anyway, I'm mighty tired and will just wind up rambling if I continue (if I haven't done that already). Thanks again, everyone, particularly PJ.

God's grace be with you,
-Keith LaMothe

 2004/3/30 1:32Profile
sermonindex
Moderator



Joined: 2002/12/11
Posts: 39795
Canada

Online!
 Re:

Quote:
John told me about "Ten Shekels and a Shirt" and it was in searching for that sermon that I found this site. It is a tremendous blessing, by the way, those responsible for this website are in receipt of my profound gratitude.


Thank you Keith for sharing this. I have found this thread a paticular encouragement in my spiritual life also. I am glad you found this site and hope to hear from you alot more. God Bless.


_________________
SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2004/3/30 9:24Profile
crsschk
Member



Joined: 2003/6/11
Posts: 9192
Santa Clara, CA

 Re:

Hi Keith!

A warm welcome to you brother!

Quote:
God's got a lot more work to do on me, though. Indeed, I think many of you are far closer to Him than I at this time (not that it's particularly important how we compare to one another). I may be consumed with labors for Him the majority of my waking hours, and He's definitely moving in me and others I know, but I can't say I feel a "fire in my bones," at least not for more than a couple of hours when listening to some of the sermons here. If the Lord wants to bless me with that, though, I'm sure He'll get to it as soon as my stubbornness gives way enough :)



Do we know each other? ;-)
I know what you mean, but take heart, certainly the hunger is there. Keep hanging around long enough and the Lord will see to it that the stubbornness gets chiseled off, I have shavings piled high to prove it! :-D
Yet in saying that I would only add that it's just a rough outline, much work still needs to be done. We are all called to different area's in this walk and to be honest I don't know just what it is that I am supposed to be doing on any given day, but I guess that's faith for ya.
To grow, to learn, to trust and obey...
To PRAY! O, that we all could get [i]that[/i] embedded into our marrow!

Got a penchant for rambling around here so don't let that stop you!
:-)

I can say one thing with all sincerity, there is a wealth of resources here at SermonIndex. Have been clogging up this forum for quite a few months now with questions, thoughts, experience's...just about any conceivable thing you could imagine. What you have come across is a living vital example of what I believe the 'Church' is; A bunch of hell deserving sinners saved by grace, all walks of life, experience, spiritual maturity or lack there of, 'fisherman' (and their counter parts, 'the cleaners', somebody has to scoop out the guts!), evangelist's, pastor's, theologian's (some are both 'and') young, old, some are quiet, others [i]noisy[/i], some rambl...... the vast majority are more than willing to help, encourage and exhort each other.
But at the heart of it is Jesus. To know [i][b]Him[/b][/i].

I have learned more, grown more, [i]groaned[/i] more through this site than I could have ever imagined. Truly the Lord is at work here.

This is a goldmine and there is still 'vein's' that have yet to be explored through the messages that are here. It is amazing to me that the Lord brought up His servant Greg to resurrect these teachers and the depth of their teaching just for a time as this. That is not idle boasting, nor is it limited to "all these dead guy's", there is men of God preaching an uncompromised Gospel that still have air in their lungs as well here. But they all have that one thing in common; The truth that is in our Lord Jesus Christ.

May you become hopelessly lost in the adventure that is here, there are untold blessing's awaiting you.

Welcome!


_________________
Mike Balog

 2004/3/30 10:49Profile
rocklife
Member



Joined: 2004/4/1
Posts: 323
usa

 Re: Keep the Fire Burning!

What keeps the fire going in me are the verses about Judgment Day, I don't want to be found lukewarm in my love. Nothing I can do can get me to heaven, it's by the blood of Jesus that I am forgiven and can have a relationship with our Lord and Creator that only those who love Him can have. I know the Lord will punish murderers, rapists, thieves, liars, adulterers, idolaters, (Rev 21:8), what a terrible day that will be. I wish everyone loved our God, our Creator, because his offer of forgiveness is only good while we are alive. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, my gratitude for what Jesus did for me motivates me to warn others, even if it's just in mailing letters proclaiming the Gospel and warning of Judgment Day, or in mailing and distributing tracts. Whatever I can do, because we are like the survivors of the Titanic in the lifeboat of Jesus, while so many are going down and don't even know it. Our greatest commandment as Christians is to love God, then love others, I show my love in action, and He just restores and refreshes me all the time, especially through His word, whether I feel like reading it (or listening on walkmen) whether I feel like reading it or not, He refreshes me. Psalms 1:1-3 says (paraphrased) if we meditate on the God's word day and night, we will be like well-watered trees. Even force-feeding yourself the word, that's ok, I don't like apples and carrots, but I force myself sometimes, because it will only do me good.

If the fire in you starts getting low, just think of the state of the ungodly, how terrible it will be on the day of Judgment, and do something about it. Do something, even if it's just handing out tracts, do something. If you look at how you can serve others, God will refresh you. Let's not do things to get paid, but out of love for God and others. Thank you Jesus, for taking our punishment and offering forgiveness if we repent and trust in You, as we would trust a parachute, and help us to share your gift with others before it's too late.


_________________
Jina

 2004/4/1 23:32Profile
sermonindex
Moderator



Joined: 2002/12/11
Posts: 39795
Canada

Online!
 Re:

I'm not content with just being in the center of God's will for my life...I want to burn in the will of God - I don't just want to walk in the will of God...I want to burn in the will of God.
-Anonymous


_________________
SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2004/8/4 1:51Profile
disciplejosh
Member



Joined: 2003/6/13
Posts: 210
Southern California

 Re:

I had to put this in here from Oswald Chambers' devotional, My Utmost For His Highest.

March 22nd.

THE BURNING HEART

"Did not our heart burn within us?" Luke 24:32

We need to learn this secret of the burning heart. Suddenly Jesus appears to us, the fires are kindled, we have wonderful visions, then we have to learn to keep the secret of the burning heart that will go through anything. It is the dull, bald, dreary, commonplace day, with commonplace duties and people, that kills the burning heart unless we have learned the secret of abiding in Jesus.

Much of our distress as Christians comes not because of sin, but because we are ignorant of the laws of our own nature. For instance, the only test as to whether we ought to allow an emotion to have its way is to see what the outcome of the emotion will be. Push it to its logical conclusion, and if the outcome is something God would condemn, allow it no more way. But if it be an emotion kindled by the Spirit of God and you do not let that emotion have its right issue in your life, it will react on a lower level. That is the way sentimentalists are made. The higher the emotion is, the deeper the degradation will be, if it is not worked out on its proper level. If the Spirit of God has stirred you, make as many things inevitable as possible, let the consequences be what they will. We cannot stay on the mount of transfiguration, but we must obey the light we received there; we must act it out. When God gives a vision, transact business on that line, no matter what it costs.


"We cannot kindle when we will
The fire which in the heart resides,
The spirit bloweth and is still,
In mystery our soul abides;
But tasks in hours of insight will'd
Can be through hours of gloom fulfill'd."


_________________
Josh

 2004/8/4 2:42Profile





All sermons are offered freely and all contents of the site
where applicable is committed to the public domain for the
free spread of the gospel.