Fire
Set ablaze the fire
In my heart oh, Spirit of God
Let my thoughts be your kindling
Use them to produce the fire in my heart
Rekindle my spirit
Ignite my heart
Holy Ghost fire
Let my soul be your start
Burn up every trace of sin
Create a fire of passion
for the lost and rejected
Your fire sets everything ablaze
Really been thinking about fire on all levels. The Holy Ghost fire, what it is and what it does. Also the difference between the fire that we need and plead for against the fire that we reject and depised in Hell. Would be really interested to hear your thoughts on both of these topics and/or the writing here on fire.
In my heart oh, Spirit of God
Let my thoughts be your kindling
Use them to produce the fire in my heart
Rekindle my spirit
Ignite my heart
Holy Ghost fire
Let my soul be your start
Burn up every trace of sin
Create a fire of passion
for the lost and rejected
Your fire sets everything ablaze
Really been thinking about fire on all levels. The Holy Ghost fire, what it is and what it does. Also the difference between the fire that we need and plead for against the fire that we reject and depised in Hell. Would be really interested to hear your thoughts on both of these topics and/or the writing here on fire.
This entry was posted
on Sunday, May 07, 2006 at 12:54 AM.
You can skip to the end and leave a response.
The Bible talks of hell (fire) as being an eternal absense from God. But when we feel God's presence we say we have the fire(ie: pentacost). But like many things its two sides of the same coin.
Extreme absense is like fire, and extreme presence is like fire. Literal fire can be great, it provides warmth, a resource to cook on, keeps away wild animals... but when not controlled it can be deadly. It can destroy homes and lives. I guess with that in mind the idea of fire in the Bible makes a lot of sense.
When God is with us the fire is empowering. When God is not (ie: hell) the fire takes us over and becomes destructive.
Cheers and Great blog.
Peter (Canada)
www.lublink.ca
Thanks Peter, you have provided some great insight on this and I appreciate it. God Bless
I am wondering about this... not sure if it is two sides of the same coin as Peter describes - although I think I understand what you're trying to say, Pete.
My conflict here is that one picture of fire issues from God - in fact, is his very presence. "Our God is a consuming fire," as the writer of Hebrews describes. This fire can be described and expressed in a number of ways - to bring to the surface impurities for the purpose of purification and redemption; to emblaze a passion in Him and for his kingdom.
The other picture is that which is experienced and felt in complete separation from God. I'm struggling to see where these are the same. I'm not sure (and I could be mistaken, and if so, someone feel free to set me right) that the second can really be seen in the same light - as issuing from God, when in effect it is issued as a result of his ultimate absence and one's ultimate isolation from his presence.
The first has the purpose of drawing us closer to him; the second does not have that purpose, as it results when a life is past the point of response to redemption.
I think they are two different fires - two very different pictures... one of those mysteries of our faith where our words and language are only so adequate in decribing the depths of truth that far out-span our understanding.
Hey, been thinking about this very thing lately. (nice site, by the way).
If God is the same no matter what, then we must assume that He is a consuming fire no matter what. That being said, He is not to be approached lightly.
God's fire consumes both the sin and the sinner. He burns away impurities and takes us into Himself. As we identify more and more with Him, maybe the fire that He is becomes part of the fire that we are.
Those who choose to identify themselves with sin and turn their back on God's grace (which leads us to repentance) must ultimately be consumed by His fire. "Where the worm does not perish and the fire is not quenched..."
Someone - and i can't remember who - said that maybe heaven and hell are the same place. Don't label me a heretic yet. I'm not sure I agree with this premise, but the explanation is interesting:
Some people just do not want to be with God, hard to believe as that may seem. But God is everywhere. So hell for them (in eternity) may just be the presence of God.
C.S. Lewis, in his book The Great Divorce, talks about how earth is a starting point for both heaven and hell, that all along, the choices we make here on this earth, in this time, have been making us into the kinds of people who are fit for heaven or fit for hell. I don't know, but just thought I'd offer some thoughts.
It is very interesting to me how we call on God to "send the fire". I myself am trying to be careful lately with that request. I get the feeling that maybe God hears some of us asking that and says, "Really? You really want me to send the fire? Do you know what you're asking?"
For what it's worth. Great blog.
» Post a Comment