The Fire Must Not Go Out!!!
I'm afraid the Lord has been speaking to me again about burning. I am so so burdened - so so challenged - so so spurred by this message - this thrust!!!
I went to see Elton John last night at the Birmingham NEC last year and immediately the word that came pounding through to me from God was ..... "This man burns". And he does!! He would be rejected by the Pharisees of our day ... after all - he's gay!! But on that stage, I have never seen a man so taken up and enraptured in his music. He was totally focussed!! Totally obsessed!! He was there to perform!! And the thousands gathered at the NEC watched in amazement as he thundered out amazing tune after tune!! What a show!! What a display!! And all from a man who burns!!
Then the Lord took me one step further. And He reminded me of this quote of John Wesley's that I know very well:
"I set myself on fire .... and the people come to see me burn".
Awesome words!! But what do they mean?! What is this all about burning?!? It's a biblical concept of that we can be sure. Romans 12:11 "Never flag in zeal" apparantly according to the commentators literally means: "boil in the spirit!". They said of Jesus - zeal for His Father's House consumed Him. Does anything consume you? Do you boil about anything? Look around you!! Our world is full of bland, grey people who dont care about anything!! That's why someone like Elton causes such a stir - why people want to go and see him!! Because he is PASSIONATE about something!!!! Yet isnt it gutting - that he has to content himself with being passionate about his music!??!
Yet guys - the challenge remains for us. We have something FAR great - FAR more glorious - FAR more amazing!! And where are the hearts that burn for God?!?!?! Where are the burning ones?!?!? Because I am absolutely convinced - utterly persuaded that if we would follow John Wesley's counsel - and emulate his example, then people would come to us - to see us burn!!
The question of course is how. I found a sermon by the great amazing John Piper .... on this very
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