1226AFC062912 – Another Kind of Fire
Read it online here.
Matthew 3:11 – “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
I have received several messages and posts from friends, family, and MBN members in Colorado. These unprecedented events have destroyed so much already and they are going to destroy still more. Here is a map (http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/lg_fire2.php) depicting where the fires are:
This is a terrible event. Certainly our hearts go out to those whose properties and the dreams that went with them truly just went up in smoke. And there is all the damage done to the beauty of nature in the mountains and valleys where this fire has burned. It will take decades – maybe a decade of decades for the land to recover.
We certainly also pray that no lives will be lost, but we know that in this, the earliest fire season in memory, there have already been lives lost, and we grieve with those families .
There are so many things going on in the world today that involve losses. I’m going to show you another map. This one shows places in the world where armed conflicts are happening. Here the fire is not forest fire, but gunfire.
The regions in black show areas with greater than 1,000 deaths per year. The areas in blue show areas with 10 to 1,000 deaths per year.
That is also a wildfire of sorts, a fire of evil-gone-viral as humankind strikes out against one another. Much of it is allegedly done in the name of religion, and yes, you are correct. That’s not the first time we earthlings have gone on a killing spree in the name of religion – including Christians. Here’s a breakdown of the populations of Christians around the world based on recent census numbers. I wish it were true, I wish it could be said that wherever Christians are prominent, the conflicts that result in a great number of deaths do no happen. Compare the two maps, and you will see that it might hold true in several parts of the world, but not in all parts.
It is in these parts of the world, the parts where at least half of the population asserts, “I am a Christian,” that we must pray for another kind of Fire – the Fire John preached and Jesus delivered.
We are created by God to be stewards of this world which is his creation. As disciples of Christ, we make the conscious choice to allow our lives to be changed by the presence of the Trinity in our lives. We celebrate the beauty and wonder of all of creation from the tiniest subatomic particles to the vast expanse of the universe, from the simplest act of love to the magnificent act of redemption. Each of us is called by name to take up our God-given roles in this world, a role as the grateful and redeemed citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. We anticipate, accept, and carry out the responsibilities of that calling through our church, our community, and even out into the world we neither know nor see. The worldly obstacles we face in carrying out that mission of stewardship can inhibit us; that is true, but living in the Way of Christ gives us opportunities and strengths the World does not have. We have a Fire that comes from the Eternal Light.
As we take up our stewardship in our communities, let us also look beyond “our own back yard.” Look for ways you can be the hands, the feet, the eyes and ears, and – most importantly – the Heart of Christ. The Fire of your love for God in Christ Jesus can be multiplied by your love for those who are suffering from wildfire, gunfire, and every destructive force we earthlings encounter daily. Fill your heart, your words, and your actions with the Fire of His Love. There is the kind of fire that will truly Light up the World!
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved.
Please, pray for all the persons suffering from any kind of fire – wildfire, gunfire, health issues, faith issues, family issues – and pray for an increase in the Holy Fire of the Spirit.
1226AFC062912 – Another Kind of Fire
Read it online here.
Matthew 3:11 – “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
I have received several messages and posts from friends, family, and MBN members in Colorado. These unprecedented events have destroyed so much already and they are going to destroy still more. Here is a map (http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/lg_fire2.php) depicting where the fires are:
This is a terrible event. Certainly our hearts go out to those whose properties and the dreams that went with them truly just went up in smoke. And there is all the damage done to the beauty of nature in the mountains and valleys where this fire has burned. It will take decades – maybe a decade of decades for the land to recover.
We certainly also pray that no lives will be lost, but we know that in this, the earliest fire season in memory, there have already been lives lost, and we grieve with those families .
There are so many things going on in the world today that involve losses. I’m going to show you another map. This one shows places in the world where armed conflicts are happening. Here the fire is not forest fire, but gunfire.
The regions in black show areas with greater than 1,000 deaths per year. The areas in blue show areas with 10 to 1,000 deaths per year.
That is also a wildfire of sorts, a fire of evil-gone-viral as humankind strikes out against one another. Much of it is allegedly done in the name of religion, and yes, you are correct. That’s not the first time we earthlings have gone on a killing spree in the name of religion – including Christians. Here’s a breakdown of the populations of Christians around the world based on recent census numbers. I wish it were true, I wish it could be said that wherever Christians are prominent, the conflicts that result in a great number of deaths do no happen. Compare the two maps, and you will see that it might hold true in several parts of the world, but not in all parts.
It is in these parts of the world, the parts where at least half of the population asserts, “I am a Christian,” that we must pray for another kind of Fire – the Fire John preached and Jesus delivered.
We are created by God to be stewards of this world which is his creation. As disciples of Christ, we make the conscious choice to allow our lives to be changed by the presence of the Trinity in our lives. We celebrate the beauty and wonder of all of creation from the tiniest subatomic particles to the vast expanse of the universe, from the simplest act of love to the magnificent act of redemption. Each of us is called by name to take up our God-given roles in this world, a role as the grateful and redeemed citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. We anticipate, accept, and carry out the responsibilities of that calling through our church, our community, and even out into the world we neither know nor see. The worldly obstacles we face in carrying out that mission of stewardship can inhibit us; that is true, but living in the Way of Christ gives us opportunities and strengths the World does not have. We have a Fire that comes from the Eternal Light.
As we take up our stewardship in our communities, let us also look beyond “our own back yard.” Look for ways you can be the hands, the feet, the eyes and ears, and – most importantly – the Heart of Christ. The Fire of your love for God in Christ Jesus can be multiplied by your love for those who are suffering from wildfire, gunfire, and every destructive force we earthlings encounter daily. Fill your heart, your words, and your actions with the Fire of His Love. There is the kind of fire that will truly Light up the World!
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved.
Please, pray for all the persons suffering from any kind of fire – wildfire, gunfire, health issues, faith issues, family issues – and pray for an increase in the Holy Fire of the Spirit.
About Chick Todd
American Roman Catholic reared as a "Baptiterian" in Denver Colorado. Now living on Kauaʻi. USAF Vet. Married for over 50 years. Scripture study has been my passion ever since my first "Bible talk" at age 6 in VBS.
So very true about all the conflagration(s) around the world… July fourth is a time to celebrate many things: LIFE, LIBERTY AND HAPPINESS!!
I am on fire for God/Trinity/Jesus!!!
I am also very sleepy ’cause I stayed uP way late and now need a nAp!!