Greetings brethren! A few weeks ago, we observed the Feast of Pentecost. I hope your feast was very exciting and spiritually enriching. On this feast day in A.D. 31 something exciting happened. We read about it in Acts 2:1-4, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” The Holy Spirit was given to each one of the disciples and it appeared as divided tongues of fire. Expositor’s Bible Commentary states the following concerning this appearance of fire… “Fire as a symbol of the divine presence was well known among first-century Jews (cf. the burning bush [Exod 3:2-5], the pillar of fire that guided Israel by night through the wilderness [Exod 13:21], the consuming fire on Mount Sinai [Exod 24:17], and the fire that hovered over the wilderness tabernacle [Exod 40:38]). Also, 1 Enoch depicts God’s heavenly court as “surrounded by tongues of fire” (14:8-25; cf. 71:5, though 1 Enoch 37-71 may be post-Christian).”

As members of God’s Church, we have been given the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. We were given that “fire” of God’s divine presence at baptism through the laying on of hands. For many of us, a number of years have passed since our baptism and since that time we have experienced blessings and trials as members of God’s Church. Perhaps at the time of our baptism we thought Jesus Christ would have returned by now and we would be ruling in His kingdom as a glorified son of God. Now, perhaps years later, we are still awaiting that return. Is the “fire” of God’s Holy Spirit still burning brightly in your life? How bright is that flame? Is it brighter today than it was on the day of our baptism? Let’s consider some ways of keeping the fire of God’s Spirit burning brightly in our lives.

Stay close to God

In order to keep that fire burning brightly we must stay close to God. Christ instructed His disciples, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.  Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.  If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples (John 15:1-8). Christ is the source of our spiritual energy. He is the vine and we are the branches. A branch that is not connected to the vine cannot be fruitful. Christ knew that he had to remain connected to the Father in order to bear fruit. He stated, “I can of Myself do nothing…” (John 5:30). The Holy Spirit is dynamic and we must stay connected to the source of that Spirit in order for that flame to burn brightly in our lives.

Prayer

One way of staying close to God is through prayer. During Christ’s earthly ministry He maintained His close contact with His Father through prayer. There are many examples of Christ praying to the Father recorded in the gospels. He encouraged His disciples to always pray and not to lose heart. The apostle Paul wrote about the interesting relationship between prayer and the Holy Spirit. He taught, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27). The Holy Spirit decodes our heartfelt feelings, which words cannot fully express. Are we utilizing the Holy Spirit through prayer? Paul also wrote, “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire” (1 Thessalonians 5:19, NIV). We can put out the Spirit’s fire by resisting the Spirit, suppressing its lead, or by neglect. If we do not renew the source of a flame it will simply burn out. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Therefore I remind you to stir up (kindle afresh, fan into flame) the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6).  The Greek is written in the present infinitive tense and is used for an action that is repetitive or continuous. We must continually stir up the flame of God’s Spirit in our life by regular use—regular prayer, Bible study, meditation and fasting. We must allow God’s Spirit to continually lead us in the right direction, to a better understanding of His word, and into the fullness of the stature of Jesus Christ.

Attend Sabbath services regularly

The Sabbath is a commanded assembly just like the annual holy days. In Leviticus 23 we have the annual holy days listed and at the beginning of the list is the Sabbath, “Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation” (Leviticus 23:3). Just like all the other laws of God, this is commanded for our benefit. The apostle Paul encouraged members of God’s Church, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.  And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:23-25). Paul is referring to individuals who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit. We cannot consider one another in order to stir up love and good works if we neglect the only opportunity for us to collectively worship and fellowship together. “Stir” means to provoke, incite or spur on. We fan the Holy Spirit into flames when we provoke (incite) others to love and good works. There can be extenuating circumstances such as sickness, bad weather, no transportation, or travel in remote areas, but every week shouldn’t be an extenuating circumstance! Each member has a vital part in serving the congregation by considering one another, provoking or spurring one another on unto love and good works and encouraging one another. Will God renew His Spirit in us if we are continually neglecting this responsibility?

It takes effort and sacrifice on our part to help make our congregation a safe, secure, and comforting environment; a place where we can find encouragement, understanding and inspiration. We should pray about our fellowship before we come to services. We can encourage others who are enduring trials by relating how we have had to face similar trials and the deliverance we received. We can share our worries and burdens with one another. We can learn how to pray for one another better. When we see areas in our life where God has worked things out, we can share that experience with others. Each of us has probably experienced God’s Spirit at work in our lives at Sabbath services. We come to services tired, discouraged, or depressed and we leave a few hours later with our spirits lifted—ready to face another week in this deceived, misguided and sad world that we live in.

Study and apply God’s word

Christ taught His disciples, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). There is a spiritual aspect of God’s word. We can keep the flame of the Holy Spirit burning brightly in our lives by continually studying and applying God’s word. When we stop studying (hearing and heeding) that flame begins to flicker and will eventually become extinguished through neglect. At times our lives can get busy, prayer and Bible study gets neglected or becomes minimal and we know that we are not as spiritually strong as we should be. We renew that Spirit by going to the source—by going to God through prayer and Bible study and fasting.

The apostle Paul admonished the church, “of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.  For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.  But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:11-14). When one becomes “dull of hearing” the Holy Spirit has become “dull” or diminished in their life. When we are diligently studying and applying God’s word, the Holy Spirit will be burning brightly in our lives.

By applying these very simple, fundamental points, the flame of God’s Spirit can burn brighter than ever with each passing day, week, and Holy Day until we become a glorified son of God. I look forward to seeing some of you in July!