When the boy heard his father’s footsteps, he stuffed the burning cigar into his back pants pocket. The father opened the shed door and barked at his son to tell the truth about what he’s done. The youngster feigned innocence, saying he was looking for a fishing hook. Suddenly the cigar in his pocket sparked into a flame. The father, of course, spotted it and yelled “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” Then he swiftly turned his son over his knee and whacked his behind extinguishing the danger.

When you stop to think about it, fire is an amazing substance. I recently came across an analysis of fire that you might have read through a couple time to really catch it. Get ready to be challenged. This is what Dan Wells stated:

“In my biology class we’d talked about the definition of life: to be classified as a living creature, a thing needs to eat, breathe, reproduce, and grow. Dogs do, rocks don’t, trees do, plastic doesn’t.

Fire, by that definition is vibrantly alive. It eats everything from wood to flesh, excreting the waste as ash, and it breathes air just like a human, taking in oxygen and emitting carbon. Fire grows, and as it spreads, it creates new fires that spread out and make new fires of their own.

Sometimes when i watch people trudging through their daily routines, I think that fire is more alive than we are – brighter, hotter, surer of itself and where it wants to go. Fire doesn’t settle; fire doesn’t tolerate, fire doesn’t ‘get-by.’”

There’s a fire available to us that’s fully alive and active and fills us with zeal and enthusiasm for God and life and people. The question begs to be asked – how does a person get this incredible, living fire? There’s only one way. The Bible tells us in Matthew 3 that Jesus is the One who gives the Holy Spirit and Fire. So if fire is something that Jesus wants us to possess, then why wouldn’t we pursue it!?

There was a study done once by someone who wanted to find out what the top commands of Jesus were. Not word-for-word but the general tone of the commands.

The study found that the third most spoken command was “Fear not” followed closely by number two, which was “Believe.” The number one command Jesus taught was, “Be made whole.” I believe part of the number one command would be fulfilling Jesus’ desire for us to be filled with the Holy Spirit and fire!

Filled with God’s Spirit and His Fire would undoubtedly be part of “Being made whole” in my book. I want to do everything possible to pursue, take hold of, and obey His Word & will for my life because life is always better with God!

So let’s take up the cause of being ‘fire bugs.” What a novel idea and I bet God would agree. Spread the fire. And just how do we do that? First off, hang around with other fire-lighters. (Go to church!) Attempt fire-lighting deeds for God. (Remember, some people go about doing good. Others just go about.) Be instant in-season and out. (When God speaks, don’t put Him off. Someone else will get your opportunity. Do the work the others won’t do. Pay the price the others won’t pay. Reap the blessings the others won’t reap.)

And one last thing – guard your hearts’ fire like a treasure! As William Booth brilliantly observed, “The tendency of fire is to go out; watch the fire on the altar of your heart. Anyone who has tended a fireplace fire knows that it needs to be stirred up occasionally.”

Bob and Susan Beckett pastorThe Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org

The post Those Fire Bugs appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Everybody wants to be a leader in our society these days. Even bookstores have shelves and shelves of books on being a leader – “Dare to Lead” – “She thinks Like a Boss” – and “The Rising Leader” to name just a few. There’s even a leadership book for children called, “The Little Leader.” I was able to find one on ‘following’ – “The Art of Followership: How Great Followers Create Great Leader.” – which brings us right back to leadership.

But interestingly, Jesus calls us to be followers. In fact, Jesus used those exact words 21 times in the Bible. In Luke 9 Jesus said: “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way take up your cross daily and follow Me.” Those who heard those words and had that invitation often ran off to their friends & family and flatly stated, “We’ve found the Messiah – come and see.”Jesus was a faithful, trustworthy, and reliable leader – easy to follow someone like that.

Frank believed that 5 was his special number. He was bon on May 5th, had 5 children and lived at 555 East 55th Street. At the track on his 55th birthday, he was surprised to find a horse named Numero Cinco running in the 5th race. So 5 minutes before the race, he went to the 5th window and put 5 thousand dollars on Numero Cinco. Sure enough, the hose finished 5th. Poor Frank. His trust was in a number or the fortune behind a number. Often we don’t find that the path we’re taking is not trustworthy until it’s too late.

Those who would follow Jesus must be intentional – it’s a calculated decision to follow – not just an emotional choice. Authentic discipleship doesn’t follow salvation automatically – always a choice. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wisely noted: “Salvation without discipleship is cheap grace.” And there’s nothing cheap about what Jesus did on the cross for us! So – let’s check out that Luke 9:23 verse again in the Message Bible: “Anyone who intends to come with Me has to let Me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat – I am.” So the art of ‘followship’ is a very intentional resolve.

General Eisenhower used to demonstrate the art of leadership with a piece of simple string. He’d put it on the table and say, “Pull it and it will follow wherever you wish.

Push it and it will go nowhere at all. It’s just that way when it comes to leading people. They need to follow a person who is leading by example.” So basically Jesus is calling us to be followers who will then lead others by our example. It’s lead, follow, or get out of the way! “Lead” (take the initiative in guiding others – “Follow” (support the leader’s vision) – or “Get Out of the Way” – (step aside if you’re not contributing effectively.)

A story is told about a young salesman who was disappointed about losing a big sale. As he talked with his sales manager he complained, “I guess it just proves you

can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” The manager replied, “Son, take my advice – your job is not to make him drink. Your job is to make him thirsty.”

And thanks to the Holy Spirit we really have an easy job. All we have to do is testify and be a witness and He will do the rest. As Acts 1:8 so wonderfully tells us – “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” To the ends of the earth…think Hemet fits that bill?

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information you may contact them at Dpcitychurch.org

The post Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.