I Choose the Fire

Flames danced and twirled, as tongues of deep orange and bright yellow merged together, then swirled apart. Some faded and dimmed, only to be stirred into full blaze once again. Embers glowed bright, then eerily dark, then bright-- a living thing that looked as if it were actually breathing. Those observing it were transfixed by the constantly changing display which drew them further and further into its seduction. 

                                                
Fire is a beautiful, fascinating thing to observe, entrancing and hypnotic at times, but it is also a mysterious, sometimes dangerous, double-edged sword-- a tool for good or evil.

Many enjoy hours of enjoyment when toasting marshmallows for smores or roasting hotdogs on tree-branch forks over a bonfire, and who can deny the romance of snuggling near a glowing fireplace on a chilly, wintery night?

Fire provides warmth in the cold, cooks our food, purifies contaminated items, and removes unsafe structures in a controlled way. It provides pleasure as well as protection from harm and danger. Properly used, it is a great gift.

But flames can also be destructive. Buildings catch fire and are destroyed, at times taking human lives with it. It can leave permanent, debilitating scars on the life of one who encounters its powers too closely and cause intense pain. Rarely is it extinguished without leaving a definitive, and at times ugly, reminder of its presence. Whether used for good or evil purposes, nothing touched by fire remains unchanged.

It is a living thing. It devours whatever is given for fuel, and sucks in the surrounding air as if gasping for breath. Just as a physical fire needs these things to survive, so does the invisible "fire" inside each of us. It, too, is fueled by the things we feed it. 

We are daily bombarded with visual and auditory "kindling" for our inner fire. Paraded in front of us like sweets in a candy store, we are drawn in. Glamorized sex, violence, abuse, vulgarity, laziness, materialism-- all presented over and over causing us to become engrossed in them. Just like the hypnotic flames of a fire, we find it hard to turn away because we may miss something. Before long, we become captivated by an unholy fire.

The unholy fire's burn comes because it is a trap. To continue watching the mesmerizing dance of this fire it must be fed, and just like a physical fire, this fire consumes what it burns. It starts small-- maybe just a smoldering-- but as it is fueled by continued exposure, the flames grow until the person is completely engulfed. This unholy fire leads to pain, suffering, loss, and eventual death. Its enchantment is deceptive.

But there is another fire. It is the holy fire of God Almighty. Deuteronomy 4:24 states, "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." 

He is Holy, and all who come to Him will feel His purifying fire. When we submit ourselves to Him, His holiness burns and consumes all that is not of Him-- evil and unrighteousness; all impurities and sin within us. Then the Holy Spirit ignites a fire within our hearts. As we give ourselves to Him, this holy fire guides and directs our lives and we find purpose and a plan from God Himself. 

Our spiritual fire must also be fed to continue burning. Reading God's Word, worshiping and praying and singing to Him, all fuel the blaze inside us. God's fire consumes more and more of us as we become more like the One who created us. He brings hope and peace; He brings eternal life.

Our lives are going to burn with either a holy fire, or an unholy one. Whichever one we choose, whichever one we feed, will determine the type of fire we are captivated by. We will either be beguiled by the enticing display the world presents, or we can be consumed by a holy God, changed forever to live for Him, and with Him.  

We cannot be smoldering embers. Our inner fire will either die out and be extinguished, or it will be fanned into brilliant flame. Which will you choose? Will you allow the evil of this world to fan your desires into an unholy fire leading to destruction and death, or will you allow the Holy Spirit to blow the embers of your heart into a shining blaze for God? 

As for me, I choose a Holy God. I choose the HOLY Fire.  

 

Heaven, Pt. 7, The Place of Beauty and Song

I wander through tall, thin blades of grassy meadow, my hands gently brushing the individual leaves of green that graze my knees. A gentle wind blows both the slender reeds and my hair as I pause to take in the entire scene. Quiet, serene, peaceful. Trees fully leaved and green rustle in the breeze; sprinkles of melodic earth-chimes. The sound, a unique form of song.

I look up into the sky, crisp bright blue, accented only by the occasional puff of purest white cotton-candy clouds. The brightness of the day radiates from the Creator, and there is no need for a sun. The warmth of the light feels like a gentle blanket hug-- comforting, desired.

I walk over to join others gathered in small groups under majestic oak branches. Nearby, children laugh and play, running and jumping, no longer fearful of falling or being hurt, and never getting too tired to keep going. Their giggles keep smiles on all our faces, and we thank God for the joyfulness these little ones bring. Many of us feel a deeper sense of gratitude as we now see how He safely kept our children who left us too soon on earth.

People from throughout the ages sit here and talk. They share about their lives and how they now realize God was present in every moment-- even the difficult, dark days when hope seemed lost. Lives lived in the various centuries faced so many different challenges. Those stories alone captivate for hours. With each story told, our hearts erupt and re-erupt with shouts of gratitude and adoration for a God who loves us so much in spite of our propensity to evil and rebellion.

As the testimonies continued, a tray of fruit was presented and each of us enjoyed the peaches, pears and grapes, all dripping with juicy sweetness. Pomegranates, currants, dates, and exotic fruits never seen before all burst with flavors beyond anything previously experienced. Each one showered our senses with amazing aromas and exquisite tastes. We ate not because we were hungry, but because it was pleasurable to taste and see what the Lord had provided for us. With the curse of sin and death removed forevermore, all of creation is now in its purest form; the way it was intended from the start, the way it was in the Garden of Eden before the Fall.

Rivers and streams dance over rocks and boulders, babbling and splashing along their banks. Oceans and lakes sparkle and shimmer under the light of His glory; sparks from their waves jump and splash like diamonds, sapphires and emeralds tossed to and fro in the playfully effervescent surf. Waters restored to their original created splendor and purpose; fishes and sea animals swimming and leaping in rhythm...a rhythm that resonates with the song of the waves and the trees, as if they were part of the same symphony.

In the far distance I see mountains. Some with snow covered peaks, others still green. Great eagles and hawks soar above their peaks, while robins and sparrows, parrots and hummingbirds flit about here and there, their melodious chirping harmonizing with the rest of nature's anthems. Several swoop down and land on our shoulders, bobbing and dancing, encouraging us to join them in their chorus.

Flowers are everywhere! Some species are well-known, while others are so exotic they seem unreal. They grace the fields and parkways and seem to spring up wherever there is laughter and joy. The sounds of happiness scatter like seeds which suddenly root, grow, and blossom within seconds to produce opulent, heady-fragranced blooms. Some bear colors sharp, deep and dramatic, like glowing embers or dark blood; others are pale and soft with the appearance of velvet silkier than baby hair. All seem to be swaying to a familiar beat, and all sound like they are humming. Their beauty is overwhelming.

In this place, there is complete rest, complete peace, and perfect joy. Without thought, my heart bursts with love and praise to the One who made it all, and I find myself singing and humming in unison with the rest of creation. 

Things I had found beautiful and breathtaking on Earth, now seem dim and gray and unimpressive. The curse of sin on the world and all humanity caused them to be diminished, colorless, flawed-- dying. Here, all is alive and vibrant, no longer held under the grip of sin's curse; no longer dying.

In this forever place, the gray has been removed. All is as it was meant to be, as the Father originally created and purposed it. Perfect. Untainted. My eyes, now restored and whole, see clearly the beauty of my Father's creation and my heart overflows with thanks and love and gratitude. The words spill out from my mouth, "You alone, my Father, are Holy and magnificent and worthy of glory and honor!  Forever and ever Your praise will be on my lips!"
 
It will not be "work" to praise Him for all of eternity. It will be a natural overflowing from our hearts.  All that He has given to us in eternity, all that He has made us to be, all the joy we will experience, and the simple, superb beauty of His presence with us, will cause His praise to spring from us effortlessly.  All He sacrificed for each one of us will be more than enough for us to join in creation's song of worship.

Photo from QVectors.net

Heaven, Pt 6, Meeting Who?

"Mommy!" The sound of little ones call out to me loud and clear. Although I'm not sure I recognize the voices, I know by the leap in my heart who they are; Sarah and Matthew, my children who entered heaven when they were just babies. I spin around on my heels and see them running towards me, jumping and skipping with their arms open wide, smiles beaming widely midst giggles and laughter.  They crash into my legs with all the energy running little children bring, and together we fall to the ground in a giant three-pronged hug. Faces held and kissed over and over, hair stroked and brought near as I inhale their sweetness. We have so much catching up to do. Volumes of stories to be told, hours and hours of lap sitting, miles of walks to be taken. Decades worth of puppies and kitties to be cuddled and played with; many missed birthday cakes to be eaten. So much of what was taken from us, now being fully restored with eternity's time to do it in. There is no rush as we slowly get up hand in hand to begin exploring this new world. They gleefully lead the way. 

I am stopped by the sound of a familiar voice calling my name. "Daddy!", I call out as I run into my father's embrace. "I've missed you so much!" It is pure joy to see him restored to full health-- a young, vibrant man once again. I melt into the freely given love of my earthly father's hug, sweetly enjoying the outward expression of heart-felt emotions which he held strongly harnessed when we were in the world. 

"Look, Mommy," Matthew chimes in, "here's our other grandpas."  I stand agape as I see generations of men who were part of my lineage; faces and names I never knew. My grandfathers who had passed away before I was born, my great-grandfathers, and great-great-grandfathers. What amazing men to meet and learn about and hear their stories of struggle and faith. 

Sarah pipes up, "Mommy, don't forget to meet our grandmas." Again, groups of women come and introduce themselves. Women who lived through the centuries now come forward to tell their stories of how they were saved, and how their love for God was passed down to the next generation. Aunts, uncles, cousins all come forward to greet me, and in that moment, I am so thankful I have all of eternity to spend getting to know these precious people. I am in awe of their words and what they did. Because of them-- because they stayed true to the faith-- I am here. 

Others have come to greet me. Some I recognize as old friends who passed into eternity years and years ago; others are persons I read about in Bible stories or history books. As I simply allow my vision to take in the panorama of the multitudes surrounding me, someone touches my arm, gently tugging to get my attention. A young woman starts to speak, then chokes back her words as if she were about to cry.  Softly, she manages a smile as she begins again to offer her thoughts. "I am here because of you."  Others around her-- men and women, young and old-- nod in agreement. "We're here because of you, too." "Really? What did I do? How am I responsible for your being here?" Each in turn shared their story of how something I said or did began a chain of events which led them to God. A smile given at a moment of complete desperation and hopelessness, sharing my own pain and how I survived it, an act of random kindness, a sincere prayer offered for a complete stranger; the list went on. I was shocked at how something which seemed so small and insignificant to me altered the eternity of another human being. 

Below is a song I remember from my youth. Little is much when God is in it. When we do anything from a heart of love and obedience to God, we will never know how far-reaching those actions go. We will never know until eternity how our lives impacted others. Be faithful, obey God, and be prepared to meet the many who are in heaven because of you.
 
Words & Music: Kit­tie L. Suf­field, 1924

In the harvest field now ripened
There’s a work for all to do;
Hark! the voice of God is calling
To the harvest calling you. 

Refrain

Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame.
There’s a crown—and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ Name.

In the mad rush of the broad way,
In the hurry and the strife,
Tell of Jesus’ love and mercy,
Give to them the Word of Life.

Does the place you’re called to labor
Seem too small and little known?
It is great if God is in it,
And He’ll not forget His own.

Are you laid aside from service,
Body worn from toil and care?
You can still be in the battle,
In the sacred place of prayer.

When the conflict here is ended
And our race on earth is run,
He will say, if we are faithful,
“Welcome home, My child—well done!”

Thoughts on Heaven, Part 2, Is Heaven Boring?

For many years I struggled with the idea of going to heaven. Images of what my "forever" life would be like in a place I had never visited before left me uncertain, especially when my images were less than favorable.

There are no travel brochures with elegant, high-resolution photos highlighting the perfectly serene blue waters of pristine lakes, or mountains, snow-capped and grand. No photos of the "mansion just over the hilltop" waiting for me to move into, and no pictures of those streets of gold. There is no list of "who's who" waiting to greet new arrivals, and although we know Jesus will be there, and loved ones who have accepted Him will be there, it would be comforting to see who "made it".

White robed and feathery winged angels floating around a blue sky or sitting on puffy white clouds strumming their golden harps really do not appeal to me. Sure, it would be great to see an angel, but I am really not a fan of harp music. Listening to that for all eternity is not my idea of "perfect" music, and it is a really big turn off if I have to play one, too.

And who wants to go around wearing nothing but long, flowing white robes?  We'll all look alike. No fun color choices, no variations; and really, who wants to see men in robes? Do we have to wear the same outfit every day for the rest of eternity? Again, not a big draw factor.

What will we do all the time? The Bible talks about praising God and singing to Him, which I am sure we will gratefully do, but is that it? Do we all stand around in our white robes, accompanied by angels with golden harps, singing and praising God every second until forever ends?  

Honestly, it didn't seem like a desirable place to go. If others have the same images, no wonder earth seems so appealing, and heaven so unsought after. 

My ideas of heaven were so limited. So bland. So wrong. 

The problem was this: With a less than stellar view of heaven, my life on earth took a place of prominence that it never should have. When earth becomes more desirable than heaven, you have forgotten where your true home is.  

Heaven must be accepted by faith. We cannot use earth's standards to determine how amazing heaven will be. We must trust our Creator when He said He has prepared a place for us, and it will be wonderful beyond measure; beyond anything we can even imagine or think. 

I have begun to see heaven differently. With eyes of faith, I believe God is giving me tidbits and glimpses of what heaven will be. Small, tiny peeks, but ones that have made my heart leap to go there.  Join me?

If our Father only gives good gifts to His children, what an incomprehensible gift heaven will be!