Gathering Around the Fire Inside of Each Other

1/5/2007

Now I have a question for you. Does Jesus live in heaven only?

No.

He lives inside His people too, so there’s a fire inside the heart of each child of God. In fact, when the Holy Spirit came in Acts 2, He came in the form of a fire. So, again, picture the dark night with the fire in the middle. When we’re close to the fire, we’re warm and we have light. When we’re close to the fire we also have safety. Out in the darkness, there are wild animals that would kill and bandits who would attack. But together around the fire we have safety.

We live in a very cold, dark, dangerous world. The prince of this world is satan and we are going to crush him beneath our feet. But today he is still alive and well in the world around us. We need the fire of the Holy Spirit to protect us. I’m not talking about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit or miracles or tongues. I’m talking about the fire of the Holy Spirit that lives inside my brother’s heart.

To survive in this world, It’s not only the fire that’s here when we gather together like this that I need. I also need the fire tomorrow and the next day and the day after that. And that fire is carried inside my brothers and sisters. Together we have Light, we can see, we can know what’s true and what is error. We can get rid of the darkness in our hearts. Together we have the warmth, love and security of one another. Together we have safety from danger.

That’s why the ladies in the church go to the market together. They know that they need the fire that is inside each child of God. They would no more go to the market by themselves then they would walk away from the fire into the darkness by themselves! That’s why they do it. That’s why when they are training the children, they do it together.

That’s why the men need each other. If I want to run an errand or go to a store, does it make sense for me to go by myself? Only if I’m blind and don’t see the truth. If I know that the fire of the Holy Spirit is in my brothers, I will want one of them with me. And when I go to my place of work, will I just go all day without contacting my brothers or without seeing them or talking with them? That would be a very foolish thing. I don’t want to do that.

So the things I’m telling you are not simply good stories. I’m telling you the truth as we actually live it ourselves. I’m telling you, this is what God wants for your lives too. Not just to talk about “see-koo duh see-koo” but to actually live it. You can do that here. You can do it in whatever town or village you live in. And if you love Jesus, you will do it. Because He commanded it.

•  Gathering Around the Fire Inside of Each Other