Posted on by Dainty M · 17 Comments

Fire and Wood

After I typed the title, it made finally made sense why those logs of wood are often called firewood…I think I’m having a blonde moment 🙈

Let’s get to today’s post, shall we?

The scenario we’re gonna work with today is a fireplace with logs of wood burning ferociously. They could burn like that for a long time as long as the igniters are all in play. Now pick out a fiery log. Oh wait; let’s make the fireplace a campfire. So you need that fiery log to find your way through the buses in order to ease yourself or get some food or whatever. The log will serve as a torch for as long as it burns. However, if you go too far for too long, the fire will burn out. I hope I haven’t lost you in the woods…

Now that you’ve caught up, let’s move on. The family of Christ is likened to that campfire with fervent believers burning for the Lord. But that’s not all the believer has been called for. We are the light of the world. So yeah, you would be fulfilling purpose as you march through stark darkness shining the light of God. But hey, if you stay too long without going back to the fireplace, you would burn out. This is why we have church services every Sunday and several midweek services as well as various fellowships.

Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you seethe Day drawing near. -Heb 10:25 (ESV)

If you’re still not a fan of going to church, you might wanna read this post on why I stopped going to church. The enemy knows the importance of going back to the fireplace and believe me he will do all he can to stop you. He’ll present excuses that seem valid to the human ears and soon enough you find yourself going months without returning to the fireplace.

As a single log of fire in the dark world, your fire is bound to go off if you neglect returning to the fireplace. BTW do you think the world appreciates you shining your light into their eyes and exposing the works of evil? Nope! They don’t. They’ll gladly convince you, persuade you, force you…till your light gets dimmer and you join in the darkness.

You can’t have mid light or mid darkness. There’s no room for lukewarm believers in this evil world. You’re either burning hot or just a cold log of wood in the darkness.

Why so much emphasis on returning to the fireplace? Back to the scenario…the fiery log you took out is getting dimmer as you go farther and stay longer. Then you try to find your way back to the fireplace and toss it back in. You’d be amaze how that log will begin to catch fire again. Remember when I said the igniters have to be in play? The Holy Spirit is the igniter. It’s no surprise that some fireplaces are all burnt out and full of ashes. Some believers have lost the power, love and sound mind. All they’ve become are busy bodies who seek to please the flesh. That’s a sad situation! But there’s always hope…a revival. If such cold and burnt out fireplace of believers humbly set aside ‘self’ and have a total revival, the fire will return!

If you’re firewood without fire, you’re just a wood.

Reflect:

Have you distanced yourself from the church? Do you feel burnt out? Are you a lukewarm believer with a foot in the world and the other in the church? Has your fireplace (church) become cold that no one is on fire for God anymore?

Reignite your fire today by returning to the fireplace. And if your fireplace is burnt out, champion a revival and plead to the merciful Father to ignite you again by the Holy Spirit.

The war is too hot in these last days for you to be cold.

Prayer : Dear Lord, I’m sorry I have strayed away from the believers to do things my own way. I feel burnt out. The things of God don’t excite me anymore. Please forgive me. Reignite my zeal for your house. Light us up for you. Cause a massive revival to sweep through cold fireplaces. In Jesus name I pray, amen. 

Thanks for reading!

Have a blessed week ahead!

©Mfon Etuk, 2016

Posted on by Dainty M · 19 Comments

Can You? Will You?

I’ve been praying about one thing in particular from the beginning of the year. My faith got pumped up and I even had works to show that I believed in what would happen. Well, my faith dwindled, especially when it got to the waiting part; where it’s as though I’m waiting for eternity to know if it would happen or not. Kinda like a woman waiting for the results of a pregnancy test or a prospective student anxiously waiting for the admission list. You get the picture, waiting is painful at times. Of course doubt broke through my not so thick faith defence. Questions ran through my mind: Can He do it? Will He do it? What if it isn’t His plan? Will I be angry with Him? Why hope when I may just end up being disappointed? Now remember I was waiting, but the last question became my main stay. Why hope? Why stay expectant when you may just end up disappointed. There’s this saying “expectations lead to disappointment”. That’s a phrase for the hopeless and faithless.

God wants you to be expectant. He’s a loving Father who gives good gifts to His children i.e. us!

Can He do it?  Yes! Eph 3:20 eph

Will He do it? Yes! He said ask…Matt 7:7-8

Lemme paint a scenario for you: So I’m a super rich diplomat whose son’s 10th birthday is in a few weeks. Of course I love him so much to give him anything he asks for. And he comes and says; ‘Mom, I want a sports car as my birthday gift’ I’d lovingly tell him ‘not until you’re 18. Ask for something else’. Now I’m not withholding the car because I hate him. It’s rather the opposite; I love him too much to see him get hurt by a car he isn’t mature enough to have! So even though I have any car he would ever ask for, I just wouldn’t give him for a 10th birthday!

God has everything at His disposal and He can give you anything as long as you ask for the right things. 

If my son should ask for a summer tour of Europe, I would most likely oblige because I know there is so much for him to learn and such exposure to new cultures would help him in the long run. The tour of all the European cities may be more expensive than the car but I wouldn’t mind because I know it’s for his good.

**Besides, what’s a sports car when he is 18- I would most likely get Mercedes Benz to customize a car for him 😉

Likewise God will give us what we ask for as long as they align with His plans. And when He doesn’t give us just yet, it’s because He’s got something better up His sleeves.

Now the puzzling part is how do you know God’s will? How do you ask for things He is willing to give you?  By the Holy Spirit! 

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. –Rom 8:26-27 (emphasis by me)

He lives in you as long as you’re born again. He helps with your prayers and prays according to God’s will.

Whenever in doubt, know He can and He will do it as long as you pray according to His will through His Spirit. So if you’re like me who has been struggling with a dwindling faith, remember that God is a loving Father and there’s no good thing He will withhold from you. Cheers to faith living!

Have a good news-filled week ahead!

©Mfon Etuk, 2016