Stoking the Flame of the Holy Spirit!


2 Timothy 1:6-9 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.

 Paul's second letter to Timothy is both an encouragement and an admonition for him in his calling.  Paul was very close to young Timothy and recalls the tears they shared when they parted.  But now he wants to remind Timothy of the importance of the Holy Spirit that was given to him when Paul committed him to the Lord's work. Paul laid hands on Timothy as a sign of God's Spirit anointing him to preach the gospel of God's grace.  There was nothing magical about it, but the laying on hands by the apostles is one of the ways people people received the Holy Spirit in the early church.  

 Notice that Paul admonishes Timothy to "fan into flame" the gift of Holy Spirit, which came from God not through human effort.  Like a lot of gifts that God has given us we cannot take credit for them, but we need to be aware of them and put them into practice.  The Holy Spirit is the "means of grace" through which we come to faith in Jesus. And it the power of God for us to lead a holy life.  Paul teaches in Galatians 5 that the only way we can overcome our sinful nature is through "living by the Spirit".  It is by the Holy Spirit we cry out, "Jesus is Lord" and "Abba Father". And it is the gifts of the Spirit given to each of us that empowers the church to grow and reach others for Christ.  

 The Holy Spirit is often misunderstood in the church today.  Many of the great awakenings in the church of America's were ignited by the Holy Spirit's renewal and power.  The Pentecostal movement started with a strong emphasis on the Holy Spirit. While there was some excess of emotionalism in this movement, I believe it was a movement that helped the church in all its expressions rediscover the Holy Spirit.  Of course after we are given the gift of the Spirit, we can't lose it.  When Paul says to Timothy, "Fan into flame the gift of God", it implies that we need to continually stoke of the Spirit in our lives. Still today God wants to turn up the heat so our churches can be "fire again" just like the early church.

 Do you need to fan into flame the gift of God in your life?  If you are like me there are times in my life where my relationship with God is not exactly on fire.  It sort of smolders.  But God wants to breathe new life into us everyday, as we live the life God has empowered us to live!   

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why a...
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the...
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in ...
Read more