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!   

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