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"Send The Fire!"
Message
summary:
The challenge
in the
spiritual life
is to "keep
your spiritual
fervor". Lord,
send the fire!
Listen to our message on your audio player.
"Then
God said, 'I
give you every
seed-bearing
plant on the
face of the
whole earth
and every tree
that has fruit
with seed in
it. They will
be yours for
food'"
(Genesis
1:29). "Never
be lacking in
zeal, but keep
your spiritual
fervor,
serving the
Lord" (Romans
12:11). "Do
not put out
the Spirit's
fire" (1
Thessalonians
5:19).
Brooksyne
enjoys
planting a
variety of
vegetables in
our raised
gardens on the
deck and
backyard, an
evidence of
God's
provision from
creation of
seed-bearing
plants for
food. This
includes
several
varieties of
peppers. Part
of her
enjoyment is
their
appearance
with the
colors and
distinct
shapes of the
different
pepper
varieties.
We both enjoy eating a variety of peppers, including some that are rather hot. For many years she has made a delicious candied jalapeńo jam that has just the right amount of sweet and hot and we spread it not only on toast but use it in various food dishes. She is especially famous (in our little world anyway) for her jalapeńo pie (quiche) that uses this jam.
But we both have our stories of memorable experiences with very hot peppers:
Stephen:
I
should have
known
something was
up when I
heard her and
Ester laughing
as they
prepared the
salad. After
sitting down
at the dinner
table, I took
a small bite
and my, oh my,
oh my, was
that ever a
blistering
pepper! I
downed several
glasses of
water trying
to quench the
hot taste and
cool down my
flushed face.
Later I called
one of the
fellows who
gave me the
pepper. He
chuckled as he
told me the
name of the
pepper was
habanero, a
familiar
pepper in
recent years
but a little
known pepper
to most of us
at that time.
It's many
times hotter
than the
jalapeńo.* My
mouth was sure
on fire.Brooksyne:
I
was washing
tomatoes and
peppers I
picked from
the garden and
decided I'd
test the red
pepper for its
capsaicin
level. When I
cut into it I
licked my
finger that
held the
pepper to get
a clue as to
how hot it
might be.
There was
little
consequence so
I took a small
chunk and put
it into my
mouth. The
consequence
this time was
enormous! I
only bit into
it without
swallowing and
the burn on my
tongue, lips
and face
surrounding my
mouth was on
fire!! Turns
out it was a
habanero!These
stories prompt
another
consideration
of being hot.
"Being on
fire" is an
expression
used to
describe a
real sold out,
committed
believer. The
last two daily
Scripture
texts teach
that this is
how we ought
to be. The
underlying
Greek word for
"fervor" in
our first
daily text is
"zeo", which
means, "to be
hot".
It's used to
describe the
preaching of
Apollos in
Acts 18:25 who
"spoke with
great fervor".
The challenge
in the
spiritual life
is to "keep
your spiritual
fervor".
There's a
tendency for
mine to wane
so I must
regularly heed
Paul's words
to Timothy "to
fan into flame
the gift of
God" (2
Timothy 1:6).
We also need
to heed that
short word of
exhortation
expressed in
the second
verse and "not
put out the
Spirit's fire".
Many of us are
familiar with
the way the
King James
Version words
this phrase, "Quench
not the
Spirit".
The word for
"quench"
literally
means
"extinguish"
and although I
am thankful
for fire
extinguishers
and the
extinguishing
effect lots of
water can
bring after
eating a hot
pepper, we
need to be
very careful
that we do not
extinguish the
Spirit's fire!
To make our weak hearts strong and brave:
Send the fire!
To live, a dying world to save:
Send the fire today!
Oh, see us on Your altar lay,
We give our lives to you today,
So crown the offering now we pray:
Send the fire today!
Send the fire today!
Send the fire today!
Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13.
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, we
thank you for
every
seed-bearing
plant you
provide
including the
pepper. Help
us to stir up
the fire of
the Holy
Spirit in our
lives through
faithful
reading and
application of
the
Scriptures.
Though there
are daily
temptations
and
experiences
that want to
extinguish the
fire of the
Holy Spirit in
our lives, we
thank You that
Your abiding
presence in
our hearts is
greater than
the foe that
seeks to deter
us. May we
always be
attentive to
Your still
small voice,
Your Holy
Spirit
convicting
power, and the
need to keep
the fire of
the Holy
Spirit as we
serve You and
seek to
influence
others for
Your kingdom.
Amen.
Disposing
of the
habaneros:
I grew the
habaneros
thinking I
might be able
to use them in
a recipe but
they were just
way too hot as
indicated in
our story
above. I
couldn't give
them away
until I
remembered
there were
some Mexican
workers at a
machine shop
where I served
as their
chaplain. I
took them in
the break room
and the guys
were so
excited. I
joined them in
the break room
just to see
how they would
eat them. They
held the
peppers in
their hands
and ate them
like apples.
No red face,
no sweat
coming out of
their pores,
and no running
for water.
They ate one
after the
other - no
consequence
except
pleasure.
Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental
Resources
"Send
The Fire"
Watch
on YouTube
written
by William
Booth,
founder of the
Salvation Army
This pepper plant is called Kitchen Minis providing 2" sweet peppers on a 12" to 14" petite bush and can be grown indoors or outside. They're still producing in our raised garden on our deck. Since the first day of Autumn begins tomorrow many of our flowers and plants will be diminishing in beauty and productivity. And then the big clean-up!
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version and a variety of other versions.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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