L3 Challenge Weekend Recap

I don't think it is random that I have been enjoying a lot of continuous themes lately. From what I'm learning in my personal study of the Word, prayer, BSF, and preaching on Sunday morning it seems that for weeks everything has been complimentary.

This weekend I was meditating on the Consuming Fire of God. There are so many verses that describe the Consuming Fire of God.

In Acts I just studied Pentecost and even wrote about the wind but there was also Tongues of Fire visible on each head. About 120 people were in the room where the Holy Spirit was poured out.

Fire. Tongues of Fire. Consuming Fire.

In my prayer journal (pictured above) the author has written on each page a name of God, verses where the name is recorded, and reflective thoughts. God is a jealous God and that goes along with understanding his Consuming Fire. His jealousy is holy and pure. It is clear in the commandments that I am not to make any other idol or worship any other thing but God alone. He does not share what is completely and rightfully his. And I love how James puts it in chapter 4

1What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions^a are at war within you?^b 2You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4You adulterous people!^c Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

The Spirit within me yearns jealously for my whole attention, affection, worship, devotion, service, and witness. It is my evil desire that leads me to think that I can worship my stuff, self, kids, spouse, church, etc. and still please God.

No, I can't.

God's Consuming Fire is going to come to burn all that up! The things done that are not done through the Name of Jesus will be burned up.

each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.

At the end of the service yesterday we sang this song Consuming Fire, and I was just blessed by passion of my God for my whole heart. And yours too.