Starting Fresh

One of my favorite quotes is, "Untended fires soon become a pile of ashes." I find this to be so true in the realm of ministry. As hard as you try sometimes you just get tired. Perhaps the word try is the key word here. Many times I have tried to keep a fire burning only to find that I didn't have anything to ignite the fire with. So I try on my own to blow or fan the fire into flames. Hard work I have found. But if I have an ignitor, say gas or kerosene the fire starts quickly and when ample wood is placed on the fire it burns slow, gives a brillant glow and gives warmth to those around.

This reminds me that when I try to fan the ministry flames without relying on my God-given ignitor, the Holy Spirit, ministry becomes stale, dull and too much like work. Just as a brightly lit fire gives vision to the area around it so does the Holy Spirit give vision and power to those who put aside their way and depend on His ways.

Recently I read about the blind man in Mark 8 who Jesus healed. Actually this is the same blind man that Jesus touched twice. The Bible says that Jesus took the man by the hand and led out of the village. Perhaps before the Holy Spirit can fan our flame or give us new vision, He must first get us out of the familiar and lead us out of our comfort zone.

After Jesus gets the man out of town the Bible tells us that Jesus spits on the man's eyes and laid hands on him and asked, "Do you see anything?" The man responded, "I see men, but they look like trees, walking." I believe that this was the first step in fanning the flame into vision. Many times when we start out we are go to quick and  like a fire not properly built, we burn hard and fast and then we are but a pile of ashes. I believe the term used is "Burned Out." Sometimes time we get the vision, sometimes we begin the race, but what we need to do is to slow down and wait for the "SECOND TOUCH." We need to let Jesus bring it into clearer perspective.

The next part of the story tells us that Jesus this time laid His hands on the man's eyes; and the man opened them and his sight was RESTORED, and he could see EVERYTHING CLEARLY.

I find it hard to believe that 25 years ago I received that first touch from Jesus. And many times, more times than I would care to mention, I have found myself trying to fan the flame by my own strength. I get tired and it is then that I rely on the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do. But as I come into the second half of my life and my calling, I want the second touch. I am thankful for the first touch, when the vision was placed in me, but to be honest, I have become to comfortable with just seeing a shadow of what the real vision is. I want to receive the second touch. I want my
vision to be completely RESTORED and see it as CLEARLY as God has always intended for me too. I don't want to finish my days sitting cosily by the fire, but by letting the Holy Ignitor continue to fan my flame so that when I am gone I won't be just a big ole pile of ASH!

Just saying!