How hot is your fire?

Pentecost weekend, it was so exciting to celebrate the arrival of the Holy Spirit 2000+ years ago. Imagine if we had to live like the Jews back then following all the rules and regulations. Following the ten commandments would be tough, but when the leaders (Pharisees) added a whole load more it would have made life impossible. I would have constantly been saying 'sorry' and adding more sacrifices for blood on the scapegoat once a year. In the mean time I would have been weighed down with guilt and shame.

Living with the Holy Spirit alive in us can be so exciting, Romans 8:11. From the day we start our new life following Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us and enables us to have the power to obey all He leads us to do. And to walk in love which we were not even trying to do before our life change, or should I say, our eternal destination change. We now have a completely different destination and the power to walk headlong in that direction.

Our responsibility though, is to keep the fire of the Holy Spirit in our heart burning. 

This will not happen if we don't focus on it. Like a fire in the hearth of our home, if we don't keep stocking it up and adding wood, controlling the draft, and making sure it is not overcome by rubbish ash, it will die out. This will take some work to return it to a place of heat, warmth, even cooking ability. The same with us, our excitement, passion for the things of God, can turn sour or cold. So let us take time out to pray, and cry out for the help of the Holy Spirit to 'fan into flame the spiritual gift God gave us' 2 Timothy 1:6. Get back into studying the Word for ourselves. And have a friend who is excited about Jesus and share with them. When we are on fire with the Holy Spirit then He is free to flow out of us and touch all those round us, then life is exciting again, encouraging, and full of His joy. 

So I am really keen to stop being lukewarm and return to my passion for Christ. Jesus Himself said 'Anyone who is thirsty may come to Me! Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the scriptures declare, 'Rivers of Living Water with flow from his heart'. Sounds like a very exciting journey to me, walk in daily fellowship with the Holy Spirit and live like Jesus, nothing could be more exhilarating or exciting, life in all its fullness. 

For more about walking with the Holy Spirit see https://www.joyforlife.org/index.php/living-with-jesus/living-with-jesus-study-5