MOTEL FIRE

MOTEL FIRE

I stood in horror watching the smoke-filled motel begin to erupt into flames.  There was confusion in the faces of those running in all different directions, looking for an exit.  You could see fear gripping the hearts of some, cowering in defeat in a dead-end corridor.  Panic was everywhere.  Yet, unbelievably, some were dancing in the halls having a “smoke party” like some sort of hurricane-party or something.  Bizarre!?

 

I remember One, running through the motel yelling, “Get out!  Get out!”  Often, He screamed over the sirens, “You – get out, and take them with you!”  Down the halls He ran, beating on doors, pleading, “Wake up! Get out!”  To the partying lunatics, he begged, “…what’s the matter with you?  This is no party!  It’s a REAL fire?  Get out!”  They just danced on in some sort of drugged stupor of disbelief.

 

I began to help some who joined in on the evacuation effort.  Others laughed and just went back to sleep.  Many, confused by the smoke, froze, not knowing what to do.  And, I swear, some were spreading the fire?!

 

To the end, One stood at the exit, yelling, “Come to me!  I am the way out!”  Then, the hellacious flames took Him, sucking Him into the Abyss.  All seemed lost.  Then, unbelievably, out of the ashes, He arose, like some sort of phoenix, like some Tolkien eagle, calling to us, “…fly away with me…fly away with me!...”

FIRE

FIRE

Some are out of control – they run across the tree tops laughing at their destructive trail of ash and smoke.  Some are but slaves, waiting as pilots, to ignite a stream of gas, whenever some thermostat demands.  Some float, briefly, through dismal swamps, evoking eerie fear amongst onlookers.  There are the mysterious ones, seemingly offering direction; but, I fear they are not to be trusted, the blue ones you call “wisps” but centuries ago, the ancients called “ignis fatuus”.

Long ago we began.  On the first day, He created “light” and then on the fourth day He embodied “light” in those blazing celestial balls of fire, that you call “stars”. And,  He is, in fact, Light.  Probably our favorite verse in your “Bible” is the one that says, “… our God is a consuming fire…”!  In fact, the word “fire” is in your “Bible” hundreds of occurrences.

Just think of the “fires” in the Scriptures!  Sinai shook and smoked with the flames of His presence.  A pillar of fire led and guided the children of Israel.  Carmel witnessed its stone altar, soaked and dripping wet, licked up like so much tinder, with heaven’s flames.  The Almighty chose to reveal Himself within a “burning bush” that was not consumed.  There are the flames of Nadab and Abihu, of Korah, of Sodom and Gomorrah.  But, we did not touch the three in the fiery furnace!  On that Pentecost Day, God’s Spirit made His presence known with tongues of fire blazing above the heads of the 120!  You have surely read of the “fiery ones” called by the ancient Hebrews, the seraphim!  We stand ready, to be released, at the end of the age, consuming and renewing.  We have been His messengers and agents for many purposes.  Even our fallen ones will do His bidding, albeit not willingly, when they burn in Hell, “… where the fire is quenched not…” And, in the New Jerusalem, the LORD, Himself, will be the light, but not a LED, I promise! ha!

We have many purposes and effects, good and evil.  We can thrill; and, we can terrify.  Think bonfire; then, think wildfire?!  Moths are drawn to us, on a candle, irresistibly!  But, rats are driven away, scattering and running from us, when a cane-field is set ablaze.  Think of the verbs that describe us?!  Flames illuminate, signal, refine, purify, cook.  Fire can warm, heat, expand, energize, … But, we have a darker side (not funny) – we have tortured, destroyed, consumed.  It is tricky.  One named Nero destroyed much of a city, only to rebuild larger and greater edifices.  But, we got the blame, which was shifted onto the disciples of the Light?!  Flames can renew, cleanse, eradicate, …

And, there is one very high purpose that we fulfill – worship!  Just think of all the sacrifices offered upon the altar in Israel’s Temple?!  Flames lifted to heaven the aroma of the offerings made in worship to the Lord!  From heaven itself came the first blaze that lit the altar’s offering!  Indeed, one of your hymn-writers penned the words "...All things praise Thee—Lord, may we!"  Like fingers on raised hands, we praise the “Father of Lights”!


One other thing, before I flame out of here -- there is another fire coming; but there is a hill that has been back-burned.  Get there.  It has already been scorched with the full fury of His wrath.  It is a fire-proof haven! 

“Father, refine us, illuminate us, draw us, renew us.”

DEATH IS COMING

DEATH IS COMING

                Jeff and Josh decided that they would visit their triplet brother, since he had to work on their birthday.  They rode down the long road to his bridge operator house, and went in to drink coffee with John, and enjoy some time together.  They laughed as they retold and relived, in their minds, childhood exploits.  The three brothers had been little fire-brands.  They still loved to laugh and lived life fully.

                Through his window, Jeff saw smoke blowing, with embers sparkling in the wind, from across the bridge that crossed the river chasm in the distance.  They ran outside to see hundreds of people scrambling on to the RR tracks from everywhere, running toward them, trying desperately to escape the forest fire blazing behind them.  Some were already at the bridge, screaming to John to let down the bridge. 

                Jeff and Josh watched as John repeatedly pushed the button that let down the bridge.  But, the switch was not working.  Josh, an electrician quickly located the cause of the malfunction – rats had chewed apart the power cord, outside, leading to the bridge trestle motor.  With a ladder, Josh could almost pull together the two separated cable ends.

                Then, Jeff’s face got ashen and asked if they could hear in the distance the whistle of a long, black train, barreling toward the RR bridge control light.  They looked at each other, and whispered, in unison, “death is coming.”  John knew that if he let down the bridge, the red light up the track would go off.  Josh knew he did not have time to splice the cable.  Jeff took off running up the track, hoping to stop the train before it got past the point of no-return.  He yelled wildly and waved his hands.

                Josh looked sternly at John, through the window of the control room, and mouthed the words, “you have to do it” as he barehanded grabbed the two cable ends, completing the circuit.  John, with tears filling his eyes, pushed the button to lower the bridge.  Josh lit up the sky! 

                The bridge creaked downward, and the people, with bewildered looks, ran across to safety.  Some collapsed, in exhaustion, with their little ones in their arms.  With smoke filled lungs, many of the people ran up the tracks to warn the train they heard approaching in the distance.  Many jumped to safety.  Others just laughed and raised their drinks in a toast to the joke, as the train sped on around the curve.

                But, it was no joke.  And, many began to ask who lit the fire?  Others wanted to know why John put down the bridge and let the train barrel ahead!  But, John just stared at the top of the ladder.

HIDING AT THE MALL

HIDING AT THE MALL

                “Jerry, this is a really neat hiding place.  Mama will never find us in here!”  “But, Steve, she told us not to wander off and to stay in sight.”  “Yeah, but she is not even watching us.  Let’s play a joke on her and scare her good?!”

                We kept peeping out between the dresses on the circular display rack.  Mama kept shopping away, slowly moving from rack to rack, until we could no longer see her.  Maybe some the other customers thought the two little boys, giggling behind the outfits, were cute?  Others likely thought we needed a spanking?

                “Steve, do you see Mama?”  “No, but she hasn’t noticed yet that we are gone!”  “Maybe we should look for her?”  “No, she will find us.”

                “Attention, Sears customers,” blared the P.A. speaker.  “There is smoke in the Tool Department; everyone please leave the store quietly and safely and orderly; walk; do not run; do not panic…”  Next, it was a regular stampede of panicked, screaming shoppers!  The crowd was mobbing at the exits, pushing, shoving, screaming.  And, thick smoke was filling the store.

                Across the store I heard, “Jerry!  Steve!  Where are you…?”  Steve was crying.  I was frozen in fear.  We couldn’t see through the smoke.  And her pleading voice was disappearing.  Mostly all we could hear was everyone else screaming – mothers, children…

                About that time, I woke up in a cold sweat, breathing hard, but suffocating.  I sat on the edge of the bed trying to stop the spinning room.

 

                “Father, it is so noisy and hazy here, that too often I feel alone and lost.  The chatter is confusing.  Disorienting and disturbing is the hellacious din.  Above the thunderous roar of this crowd, come to me in your still, small voice.  Keep me close to you.  Hold my hand.  Let me see your smile.”

INTENSE

INTENSE

                With unsnapped chinstraps, the field goal team, getting ready for OT play, since the FG attempt was short, watched the fleet-footed, freshman return-man dash three-peat National Championship Title hopes.  The hungry outran the satisfied, complacent, entitled?!  Winning is often more about heart than ability.  The 2013 team was not the 2011 team, nor even the 2012 team, in terms of intensity.  The look of Nick Saban, on the side-line, was somewhere between disappointment and disgust.  How do you keep up the intensity?  How does one keep the focus?  The 2013 team had not found the answer.

                Consider our western culture.  Worse, consider our western churches!  Where does the hunger go?  How did the heart cool?  Intensity fades.  Focus is lost.  Look into your own heart!  It is time for serious and sober self-examination.  Maybe I am speaking only to myself?  Maybe I am only “projecting”?   But, the room seems to be getting cold?!

                In the Apocalypse (Revelation) we are warned of luke-warmness and of lost-love.  “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.” (Rev. 3:16 - RSV) and  “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” (Rev. 2:4 - RSV)  We need to crave, hunger, desire passionately.  We must plead with God to rekindle the fire.

                Jesus warns that a heart cannot contain two loves – it’s God or gold; NOT both!   “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matt. 6:24 - NIV)  Other desires shove out God, whether be the desires what we see, what we feel, or worse, prideful goals and drives.  ¹⁵ Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him.  ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself].  ¹⁷ And the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his life abides (remains) forever.  (1 John 2 - AMP)  The glitter of this fallen world overshadows visions of paradise.  What feels good replaces what is good.  Pride replaces humility.  And, the results are ugly.

                What to do?!  Do we call on heaven to cast out the demons, and then fill the house with His glory?!  Or, do we fill the house with American idols?  We must pursue what is excellent, not settle for what is not bad.  ⁴³ “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.” (Matt.12:43-45 - NASB)  Consider this --  “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³ For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”  (Col.3:1-3 - RSV)  And,  “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”  (Phil.4:8 - KJV)

                It seems to me that a good part of the war is in the mind.  What are we thinking about?  What are we dreaming about?  What are our goals?  Who are our heroes?  We need to soar with the eagles, everyday!  The intensity of the eagle’s eye is frightening.  He is always watching, always ready, always …!!   God wants eagles.

                What is “the process”?  (we hear a lot about this, in this state)  IMHO, grace leads to greatness.  “  ⁴⁶ You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. ⁴⁷ Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” ⁴⁸ And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:46-48 - RSV)  Make no mistake; we are saved by faith, not focus.  But, we have been given a second chance for the championship.  It is time to win.