Jeremiah 20:9

THY WORD IS LIKE FIRE

Jeremiah said, But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak anymore in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.  I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."

In the Book of Acts when the High Priests commanded Peter and John not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18), they answered them, "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."  (Acts 4:20)

What have "WE" seen and heard?  We have seen so many cancers healed that we cannot easily count them; we have seen Angels, standing wing to wing around our church with their swords drawn; we have smelled the scent of roses in the holiness of our Altar; we have seen our Pastor thrown back five feet from the pulpit by the power of God; we have seen visions and dreamed dreams; and we've seen miracles and healings untold.  Hey, Peter and John, "We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard." 

                                                          
                             Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you
                                            and fill your stomach with it."  So I ate it, and
                                                   it tasted sweet as honey in my mouth.
                                                                             (Ezekiel 3:3)

The Prophets of old were told to eat the Word literally.  The Word of God should be so fresh and so saturated in our minds and hearts that we feel as though WE have eaten it.  The Lord said, "And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, thou {art} my people."  (Isaiah 51:16)

The Word is sharper than a two-edged sword; it cuts to the heart, pierces the soul, and slashes the spirit.  The Word in us should be so intense that we "must" speak it; we must tell anyone who will listen of the hope they have, not only in this life, but the life to come; that no matter how dark the world becomes, the Lord Jesus Christ will be a light and a comfort to them; that to be filled with His Spirit and baptized in His Name are commands from His Word, and with those commands come blessings, freedom, Glory and wonder! 

Time is running out, America; we are overflowing with the preached Word of God.  The Word of God is sweet in our mouths, but a torrential flame in our souls.  "Fire" also means passion!  We should have a burning passion to tell it on the mountains, that Jesus Christ is Lord.  As we near the Rapture of the Church, the world will become colder and colder.  "Are you talking about an 'Ice Age?' you ask."  No, I mean cold as in void of feelings and emotions as earthly goods and families are stripped away with wars, storms, earthquakes, and increasing government controls. 

When people lose everything in one moment, in the blink of an eye, they reach a point of utter despair.  They will need some warmth; they will hunger and thirst after righteousness; they will grab the hems of our garments to tell them of our God and His Word; they will reach to the heavens for comfort and solace; they will be ready for a God who has been ready for them for thousands of years; they will ask about His Word  ....  And we will tell them ... because it's "fire" shut up in our bones! 

                                                     

                                                                                                                     By Sheryl Fowler

            (Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.  PromiseLand 

                                 Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)