"A Smoldering Fire"

I was in the yard this weekend and started doing some clearing of overgrowth and the like, so, I, with the help of neighbor behind me started a fire to help with the clearing of unwanted yard debris and overgrowth. Everything was going according to the plans I had mapped out for this day of yard work until someone in the neighborhood called the fire department.

Now, we all know the fire departments job is simply to put out 'unwanted' fires and to insure the safety of all persons and property which could be affected by such fires. Well, they informed me and my neighbor who lives behind me; that this particular day the state wasn't permitting any outdoor fires, because the wind wasn't as calm as they would like for this particular day. So, they asked us to extinguish the fires we had burning, and proceeded to give us a number we could call to find out on a day to day basis when it was permitted to burn.

We, did as they requested and put out the fires we had burning in our respected yards. I even took the water hose I had just in case one of the fires attempted to get out of control and doused the flames and I had in my yard. Once the fires were out, I started moving the debris around to make sure there weren't any smoldering embers which could possibly reignite. However, I was unable to do this same procedure with the debris inside the barrel I was using; so I just doused it with a bunch of water.

The next morning while I was preparing breakfast for Mrs. IHS, that's right I was making breakfast for the Mrs.; which I have stated in earlier posts I hate cooking, but I will from time to time attempt to pamper my honey. So, as I was saying, I was in the kitchen and as I looked out into the backyard I noticed smoke yet coming from the barrel and as I watched a fire reignited itself.

This had me pondering the rest of the weekend concerning this smoldering fire which came back to life as a full fledged fire inside that barrel. I remember reading what John the baptizer said concerning Jesus. He said in Matt 3:11 and Luke 3:16; though he baptized with water, there was going to be one mightier than he was and He would baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

This fire which accompanies the Holy Ghost acts in the same manner the fire I had burning in my yard and in the barrel. Here's the point I would like to bring across; I was able to extinguish completely the fire which was on the ground, but notice I wasn't able to do the same with the fire inside the barrel.

The ground here represents the surface Christianity a lot of people have in this world we live and as soon as opposition to the fire they have comes it totally extinguishes and they are offended and soon the very evidence of a fire vanishes. The barrel represents the fire of the Holy Ghost inside the heart of the individual and regardless of the attempts to decimate and extinguish they are ineffective.

The scriptures gives us to know in the book of Isaiah 54:17, "No weapon formed shall prosper". The scripture never says the weapons wouldn't be formed, but even when and if they are formed they won't prosper. Though trials and tribulations be great and the storms seem to be attacking the very foundation of your heart; know this Child of God...'The fire is yet smoldering and in the morning, the Lord is going to blow once again on those hidden embers and the fire will reignite.'