Host Rochelle Jones takes the time today to deeply delve into the analogy of perceiving God as "an all consuming fire," and with a more positive connotation than you might think.
WBCA Podcasts
Never Give Up "Where Giving Up Is Not An Option"
"Hello, hello, hello, you're listening to Never Give Up. We're giving up is not an option. I'm your host, Rachelle Jones. How are you doing? So glad that you are tuning back in. We pray that always we're an encouragement to you and that when you hear the word of God or an example or some sort, you are ready to just move forward in the things of God and where you are complacent and where you are sitting and still and being quiet. Unless the Lord has you in that season, then you have to get up and begin to proclaim the good news. We have some good news to share with the world. And I know sometimes we get caught up in legalism and religiosity and things of that nature and the agendas of man. But let me tell you, it's really about sharing the good news. "Hey, do you know that someone like Jesus died on the cross for you so that you would have life and have it more abundantly so that you could live and walk in boldness and courage and that you could have this fire in you that will just never burn out and that you would be able to glow from the light, be that light that God has called you to be." So it's some exciting things. We have choices always. We have two choices, hot, cold, on, off, up, down choices, opposite effects. And so we can walk in positivity or we can walk in negativity. We can walk with a sound mind or we can walk being wishy-washy and double-minded. We can wanna do good in the world so we could always wanna have trouble or chaos around us. And we get to make the choice. We get to make choices as life and situations approach us. He said, "You know, I'd be of good cheer because God has overcome the world." And when we walk in a mindset that we're in one, not alone and that he is walking with us and that he truly came that we would have a life and have it more abundantly, you know? And I stick to the scripture whom the sun is set free is free indeed. And I think sometimes when I'm around certain audiences or certain people, it can kind of blow your fire out or what you begin to kind of conform to the situation 'cause you don't wanna always be standing out there. But let me tell you, God is joy. And I'm not saying happiness, but I'm saying joy that even in the midst of the fire, even in the mist of storms, even in the mist of calamity, even in the mist of mistakes and things that God is our very present help and trouble. And so he's there with us, he's not abandoning us, he's not scolding us, hallelujah. It's almost like when Peter took his eyes off of the Lord, amen, and he began to sink in the water. I really don't believe that Jesus scolded him, but yet comfort him and celebrated him and taught him in that moment that he would have increased faith. I love that he says, "Peter, Satan desires "to sift you like wheat." He said, "But I am come," you know? He said, "But I'm praying that your faith not fail." And so when you have the Father sitting at the, you have Jesus sitting at the right hands of the Father, making intercession for us, praying for our behalf, amen, pleading our case, amen. I mean, sometimes we gotta see God. We have to give our situations to the Lord and say, "Go in the courtroom and plead this case "before your Father in my behalf, hallelujah." And then we have to see him coming out with a verdict, amen. We designed to do God's will. And when you decide to do the will of God, things will fall into place. But if you're trying to manipulate situations, your life, trying to get things to move quicker, I think sometimes that's when we kind of run into some obstacles, amen. God will not compromise his word. He wants it done. He's a very detailed, oriented God. I think all the years, I didn't want details. I loved being able to be spontaneous. And that's great, amen. But that's not necessarily always the way God wants to do things, amen. When I think about knowing the ark, he had specific specifications and which he was told to build the ark. I think about Moses. And we think about the tabernacle. It was very detailed in how God wanted every item, every piece, everything situated. And you got to remember that they were non-stationary, that they were on the move. And so every time they stopped, they built this tabernacle, amen. And so I'm like, "Wow, what a lot of effort, amen. And sometimes we get mad if we have to go and set up chairs early in church. We have been called to go and mop and share in the responsibilities of keeping it clean, you know. Amen, he used to be an honor. I remember my uncle, amen. He, it was pride and joy to get in his ride in lawn mower and to mow the yaw acres. It was lots of land and grass to mow. And, you know, he did his lawn and he went over, he did the church's lawn. And we had the sisters that went in and they cleaned inside the church. I never heard my aunt and my uncle and all the years that they did it, never heard them complain, get tired or weary. Then they would cook for the elderly and things. I mean, that's when we saw community at the finest when people were standing together and in behalf. And once again, my prayers go out to those that are in Atlanta that have, because of the storms that have come, they've lost power, they have, you know, some, a lot of debris, a lot of repairs. They're looking for, you know, some still don't have lights and water refrigeration. And so our prayers really go out to them. And to those who are in the process of evacuating in Florida, amen, because a storm is coming. And by the time we, this program is aired, the storm would have passed and we are not quite sure of what the outcome is, hallelujah. But God sent a warning and the people are evacuating and we are praying that everyone makes it out safe. And we're praying that homes are not destroyed and that they'll be able to return as they left it. Amen. And so sometimes it's hard to imagine that type of situation when you're not in it, amen, but I can only imagine hallelujah. And so, you know, if you're able to send to the Red Cross or be able to support those who have been affected by the storms affected, you know, in any way, some people have been injured. Amen, we don't wanna just have prayers, but we wanna find ways of being able to be a blessing to share what God has blessed us with and given to us. We wanna try to find ways of being able to help and to be a support, amen. And so I want to kind of touch base a little bit on the idea of God being a consuming fire, amen? And I'm thinking like, wow, if God is this consuming fire, he's shared, amen in the word. We have seen examples in his word, amen about his fire, you know, the consuming fire, you know, then my question is, then why are we quenching the spirit, the fire of God? And so, you know, he tells us about quenching his spirit, amen. But let's look in the word for a moment. Well, you know, when we look at the phrase consuming fire, you know, it kind of highlights a little bit about God's power and purity and his passion and it also represents destruction fully being consumed or destroyed. So it also depends on the examples. It focuses on God's presence and the spirit and his fire and his power, amen. And so when we think about God being a jealous God, right, he doesn't want to share his glory with idols, amen. So we see in some instances where God uses fire in order to, against idolatry, amen. And sometimes we see where he used fire with, you know, the three Hebrew boys, amen, who would not bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar, you know? So, but let us kind of get in. When we think about fire, you know, if I don't know about you, if you've ever been in a fire, amen, and the smoke, listen, a lot of times people are killed by the smoke long before the fire reaches them. And so when we think about it and did you know that fire makes a noise? I mean, you can hear it, the crackling, the burning up, amen. How quickly it can spread, amen. And so I'd like to look at God, amen, as a powerful force that's able to burn up all of the things that are not like him, amen. He's a consuming fire. He wants us pure, he wants us prepared, he wants us holy, amen. He wants us to be able to be free of, you know, anything that is contrary to the word of God. Let's look for a moment at Deuteronomy 4, 23 and 24. It says, "Be careful not to forget the covenant "of the Lord your God that he made with you. "Do not make for yourselves an idol in the form "of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire. "A jealous God, amen." And I think about the vows, you know, the vows that we have made to God, you know, it's better the Bible tells us that to not make a vow to God than to make one and not keep it. And so just for a moment, if we could reach down in our memory bank and try to remember with their vows, and I mean, don't make empty vows, you know, you might have to call, go look back at your vow and begin to reassess it. You know, take a look at it. And if you haven't made good on it, then you need to repent and continue on, you know. If you set out to do something, if you put your hand per se on the plow to do something, to accomplish something, then we don't want to take it off. We don't want to look back, amen. Hallelujah. And so we want to look at the things that we said. You know, I've heard examples of people in an airplane and if the airplane was about to crash, you know, people would make a vow. Lord, if you save me from this airplane crashing, I'll go to church and I'll be, I'll stop drinking. I'll be a good Christian. Have you ever been in a situation or your backs against the wall or, you know, in a trouble, trouble spot? And you go to God and you say, God, if you help me out of this, I'm going to start going to church. And then when you get out of the situation, do you go to church? Do you keep that vow? And so this is what, so long as we say, never give up, you know, giving up is not an option. And a lot of times we're trying to present to you ways that can often cause us to break down down the road and to give up. If you have too many breakdowns, sometimes you'll just throw in the towel and be like, well, I don't even think we should take this trip no more. We just gonna go on home. You know what I'm saying? You try to get out the yard, then you don't have gas and then you can't find a gas station that's open. Then, you know, the tires pop. You know, when you have too many back-to-back troubles and issues, sometimes you abandon the project. And so we want to get to a place where we don't give up, amen. We don't even want to begin to have it as an option for us, amen, 'cause we don't want to have to down the road, choose it. So if it's not an option and we're well prepared, amen, then we'll be able to hold on. And so here it is. We want to go back and assess those vows. We want to close up those doors, amen, where the enemy can get in and he can use it and fester and make all the mouse needs is a little hole, amen. And he can eventually chew it and chew it and make it, and then it'll be just an access way for him to come in and out of your house. I don't know about you, I'm gonna do a side note right quick. And you need to check the perimeter of your homes and make sure that the mice and the rats are not trying to gnaw at those whole things, making entryways, trying to penetrate the cement. Do you know they can even chew through cement? I'm like, what kind of teeth do they have? Amen, check and make sure there's no saw, no cement dust, 'cause that means there's something trying to get in and chew away and the evidence is there. What evidence is there in your life where the enemy's trying to get in, get into your heart, get into your mind, cause you to doubt, amen, cause you to walk in unbelief, cause you to mistrust those around you, amen. And so we want to, we don't get excited about it, don't get upset about it, it's just information, you wanna then say, okay, I see some cement dust here, it looks like there's a hole there, and we know holes don't just come and form themselves. So something is trying to get in, what holes in your thinking pattern is the enemy trying to get in? Because if he continues, he continues, soon you're just angry, soon you're just flying off the handle, soon you're throwing in the towel, soon you say, I don't wanna do it anymore, amen. And that's what the enemy wants to do. He's looking for an entryway, how little you to come in and to discourage you and to cause you to abandon the plan, abandon the project, and I'm saying to you, absolutely not, you should remember instead that your God is a consuming fire, but he's also a jealous God. And so are you, remember what the Bible says, he said, first seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all other things will be added unto you, amen. And we've got to admit sometimes, and we're the off component in the scripture. And so if we're not listening to the scripture and its totality, amen, then there's an access, there's a point that the enemy can come in, are you really seeking God first, amen, or do you pick up your phone first? And there are mornings I've found myself being awakened. And so then I get the phone to see who was the message. Next thing I know, I'm either playing a game or I'm starting to look at one of those reels or I'm trying to look at something that's funny. And there we get off track to starting our day as God declares first, first seek, first seek the kingdom, first seek the kingdom of God, first seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And all other things will be added. I can attest because there were seasons in my life where I was on point with that. There have been seasons in my life when I have not been on point with that. And I can see that I'm more triumphant, more victorious, I'm more stronger, I'm more joyful when I do it God's way. Ha, I tell you, you begin to, you get an excitement. You have more pep in your step. It's almost like he's the coffee. You don't need caffeine when you've got Jesus, when you started out with him, amen. And so the enemy has little ways of being able to sneak in thoughts and situations that could take you off topic, off the target, off the beaten path. And that's why we have to fight and be consistent and be diligent and faithful to what it is that we say God has called us to do. Amen, every day we have to do it. We have to be intentional. We have to be strategic, amen. We have to be disciplined. That's that big word, disciplined, amen. And so sometimes we find that these things don't come by osmosis, but they come through routine. And so I said to my granddaughter that we're gonna develop a nighttime and a morning time routine. And in that routine, I want prayer to be one of the staple things that we do before she leaves out the door. I want her at two to get into a pattern, get in a habit about a time she is 22. She'll know I can't leave out the door without putting God in it, without putting God in my day, without putting him first, amen. Hallelujah. And so let's look at Hebrews 12 28 through 29. And it says, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom "that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful." Something to do. And so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, right? For our God is a consuming fire, hallelujah. And then all of a sudden just started thinking about how when the enemy had surrounded Elijah and boy, I tell you, it looked really bad and his servant was a little frightened. He's like, you know, he prayed. He said, "Open the eyes of my servant "that he may see what I see." And a lot of times we need to seek God's face so that we can see what he sees. And immediately when his eyes was opened, he could see that God's army, chariots of fire, were surrounding the enemy, amen. What a different picture. And sometimes all we need to not give up is for our eyes that we would see what God sees. Hallelujah. And we wouldn't, you think God sees defeat? You think God, you know, the maker of all things, creator of a universe that was darkness and he brought about light, amen. So when you think, it's just so splendid. I know sometimes I get to talking and, you know, I just all said, I'm just thinking about, can you imagine he spoke light into the dark? It was dark and everything was without form. And he spoke these things into existence. And now everybody is afraid of the dark when really, that's what was, was there was darkness. He created the light. Now all of a sudden darkness is bad or anything dark has a negative connotation. But God is a creative God even in the dark. I know they made the song that the freaks come out at night and we get so caught up with what happens in the night, amen. But there are some spiritual things that also happen in the night. There are answered prayers that are happening in the night that our bodies are arresting and restoring and being strengthened in the night. Hallelujah. Dreams and visions are being dropped in our spirit man in the night, Hallelujah. And so we ought to get excited about all that God has. I heard somebody talking today and they were simply saying that God made us from dirt, the most lowest form. We walk on dirt, dogs, poop in dirt, you know? And so, you know, not gold, not porcelain, but he created us out of dirt. And then he said, because anything you put in dirt begins to bring life and bring fruit, right? You put a seed in the ground in the dirt and all of a sudden it begins to become a tree and bear fruit. And God has it in a way that whatever's planted in the dirt, all in love, it's gonna bring forth fruit. And wow, I'm like, man, when that word of God is planted in us, you cannot but help to bring fruit. And that's so awesome. So why are we sitting there thinking about giving up and talking ourselves down and talking more in possibilities than possibilities? Why not flip the script? Why not saying, you know what? It's a 50/50 chance of it working out. So let me lean to the positive instead of the negative. Let me lean to the glasses half full instead of half empty because those words have power, words have meaning, words bring a fourth life or death. And so we ought to get excited. Our God is a consuming fire, amen. Hallelujah. And so the word fire is mentioned all throughout the Bible. Five hundred times, you know? And so fire is very revelant. Some people see the image of God as a consuming fire. Some people think, wow, that's so intimidating. And others view it as a sign of his divine power, compassion and his willingness to be rest, to rescue. How are you thinking about things? Half empty or half full? Amen. And so we, so I'm looking at first kings, 18 to 36 to 39. I'm also looking at the time. I'm like, wow, it's so, it's so quick for our time to get so eaten up, you know? So anyway, the effects of fire can both be destructive as well as beneficial, depending upon the context, you know? And so let's talk a little bit about in the next few minutes. You know, of course, destructive effects is, you know, you have damage, you could also, you know, property damage to a fire and a house fire, loss of life. You know, it sends out, you know, fumes and things in the air, causing air pollution. So, you know, if it's a, it's a forest fire, you can lose, you know, the habitants, the animals, you know, it can displace the ecosystem. So I mean, those are some destructive effects. Also, they use fire as, you know, when they want to clear land, they set it on fire. So it can begin to make room for new growth. It recycles the nutrients and causes better, you know, seed germination. Also too, it can be used as a pest control, you know? So fire can have its good effects as well as negative, right? But fire also, right, can play a vital role in our lives when we think about it in terms of when the Holy Spirit came upon us, you know? When we heard Jeremiah say, you know, look, I'm not gonna say anything else. I'm not gonna, in other words, I'm paraphrasing. I'm not gonna preach this gospel. I'm not gonna, I don't care what the plan for my life is. I'm not gonna do it, but yet he said, but it was like a fire that was shut up in my bones and I could not stay, amen. I also think about, you know, fire, the tongues of fire and acts, amen, when the, like a cloven tongue of fire fell on them, amen. But God wants to use his fire to burn out every imperfection in our life, amen. He wants to burn out sin, he wants to burn out that fear. He wants to burn out that low self image, amen. And we have to remember that we cannot quench the Holy Spirit, amen, that we cannot, amen. You know, there's a scripture saying, can you hold fire in your bosom and not get burned, amen. So if it's impossible in that reference, amen, then let's look, look, allow the fire of God, allow the Holy Spirit to rest, rule, and abide and to be able to move and help you to move and have clarity in your steps. May you walk with precision, amen, in your life, amen. Guess what? You get to sit down, even after this broadcast is over, you can sit down and say, God, lead me in the direction. Hallelujah, that you have required of me, amen. Because I want to know you as of the consuming fire that you are, amen. Hallelujah. And so once again, you've been listening to Never Give Up where giving up is not an option. I'm your host, Rachelle Jones. You have a blessed evening. And remember that greatness, Hallelujah. Fire is on the inside of you, amen. And so get up and obey God. Never, never give up.