But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too." Acts 17:6 NKJV The early church didn't know the meaning of a boring Christian life. They were on-fire people who turned the world upside down and gave their lives to get the gospel out. I want that to be said of our generation. Forget the bland mediocre life that Satan has for us. Any representation other than white hot is less than what the kingdom of God is all about. This doesn't necessarily mean yelling loud or running around—it is a deep heart fire. "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matthew 3:11b). We are immersed in the fire of God so we can more adequately reveal who God is.

The Word of God is a fire. Jeremiah couldn't contain the Word—he said it was like fire shut up in his bones (Jeremiah 20:9). As we meditate on the Word, it becomes alive in us until we can't contain it! I've been white hot and I've been lukewarm, and lukewarm is a drag. When you are white hot, you think about Jesus, and your utmost desire is to please Him—nothing else is satisfying. As we walk with Jesus in our daily lives and do things on His terms, the impurities are burned out. This involves humbling ourselves and letting God consume the dead things in our lives: "For our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29).

I want to be effective in this world, and an encounter with God is more real than any "cool" thing I can offer. When some of Jesus' disciples talked with Him after His resurrection, they asked, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us . . . ?" (Luke 24:32). We must know Jesus so we can reveal Him to others. It's His fire that changes people, not our own human efforts. There are people out there who need us to be the real deal. Just say to God, "Here I am." And watch how God will use you.

My heart is for Jesus,
Pastor Jeff




© 2008 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.