Fire And Ice

 

Fire And Ice

^{1 Thessalonians 5:19 “}Quench not the Spirit.”

^{Acts 2:3 “}And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

^{1 Corinthians 14:33 “}For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

     Stop and go!  (and stop).  The Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles back in 1906, began the Pentecostal Movement which ignited in America and swept across the world according to Google.  I don’t know.  I wasn’t there.  But I speak in tongues today.  I thought that was just the norm.

     Light ‘em up and watch them spin!  Come to church and we need a rush to assure us that God is real.  Someone needs to prophesy.  A new message while Wonda dances about the aisle in her spiritual expression.  The kids run rampant as the parents gorge themselves on the current leading of the Holy Ghost.  A discordant church singing in freedom and swinging from the rafters.

     “Oh, but don’t quench the Holy Spirit!”  Quench?  How could I when the place is on fire?  Literally.  If the floor be burning, I wonder if anyone would notice except the fire marshal at the door.  He would see us to conform to building code.  Maybe that’s it.  He could remind us of Code.

     “God is not the author of confusion!”  Far right church goers would mutter through frowns as if the Igniters brought embarrassment on Christianity.  “They don’t even follow a standard of worship.  Where are their bulletins?”  A guided spiritual itinerary to let us know what to expect.  “Hymn number 34 must follow the reading of the announcements.”  And so on.

     “Didn’t the Spirit really move?  I could feel Him.”  Really?  As if we all went surfing and rode a wave in its power.  The frozen in their seats needing a bulletin would say, “Yes, but what about the sharks?”

     Quench not the Holy Spirit had little to do with outward expressions of the Spirit in tongues and such in corporate worship.  Rather Paul included the phrase in a bulleted form given the Thessalonica church.  Nestled amongst other guidelines, he instructs a basic command.  To agree with the Spirit of God would be to keep in step with Him and come under His discipleship.  The Holy Spirit nudges.  He prompts and desires to move us to better places where our ears are more open.

     Fear not brethren!  You have not missed it.  The Charismatics jump and howl.  The Pentecostals speak anew and quote God.  Can I worship God from a hymn book?  Yes. Is God glorified by the jumbo screen in the event center?  Certainly.  But let’s get back to the fruit of worship.

^{Acts 2:1} “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”

     God desires His children to be unified.  We are incomplete in our understanding, so divisions happen.  When we come before Jesus on Sundays, in what manner do we approach Him?  Reverence may be understood in ranks about orderly pews.  Passion may be expressed with arms high and waving.  Whatever form, a binding love about believers is to be enjoyed.  He calls us close as family.  Togetherness in any denomination on any Sunday certainly earns His smile.