THE WORLD ON A DIVINE FIRE!
GOSPEL READING : John 14. 8-17:
“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor
To be with you forever- The Spirit of Truth.”(JOHN 14. 16,17)
Jesus was certain that his prayer asking the Father to pour the Holy Spirit in the first believers’ hearts would absolutely be answered because He knew this was in God’s plan from the beginnings. Jesus knew God was eager to see that very Day when man who was created in His image would finally be totally controlled by His Spirit and not by ghosts. Thus, Luke reports the story from the Book of Acts 2. 1-4. Yes, what a wonderful day that put the whole world ON A FIRE! A fire that continues to burn all the nations on Earth and burning especially “MEN AND WOMEN ON WHOM GOD’S FAVOR RESTS” according to the angels’ song as found from Luke 2.14. And I believe the same great company of heavenly hosts which appeared with the angels praising God at Christ’s Birth was again here in the clouds over Jerusalem, over the room where the Apostles were seated, and was watching the fulfilment of God’s promise: “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” ( Joel 2.28 ).
I remember one day I was invited to preach at a Church in a remote location in the high mountains of Burundi near Gitega. It was Pentecost day celebration. I wished to explain how the Holy Spirit was poured in Jerusalem, Israel, very far from Burundi, not less than ten thousands kilometers, and how it happened that God’s Spirit travelled down to Africa and reached even Burundi. To explain the facts, I used this sad news I had been told by my father in the 70’s and made of it a living story.
As it is known, African traditional villages usually comprise tenths and even hundreds of huts built with dry grass and built very close one to the other. So, one night a man who lived alone in one of these huts forgot and left the fire burning and slept. At midnight he was awakened by flames burning all the corners of his hut: the hut was burning and he hurried to get out! He cried and appealed for help and the entire villagers woke up. Unfortunately there was no water left in all the jugs in many huts. People had to walk about three kilometers in order to get the water from a river. So, youngsters decided to quickly run down to the river at night without torches or lamps. While going there, a second and a third and a fourth huts, etc, took fire one after the other. As the boys returned with the jugs filled with the water, the whole village, more than fifty huts, were already burning. No way to stop the fire! The next morning, people from another nearest village came down bringing food and drinks to comfort the stricken ones.
Their chief was a much respected wise man. In his speech he said: “Beloved neighbours and friends, we were so afraid last night when we saw the village burning. We thought it was an attack from our enemies. But since it is a fire accident, let us take this lesson from it: I personally believe that our ancestors’ ghosts want to teach us how love should circulate between us from one hut to the other and fill all of our villages. The fire that has burned your village is not a simple fire. No, It is A FIRE OF LOVE! And together hands in hands with you we are going to rebuild the village better than it was before, and no longer cover the huts with grass but with TILES to avoid such an accident occur again in the future.”
Dear Christian Brethren, aren’t we living together in a world which has been facing the Devil’s attacks for centuries and for thousands of years? But see how our Heavenly father in His great LOVE decided to PUT THIS WORLD ON FIRE, a FIRE of His great LOVE, a FIRE of His PEACE, a FIRE of His Truth, so that it may burn and destroy our poor hearts filled with hatred and selfish and pride, our dark huts of SIN and DEATH ! THE FIRE OF PRAYER IS COMING. Are you prepared to let it burn your entire person and renew you?
So, let us together with Charles Wesley PRAY and say:
“Breathe, O Breathe Thy Loving Spirit
into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit, Let us find that second rest.
Take away our bent to sinning,
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its beginning,
Set our hearts at LIBERTY.” AMEN !
In Christ’s love
Bishop, Dr. Justin Baransananikiye
President,
CHRISTIANS STRENGTHENING CHRISTIANS,
http://iprayforyou.worthyofpraise.org
http://christiansstrengtheningchristian.doodlekit.com/blog
Email : baransajust@gmail.com