Now that we are all awake, where’s the fire? Man, that’s a good question, especially when you consider scriptures such as “For our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:29
“Who maketh his angels spirits and his ministers (servants) a flaming  fire.” Psalm 104:4
The fire Jesus refers to when he said “I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:15,16
Lukewarm Christianity  is like lukewarm anything.
It is a spineless, gutless attempt to lay claim to a massive inheritance of untold worth while denying the very one it is handed down by.
That is why the Lord tells them without question that he knows their works, and he wants to give him their all or give him nothing but don’t try to play the middle.
Today we have become so worried about offending people and being politically correct, that we will choke back anything while the true church is ran into the ground.
The prophet Jeremiah also went through this in his time.

“For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision daily, Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak anymore in his name.

But his word was  in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing and could not stay.”   Jeremiah 20:8,9
Jeremiah had absolutely the worst job in the Bible, he is often referred to as “the Prophet of doom”.
It was his job to proclaim the forthcoming judgment on his own people, the very people who instead of heeding his warnings would ridicule him, even to the point that he would have rather not have been born as to have to carry out this task.
But the fire of God and the holy calling on him, that had been placed on him before he had been formed in his mother’s womb, was so strong and burned so deep that it could not be contained and it prevailed.
God wants to use some people in these last days that are wiling to just let Him burn in them and do the work his has created them for.
People like Martin Luther who took on the entire church of his day, because a fellow named Tetzel had cooked up quite a money-making scheme,  enough money to help build Saint Peter’s Cathedral, by selling what he called “indulgences”.
A get out of purgatory free certificate, ( purgatory being the Catholics belief in pre-hell, a place we know does not exist, because the rich man in the story of Lazarus had lifted up his eyes in hell) Luther being disgusted and knowing for himself the truth of God nailed his understanding of that truth to the church door.
John Brown, who finally became so tired of the injustice done to the slaves that he started his own movement, which regrettably became violent, bloody and cost lives.
One of the last photos taken of him before his execution, tells all there is to tell, as a small, black child hugs him as they lead him away to his hanging.
When he had been asked how he justified what he had done, this was his reply “Upon the golden rule. I pity the poor in bondage that have none to help them, that is why I am here, not to gratify any personal animosity, revenge or vindictive spirit. It is my sympathy with the oppressed and wronged that are as good as you and are as precious in the sight of God.”
Luther suffered excommunication and the threat of death but took his cause forward.
Brown paid with his life, I am sure he never wanted to see any lives lost, but I am equally as sure that the hug he received before going to his death was worth it all because he knew he had lived for something other than himself.
Two very different men, both having a common fire, burning for truth, justice and to see others truly free. That fire could be contained.

Nor should it today, pray for that fire.
If one voice can affect the entire world, what can we accomplish with our voices collectively speaking as one?

Original Post: 12/20/2013 FOWC/AVENUE  Rev. Nina Brown Johnson  2015  REVISITED 02/02/22 Φλογιζω   Also listen as podcast at: https://anchor.fm/phlogizo