Keep the FIRE burning!

(Bishop Brown, Senior)

The enemy will try to stop you. He doesn’t want you to do what God has called you to do. He doesn’t want you to be on fire for God. He will set up obstacles. Don’t let the enemy stop you. Stir up the fire in you and shake the enemy off.

–-Acts 28:1-20 – New King James Version – Paul’s Ministry on Malta
28 Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. 2 And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. 3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4 So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.” 5 BUT HE SHOOK OFF THE CREATURE INTO THE FIRE AND SUFFERED NO HARM. 6 However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god. 7 In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days. 8 And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him. 9 So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. 10 They also honored us in many ways; and when we departed, they provided such things as were necessary.

KEEP THE FIRE BURNING.

When you are exhausted, weak and confused, stir up the Holy Ghost fire in you and He will comfort you and direct you.

–REVIVE YOUR FIRE FOR THE LORD AND DOING HIS WILL.
–WE DON’T NEED ANYTHING NEW. WE NEED TO STIR UP WHAT WAS ALREADY PLANTED.
–Your life will be determined by what you do with the burning coals of fire.
–The fire of Pentacost has not gone out. The people of God must stir up the fire within us.
–Some people are afraid of the fire of the Holy Ghost because they don’t want to lose control.
–The Apostle Paul understood that the fire must be fed. It will not burn on it’s own.
–I MUST FEED THE FIRE AND STIR UP THE GIFT IN ME.
–No one else will do it for me.
–FEED THE FIRE WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE IT AND WHEN YOU DON’T.

–BE DETERMINED. Don’t wait for nobody else. When you start, someone will join you.
–Don’t worry about what other people say.
–You must prepare the fire.
–Is your heart ready for the fire.
–Is your worship ready
–Is your prayer ready
–Is your expectation ready
–When the altar (you) are prepared, the Lord will show up.
–satan will do anything he can to keep you from being on fire for God.
–He will send critics, persecution, etc.

–When we are in the fire with Jesus, whatever has a hold on us, has to let go.

–Fire of the Holy Ghost will shake off strife, anger, division, depression and discouragement.

–How you respond to the enemy’s attack, determines what happens spiritually.

–When the devil tries to hinder you, and you keep going anyway, God will bless your efforts.
REVIVAL WILL OPEN DOORS.

–WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME. Shake off the enemy and stir up the gift of the Holy Ghost. Pray for a passion for souls to be saved and people to be delivered and healed.

–SET YOURSELF ON FIRE SO SOMEONE ELSE CAN GET LIT TOO!
–Don’t wait for someone else. You do it!
–GOD IS WAITING FOR US. GOD IS WAITING FOR US TO FEED THE FIRE!
–Jeremiah thought he would stop preaching because no one was changing. But when he stopped it was like a fire shut up in his bones.
–FIRE CHANGES WHATEVER IT TOUCHES

To keep the fire burning, you must feed the fire!
–Don’t focus on the fear. Don’t let fear get into your heart.
–Know that God is greater than anything you are facing.
–If God didn’t withhold his only Son from us, He will surely answer our prayers that are in His will.
–The enemy can’t stick around when the Holy Ghost fire shows up.
–Pray to overcome fear and apathy

–What you think is junk, God sees value in it and can rebuild and restore it.
–What the enemy calls junk, just needs to be restored.

–Tonight is a night to be restored and to rekindle your fire.
–The Word of God will set you back on fire!
–God is a God of restoration.

GET SOME HEAT IN THE SPIRIT…
When the glory of God is in the room, the enemy can’t take it. We have to get to the place is in the room and bubbling out of us.

–See people as worthy of dying for (the way that Christ did)
–Die to yourself and your own desires so people can be pointed to Christ Jesus. Don’t be so caught up in your own troubles or concerns, that you don’t care about helping others.

Use the fire of God to win souls.

“Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.”

Luke 14:23 New King James Version

Built to Last.

My mercy I will keep for him forever, And My covenant shall stand firm with him. His seed also I will make to endure forever, And his throne as the days of heaven. Psalm 89:28-29 New King James Version

Pain was introduced in the Garden. Why do we think when we come to Christ we will not experience pain? In life we will experience some type of pain. Sometimes it’s pain from a broken relationship or physical pain. Just because you are in Christ that doesn’t mean you have to fake it. You can have issues and still walk with God. God will love us through and out of the dirt of life. Kingdom people can see the dirt and still love you. That’s the God-kind of love.

Everyone doesn’t have the God-kind of love, even in church. There could be a hundred people in church and only ten people that are mature in Christ. We must not use prayer as an excuse to gossip. We must walk in spiritual discernment so we can walk in love at all times.

Don’t believe the enemy’s lie–if God really loved you why are you going through so much pain? Why didn’t God answer your prayer? God answers all prayers. The answer is not always yes or according to your liking. But know this:

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:28, New King James Version

We must endure, knowing that a loving God is still in control, in the middle of pain. We must exercise patience.

  • Endurance means to suffer patiently and tolerate the difficulty until the situation changes.
  • We must outlast the adversity through Christ.

There are things you do with your heart, that is greater than anything you can do physically or mentally. Have you ever heard the expression someone is all heart? We can get strength from the Lord Jesus in our heart through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Make a decision to “Do Better. Be Better.”

Sometimes we move so fast, we don’t appreciate what we do have. Appreciate what you do have and be creative. Sometimes we must endure and do without until the change comes. Don’t be creative in doing wrong. Wait and walk in integrity with the Lord. Righteousness is worth it. Sin reaps a harvest no one enjoys. Instead wait on the Lord’s timing and have joy forever more.

My mercy I will keep for him forever, And My covenant shall stand firm with him. His seed also I will make to endure forever, And his throne as the days of heaven.

Psalm 89:28-29 New King James Version

For example, Caleb held on to the promise of God until he was 80 years old. He refused to quit or fall into disobedience. Caleb was built to last. Caleb held onto his faith until he received his inheritance. Don’t doubt or hang around doubters. We can’t afford to let unbelief get into our thinking. We can ask God to help us with our doubts and areas of unbelief.

Instead of faking faith, pray for faith. God will give us what we pray for. Don’t let the opinions of people discourage you and cause you to lose the faith you do have.

After our trial, we will come out better, stronger and more committed. God wants us to last, to endure to the end. God built us to last. God is not building us to give up. God is building us to last.

But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 

Matthew 24:13

This passage is referring to believers during the 7-year Tribulation Period. They must endure without denying Christ or taking the mark of the beast to be saved. They will go straight into the Millennial Reign of Christ without dying.

Endure as a good soldier in Christ now and remain faithful to Him so you will be ready for the Rapture of the Church.

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Lead Someone to Jesus Using the “Roman Road”.

We should always be ready to lead someone to the Lord. An easy way to do this is to use salvation scriptures from the book Romans like you would travel down a road that leads to Jesus. Then, lead them in the sinner’s prayer. Download the graphic on the left to your mobile device and be ready to share on the go.

  • ROMANS ROAD:
    Romans 3:10 – As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;
  • Romans 3:23 – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
  • Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
  • Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  • Romans 10:9-13 – 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you don’t have time to go through all the scriptures because of the setting you are in, lead them in a simple prayer such as this…

“Dear Lord, I admit that I am a sinner and I believe you died on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me of my sins and come in to my life as my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit and help me to live a life that is pleasing to You, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Also, remember to teach your kids how to lead someone to the Lord. Everyone needs to know Jesus, so let’s be ready to make the most of every opportunity.

Continue in God’s Word.

Matthew 18:23 – The good ground represents the heart of a man who listens to the message and understands it and goes out and brings thirty, sixty, or even a hundred others into the Kingdom.”

Don’t fall away from the faith.
Don’t be weary in well doing.
Pray for strength.

–John 8:31-35 New King James Version The Truth Shall Make You Free – 31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

–It’s our duty to help draw believers back to God who have drifted. Don’t talk or gossip about them.
–Sometimes you can’t tell you’re drifting (like in the ocean near the shore).
–It happens very gradually.
–You will yield to either God or the flesh. You can’t pursue both at the same time.
–We can only have 1 master.

Signs you’re drifting:
–You don’t want to pray or fellowship with the saints
–Talking about God irritates you
–Pray to do better and be better for the Lord.

GOOD PRAYER TO PRAY. YOU NEVER ARRIVE. KEEP PURSUING GOD AND WALKING IN HUMILITY
–Titles can be dangerous. You can think, now that I have this title, I don’t have to do “—” anymore.
–INSTEAD, IF YOU GET A TITLE, YOU SHOULD BE SERVING MORE!
–There are 2 kinds of disciples for Christ.
–1 group is nominal; they only profess Christ. They discontinue in His Word and they don’t fellowship with God’s people anymore.
–Are you a Christian outside the doors of the sanctuary?
–JESUS HAD 12 DISCIPLES, BUT 1 TURNED BACK.
–You can be chosen by God and backslide.
–We must KEEP FOLLOWING CHRIST.
–You could have won souls and healed people and backslide.
–PRESS INTO GOD AND HIS WORD EVERYDAY.
–Pray for the grace and power to continue in God’s Word.
–Pray for strength when the temptation or challenge shows up.
–We will be faced with battles and challenges to test your faith.
–It doesn’t matter how long you have been in the Lord. We MUST STAY ON GUARD.
–IF WE ARE REALLY JESUS’ DISCIPLES, WE MUST CONTINUE IN HIS WORD.
–The enemy doesn’t want us to get closer to God or read the Word of God.
–If the Word of God gets into your spirit, it will change your life.

The Word of God is so powerful, it changes lives and saves people.
–It can change a drug user into a preacher, a partier to a worshipper, a prostitute to an evangelist.
–Are you more excited on Friday night, than Sunday morning?
–WE SHOULD BE ON FIRE FOR GOD.
–When you notice your fire going down, REKINDLE IT.
–STIR UP THE GIFT IN YOU.
–ENCOURAGE YOURSELF IN THE LORD!
–SPEAK LIFE AND THE WORD OVER YOURSELF.
–REFUSE TO LET YOUR BATTERY DIE. Get with another brother or sister in Christ and charge up through prayer and fellowship.
–Don’t let your battery (life in Christ) go dead.
–God is a prayer answering God.
–Read the Word even if you think you’re not getting anything out of it. Your spirit is getting fed, even if you don’t feel anything.
–If your spirit gets the Word, it will put your flesh in its place.
–Sometimes people will turn on you if things don’t happen the way they expect.
–Your confession for Christ will be tested.

CONTINUE IN GOD’S WORD.
–You will reap if you faint not.
–Matthew 13:1-13 Living Bible – 13 Later that same day, Jesus left the house and went down to the shore, 2-3 where an immense crowd soon gathered. He got into a boat and taught from it while the people listened on the beach. He used many illustrations such as this one in his sermon: “A farmer was sowing grain in his fields. 4 As he scattered the seed across the ground, some fell beside a path, and the birds came and ate it. 5 And some fell on rocky soil where there was little depth of earth; the plants sprang up quickly enough in the shallow soil, 6 but the hot sun soon scorched them and they withered and died, for they had so little root. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns choked out the tender blades. 8 But some fell on good soil and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as he had planted. 9 If you have ears, listen!” 10 His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you always use these hard-to-understand illustrations?” 11 Then he explained to them that only they were permitted to understand about the Kingdom of Heaven, and others were not. 12-13 “For to him who has will more be given,” he told them, “and he will have great plenty; but from him who has not, even the little he has will be taken away. That is why I use these illustrations, so people will hear and see but not understand.

–Sometimes you can speak spiritual things to unsaved people and it doesn’t connect.
–It doesn’t connect because they are not born again.
–For instance, unbelievers don’t understand tithing.
–WE HAVE TO PUT GOD FIRST! (You still need to take care of your family, but God will show you how to do that)

YOU CAN GET DISTRACTED FROM THE LORD BY FAMILY
–The enemy doesn’t care who or what it is, as long as it draws you away from the Lord.
–They don’t understand when you fast or rise early to pray and call on the Name of the Lord.
–Pray for ears to hear.
–Don’t multitask so much that you don’t hear the Word.
–The enemy wants to keep you too busy to hear from God.

YOU’RE BLESSED WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE GOD AND CAN HEAR HIS VOICE.
–Matthew 13:14-17 Living Bible – 14 “This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘They hear, but don’t understand; they look, but don’t see! 15 For their hearts are fat and heavy, and their ears are dull, and they have closed their eyes in sleep, 16 so they won’t see and hear and understand and turn to God again, and let me heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. 17 Many a prophet and godly man has longed to see what you have seen and hear what you have heard, but couldn’t.

WE HAVE TO LISTEN AND OBEY THE LORD.
–Matthew 13:18-23 Living Bible – 18 “Now here is the explanation of the story I told about the farmer planting grain: 19 The hard path where some of the seeds fell represents the heart of a person who hears the Good News about the Kingdom and doesn’t understand it; then Satan comes and snatches away the seeds from his heart. 20 The shallow, rocky soil represents the heart of a man who hears the message and receives it with real joy, 21 but he doesn’t have much depth in his life, and the seeds don’t root very deeply, and after a while when trouble comes, or persecution begins because of his beliefs, his enthusiasm fades, and he drops out. 22 The ground covered with thistles represents a man who hears the message, but the cares of this life and his longing for money choke out God’s Word, and he does less and less for God. 23 The good ground represents the heart of a man who listens to the message and understands it and goes out and brings thirty, sixty, or even a hundred others into the Kingdom.”

–HEAR means listen and attend to what was said – OBEY!
–Don’t let the enemy snatch the Word from you.
–The Word you receive will also help someone you know. Be ready to share the Word.
–We can have selective hearing. We remember everything from a movie, but nothing from the sermon.
–The sower is the person that is sharing the Word of God.
–All of us are receiving seed (Word), share the Word with people.
–The kingdom of God is God’s way of doing things.

WAYSIDE HEARERS
–Seed that falls away on the wayside
–If you don’t value the Word when it goes out, the enemy will snatch it away from you. (If you can focus on a Netflix movie, you can focus on the Word of God)

STONY HEART HEARERS
–They receive the Word, but it doesn’t take root.
–We must live a life of endurance.
–PRAY FOR ENDURANCE
–Don’t drop off when tribulation or persecution comes because of the Word
–So the Word of God. Sometimes the seed you sow is a word out of your mouth, not a card you pass out.
–When you run into people, drop a seed.
–GIVE ALL YOUR SEED OUT.

THORNY GROUND HEARERS
–This person hears the Word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of money/riches chokes out the Word.
–Don’t get caught up in the world.
–Don’t make excuses for not getting into God’s Word
–Sometimes we don’t pass out seed because we don’t want to be rejected or offend anyone.
–Pastor Brown dropped seed on a man for five years before anything happened. The man finally got saved in a rest room on the job. The Holy Spirit met him there!
–Don’t get so caught up in trying to achieve success that you miss God.
–Success is spelled–JESUS!

Only 25 percent of believers are fruitful according to this parable. Pray to be a fruitful Christian.

  1. Hear the Word
  2. Keep the word
  3. Continue in the Word and
  4. Pass on the Word

That’s living a life of readiness.

Homework: Memorize the books of the bible in order.