Scripture
16Always be joyful. 17Never stop praying. 18Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 19Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20Do not scoff at prophecies, 21but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22Stay away from every kind of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Observation
Paul has just finished encouraging the believers in Thessalonica that Jesus is coming back soon. Yet, Paul points out next, as we live in the expectation of His immanent return we aren’t supposed to stand staring up in the sky as the disciples did at Christ’s Ascension (Acts 1). Instead, we are to chase the fire, wait for the Holy Spirit, and go into all the world making disciples. “So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.” (Vs 6). Paul, then, ends His letter with a practical description of how to live life in the “end times”. While everyone around is dreading the future we are filled with the Joy of The Holy Spirit. While everyone is worrying we are in a constant conversation with The Creator through prayer. While everyone else is grumbling we are to be thankful in all circumstances. While everyone, including many Christians, are quenching the work of the Holy Spirit, we are going to be like the disciples in the Upper Room of Acts 2 chasing the fire and letting Him fill us and speak through us! Paul, is literally walking us through what Jesus walked His disciples through at the Ascension. What birthed the Church and what sustains the Church and what grows the Church is a group of people who prioritize chasing the fire of The Holy Spirit because we know the task is simply too great to try and accomplish it by our own power.
Application
This Thursday is Ascension Thursday where we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus 40 days after the Resurrection. 10 Days later on May 28th is Pentecost Sunday where we celebrate the Holy Spirit being poured out on 120 men and women just like us (Acts 2)! Our House Youth have been led by Camille to study The Holy Spirit and how He moves in and through His people. Tonight we are gathering in the upper room at Church for a time of worship and prayer and baptism of The Holy Spirit led by our youth who have been fasting in preparation. This Thursday, May 18th, we are gathering for our Chasing The Fire night of worship and prayer at 7, to do the same thing Paul is calling us to do in 1 Thessalonians 5. Our Alpha Group is teaching on The Holy Spirit and having a retreat to make room for the Baptism of The Holy Spirit and the Gifts of The Holy Spirit this weekend. I will be teaching on the Ascension this Sunday and we will be having an extended time of worship and prayer next Sunday for Pentecost Sunday. The amazing thing is that all of the leaders who are facilitating these times didn’t get together to coordinate this. All of us had the same thing on our heart at the same time for the same reason. We are hungry for an outpouring of The Holy Spirit’s fire. Instead of throwing a wet blanket on what God is doing, we are fanning the flame! How? In joy, in prayer, in thanksgiving, in partnership with The Holy Spirit and in prophecy we are going to hold on to what is good and stay away from evil in preparation of Christ’s return. This is how the 1st Century Church lived. Is the 21st Century Church is desperate enough? If we want to see what they saw then we must do what they did! Let’s chase the fire together these next two weeks! Whether that means fasting a meal or two, taking time in prayer instead of watching a show or choosing to Thank God in the midst of challenging circumstances I look forward to seeing you this Thursday for Chasing The Fire at 7pm!
Prayer
As I pray over these next two weeks and am stirred up by today’s passage of scripture and encouraged by the confirmation of the leaders around me, I’m reminded of Oswald Chambers words to the church, “Prayer is not a preparation for work, it IS work. Prayer is not a preparation for the battle, it IS the battle. Prayer is two-fold: definite asking and definite waiting to receive.” I want to thank you in advance for what You are about to do tonight and over the next two weeks in Your Church. You are coming back soon and we are going to use the time you’ve given us to chase Your fire so that we shine all the brighter in these dark days.
4But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. 5For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. “ (1 Thessalonians 5:4-5)
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