Fruitful Living
Igniting the Pentecost fire: Nine ways to light the spiritual fire in your life
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. Acts 2: 1-3
INTRODUCTION
“Get on fire for God and men will come and see you burn”. – John Wesley
This Sunday, 28th May, 2023, is Pentecost Sunday and I would like to invite us to allow the Holy Spirit to put us on fire. Recently I have been thinking about what the Apostle Paul meant when He talked about being fervent in spirit in Romans 12:11(NKJV): ‘Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;’ The Greek word for fervent is “zeo” which means to boil with heat.
This means that we have a mandate to keep our fire for the Lord hot no matter what the spiritual climate is around us. I am sure that all of us can remember the very pointed quote about being hot or cold in the book of Revelation.
Revelation 3:15-16 – “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!”
None of us want to be distasteful to the Lord. None of us want to make Him sick. None of us want to be viewed as tasting like lukewarm soft drink that has lost its fizz. So what do we do to keep the flames of fire burning in our spirit? Here are nine ways that will help you keep those revival fires burning.
NINE WAYS TO LIGHT THE FIRE
OF THE LORD IN YOUR SPIRIT
1. Feed the Flames with the Word of God
In Matthew 4:4 Jesus said that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. What I am talking about is not dutifully doing our daily devotion with sleep filled eyes every morning. It is not about hungrily searching the scriptures for the voice of the Lord within their pages.
Just like the disciples on the road to Emmaus who had their hearts set ablaze when the scriptures were explained to them by Jesus – Luke 24:32 we need to dig into the scriptures and allow the Lord to start explaining the scriptures to us just as He did to them.
2. Stoke the Furnace with Prayer
There are three things we need to have a blazing fire, fuel, oxygen and heat. Prayer is the oxygen we use to stoke the flames high. Spending time in prayer is spending time in the presence of God and the presence of God is the air that our souls need to be on fire. Oswald Chambers puts it bluntly: “Prayer is the vital breath of the Christian; not the thing that makes Him alive, but the evidence that He is alive.” When we pray, we are breathing. We are taking in the vital element that gives life to our soul.
3. Worship the Lord with Extravagance
One of the things that keeps fire small is containment. We cannot have a big fire in a small metal box. The way to break these walls of containment is to worship the Lord with extravagance. Let us go beyond our comfort zone. Let us offer up sacrifices of praise with our lips in greater degrees than we are comfortable with. Let us make praise and worship a true sacrifice of ourselves conscious and self inhibitions.
Let us firmly decide that we will praise God in a more vocal, uninhibited way this year than we have ever done. If we need help praising God, let us play a recording by a favourite Christian artist and sing along. Let us challenge ourselves to learn how to raise our hands, bow our knees in worship, and even fall flat on our faces. These things will break down any walls of containment where we are keeping the fire in a small metal box.
4. Allow the Holy Spirit to Move
The Apostle Paul gives us a very pointed exhortation in 1 Thessalonians 5:19 – “Do not stifle the Holy Spirit”. Is there anything in your life that is hindering the Spirit’s work? Are you resisting doing something or giving up something that you know the Spirit is tapping you on the shoulder about? Do you have mindsets or mentalities that are contrary to allowing the Holy Spirit to move? Some of the greatest breakthroughs I have had in my life have been when I stopped telling the Holy Spirit how He can operate.
I am very good at setting up preconditions that the Holy Spirit has to fulfill before I believe that it is Him. I may be good at setting preconditions up, but I have found that the Holy Spirit will not know kowtow to my whims. Those preconditions were stifling the Holy Spirit and I learned quickly to allow the Holy Spirit to have His way in my life.
5. Do a Spring Cleaning Of Our Heart
The Bible says that in the last days the love of many will grow cold – Matthew 24:12. Many times this is caused by unforgiveness and bitterness taking hold and growing in our heart rather than love.
Let us take time to do a spring cleaning of our heart; let go of any unforgiveness we may hold towards someone and remove any roots of bitterness that might have sprung up. Let us forgive one another as in Christ God has forgiven us – Ephesians 4:32 and Colossians 3:13. Nothing puts out the flame of God’s love faster than bitterness. Do not let us allow unforgiveness to freeze our soul. Let us guard our heart and deal with offences quickly.
6. Bring Your Flame Closer To Other Flames
Those of us who have been Boy Scouts can remember having a raging fire at night during camping. Many times in the morning there will still be some embers from the fire wood and if we need to build a new fire, the first thing we would do is gather all the smoldering firewood or charcoal together.
This is why we should never live the Christian life in seclusion. God has called us to be in community. But let us make sure we are in a church that is on fire for God – because a dead church could put out what is left of our fire. If our church compromises God’s Word or ignores the Great Commission, we should find a new church home.
7. Start Making Your Fire Useful
Spiritual passion is ignited when it is being used to serve others. Start using the gifts and talents that God has given us to help others.
Every believer in Jesus has been given gifts and talents and we are no exception. We must face our fears and stretch our faith as we begin to step out, but soon we will find there is no greater joy than being an instrument of the Holy Spirit to bless people. When we become obedient to stop burying our gifts and talents and start investing them into the lives of others, then we will be given even more to give as we read in Matthew 25:14
8. Find a Personal Firebrand
Everyone has to learn how to make fire. We do not normally discover it naturally. We need spiritual fathers and mothers to teach us how to light our spiritual fires.
Let us sometimes ask these firebrands to lay hands on us and pray. We can also make appointments with them so we can glean from their wisdom and experience.
It is certain that when Elisha saw Elijah go to heaven in a fiery chariot, he was affected by the heat, so let us also get as close as possible to those who are burning for God, and we will be ignited.
9. Spread the Flame
The biggest thing we can each do is to raise our spiritual temperature and light the fire of God in our life is to spread our flame. There is nothing more exciting I can say than leading a person to faith in Christ. I guarantee if we step out of our timidity and share the gospel with a neighbour, a co-worker, or a stranger on the bus, our spiritual temperature will instantly rise to 30 degrees – and we will want to share with someone else.
Just as John Wesley said that if you light yourself on fire that men will come from miles to watch you burn. Part of that is spreading the flame of the spectators. Let’s challenge ourselves this year to speak of our faith, share our testimony, and pray with people who need the reality of Jesus Christ in their life.
Culled from: ViralBeliever.com
Stay blessed!
For further inquiries please contact us on Tel Nos. 0243588467 or 0268130615Email: saltnlightministries@gmail.com
Website: saltandlightministriesgh.
By Dr Joyce Aryee, the author
Fruitful Living
‘Allahu As-Samad’
Introduction to the Concept of As-Samad
Servants of Allah, one of Allah’s most profound names, As-Samad, is mentioned in Surah Al-Ikhlas, where Allah describes His oneness and perfection:
“Say, ‘He is Allah, [Who is] One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge (As-Samad). He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.’” (Qur’an 112:1-4).
The name As-Samad encompasses the idea of Allah’s absolute independence and self-sufficiency. Ibn Abbas (RA) explained that As-Samad refers to the one to whom all creation turns in times of need, while He Himself is free from any need (Tafsir Ibn Kathir).
Allah requires no sustenance, no assistance, and no support in carrying out His plans. Yet all creation—human beings, animals, plants, and even angels—rely entirely on Him for their existence, sustenance, and success.
Allah’s Independence Demonstrated in Creation
Allah’s independence is evident in the perfection of His creation. He brought the universe into existence with unparalleled mastery. Allah states:
“Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne. He manages every affair…” (Qur’an 10:3).
The heavens, the earth, the mountains, the seas, and every living creature were created without the assistance of anyone. Even the most intricate systems—such as the orbiting of planets, the growth of plants, and the functioning of the human body—operate under Allah’s command.
This is further emphasised in another verse:
“To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. And Allah is free of need, the Praiseworthy.” (Qur’an 31:26).
Evidence from the Sunnah
The Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad further emphasises Allah’s independence and self-sufficiency. In a powerful hadith qudsi, Allah says:
“O My servants, all of you are astray except for those whom I have guided, so seek guidance from Me, and I shall guide you. O My servants, all of you are hungry except for those whom I have fed, so seek food from Me, and I shall feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked except for those whom I have clothed, so seek clothing from Me, and I shall clothe you.” (Muslim, Hadith 2577).
This hadith reflects Allah’s perfection in fulfilling the needs of creation while remaining independent and unaffected by those needs. Allah’s perfection in providing is limitless, as reflected in another narration:
“Allah’s Hand is full, and it does not diminish by His continuous giving day and night.” (Bukhari, Hadith 4684).
Human Dependence on Allah
Unlike Allah, humans are intrinsically dependent on Him for every aspect of their existence. Allah says:
“O mankind, you are those in need of Allah, while Allah is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy.” (Qur’an 35:15).
This dependence is not a weakness but a natural state that reminds us to turn to Allah in all matters. The Prophet Muhammad advised his companions to rely on Allah, saying:
“If you ask, ask Allah; if you seek help, seek help from Allah.” (Tirmidhi, Hadith 2516).
Believers are encouraged to place their trust in Allah, as He alone controls every affair:
“And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose.” (Qur’an 65:3).
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai,
1BN – Michel Camp
Fruitful Living
Cultivating and maintaining Godly relationships (final part)
It is important to understand that Christlike love is not self-centred. We live in a culture that promotes a “what’s in it for me” mindset in relationships. But godly relationships reflect in a different attitude. Instead of asking, “What can I get out of this relationship?” we should ask, “How can I serve, uplift, and encourage this person?”
Whether in marriage, friendships, or even work relationships, cultivating love means sacrificing our own needs for the sake of others. Christlike love is the glue that holds godly relationships together.
Ask yourself. Am I loving those around me in the way Christ loves me? Am I willing to forgive, serve, and sacrifice for others in our relationships?
If we are truly followers of Christ, love must be at the centre of how we relate to everyone.
2. Godly Relationships Are Built on Trust and Integrity
The second point is that Godly relationships are built on Trust and Integrity. Trust is the bedrock of any healthy relationship, and integrity ensures that this trust is not broken. Without trust, relationships become strained, and eventually, they fall apart.
Proverbs 12:22 says, “The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in people who are trustworthy.” Trust is earned through honesty, faithfulness, and a commitment to doing what is right. In godly relationships, we are called to be people of our word, to be reliable, and to act with integrity at all times.
Integrity in a relationship means that we are consistent in our character—we are the same in private as we are in public. It means we are not deceitful, manipulative, or hypocritical. Instead, we are transparent and honest. This applies to all forms of relationships, whether in marriage, friendships, or even professional relationships.
Building trust requires time and intentionality. Do our actions align with our words? Can people depend on us? If we are to maintain godly relationships, we must commit to being trustworthy and people of integrity.
3. Godly Relationships Require Forgiveness and Grace
No relationship is perfect because people are not perfect. Conflict, misunderstandings, and offenses are inevitable. But godly relationships are maintained through a posture of Forgiveness and Grace.
Ephesians 4:32 instructs us to “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
One of the most challenging aspects of maintaining godly relationships is the ability to forgive those who hurt us, intentionally or unintentionally. Holding onto bitterness or grudges only destroys relationships and erodes our peace.
When we forgive, we imitate Christ, who forgave us of our sins even when we were undeserving. Forgiveness is not about denying that we were wronged, but it is a conscious decision to release the offense and allow God to heal our hearts.
Moreover, grace is essential. Grace means giving others room to make mistakes, to grow, and to change. We are all on a journey of becoming more like Christ, and grace allows us to see others as God sees them—worthy of love, compassion, and patience.
To be continued!
Stay blessed!
For further inquiries, please contact us on Tel Nos. 0243588467 or 0268130615
Email: saltnlightministries@ gmail.com
Website: saltandlightministriesgh.org
- By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee, the author
