God is Not an Indifferent Bystander (He is Fire)

I’m continuing from my post An Unshakable Jesus Kingdom of God (Even in Dallas) which is based on this powerful scripture that my church is reciting each Sunday:

Do you see what we’ve got?
An unshakable kingdom!
And do you see how thankful we must be?
Not only thankful, but brimming with worship,
deeply reverent before God.
For God is not an indifferent bystander.
He’s actively cleaning house,
torching all that needs to burn,
and he won’t quit until it’s all cleansed.
God himself is Fire!

Hebrews 12:28-29 MSG

I want to focus on the bold text, “For God is not an indifferent bystander” and “God himself is Fire!

I have been sensing that God is done being “hidden,” so to speak. Not that he was really hidden, but in many ways, even as Christians, we live our lives like there is no God. We have prayer lists, church life, and many other spiritual pursuits, but God is invisible and a force we are reaching for. This is most evident on a national and international level. Maybe you can see God moving in your life, family, or church, but it’s sometimes difficult to discern how he’s moving in a nation or in the world at large.

I think this era is ending, and we will see more obvious movement from God—signs, wonders, miracles, or just God himself showing up big in situations.

God is Not and Never Was an Indifferent Bystander

A recent example of this is the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump. The fact that that man survived is nothing short of a miracle. A simple head tilt saved his life. The timing that went into that can only be divinely orchestrated. It was not yet his time to go, and I pray this humbles his often bombastic behavior, hostility, and even cruelty to others and brings him closer to Jesus. A near-death experience can change your life.

Unfortunately and heartbreakingly, a man, Corey D. Comperatore, lost his life. His obituary states,

“Corey's life was a reflection of his faith. He was a man of God who loved Jesus with every fiber of his being. His actions were guided by his unwavering belief, and he inspired those around him to live with purpose and grace. His ability to lift the spirits of everyone he encountered was unparalleled.”

God was in control, and Corey is now with Jesus, called home too soon.

What I just couldn’t believe was that whatever you think of Trump, his life was spared.

God Himself is Fire

I sense we will see more cleansing in the Church body this year by God, who is fire himself. This is both the literal Church body and us, the other temple of God. Recently, I had two dreams about things burning, and I was frantically trying to warn people and put out the fire. I woke up wondering what the dreams might mean and prayed, and God brought the Hebrews scripture above to memory. I realized that he is also cleansing and torching me and my life. He is not an indifferent bystander in my life either.

It’s incredible to think of fire, such a destructive force, as a purifier. When forests burn, the fire that burns old brush brings new life. Indeed, did you know that some seeds are only activated when they come in contact with fire? Think about that!

Some plants, such as the lodgepole pine, Eucalyptus, and Banksia, have serotinous cones or fruits that are completely sealed with resin. These cones/fruits can only open to release their seeds after the heat of a fire has physically melted the resin.

-Britanica

If this is true of seeds, how much more is it true for humans? God is like a controlled burn, “torching all that needs to burn.” Some questions for you to ponder:

1. What in our lives needs a controlled burn?

2. What needs torching?

3. What needs cleansing?

4. What in my life can only be restored if it’s burned up and consumed by God’s holy fire?

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for your Holy Fire!
That cleanses us from all unrighteousness,
Burn away the hardened, resin-coated parts of our lives,
And reveal fresh seeds for fertile ground.

Amen