Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: FIZZLE (06/09/16)
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TITLE: Reignite Passion for the Lost | Previous Challenge Entry
By Christine Hammock
06/16/16 -
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“Over 200 years ago, with flint and steel, Tom Dalton started a fire in his Blue Ridge Mountain cabin. That’s not all that important until you realize his descendants have kept the fire burning. Requiring a cord of wood a month, the fire has been watched from one generation to another. It has become the oldest man-made fire in the United States—perhaps in the world. It has not been an easy task for the Dalton descendants, but always the fire has been kept burning. Now that’s commitment.” (Devotional--The Lutheran Hour)
Have individuals that make up “the church,” kept the fire of God burning to win the lost? Or is the church like the ones described in Jim Cymbala's book, “The Storm.” He wrote of uncommitted Christians in America that have allowed the fire of God to fizzle out. Franklin Graham speaking at a recent Evangelism Convention said, “America has changed and it’s not coming back unless the church takes a stand.” To make a come back to God’s purpose for the church, Christians must take responsibility. God doesn’t intend for the church to just exist until He returns. The church must make a decision to survive, to continue in God’s important work.
The cheetah of the African Plains has a survival method; he runs down his prey. He can sprints 70 miles per hour; but he cannot sustain that pace for long. His strangely small heart causes him to tire quickly. He must catch his prey at first outbreak or cancel his chase. Some churches today have taken the cheetah kind of advance for ministry. They act swiftly with immense energy, but over the long run fizzle before they finish the task God’s has assigned. To renew the fire of God, the church must take a stand now and allow God to give persistent energy and a big heart to maintain the fire.
I questioned my youngest son who is a fireman about the elements that produce a fire. I especially wanted to understand the “Flashpoint” in a fire. In simple terms he said, “The flashpoint is the point when everything that can burn will burn. When the fire reaches the flashpoint temperature everything in the room or house explodes into flames. The fire doesn’t have to touch anything to spread—it just happens. It takes heat, fuel and oxygen to maintain a fire. If you take any one of these elements away the fire fizzles.”
When my son related this information, I thought about the Trinity having three elements—God the Father is like the heat. He radiates and ignites the believer to have passion for the lost. Jesus, the Son, is like the fuel. He is the Word. He commands the church to “go” into the world and spread the Gospel. And, the Holy Spirit is like the oxygen. He breathes power into the church to sustain the fire or passion for the lost. All three elements are necessary to keep the fire burning for the lost.
If each individual in the church would commit to God’s commands to win souls, the church would reach a flashpoint and a passionate fire for souls would explode and spread. The church quickened would faithfully practice Mark 16:15 (NLT), “Go into all the world and preach the Good New to everyone.”
In many of Paul’s writings, he instructed the church concerning responsibilities for ministry. In 2 Timothy 4, Paul wrote to Timothy while imprisoned in Rome. Knowing his death was imminent; he reminded Timothy it’s the churches responsibility to do the work. Therefore, he passed the torch to Timothy that God’s work would be completed.
Today’s church must take responsibility and accept the offered torch like Timothy. Individuals have the power of the Holy Spirit within to keep the fire of God burning. However, it also takes commitment. Jesus remained committed. He didn’t retreat; He gave his life as a sacrifice and was crucified by the people He came to save. The task of evangelism is not easy, but it is God’s plan to win the lost.
It’s time for the church in America to pray in earnest for God to reignite the fizzling fires into blazing passion for the lost. The church must take a stand, and stay committed like the Dalton family. God is “not willing that any should perish,” (2 Peter 3:9 (KJV); “Now is the day of salvation, “ (2 Corinthians 6:2 (KJV).
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I noticed you used the word that instead of who. If you're talking about a person or group of people, use who, animals and inanimate objects use that. (Ex: Have individuals who make up the Church...) The other main thing I noticed is you need to transition from one thought to the next. Many of your paragraphs could stand on their own, but you need to connect them to the prior ones. For example, in the cheetah paragraph, you could do something like: It seems like today's Church is trying to mimic the cheetah.
Likewise with the one about your son: Wondering how to keep the fire going, I talked to my youngest son, a fireman.
Those are relatively minor things that will be more natural the more you write and the more you read and comment on other challenges. I challenge you to read and comment on every entry in your level. If you're not comfortable with red ink, find one thing that you really like about each entry and comment on that. The more you discover what does or doesn't work for you, the easier it becomes to change those things in your own writings. If you feel comfortable, I'd urge you to read and comment on a couple in the higher levels too.
I liked the passion I could feel as I read your story. I have no doubt, you have a gift for sharing your thoughts with others. The idea of the Church needing a flashpoint was quite clever, and it helped me relate to your message on a different level. I also thought the Bible verses you used were a great fit and shows not only your passion, but how the Holy Spirit is using your words to spread Christ's love. How cool is that?
However this reads more like a sermon than an article, which may distract some readers.
I think the ending would have been better if you could have shown us how this has impacted you personally.
Blessings~
God bless~
God Bless~