Burn Us Up: The Scorch of Surrender

I spent a good bit of time reading in Daniel chapter three this past week. I encourage you to stop right now and go read the passage before you finish this blog.

You may recall that it tells the story of Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego and how they surrendered their lives to be burned rather than bow down before a false god. Wow! What a powerful call in the life of the believer for surrender!

Determining where the line between worldliness and godliness lay can be one of the single most difficult tasks of the Christian today. So much gray has been painted into the portrait of our walk as a believer. I want you to know spiritual maturity removes the gray areas and leaves crisp, clear lines for the follower of Christ.

In this biblical account, we can see that going the way of the world is always the path of least resistance, but in the long run, it is never the path which brings God the greatest glory.

We also see that just when we have made up our mind to do the right thing, to stand by the Word of God and stand by our convictions, there will always be someone there to point out how different we are, always someone there to bring charge, or to bring accusation against the child of God. Why do we feel as though we owe this world an explanation? “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter” (3:16).

These men were making a powerful statement of faith! Believers today are so afraid they’re going to be asked to share the Gospel with a stranger or knock on a door; however, more times than not, you are making a statement with your life without speaking a word! What is the life you live saying about the God or gods you serve?

It is extremely important to see that these men recognized that their fate was not in the hands of an earthly king, Nebuchadnezzar; rather their fate rested in the hands of the King of Kings! I am reminded of the passage of scripture found in Matthew 10:28, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to kill both soul and body in hell.”

The enemy will always respond to righteousness with envy, with malice, and anger! Remember “…He that departs from evil makes himself a prey” (Isaiah 59:15).

The biblical account of Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego is an awesome display of God’s righteousness at work both in the life of the faithful as well as in the life of the enemy. While God’s righteousness was being displayed in Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, it was also being displayed in those men dead on the ramp of the furnace, and it was also being displayed in the heart and eyes of King Nebuchadnezzar!

 
These men were bound up and cast into the fire all for doing what is right in the eyes of God. Remember these men the next time you face hardship, trial. The next time you’re facing the fire of tribulation, ask yourself the following questions: Are others seeing Christ through my tribulation? Is my attitude, my conduct, my behavior, my talk, my actions, my convictions displaying true faith and trust in God?

For Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, they had but one message… “Burn us up! Burn us up, King Nebuchadnezzar, but we will never worship a false god!”

Burned Up For Jesus

It has been years since I have heard anyone refer to another as “on fire.” Has our culture and church life, the understanding of spiritual things, changed so much that we are even ashamed to get excited about Jesus? I’m not talking about being charismatic or Pentecostal; in fact, I’m not speaking of behaviors that relate to external beliefs; rather, I’m speaking about the passion that rises up from deep within the soul of the believer. The one who has put his or her faith and trust in Jesus Christ and as a result of that relationship longs, or as I wrote last week, craves the Christ-life.

Fire is an amazing thing. Having served several years in the fire service and still being associated with it through a chaplaincy, I have had opportunities to see fire at work. Fire gives off heat; fire gives off light; fire causes expansion; fire burns. I truly get excited when I think about the character and nature of fire and how much the church of the Lord Jesus Christ has in common with it.

Ministries have even been built around the matter of “burn out.” There is an enormous difference between being burned out on Jesus and being burned up in Jesus. Simply put, burn out is when we rely on our own strength (which is limited). Being burned up is relying on the strength that is in Jesus Christ and never coming to a place of burnt out.

After this summer, I can now say that I think I know what it means to be right on the brink of burning out. It took some deep soul searching, prayer, and time alone with God to realize the areas of my life that were under my own power rather than the power of Jesus.

The Prophet Jeremiah found himself in a similar place, on the brink of burning out or burning up! Jeremiah 20 records his complaint vividly. I simply want to point out one nugget of truth we find in this passage that is key to our survival when in the midst of the fire. In verse 9, we read the well-known verse in which Jeremiah proclaims “But if I say I will not remember Him or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it.”

Here is a great truth for the moment; surviving burn out has little to do with the circumstances on the outside and much to do with the situation on the inside! Are we doing what we do because of Christ who lives in me or because I am trying to condition my life for results? Even though Jeremiah was frustrated, discouraged, confused, angry, and absolutely wanted to quit, he was compelled from the inside to persevere. Rather than burn out, he burned up for Jesus! In verse 11, Jeremiah proclaims with an emboldened heart, “But the Lord is with me like a dread champion…”

I pray that you will join me in striving to condition our hearts rather than condition the circumstances of our lives. I pray that we would live under the power of Jesus Christ rather than our own strength. I have embarked on a journey to do just this. I pray you would join me so that together we would never burn out but rather burn up for Jesus!

Cravings for Christ

Over the last year, setting a course to lose a sizable amount of weight has not always been fun or easy. However, it has been one of the most fruitful endeavors I have ever embarked on in my life. The fruit not only manifest itself in the obvious physical health but in the inward spiritual health as well. Prior to this journey I loved to indulge in Blue Bell ice-cream. In fact, I loved it and found myself craving it! I discovered, ashamedly, it was beyond my control. At times, the desire for Homemade Country Vanilla would well up from within and I had to have it. Soon into my healthier habits of eating, those cravings were gone and they were replaced with a new craving-a craving for health.


I wonder how many of us crave The Christ Life? At any given moment an overwhelming need wells up from deep within, an overwhelming passion, and it’s not for Blue Bell but rather it is to glorify God! It’s so powerful, much like the physical body under the influence of food, the spiritual man becomes influenced by the indwelling Jesus, who is working His way to the surface of our lives. To the onlooker this presents itself as a person with an intense craving for the things of God. It is such a craving for Christ that we disregard the physical, we ignore the counsel of men, and we throw caution to the wind. What if...you and I craved Christ like Blue Bell?


Pastor Barry

P.S. 80 pounds lost to date. Learn to change your cravings!