Fanning the Flames

Jan, our daughter Sarah and I were at dinner with Lisa Boman Perot, a friend and former Metro member, who lives in College Station, Texas. While we were dining a fire actually started on the tablecloth of the table next to ours. Lisa saw it first and went into a sort of "mini panic" mode. She alerted us and started trying to locate and alert some of the restaurant help. I didn't see the fire, but I decided to get up and deal with it. I went to the table and I saw a circular flame in the tablecloth that had started from a single point candle flame! I simply wrapped up the tablecloth and snuffed out the fire!

I went back and sat down after that. We were all responding in our natural fashion to what had happened, but I felt I was hearing the voice of the Lord about it. First, I was kind of regretting putting out the flame! Then, I immediately had a vintage song in my spirit.

"Light the fire in my soul, fan the flames make me whole, Lord you now where I've been, so light the fire in my heart once again."

Aside from the smoke after I put out the fire, it was very pleasing to my spirit. I was amazed how the fire burned under control, spreading uniformly in all directions creating a circle of fire from a single point of origin!

I really think the Lord wants to start a fire that is not put out at Metro! It will emanate from the centrality of relationship with him and grow. It will be a fire of purity, passion, delight, and purpose.

So, anyway, I just want to be before the Lord, fanning the flames, asking him to send to us passion for living a pure and holy life before him, releasing healing power for His glory, and sending us prophetic knowledge concerning our place with Him. I think also that because the fire started around a friendship/family gathering that this will be done in the context of a body that is increasing in love and relationship. In short, I am now encouraged to be a fire starter, and instead of putting it out when it comes, fanning the flames!

-Mike Schmid