Message summary: A major challenge in the spiritual life is to "keep your spiritual fervor". Our role is to "fan into flame the gift of God".  We want to serve the Lord with renewed zeal and keep the fire burning within our hearts so that we are continually on fire for Christ. We are fully aware of how the fire can wane so we ask for God's help that we would "never be lacking in zeal, keeping our spiritual fervor, serving the Lord" (Romans 12:11). We urge each reader to do the same!

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"For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:6,7). "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord" (Romans 12:11). "Do not put out the Spirit's fire" (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

This morning we received an encouraging email from Laifong who, along with her husband Nigel, attended our church in New England when they were in their mid-twenties. We have remained friends now for nearly 30 years and they were the very first recipients of a daily encouragement message nearly 28 years ago as I often mention on the anniversary each year of our daily encouragement devotional. She currently serves with Wycliffe.*

I was especially heartened by the last line, an aspiration for all of us: "Lord willing, we will all continue to serve Him with our whole hearts for however much time He gives us on this side of eternity".

In light of the aspiration to serve God with our whole heart I consider our Adult Bible Fellowship class yesterday as we discussed a passage that has long been meaningful to me going back to our Bible School days and then even farther back to childhood camp-outs as a Boy Scout.

Sitting around a big blazing fire was always the highlight of every camp-out. The next morning the first ones up would get the fire started again. Overnight the fire died down but there were still hot embers. The scouts would throw some smaller pieces of wood on the embers and then take a piece of cardboard and fan the fire into flame. That was in my junior years but now in my senior years when our backyard fire needs fanned into flame I use my leaf blower! (Brooksyne's note: It works just fine but my dislike of that method is the ashes that coat my flowers.)

Paul urged Timothy (and all of us through the Scriptures) "to fan into flame the gift of God".

The Greek word which is translated "fan into flame" is "anazopuro". It  is in the present active indicating a continuing action. The sense is to continuously stir up smoldering embers into a living flame. Other Bible versions vary slightly in the way they translate this word. The NASV states, "kindle afresh". The Amplified uses the phrase, "stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of,)" while the KJV merely states "stir up", like when I take a long stick and stir up the smoldered fire early the next morning!

Clarence Jordon translates this verse, "I’m reminding you to shake the ashes off the God-given fire that’s in you."

John Wesley says this verb is "Literally, blowing up the coals into a flame".

General Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, wrote, "The tendency of fire is to go out; watch the fire on the altar of your heart".

Warren Wiersbe writes that, "Timothy did not need any new spiritual ingredients in his life; all he had to do was "stir up" what he already had. Paul had written in his first letter, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee” (1 Timothy 4:14). Now he added, "Stir up—stir into flame—the gift of God".

Paul is urging Timothy to practice a necessary spiritual discipline vitally needed for all who follow Christ. In the course of life the fire of our zeal for God can burn down a bit or at times a lot. We need to continually be mindful of this. We must keep fanning into flame and stirring up the gift of God.

Keith Green makes this petition in his song, "Oh Lord, You're Beautiful":

Brooksyne and I want to serve the Lord with renewed zeal and keep the fire burning within our hearts so that we are continually on fire for Christ. We indeed want to do this for however much time He gives us on this side of eternity. But we are fully aware of how the fire can wane so we ask God's help that we would "never be lacking in zeal, keeping our spiritual fervor, serving the Lord" (Romans 12:11). We urge each reader to do the same!

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13

"Oh Lord, You're Beautiful" Listen on YouTube  Keith Green

* Laifong's partner page at Wycliffe