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III. FIRE, A SYMBOL OF GOD’S CLEANSING (Zech. 13:9; Isa. 6:6, 7). As the fire consumes the wood, so must our lives be consumed in service for God. As the fire refines the gold, so must we permit God to refine our lives. As the live coal cleansed the lips of Isaiah, so must we allow God to touch our lives and cleanse them. We may dwell in the midst of a peo ple' of unclean lips, but we, ourselves, may know what it is to be clean. God, through Christ, can do this for us. We need to say with David, “Cleanse thou me from secret faults” (Psa. 19:12), and “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Psa. 51:10). For the Leader From nearly every society a num ber of young men have gone into m i l i t a r y service. Why not have a “Keep the Home Fires Burning” meet ing? Let each member consecrate him self to the task of carrying on in the absence of many of the regular work ers. What fires shall we keep burning? (1) The fires on the altar of worship. (2) The fires of evangelism. (3) The fires of Christian love and service. God forbid that we should warm our hands at the fire of the enemy as Peter did (John 18:25).
a high-powered car, stuck his head out of the window, and asked, “What is there to see around here?” He was in the midst of one of California’s most beautiful redwood forests with the wonders of God all around him. The ranger, disappointed because of the man’s inability to sense the glory of the place, answered, “Nothing for you.” Too m a n y of us go blundering through the sacred places of God with eyes blinded by the fog of things, and fail to appreciate the glories, the won ders, and the mercies of God. II. FIRE, A SYMBOL OF GOD’S POWER (1 Ki. 18:38; Acts 1:8;2:3). As God sent the fire upon the altar before the prophets of Baal, so He sends power into the lives of His peo ple today to confound the false proph ets. The power in a Christian’s life is from above, as was the fire on the altar. Fire has the power to soften hard substances. The Spirit of God has the power to soften hard hearts. Fire has the power to lighten, power to attract, and power to warm. The Spirit of God in a person’s life will bring light, will make that person a t tractive, and will give to his life a warmth and glow that otherwise he would not have. You cannot ignore fire, neither can you ignore God.
flowers, the care-free song of birds (Matt. 6:26-30), etc. Close the ' d i s c u s s i o n with the thought that in spite of all the won- ders of nature, the highest of God’s creation is man. We must not mini mize the importance of each indi vidual in God’s sight. Though small in comparison to the mighty works of God in His universe, man is the crown of His creation and the object of His redeeming love. AUGUST 29, 1943 GREAT THOUGHTS AROUND THE CAMPFIRE The campfire has been used very effectively at s u mm e r conferences. Much of the same inspiration can be captured at a well-planned, prayer- filled fireside meeting with the young people of the home society. If possible, plan the meeting around an open fire in the garden of the church. Or the Christian Endeavor room may be ar ranged with a campfire setting. An electric bulb, some red cellophane, and 'a few pieces of wood will give the campfire effect; and room lights turned low enhance the p l e a s a n t c a m p f i r e atmosphere, conducive to spontaneity. The meeting should not be hurried. There should be opportunity for sing ing, testimonies, discussion, worship, silence, and commitments. A fagot placed on the fire by each one as he gives his testimony will give oppor tunity for expression, and will add to the beauty of the service. In this Christian Endeavor me e t i n g , each member of the society s h o u l d be helped to an experience of God—His love, His presence, His salvation, and His power. For Those Who Have Topics l. FIRE, A SYMBOL OF GOD’S PRES ENCE (Ex. 3:2; 40:38). It is not that God is in the fire, or that we need the fire to attract Him, but this symbol will help us in sens ing His presence. We need to be “still and know.” Our Scripture 1e s s o n speaks of the mercy of the Lord. It would be well to read Psalm 136:1-9 responsively. One could read the first part of each verse, and the others could respond with the words, “for his mercy endureth for ever.” The heav- eris, too, should speak to us of His presence. Thank Him for all we have in Christ Jesus. If we are to sense His presence, we must approach Him in reverence. "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Ex. 3:5). A forest ranger told me about a man who drove up to the ranger station in P salm 136:1-9; 147:4 B y Carlton C. Buck Introduction
AROUND THE CAMPFIRE
C.C.B.
CARLTON C. BUCK
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