Quenching The Flames
My favorite part of camping is not getting together with other people. I would rather get away from everyone else. My favorite part of camping is not exploring strange new worlds in lands that are far, far away. I like to go somewhere local and be close enough to drive home every day and do chores. My favorite part of camping is not racing through the wilderness on ATV’s or powering across the lake in a jet ski. I would rather enjoy the scenery and take extra time to watch the deer, the squirrels, and the dragonflies.
My favorite part of camping is the campfire. I like to hike around the camp site and gather wood off the ground and clean up some dry debris. I like to swing an axe and chop small logs and branches up to throw in the flames. I like to pile the kindling just right to start the flames and keep adding bigger sticks to get the fire crackling. I like to use the heat to cook potatoes, meat, and marshmallows for a tasty treat. I like to fill the antique kettle with water and heat it up beside the flames for a rich cup of extra hot chocolate. I like to sit and watch the flames flicker and shine brighter as the sun gets dimmer. I like to lift up songs to Jesus in the peaceful comfort of the warm flames.
So, as you might expect, the part I hate the most about camping is putting out that wonderful fire. I spent so much time getting it going and building it up. It has been so useful, providing us with a hot meal and some family enjoyment. The thought of dumping gallons of water on to cause the flames to sputter and gallons more as we stir up the blackened coals in the slurry of luke-warm ashes brings grief to my countenance. I would much rather build the fire up bigger and bigger, but we must go and, as everyone in the west knows, campfires must be quenched.
Building a campfire at the campground is like building a spiritual fire at a week-long Bible camp. We bring in kids from near and far and plan activities to build up their faith in Jesus Christ. Cabin devotions, large group devotions, preaching, singing, missionary stories, Bible memory, and abundant conversations about God bring many to salvation and other decisions made for Christ. The spiritual fire in the purposefully Christian environment kindles up and grows hotter and hotter as every individual encounters the greatness of God. And then, everybody must go. Our fear is that many of the Bible camp decisions will become just that, Bible camp decisions – decisions made in the heat of the moment, decisions made in the midst of a spiritual atmosphere, decisions that will be quenched and quickly grow cold when kids go back to secular work, secular school, secular families, and secular entertainment.
But unlike the campfire, the fire of the Holy Spirit need not be put out. Indeed, God tells us that we must NOT put it out. We must take the Holy Spirit and grow the flames together as we gather in our Bible believing churches to worship God in Spirit and truth. We must feed the fires of the Holy Spirit as we study God’s word personally and in Bible studies and Sunday school. We must take the Holy Spirit back into our secular environment and kindle other flames as we share Jesus with unbelievers around us.
Next time you go camping, put out your campfire when you leave. But when you leave Bible camp and go back into the world, DO NOT PUT OUT THE FIRE!
“Do not quench the Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19