Last night my father and I burned a huge pile of leaves and brush. In the center there were damp leaves that had sat there for months so we had to put empty animal feed bags on the outside to provide initial fuel for the fire to burn all the damp materials. I remember walking away from the fire to go help my dad with something else, and I had a little uncertainty that it would all burn. As we drove across our property my dad claimed, "water, wind, and fire; three of the most destructive forces on earth." It was amazing how the rainstorm that had occurred in previous months had caused many of the branches to be broken off that we were burning. The wind had blown them off after the rain come down in a torrential downpour. The fire was now consuming everything in that circle of brush. The wind could also have made that fire spread and catch much more on our property and in the surrounding area on fire, which concerned me.
Nevertheless, after we had finished with some tasks, we came back to the fire. I was amazed to see that much of everything was consumed in the flame. We raked some things on the outside into the fire and threw a couple more items on.
I was amazed at how hot that little ring of fire had become. At one point it was just a cold, damp, dormant, lifeless pile of brush. It was not doing anything to benefit anybody, so we had to burn it. All of the sudden that lifeless pile of brush found itself consumed in an unquenchable flame, and there was nothing it could do to escape.
I realized this passion had to become the driving force of my life. I had to warn as many people as I could to turn from their sins and accept the gift of eternal life through Christ here and in the life to come.
As we threw a couple things into the fire and raked stray leaves in, I could barely handle being a couple feet from the fire. I was horrified at the thought that some people live their whole lives, miserably for themselves, and never reach out to Jesus Christ for their salvation. Unfortunately these people, unless they come to faith bin Christ right before their death, (which is very rare), will die and go to a hell of eternal flame, according to the Word of God. Romans 6:23 claims, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life." So many people live their lives like this dormant, lonely, miserable pile of brush and never accept the gift of God's Son Jesus Christ, for eternal life.
And yet it is so easy. You do not have to die in your sins and go to hell. You can experience this gift of life in Christ Jesus today, for the rest of your life, and for eternity. If you will turn from your sin, repent, believe in and place your faith in Jesus Christ and in His sacrifice for your sins on the cross (John 3:16), you will be saved from your sinful, miserable lifestyle. You will become a Child of God and all the privileges of being a divine heir of the throne of God will be yours. You will have the opportunity to experience abundant life in this life and the next! Turn to Christ Today.
