Luke 3:15-17
15 Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. 16 John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with[d] water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
It’s ironic that the coldest week this year would just so happen to be on the same week that we're having our 6th annual FIRE School Conference. After a week of single digit weather I am ready for spiritual and physical warming.
If you have not heard, this Thurs - Sat evening we will be hosting the Kaleo International Fire School here at First Church. Again, this will be our sixth year hosting this school. It’s been a joy to watch the Lord grow this conference into what it is today. We started these schools in 2019 when we did not have a building. At that point we used the facilities at Standing Stone State Park. We had limited resources, and limited space, but that did not stop the Holy Spirit from crashing into our meeting with power and grace. We knew almost instantly that this school was a wine skin that the Holy Spirit was using to pour new wine into. Every year since, except in 2020, for obvious reasons, Holy Spirit has told us to continue holding the school and we have. Year after year. And each time the Lord has continued to grow the school, as it has become a vital part of our Church’s health and vitality. Each year people from all over the country and all over the world travel here to Livingston First Church to engage and receive from what Jesus is doing within our local body. Each year people set aside time and resources to come and be here at our Church, to step into the Fire of God and allow His refining grace to restore, heal, change and send them back out on fire, into the mission fields they came from. It’s pretty incredible to think about. It is genuine work of God that I am honored to be a part of. I am humbled and greatly honored that Jesus would use our Church for such a mighty work.
If you are reading this blog and you have never been to a Fire School, this is the year.
Register at our Church website. This is for us as much as it is for the people traveling to be here. I have been through at least 7 Fire Schools. Each year I am baptized again by Holy Spirit and His refining Fire over and over. I am reminded that I need times like this just as much as anyone else. I am grateful that I get to be a part of it and that each year Jesus has used this school to move me forward in His grace and will for my life.
Our God is an eternal and infinite God. In Him there is no beginning or end, there is only more. Therefore, there is not a limit or a maximum amount of growth we can reach in Him. If we keep showing up before Him and continually make space for Him in our hearts and lives, His Spirit and Fire will do their refining work. This weekend is another opportunity for explosive growth. I hope you can make it. I look forward to spending time with you in His presence.
Love,
Pastor John
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