
Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.
Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.
Hebrews 10; 24.25; Ephesians 5, 14.
Gather up the embers
The camp fire was practically extinguished. Just a few sparse embers were still glowing. Night had fallen, cold and damp were already making themselves felt, but the three boys still had lots to talk about before retiring to their tent. But they had no more wood. So they patiently gathered the embers with their sticks. Suddenly a small yellow flame started to flicker in the wind, lighting up the happy faces.
This illustrates the state of the church. The first centuries of Christianity were like a raging fire that repulsed the darkness of various religions of man’s invention. Christian influence shone like a bright light subduing man’s evil ways and spreading hope. But the flames have failed. Gradually it lost the energy of living faith and became a religion established and maintained by traditions.
And where are we today? Has that great fire been reduced to a few sparse embers? Yet faith remains living and shining, albeit less visible. Dear Christian friends, let us gather up the embers and not remain isolated! Let us seek the Saviour through prayer and by reading the Bible. His presence and the faith of our Christian brothers and sisters will warm up our love for Him. Faith will shine forth again, hardly like a great furnace but like small lamps. Before the Lord returns, they will continue giving the light that the world so much needs.