Light the Fire Again

May. 31, 2023

00:00

-01:46

Transcription

And so I should never be satisfied to have low affections regarding God. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen. But when we read in the scriptures like with the prophet Jeremiah who went through depression and even said, God you've deceived me, which is an incredible thing for a prophet to say to God, we recognize he is still talking to God. He's not satisfied that his heart is so cold. And so while it's never right for us to be cold toward God, it's never right for us to not admit it when it is happening.

When we don't admit it, we're compounding one sin with another and rather we ought to recognize our Father loves us so. He's given us His Son that He can certainly handle our honesty and He knows it anyway and so we should just cry out against ourselves and ask God, come and inflame my heart again. Come light the fire again. Come warm me again. Show me Christ.

Remind me of what you've done for me. I want to go to the cross in my heart and mind regularly and just meditate on the fact that what Jesus Christ endured on that cross, He endured for me. It is my sin that put Him there. What He underwent by absorbing the wrath of God, He did for me. And how can I think about that and remain cold-hearted toward God?

I can't very long. And so my counsel is run to the cross in your affections. Stay there. Meditate there until your heart is a flame with new love and new devotion with the Lord Jesus Christ. You

How can believers confront and overcome their periods of coldness or low affections toward God while maintaining honesty and authenticity in their relationship with Him?

The speaker in the video, Tom Ascol, emphasizes the importance of not settling for low affections towards God. While acknowledging that it is natural for believers to go through periods of coldness or depression, he encourages honesty and transparency with God.

Drawing from the example of the prophet Jeremiah, who expressed his frustration to God, Ascol highlights the need to approach God with authenticity rather than hiding our coldness or pretending it doesn't exist. By recognizing that God loves us and can handle our honesty, we are called to cry out to God and ask Him to reignite our hearts and to remind us of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and the love He demonstrated towards us. Ascol encourages believers to meditate on the cross, allowing the truth of what Jesus endured for them to warm their hearts and rekindle their love and devotion for the Lord.

In summary, Ascol urges believers to acknowledge and address any coldness or low affections they may have towards God. He emphasizes the importance of honesty and transparency in our relationship with God, drawing from the example of Jeremiah. Rather than compounding one sin with another by hiding our coldness, we are called to approach God with authenticity and ask Him to inflame our hearts once again. By meditating on the cross and reflecting on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, believers can find renewed love and devotion for God, allowing their hearts to be set aflame with a deeper passion for Him.

Romans 12:11 (NKJV): "not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord."

Speaker

TA

Life Story & Testimony

Tom Ascol has served as a Pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Florida since 1986, and serves as the President of Founders Ministries and The Institute of Public Theology. He has a BS degree in sociology from Texas A&M University (1979) and has also earned the MDiv and PhD degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. He has served as an adjunct professor of theology for various colleges and seminaries, including Reformed Theological Seminary, the Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary, African Christian University, Copperbelt Ministerial College, and Reformed Baptist Seminary. He has also served as Visiting Professor at the Nicole Institute for Baptist Studies at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. He and his wife Donna have six children along with three sons-in-law and a daughter-in-law. They have fifteen grandchildren.

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