Writing these posts on the island of my office, I am tempted to wonder what the point of it is. There is no shortage of things to read. Especially on the internet. There is an abundant wealth of information out there. Some good and other bad. I am not a prolific author with a huge following. So I ask myself, why do I keep writing? There are no shortage of voices out there all trying to get people's attention.
I got the answer in a book today titled, Revival Fire. One little sentence captured the essence of my calling to write in the phrase to inform minds and ignite hearts.
I am no theologian. I did Bible studies in college and graduate school. I read extensively, but that does not make me a theologian. I am a far cry from a scholar. I am a Bible student like the rest of you. I read for my own devotions and continued growth in God. I study to preach and teach to help people. I write to inform people of things I have learned. Through the avenue of writing, I can expand the teaching ministry. A ministry that can live long past my earthly pilgrimage. If something God has taught me can benefit others I want to inform them.
I like to think and to try to get others to think. I want to expand the mind. To learn. To always keep learning. I love sharing those concepts with others. That is where a lot of preachers and authors stop. They achieve their goal to inform. They dispense information and let the reader do with that information whatever they please.
Informing the mind is not enough. I want God to ignite hearts along with informing minds. I long to see the people of God grow more fervent in their zeal for God. To have hearts set ablaze by the truth of God and the presence of God. I yearn to watch God reignite smoldering embers of cold hearts into raging fires of revived ones. I crave boiling hearts filled with the love of God and love for people.
It seems to me there are people who only seek to ignite hearts. To get people fired up. They write or say certain worn out religious cliches. They work the crowds into a fevered frenzy of emotional zeal that wears off after a few weeks or a few days. They promote rhetoric that is a mile wide and an inch deep.
My desire is both inform the mind. To ask probing questions. To steer people to think about God and His truth more seriously. I also desire to see people ignited and inspired to go after God harder. To follow Him with hearts and minds set ablaze to advance His kingdom. to love and serve Him more passionately. There is so much more of God to discover. This is information. There is more of God to experience and love. This is ignition.
Imagine what happens when an informed mind is matched with an ignited heart of passion. These are the people who shake the world. The apostle Paul was such a person. So was Martin Luther. You could include John Owens and Jonathan Edwards in that group. Do not forget R.C. Sproul, Ann Graham Lots, Beth Moore, Priscilla Shire, John Piper, Martyn Lloyd Jones, or Bertha Smith. May God be pleased to add us to their number of informed minds and ignited hearts.
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