Received a message yesterday from a friend in St Petersburg, Russia. They were dealing with snow. You would expect that in Russia. This morning I received a photo and message from my son's family in St. Cloud, Minnesota. A bit odd for October but not as frequent as you might think. I also received a note from a friend in Michigan who was complaining that the cold and snow was making her arthritis act up. Finally, I received a message that there were some churches that were as cold as winter. That's the one that spurred my writing on winter. Cold churches are everywhere. There you don't find the warmth of fellowship and the gaiety of life living well. Rather, they are marked as a church you might visit but wouldn't want to live there. Legalism is one of the greatest elements that turn a church from on fire to out of fire. Throughout the Bible there are countless stories of such a phenomena. Nowhere greater than in the time of the first century church. Many times the apostles and disciples dusted off their feet and left such a cold hearted place. One thinks of life in a cycle of 4 seasons. Winter, spring, summer and fall. However, in our lives we are able to choose to not have winter in our lives.
I've been to some churches that were winterized. People guarded their parking space as well as their place in the row of pews. Some even have placards on the pews with their names on them. What's that all about? It's about being winterized. People winterize their souls when they turn from living for Jesus to living for self. You may give money to the church but be the biggest winterizer of all causing freezer burn to those around you. Things don't have to be that way. Hal Lindsey once coined a phrase that is fitting for the legalists amongst us. He said that churches today with their rules have turned them into "doctrines of demons." I know that sounds harsh but it's true. With winterized hearts there is little or no chance of Christians thawing any soul's heart much less their own. Maybe the salvation message didn't come to them in a way that freed them from the cold and relentless winter in their own souls. I remember growing up in North Dakota and especially the winters. COLD!!! Sometimes, with the wind chill, the temperatures dropped to 80 below zero. Walking into the wind was impossible as it took your breath away. When you walk into a church like that you immediately want to find a place with fire!
How do we prevent winter in our lives much less the Christian body? You can't. I can't. We can do something about our own winter. The Holy Spirit came on the disciples as a flame above their heads. Good metaphor for us today. Let's let the Holy Spirit light a fire on our heads and then let it move to our hearts. That means letting go of anything selfish. Selfishness robs all from that which is greatest amongst us: LOVE. Love in it's best form is unselfishness. We can choose to feel sorry for ourselves but there are always people who have less than we do in all realms. If we have a heart that is winterized then our house is as well. Children, spouses, and others learn and emulate the selfishness we exhibit. When we have squelched the Holy Spirit and are no longer on fire the Bible tells us that we have left our first love. Is that what we really want to give to our children, spouses, friends and others in our sphere of influence? Do we want Christian's lives to reflect the cold of winter? For many that is the norm. But wait, there's more! Thanks to Jesus we can have our joy and the warmth of the Holy Spirit indwell in our hearts, minds and souls by taking the step of repentance. Ask Christ to come and heal your heart, set you free and fill you with the Holy Spirit. Remember, it's always your choice.
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