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Last time we spoke about being light in our dark world. We saw that we are indeed the light that leads to Christ. We are the flame, the candle, the torch in the hand of God.

Tonight our word of the week continues with that thought, with the word: ‘anazopureo.’ This Greek word is found only one place in the New Testament, in 2 Timothy 1:6.

‘Anazopureo’ is for us translated, “stir up.” It is a compound of 3 other Greek words: ‘Zoe’, which means ‘life’, ‘Pur’, which means ‘fire’, and ‘Ana’, which means ‘up’. ⁱ

We use this phrase sometimes when we’re talking about goals or revival, that we need to “stir up the people.” We even sing songs about stirring up our hearts. But do we understand the meaning here?

Paul is encouraging Timothy to anazopureo the gift of God within him. If we take the word and break it down to it’s 3 root-words, Paul is telling him to fire up the life of his gift. Rekindle and refuel the flame.

We saw last week that our light must be fueled by God’s Holy Spirit in order to shine brightly. Our lamps are lit by the fire within our hearts. A fire left unfed and untended will not grow, it will diminish. Embers make dim lamps. Flames make bright lamps.

Paul is telling his friend Timothy that he must fire up the life of his relationship with God. He needed to undertake the work himself in order to keep that fire burning brightly, free from any hindrances.

Sometimes we sing songs to the Lord, asking Him to stir up our hearts. That isn’t necessarily wrong, but we must always remember that God has already kindled a fire within us. He has already supplied all the fuel we could ever need. He has already supplied life to our dead hearts, light to our darkness, warmth to our emptiness. God is the Father of Lights. He is the author of our faith.

If our fires have grown cold, if our flames have turned to embers then be encouraged that we CAN stir up that flame, not through legalism but through love. Maybe your fire just needs a little more oxygen, someone to blow on it like a bellows. God breathed life into Adam,ⁱⁱ Jesus breathed onto His disciples,ⁱⁱⁱ and the Lord wants to breathe life into you and I. He wants to breathe life into the fires of our hearts.

Unfortunately, many times our fires are covered, stifled under some weight, some basket that must first be removed. Doubt, fear, pride, discouragement all work to starve our spiritual lives like a blanket on a fire. God desires to remove your burdens, to strengthen your heart, to uncover the light in your life.

If our fires have grown cold, if our flames are dying out, then we can stir up our flame by feeding it. There are easy, practical ways that God gives us in His Word to stir up our fires. Be in the Word daily. Pray often. Be in the fellowship of other believers. Feed on the teaching of God’s Word. These are easy, practical things that God will use to stoke up the fire in our hearts.

Finally, remember that your fire has a purpose. You are the light of the world. You are God’s plan for evangelism. And our lives should be joyful and dynamic and full of might.

If you are a Christian here this evening, God has given you a fire, the fuel for that fire, and a place to shine brightly. Tend to your flame, stir up your fire, and burn as hot and as bright as you can for Jesus Christ.

blessings

1. A Word For The Day Devotional, September 12↩
2. Genesis 2:7↩
3. John 20:22↩

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bibling, in general, know what you believe, wordplay | September 13th, 2007