WARMTH FROM STRANGE FIRE.... ‘’…he sat with the servants - TopicsExpress

WARMTH FROM STRANGE FIRE.... ‘’…he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire’’ Mark 14:54b ‘’ Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. ‘’ Luke 22:55 Drawn away from the bosom of the Master, drawn out into the cold world out there, Peter began to feel cold and lonely. He began to shiver with the wicked winds of the dark night around his soul. Loneliness is the first dagger that confronts a believer once he misses his step with the Lord. He would miss the circle of friendship and fellowship God has created around him. He would miss the circle of friendship and fellowship God has created around him… ……He has missed his own company and is destitute of fellowship right now. Peter had missed the comradeshi p of John and James. John somehow had gone in with the LORD. Peter was left outside at a distance. No one to share with; no one to pray with and no one to even cry with. He was isolated so to say, for the enemy to drag him down…. Excuse me, have you suddenly lost the passion that was once known of you by others? Have you suddenly lost sight of Him and followed after things. You may say ‘’but I’m still following ‘’. Peter followed but from a distance. What has come between you and the Lord? What is in-between would eventually keep one outside. …Warmth from strange fire…..str ange company, strange habitation , strange gods, strange doctrines, strange habits, and strange life that becomes and makes of one a stranger to the Kingdom…. .....Then as he was just stretching his own hands as well to the fire, the first question came from unexpected quarters: ‘’Aren’t you one of His disciples? I saw you with Him the other day..’’ A damsel raised the first alarm. Peter was caught in between his thoughts…… .’’No! I am not one of His men…Woman, I do not know Him’..!’’ Before we look at the gravity of this denial let me draw you to the bait…. Peter was cold and he shivered for lack of warmth! I suppose it was not just the physical cold that drew Peter to this alternativ e but strange fire of the enemy…… I perceive it is rather the ‘’cold of loneliness ’’ ‘’ the cold of missing fellowship ’’; his heart was much more cold than the physical body I am particular ly drawn to Luke’s account at this point… ‘ ’Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat together, Peter sat among them…..’’ …the enemy kindled a fire and gathered a ring of alternativ e fellowship around it. It was indeed a circle of servants of the wicked…… Your lonely moments and the most tempting moments, the wicked one seeks to sift you off your glorious heritage at such hour. It would have been useful when there was no distance between a man and the LORD. When boredom had not set in; he would grab those lonely times and places to be alone with God, but now, with the LORD’s presence shielded away by many wandering thoughts, with the pages of scriptures beclouded and only dry and formal….. human companions hip becomes an acute need. Since it is the enemy… you cannot be too sure of where he comes from. You cannot over- assum e of where he may likely not emerge. Watch and pray is the Lord’s counsel. ‘’ Be sober and be vigilant’’ is Peter’s exhortation…. he is unpredictable. he is not like our LORD whose ‘’Yea is yea’’ and whose ‘’Nay is nay’’…. Your thoughts are highly inflammabl e. Do not let them escape into the enemy’s hands.