Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Consume Me

In late November of 2007, I was challenged by Sara Hawthorne, a family friend, to preach on the Holy Spirit for a short two week sermon series I was going to be giving in February of 2008. When Sara first suggested the topic I wasn't too excited. I had heard preachers and teachers talk about the importance of the Holy Spirit, but for some reason I had never really studied it out for myself or felt the need to.

It wasn't until Christmas time of that year when I realized Sara's suggestion was Spirit led, and that the Lord was preparing to give me something which would forever impact my life. Our family was at my in-laws farm in Hagerstown, MD and I was listening to the song by Sara Groves entitled Jeremiah. The chorus of the song says: 
Jeremiah tell me about the fire
That burns up in your bones
I want to know, I want to know more now
    
The burning of ambition and desire
It never could come close
To that fire, To that fire
As I listened to the haunting tones and passionate cadence of the cello, along with the lyrics' desperate plea to know about the fiery presence of God, I realized this song was a heart cry for the Holy Spirit. And, there in the wintery cold of my in-laws attic, the Lord took my mind back to Sara's challenge.  My own heart began to burn with a passion for the infilling of God's Spirit, and the fiery baptism John promised Jesus would bring. I knew I must preach a series about the fire… 

The title? "Tell Me about the Fire!" 

This was to be the message. A journey through Scripture to discover the meaning of the baptism of fire that John spoke of (to learn all that I discovered, you'll have to wait for the book). Needless to say, I came to the conclusion that the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire is about being consumed with God's presence, and cast out into a world hungry for Him. The Lord showed me that the infilling of His Spirit is about more then just a warm feeling or a spiritual high… it is power for ministry. It is becoming His song, and His answered prayer for a world in need. 

Consume Me is this lesson in song. The Lord blessed me with this song a few months after the sermon series and my prayer for you is for God's Spirit to consume your life like a burning bush in the desert. I pray you will be ablaze with the blessing of Christ for the dry and destitute. I pray He will make you an answered prayer for a world crying out for hope, healing, and salvation. May the Lord Almighty consume your life with the mighty infilling of His Holy Spirit. May He tell you about the fire.


Consume Me
©2008 Words and Music by James Moon

verse 1
Not the song I sing God, But the song that I am
As Your Spirit takes a hold, Of my broken life again
Consume Me….

verse 2 
Not the prayers I pray dear God, But the prayer that I am
As Your Spirit cries out in intercession
Consume Me…

pre-chorus
Let me be to You a living sacrifice
A vessel of Your presence, A temple for Your life

chorus
Consume me, Consume me 
Make my life your song God, Make my life your prayer
An answer for Your children, crying in despair
Consume me, consume me

bridge 
And like the Burning Bush, All a blaze with You
Let me be a life, that Your glory consumes
Yeah, like the Burning Bush, All a blaze with You
Let me be a life, where the broken find you
As your glory consumes,  
Let your glory… Let Your glory…  
Let your glory… 

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