THE FIRE IS GONE-NOW WHAT?

WHERE THERE IS SMOKE THERE CAN BE FIRE

Matthew 12:20, “A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.”

Please take note of verse 20. It does not say, “A flickering flax shall he not quench.” It says, "smoking flax!” It does not say slightly burning flax for it says smoking flax. God is saying as long as there is smoke there is a chance for a fire.

What is God saying here? He is saying the smoking flax shall he not quench. In all of our lives we have had the fire to go out at one time or another. There have been times in your life and my life when the fire has gone out. It may be that sin; heartache, discouragement, or bereavement has caused the dowsing of the fire. What our Lord is saying here is that as long as there is smoke there is hope for more fire.

God did not say as long as there is a flicker for he said the “smoking flax shall he not quench.” If the fire appears to go out in any church it simply means there had to be fire there at first. Placed there by God Himself and the smoke that remains means that the fire can blaze again!

It also means if the fire appears to no longer be burning and the warmth of the fire is no longer in existence that as long as there is smoke God is saying he will not quench the "smoking flax!"

I am speaking to those who use to have fire in your marriage where the fire appears to have gone out! If you have taken the marriage vows and both of you are still living there is still smoke there! There may not be any fire, but there is still smoke. 

That in itself means if you will give yourself to the Holy Spirit he can fan that smoke.  He can stir up the fire again in your marriage no matter how feeble the flickering. No matter how dead the spark seems or however cool the flame may appear. It can burn again as long as there is life!

As long as there is life there is smoke and the Holy Spirit desires to fan it and pour oil on it to bring back the fire. Oh, it may not warm as many people at first or like it once did but it can warm someone. It may not shine as far as it once did but it can shine some! I am not saying that if you have lost the fire you will get it back like you once had it but you can get some fire back. It may not be as bright as it once was but it can still shine some.

The church may not be as large as it once was, but it can still grow. One of my favorite songs my dear late friend Dr. Paul Duckett Jr. used to sing was, “Dear Lord take up the tangled strains that we have wrought in vain. That by the skill of thy dear hand some beauty may remain.” I love it!

It may be that the fire appears to have gone out of your life. It may be that sin; heartache, illness, discouragement, or bereavement has seemingly snuffed out the fire. “Preacher I have lost the fire I once had!” Ok, but as long as there is smoke God wants to fan it. God wants to pour oil upon it to rekindle it and cause the fire to burn once again.

A man may not be able to pastor any more, but he can teach a Sunday school class. The school may not train as many as it once did but it can train some. The marriage that once burned with holy passion may not be what it once was, but it can be salvaged to become a warm and happy marriage. 

There is not a marriage that cannot be salvaged! “But preacher I have lost my love.” Wait a minute are you still breathing? Hold it are you still alive? Then there is smoke there and if you will let God fan it then a flame will come again. Jesus said, “The smoking flax he will not quench.”

There are people reading this article who feel the fires seemingly have gone out, but thank God there is smoke and soon there will be fire if God is given a chance to fan the smoke. I have in these going on 46 years of ministry counseled thousands of couples having trouble with some being serious some frivolous, but all necessary counseling. Some had smoke where fires once burned and I attempted to fan the smoke and pour oil on the smoldering smoke to make the fire burn again.

I am referring to marriages that seem to have lost its fire, but there is still smoke there. How do I know there is smoke there? It’s simple you are still breathing! I am speaking to parents, pastors, preachers, students, and teens that have lost the fire you think.

There is no person whom God cannot use again. There is no marriage, ministry, pastor, preacher, college student, or parent that cannot be salvaged. Jesus is saying, “Ok if you have no fire then I’ll look for some smoke and when I find the smoke I will not quench it. I will not put it out!”

In some cases the devil gains entrance into our lives because of bad decisions. Those bad decisions begin to extinguish the fire. The fire becomes a flicker after a while when pride creeps in and we refuse to reverse by swallowing our pride and admitting we are wrong. 

After a while there is nothing left but smoke. But after men have long given up hope for you to make it and long after others said you will never recover enter Jesus who says, “I see smoke. I see hope. If you will let me fan it and pour oil on it soon the fire will return!”

The fire of joy, a smile, or happiness may be gone, but praise God if there is smoke there can be a fire once again. A man addicted to porn whose life was once spiritual and who was on topside for God with no seeming fire. 

Wait is the man breathing? He is still alive? Then as long as there is smoke God wants to fan it and pour oil on it to get some fire back. Oh, it may not be the same brightness but at least Jesus said he would not quench it.

Here is a life that kept people out of Hell by soul winning; a life of value, and a life of productivity, but the fire seems gone out? There are no flames of soul winning, no red-hot prayer life, and no red-hot service for God. Nothing here but a flicker of a flame or just smoke. 

Hey, wait a minute Jesus has not given up on them. He will not quench the smoke. He will fan the smoke and create a fire. He will pour oil on it and cause the fire to burn. No, it will not burn as bright but it will burn!

Dope has captured you? The old life has come back to haunt you? The fires of evangelism are gone? The bold giving of tithes and offerings has vanished? The soul winning fire is nothing but smoke now. The prayer life of fire is nothing but flax now. The Amens and shouts are but smoke now. You sit here defeated with no excitement for the things of God. 

Yes, you used to stand to your feet and wave your Bible over a truth being preached from the pulpit but not any more. Nothing but smoke now! Wait a minute? Jesus said, “I will not quench that smoke but I will fan that smoke!”

If the fire has gone out at least the smoke is still there and God promised that he would not quench what is left. If you will let him he will fan what is left. He will pour oil on what is left to start up a small fire once again.

Broken marriage? Deserted wife? Deserted husband? Deserted child? Teens have you blown it? College student have you messed up? The question invariably comes, “Preacher can God use me again?” Oh, yes God can use you again! 

Please pay attention to this article former college zealot, former teen zealot, former preacher zealot, former bus captain zealot, former Sunday school teacher zealot, or former soul winning zealot for God will fan the flax and it will burn again!

Oh, wasted life with nothing but simmering smoke left please turn back to Jesus and allow him to fan the smoke. Please let him pour oil on it. It is not over for Jesus can use you again! It may not be to the extent that you have been accustomed to but he will use you again!

Dear mission man, divorced man, divorced lady, backslid teenager, or expelled college student God can use you again even though there is only a simmering smoke for God can cause the flames to come again.