Warm Morning

By Rev. Ricky Rigsby

I walked in the house the other day; I realized that it was cold inside. So I opened the door on the old wood stove and as I looked in the stove, I saw the reason that the house was so cold; there was no fire, just ashes. There as I looked at the old cold, gray ashes the Lord began to speak to me letting me know that this problem was something that was very common in this day in which we live. This is the very same problem in a lot of churches in our country today.

Where there had been at one time fire, now nothing but ashes…just the remembrance of that there used to be fire. Something that would give to those that were cold, wet, miserable, lost, hurting and hopeless that which they needed was found there when the church was on fire for God. But now nothing but some old cold, gray ashes, the remembrance of how it used to be and how good it used to feel when that the church was on fire.

Ain’t it about time church to quit pulling up to a cold stove that cannot give you what you need? Seeing the need and realizing that before there’s going to be fire in our churches, we’ll have to quit depending on ashes.

I’m not saying forget about the services of yesteryear but coming unto the understanding that they do not bring comfort to those that are in need today. Get rid of the ashes, build an altar, place the wood in order (getting our priorities in order) and pray the fire down from heaven.

When people are cold and wet and they see a stove, it seems as it has a drawing effect they will make a beeline to it and back up to it, even if there’s no fire in it, that they might receive that which they need. If there’s no fire in it, they’ll stay far awhile, and then go looking for fire.

Remember church, the world sees a church and it has a drawing effect to those who are lost, sick, hurting and hopeless. When they come in lets make sure that we are on fire for God. And those that are looking comfort find it because there’s FIRE.

Remember, a “Warm Morning” is just a name, but with a fire, it lives up to its name. Church, we are no different.