Afeared of Fire?

When we’re afraid of fire we quench it, but the Bible says,   Do not quench (suppress or subdue) the [Holy] Spirit;  Do not spurn the gifts and utterances of the prophets [do not depreciate prophetic revelations nor despise inspired instruction or exhortation or warning]. 1 Thessalonians 5:18-20

Quench is written in the present active imperative.  Right now we are not to quench or suppress the Holy Spirit.

Paul wrote Timothy, “I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up (anazwpurein, kindle up, cause to burn) the gift of God,” 2nd Timothy 1:6.

But we are warned here to not quench the fire, instead to stir it up.  To stir up a fire you need to carefully nourish it–with the Word, with fellowship, with hearing the Word of God preached, with prayer, with worship, and with guarding our hearts.

Sometimes we are frightened by the fire of the Spirit,  We fear being called fanatics–even by other believers.  Our fear is rooted in one of our three enemies:  our flesh, the world, or the devil. God is passionate in His love toward us.  Dare we be less than passionate in response?