Just the BOOK

Thoughts on the 2008 Homeschool Graduation

areyouaware — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 04:53:00 +0000

God’s WORD

“And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.”—1 John 5:19

“Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”—1 John 5:5

“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight…”
—John 18:36

Note: I am concerned that this post will be misunderstood as being negative towards the parents who so faithfully give 1000 per cent of their time and energy to teach their children at home.

It is not in any way against homeschoolers or homeschooling, but is meant to encourage parents “…to try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
—1 John 4:1

Friday night, our family went to the Homeschool Graduation Ceremony. While listening to the speaker at the Homeschool Graduation ceremony encourage the graduates to be “world changers” and change the culture, I was reminded why I started this blog (although I haven’t gotten there yet) and that I was correct—there is an agenda underlying homeschooling.

“Worldchangers?” Is that in the Bible? No, “the whole world lieth in wickedness.” It’s repenting and receiving forgiveness of sins from the Lord Jesus, who shed His blood and rose again that changes people on the inside.

Superimposing a moral template on our society such as a “biblical” worldview to make our culture, arts, government, etc. “Christian,” so that Jesus can come back and rule, is not biblical.

Some time in the future, I hope to discuss what I call the “Homeschooling agenda” in more depth. Until that time, here are a few comments and links so
you can research for yourself.

Biblical or Christian Worldview
Biblical or Christian Worldview plays an important part in the agenda of the Homeschool leaders. Here is an excerpt of Chuck Colson commenting on Biblical Worldview that I discuss in more detail on an earlier blog regarding Awana’s Rorheim Institute and Biblical Worldview.

Biblical Worldview and Chuck Colson

Excerpt from Biblical Worldview Crucial for the New Millennium

R&L: Writing about ecumenism, you note that, “focusing on worldview…can help build bridges” between Protestant evangelicals, Roman Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox believers. Can you explain, on the basis of your participation in Evangelicals and Catholics Together,
how you have seen the biblical worldview promote
such church unity?

Colson: Father Richard Neuhaus and I saw that Christians from both the Catholic and Protestant confessions are defending the same worldview; we therefore thought that we should join together to seek common ground wherever we could find it, to engage in dialogue to better understand one another’s traditions and points of view, and to work toward a common witness in the world. That conviction was at the root of Evangelicals and Catholics Together in 1992.

We subsequently have issued two statements and engaged in extensive, ongoing conversations. I firmly believe that we are finding unity together as brothers and sisters in Christ.
By focusing, as Kuyper recommended, on the sovereignty
of God and the larger issues of life in a postmodern world, we have been able to join hands at many points, discovering in the process that we have more in common than we suspected, yet holding on without compromise to the distinctives that make us evangelicals and Catholics…

I think this is a God-ordained movement and that it will continue to bring Christians together in defense of the fundamental truths of the faith.

My Comment
Jesus never talked about “biblical worldview.” Are there fundamental truths of the faith more important than being saved from our sin, rescued out of this wicked world, going to live with our Lord and Saviour forever, and telling others they can have their sins forgiven?

“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”—2 Corinthians 5:19

Michael Farris

In 1983, (a couple years before we started homeschooling), Michael Farris was ordained as a Baptist minister and along with Michael Smith founded the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA).

It was probably 1997 or later before I realized that Michael Farris received his Juris Doctor and was an honors graduate from the Jesuit, Gonzaga University School of Law (www.law.gonzaga.edu/), which claims it provides “an excellent legal education informed by our humanistic, Jesuit and Catholic traditions and values.”

A Baptist Minister that got his law degree at a Jesuit University did not make sense to me. It was only this year, 2008, that I discovered (if it is true) that Michael Farris was ordained to be a Baptist minister by Universal Life Church.

About Michael Farris.
List of People ordained.

Patrick Henry College and Michael P. Farris

Michael Farris was the first President of Patrick Henry College, which initially was thought of as a college for homeschoolers. The current President of Patrick Henry College is Graham Walker.

Graham Walker, Ph.D.

Vice Pres. Academic Affairs; Dean of Oklahoma Wesleyan U.
Ph.D. in political philosophy from Notre Dame in 1988.
Assist. Prof. of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania
Member/Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton
Assoc. Prof. of Politics, Catholic U. of America, 1996-2003

My Comment
Is it not odd that wikipedia calls Patrick Henry College a “Protestant College…known for its evangelical focus,” when both Presidents, Mike Farris and Graham Walker, have Roman Catholic and/or Jesuit education?

Peruse the Patrick Henry College site. Notice how “Christian” it sounds and the emphasis on Worldview, shaping culture, transformation of American society…

Other links/topics to research:
Christian Reconstructionism in the Homeschooling Movement

From Chalcedon.edu

Chalcedon’s activities include foundational and leadership roles in Christian reconstruction. Our emphasis on the Cultural or Dominion Mandate…Chalcedon’s involvement in and commitment to Christian education began with its inception when founder Rousas John Rushdoony pinpointed the Christian and home schools as the most important institutions in reversing the influence of secular Humanism.
I comment more on this at 2000 Years Part 4D.

God’s WORD

“Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it…”—Psalm 127:1

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
—1 Thessalonians 5:21

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”—Hebrews 12:2

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”—Jude 21

God’s Word or Man’s Words and Experience—Fire Hindu Temple Consecration; Brian McLaren’s Book

areyouaware — Fri, 30 May 2008 21:22:10 +0000

Two recent news items that include fire and religious beliefs and relate to my fire or fire/heart posts of April and May 2008, have come to my attention. Before posting the articles, some definitions:

Agni, Agnihotra, Yagna

Agni is the Hindu firegod, who is also part of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, the Southeast corner of the house being the quarter of Agni. Agni also plays a central role in most Buddhist homa fire-puja rites.

Agnihotra (homa) means an offering (originally, of milk) into Agni or consecrated fire…Pouring into the ritual fire was known as early as in the Ṛgveda (c. 1400 BC) and is closely related Zoroastrian religion.

The central part of the recent form of Agnihotra (Homa) consists of making two offerings to the fire exactly at the time of sunrise and sunset along with two small Sanskrit mantras.

Yajna, Yagna, Yagya or Yadnya is a Hindu ritual of sacrifice derived from the practice of Vedic times performed to please the Devas or to attain certain wishes. An essential element is the sacrificial fire (the divine Agni) into which oblations are poured, as everything that is offered in the divine Agni
is believed to reach the Devas (gods or deities).

Homa/Homam, Puja, and Aarti

Homa, homam or havan refers to any ritual in which making offerings into a consecrated fire is the primary action. [1] The words homa/homam/havan are interchangeable with the word Yagna. Homas are an important religious practise in Hinduism, Buddhism
and Jainism.

Puja is a religious ritual that Hindus perform on a variety of occasions…to communicate with god and the gods or real gurus to keep a thread to continuity, of relationship, between this physical world and the subtle inner worlds. Puja also serves as a means of offering love, praise, thanks, and supplication to god, gods, and gurus…Most practicing Hindus perform puja once or twice a day.

Puja consists of meditation, austerity, chanting (mantra), scripture reading, offering food and prostrations. The individual also applies a tilaka mark on the forehead with sandalwood paste, and then a vermillion (kumkum) dot (chandlo)
in its centre. This signifies submission to the Almighty and also
His Omnipresence. Puja is usually concluded with aarti.

Steps of Puja:
Invocation, Offering, Prayer, Conclusion (Aarti), Immersion
Photo from a puja ceremony

Aarti is a Hindu ritual, in which light from wicks soaked in ghee (purified butter) or camphor is offered to one or more deities. Aarti is said to have descended from the Vedic concept of fire rituals, or homa…

Aarti is performed and sung to develop the highest love for God. Aarti is generally performed two to five times daily…

The purpose of performing arati is the waving of lighted wicks before the deities in a spirit of humility and gratitude, wherein faithful followers become immersed in god’s
divine form.

Just the Book comment:
With the recent research regarding fire and religious beliefs, including Buddha’s Fire Sermon, and the above terms as a background, I found the following two items of great interest.

1. Consecration ceremony at Maha Ganapati Temple of Arizona

Photo links to the three-day consecration ceremony of the Hindu Temple, Wednesday May 16th through 18th, 2008:

Priest Achutha Ramasarma, of Houston, chants and makes offerings to the fire god during on the first night of a three-day consecration ceremony.

Worshipers pray to the fire god at Maha Ganapati Temple of Arizona during a three-day consecration ceremony.

Costs of Religious services at Maha Ganapati Temple
Puja items are usually available in the Indian stores like India Plaza. Fire starter log and firewood chips can be purchased at Home Depot or Walmart.

example: Costs for the Ganapati Homam
Ganapati Homam At Temple: $51;
Ganapati Homam At Home (within city): $101
Ganapati Homam At Home (outside city): $201
Items needed for the Ganapati Homam

2. Brian McLaren’s newest book, published May 6, 2008,
Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices

In chapter four of “Finding Our Way Again,” McLaren,
in referring to his “spiritual formation,” admits
he has gleaned from various religious traditions
(e.g., Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, etc).

In the last chapter of McLaren’s book, “Theosis (via Unitiva),”
he sums up his calling by stating that “The purpose of the via
purgativa [the practices] is to prepare us for the via illuminativa [the awakening], and the purpose of the via illuminativa is
to prepare us for the via unitiva [all is one], the union
of our nature with the nature of God.” (pp. 171-172).

He calls God “fire” and says, “We join God in being fire…Before the beginning…God was All, and All was God.”
(p. 175).—Excerpts from a book review by Lighthouse Trails

God’s WORD
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”—John 16:13

“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,”
—Revelation 1:5

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”—Matthew 7:13, 14

Links you may be interested in that relate to this post:

These posts from Just the BOOK talk about Agni, Agnihotra, and/or Yagna, Buddha, and/or Buddha’s Fire sermon, “…all is burning.”
Fire 3 A; Fire 3 B; Fire 3 D, Part 4

Links to God’s Word or Man’s Words and Experience Series so far, including the 9 hearts/fire posts from Babylon to 2008.

Hindu temple rises from Arizona desert
by Lynh Bui The Arizona Republic May. 10, 2008

The Ritual Fire Offering
(This description is intended for practitioners of tantra who have taken refuge and have received initiations. Pujas for ordinary persons are shorter (about 45 minutes), less elaborate, and less complicated. However, the following information will give the general reader some idea what a fire puja is about.)

After receiving an initiation, one practices the tantric path, bound to accomplish the welfare of sentient beings. To be capable of doing this one must become enlightened, and on the initial stage of the tantric path to this goal, one must closely identify with the deity whose practice one is pursuing by meditation on the deity, reciting his/her mantras and by making a ritual fire offering. Performing the ritual fire offering pleases the deities who help the disciple gain accomplishments on the path. It also serves to remove the faults of badly or incompletely recited mantras and removes obstacles to a good meditative stabilization.

God’s Word or Man’s Word and Experience Posts

areyouaware — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:55:55 +0000

Of “Practice the Presence”
“God’s Heart” “Pursue” “Seek” “Abide” “God’s Face”

God’s Word or Man’s Words and Experience Series

Introduction

Part 1 Pantheism, Panentheism, Immanence, Transcend

Part 2 inner eye, inward eye, all seeing eye, eyes of God

Part 3 A Fire, burning desire, kindle, aflame, heart afire

Part 3 B Fire, burning desire, kindle, hearts afire

Part 3 C fire, burning desire, kindle, hearts afire

3 D Introduction to Burning Heart, Soul on fire, flame

3 D Part 1 burning heart, soul on fire: Babylon B C to 1175 AD

3 D Part 2 burning hearts and flames: 1200 to 1544

3 D Part 3 Hearts burning, souls on fire: around 1557 to 1905

3 D Part 4 Hearts burning, souls on fire: 1897 to 1932

3 D Part 5 Hearts burning, souls on fire: 1934 to 1952

3 D Part 6 Hearts burning, souls on fire: 1958 to 1995

3 D Part 7 Hearts burning, souls on fire: 1997 to September 2006

3 D Part 8 Hearts burning, souls on fire: December 2006 to November 2008

3 D Fire Part 9 Hearts burning, souls on fire songs

Awana Parents: On Reading Awana Workbooks

God’s Word or Man’s Words and Experience 3 D Part 9 hearts burning, souls on fire songs

areyouaware — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:41:25 +0000

3 D Part 8 Hearts burning, souls on fire: December 2006 to November 2008

God’s WORD

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.—John 3:16

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself…”
—John 16:13

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith
he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened
us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”
—Ephesians 2:4-5

“Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God…”—1 Chronicles 22:19

“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;”
—Ephesians 5:19

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”—Colossians 3:16

Heart/Fire in “Christian” songs
There are a number of heart/fire songs. Some of these songs focus on an experience and compare God’s love to fire. In others, “Holy Spirit fire” is
asked to either purify hearts, “revive hearts,” or motivate people to read
the Bible, or be “on fire,” for the Lord and/or missions.

And yet others ask for something more—something more than having sins forgiven, the righteousness of Jesus, and living with our Saviour, the Lord
Jesus Christ forever?

God’s WORD

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”—Romans 5:8

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down
his life for his friends.”—John 15:13

“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down
his life for us…”—1 John 3:16

“That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,”—Ephesians 5:26

“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe…”
—Romans 3:22

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
his Son cleanseth us from all sin.—1 John 1:7

“Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.”
—Philippians 1:11

A few hymns/songs that reference soul/heart/fire.

1887
Fire in the Soul by Daniel Warner

Is the Spirit glowing in thy heart? 
Oh, my brother, can you say 
That you feel the burning love of God 
In thy bosom day by day?

Refrain: 
Yes, ’tis love, ’tis burning love divine,
Filling all my soul’s desire; 
Oh, how sweet its glories ever shine! 
Now I feel the glowing fire.

Has the merit of the blood divine 
Swept away thy sinful stain? 
And does heaven’s glory in Thee shine, 
Ever bright and holy flame?

Is thy hope unclouded by a fear? 
Hallelujah! do you know [And this moment] 
That the love of God is burning clear 
In thy heart as white as snow?

If thy all is on the altar laid, 
Guard it from each vain desire; 
When thy soul the perfect price hath paid, 
God will send the holy fire.

1892
Episcopal Hymnal

Hymn 382 p. 322
vs 3
Come as the fire, and purge our hearts
Like sacrificial flame;
Let our whole soul an offering be
To our Redeemer’s Name

1969
Pass it On (It only takes a Spark) Words and Music by Kurt Kaiser

1987
Shine Jesus Shine by Graham Kendrick

“Shine Jesus Shine” has become the most popular modern hymn of the last decade in the UK and is now sung all over the world…

In a recent interview Graham said:
“This song is a prayer for revival. A songwriter can give people words to voice something which is already in their hearts but which they don’t have the words or the tune to express, and I think ‘Shine Jesus shine’ caught a moment when people were beginning to believe once again that an impact could be made on a whole nation.”

Graham explains how the song came together…”I had been thinking for some time about the holiness of God, and how that as a community of believers and as individuals, His desire is for us to live continually in his presence. My longing for revival in the Churches and spiritual awakening in the nation was growing, but also a recognition that we cannot stand in God’s presence without ‘clean hands and a pure heart’…”

‘Shine Jesus Shine’ has been sung at numerous high profile occasions such as; The Dunblane Memorial Service, Tasmania massacre memorial service…Prom Praise, Billy Graham crusades, and the largest ever open air mass in Manilla where the Pope “swung his cane in time to the music”!!

 
Light the Fire by Bill Maxwell

1989
Refiner’s Fire Words and music by Jon Mohr and Randall Dennis

1990
Refiner’s Fire Words and Music by Brian Doerksen

1993
How Great You Are by Shannon Fogal Wexelberg

Children of the Burning Heart by Steven Chapman Curtis

1996
Consuming Fire
by Brad Avery, David Carr, Mac Powell, Mark Lee, Samuel Tai Anderson

1998
Nothing in this World by Tim Hughes

Tim Hughes wrote “Consuming Fire” and “Oh How I Need You”, both of which have a strong fire reference. The son of an Anglican vicar, born in 1978, Tim Hughes is a Christian worship leader and songwriter, and currently the Director of Worship at Holy Trinity Brompton, an Anglican church in central London, where the Alpha course originated. Holy Trinity Brompton’s vision is to play their part in the re-evangelisation of the nations and the transformation of society.

Tim Hughes also heads up Worship Central, a school of worship that trains and equips worship leaders, musicians and worshippers. Worship Central’s vision is that it will be a place where, “together, we encounter God, equip the worshipper and see our churches empowered to worship in spirit and in truth.”—Tim Hughes and Al Gordon.

“Jesus said, ‘I will build my church,’ so that’s the focus of everything I do,” Hughes emphasizes…“I’m involved with leading the worship on Sundays [at Holy Trinity Brompton], training up other worship leaders…working with the leadership team to bring about change…”

…Hughes’ heart’s desire is simply that everyone who hears his music would see all the wonders Jesus has created and let those discoveries fuel their worship—timhughesmusic.com/

Set me on Fire Words and Music by Ryan Delmore

2000
Praise: Awakening the Heart of Worship album
The cover has a heart on fire.

2001
Be Free To Reign Scott Cunningham, Lindsey Skarr Danny Donnelly

2004
Consuming Fire by Tim Hughes

A while back, our church in Watford, England was going through
a season of really calling out for more of God. One Sunday our associate pastor was speaking and kept using the phrase,
“There must be more.”

That struck me. We’ve seen glimpses of God’s greatness and
glory, but there is still so much more to discover. I went home
and started writing the song. It’s a cry for God to fill us anew,
to deepen our passion for Him, to do all that He wants among us.
It’s a cry for more.

God’s WORD

“Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”
—1 John 5:21

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy
of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”—Jude 21

“Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”—Romans 13:10

“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
—Philippians 3:9

“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye
see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable
and full of glory:”—1 Peter 1:8

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…”—Galatians 6:14

God’s Word or Man’s Words and experience 3 D Part 8 Burning Heart, Soul on Fire

areyouaware — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:17:29 +0000

3 D Part 7 Hearts burning, souls on fire: 1997 to September 2006

God’s WORD

“Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water…And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out
of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.”
—Matthew 17:15, 18

“But there were false prophets also among the people,
even as there shall be false teachers among you, who
privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying
the Lord that bought them…”—2 Peter 2:1

“For when they speak great swelling words of vanity,
they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them
who live in error.”—2 Peter 2:18

December 2006

“The Voice of the Heart: An Intimate Invitation”
by Neil Cohen
“You were beautifully and divinely designed to live your life in the deep satisfaction and authentic dignity of your Origin…and this Origin is your Heart. The very same Heart that is located in the center of your own chest…The awakening fire is here…right now…burning right within you…

About Neil Cohen
“While living in the quiet and pristine high desert near Mount Shasta, California, I began a very intensive meditation practice. I engaged in practice for 4 to 5 hours a day
for a period of 30 days consistently. After about 30 days,
using the Heart Meditation I developed, gently
relaxing my ‘feeling awareness’ deep into the chest area,
I had another very powerful awakening experience.
In a single instant of timelessness, I entered the Silence
in the Center of the Heart.

After this awakening experience, I knew and felt beyond all doubt the truth which has been stated by the world’s spiritual traditions and esoteric teachings…that God or the True Self (Soul) was indeed located in the Central Reality of the Heart. The Guru, the Teacher, the Soul is indeed located conveniently within our very own Heart!

“Based upon my studies and experience, I have designed a rather revolutionary style of assisting people in their psychological and spiritual development. Combining Western Psychology, Soul and Body-Centered Psychology with the Eastern wisdom teachings of non duality, and adding a strong dose of heart transmission, I have been guiding people into their own direct experience of psycho-spiritual awakening for many years.”—integrativeawakening.com/bio.htm

2007

The Fellowship of Hearts on Fire
“Set my Heart on Fire”
“As I began writing “Set My Heart On Fire”, I found myself returning again and again to this ‘burning’ fellowship with Jesus…I penned out five commitments covering quiet time,
the Bible, personal revival, the power of the Holy Spirit, and
radical discipleship. These commitments are for a ‘burning
heart’ fellowship for a new era, The Fellowship of
Hearts On Fire…but this is a higher fellowship with God
Himself…I invite you to sign these commitments…They will be
your private testimony to the fire the Lord is causing
to burn in your heart…”

How To Set Your Heart On Fire
A Call to Passionate Christian Living by Jeremy Mcquoid
“Discovering how to set our hearts on fire takes us from the disciples on the Emmaus road to God’s return…‘Our hearts are the control systems of our spiritual lives—getting them
to beat in time with God will transform our attitudes.”

Note: More information regarding Luke 24:32 or the “Emmaus Road”:
The first part of 3D Part 5 in this series on “Burning Hearts.”
Lighthouse Trails info on Emmaus Road.

2008
January 15, 2008

The Elijah List—Prophetic Words and Prophecies
A More Exciellent Way—Love. This Generation will be Marching to the Rhythm of God’s Heartbeat. by Bobby Conner
“These hearts, set ablaze by God’s love, will rush into the harvest fields…”

May 23–26, 2008

On Fire: Heart Yoga
May 23, 2008–May 26, 2008 
Andrew Harvey and Shiva Rae
Kripalu, Lenox, MA Tuition: $495

Yoga was created by the ancient sages of India as a healing and transforming gift…Heart Yoga offers the union of grounded passion and peaceful joy both in the heart and in the core of the body…a direct path to radical self-empowerment…From
the first evening when we ignite the communal fire, the spontaneous and ecstatic will flourish as we embody Heart Yoga through integrating the practices and philosophy
of tantra, hatha, and bhakti yoga…

On May 25, 2008

A Fresh Generation of Burning Hearts, by Becky Tirabassi
I, Becky Tirabassi, author of “Burning Heart Contract” will stand with thousands of students and youth workers from dawn to dusk in the middle of a field for Paradise, a “sacred assembly” of worship to the King through Scripture, solitude and song. In fact, there will be no speakers, artists or a stage.

June 20, 2008

DCU Center, Benny Hinn: Fire Conference Worcester, MA

August 1–3, 2008

Himalayan Institute Weekend Seminar with Shiva Rea
Heart Fire: Tending the Flame of Your Sva Shakti

November 28-30, 2008

Heart Fire: Tending the Flame of Your Sva Shakti
Workshop with Shiva Rea Bailey
Esalen Institute
55000 Highway 1
Big Sur CA 93920

This retreat will initiate a ritual cycle of renewal in which to integrate the living yoga sadhana (practices) to tend your heart-fire. Participants will explore: The universal and ancient practices of our heart center from tantra, hatha, and bhakti yoga, integrated with the latest view of our heart’s intelligence…

Logos relating a heart and some type of burning or on fire

Servants of the pierced hearts of Jesus and Mary has a radiating sun around the pierced heart which is dripping blood.

Burning heart of Mary has a burning heart with flame and sword piercing it.

American Heart Association Logo is a heart and a torch.

Battlecry’s Recreate 2008 Logo includes a heart with wings, fire, and sun.

God’s WORD

“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.”
—1 Corinthians 3:19

“For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”—2 Corinthians 11:3, 4

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”—1 John 2:16

“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”
—Ephesians 2:2

3 D Fire Part 9 Hearts burning, souls on fire songs

God’s Word or Man’s Words and Experience 3 D Part 7 burning hearts and souls on fire

areyouaware — Wed, 14 May 2008 05:23:12 +0000

3 D Part 6 Hearts burning, souls on fire: 1958 to 1995

God’s WORD

“A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.”—Matthew 16:4

“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe…”—Romans 3:22

“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”
—Romans 5:17

1997

Burning Bush International [see 1931 Burning Bush Definition]
“Burning Bush International” is a Catholic Prayer Movement founded by Kim in 1997. Her vision is that every believer
will be awakened to the call to prayer and that there will
be flames of adoration and intercession burning in every nation.—from the October 2000 newsletter

The Burning Bush Initiative is a call to help the People of God to return to the Upper Room in adoration and intercession, to experience a Pentecost not only of a moment or a day, but a permanent Pentecost, according to the intuition of Blessed Elena Guerra who, at the end of the nineteenth century, urged Pope
Leo XIII to lead the Church back to the Cenacle/Upper Room of Jerusalem, for the Church to be enlightened again and again and burn like a Burning Bush.

also in 1997

Todd Bentley’s Fresh Fire Ministry begins
[Note: Fresh Fire Ministry's logo is a world on fire.]

“In September of 1997, ‘Fresh Fire’ was born…Our goal was to pray, worship, prophesy, hear God and to ignite
a revival fire through youth in our city.”

“…We took a team of youth to minister at “The Street Church”
in downtown Vancouver, and I asked Todd to preach again…
I discovered later that Todd had spent two days in prayer
for about eight hours each day…The first Christian book he
had read was “Good Morning Holy Spirit” by Benny Hinn…

“…So for three months Todd entered an exciting new place of intimacy with the Holy Spirit—between 4 and 8 hours a day—in which he began to have supernatural encounters with the Lord…

“…Todd would spend 4 to 12 hours daily soaking in the presence of the Spirit, crying out for greater intimacy and revelation…

“I remember visiting Todd…He would be lying on the floor of his living room, an instrumental worship tape playing and the Holy Spirit’s presence thick in the room. I would join him sitting in the Presence and would also begin to enter into visions and revelations of the Father…

“…I remember many times joining Todd for a “soaking session” in his living room as we sat or lay in the Holy Spirit’s presence in worshipful adoration as our bodies began to buzz with His sweet touch and He began to speak to us intimately about His word, His love and His plans…

“…As Todd cried out to know God more, he began experiencing many visitations from the Lord—dreams, visions and supernatural visitations. On one occasion Todd knew Jesus had walked into his bedroom to visit him…—from article written by Kevin Paterson

2001

Pope John Paul II:
To you, Legionaries of Christ and members of Regnum Christi, I repeat the words of St. Catherine of Siena which I proposed to the young people at the World Youth Day: “If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze!“—Pope John Paul II

2003

from A Heart on Fire, By Catherine Martin
Note: Notice the burning heart logo.

“…when I wrote “A Heart On Fire”…I titled the very first chapter, ‘The Burning Heart.’ The idea of a heart burning for Jesus Christ…signifies a life of dedication and commitment in the name
of our precious Savior.

“Do you see the secret to having a heart on fire? It is to draw near to Christ in His Word. . . He will speak to you through the Holy Spirit, and your heart will ignite with love for Him…In “A Heart On Fire”, as you listen to the words of Jesus week by week, you will discover that your heart will begin to feel as though it is on fire. It is a burning of all-consuming love for Jesus Christ.”—A Heart On Fire by Catherine Martin

2004

Pope John Paul II Pentecost Solemn Vespers, 2004
“…Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love…”

Sacred Heart, Burning Bush (see 1931 Burning Bush Definition)
Pope John Paul II, Saturday, May 29, 2004

“… I encourage the initiative known as “Burning Bush,” promoted by Renewal in the Spirit. It is about incessant adoration, day and night, before the Blessed Sacrament;
it is an invitation to the faithful to “return to the Upper Room”,
so that, united in contemplation of the Eucharistic Mystery,
they may intercede for full Christian unity and for the conversion of sinners.”

Mission Statement
Those who participate in the Burning Bush will be asked to selflessly offer themselves as a sacrifice of prayer for the life of the Church and the world. All those involved with The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Burning Bush will offer praise, adoration, and intercession to the Heart of Jesus burning with love in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
—Kim Catherine-Marie Kollins, her prophetic vision birthed the “Burning Bush”

excerpt from The Burning Bush Prayer
“…Let the fire of Your spirit purify my heart. Seize my heart in the fire of Your Love. Come in Your power and empower my life… Stir a fervent desire to commune
with You daily…Transform me into a Burning Bush…
—by Kim Catherine-Marie Kollins ©2004

2005

The Burning Heart Contract: A 21-Day Challenge to Ignite Your Passion and Fulfill Your Purpose by Becky Tirabassi, published March 2005

“Even while I was praying, I could feel God’s love sweeping through my heart. I was lit with a consuming passion that was bursting with flames…”—”The Burning Heart Contract”

“This book is about inspiring that motivation. About igniting a burning heart for God…The journey concludes by giving you the chance to sign your own name on a contract with God…that will bind you to Him with the burning intensity the disciples must have felt…”—back of “The Burning Heart Contract”

2006

January 15, 2006
excerpts from: God’s Passion for Your Passion
by Pastor William Robison

“The key to our fulfilling God’s purpose for our generation is a flaming zeal, a burning heart for God.”

“How do we get this burning heart, boiling passion, radical love for Jesus?”

“Our destiny is to enter into the ‘fellowship of the burning heart.’ The three Persons of the Trinity have burning hearts of love for one another, and the redeemed are beckoned into this fellowship with God’s heart.”

January 26, 2006

Azusa Pacific University Kicks Off
Nationwide Prayer Initiative By Jennifer Riley

Azusa Pacific University kicked-off a nationwide ‘‘40 Days
of Prayer’’ initiative for the revival of college campuses…The nationwide “40 Days of Prayer” event was organized by Burning Hearts, an organization with the vision for college students to “possess Burning Hearts that are consumed with the challenge of living radical, adventurous, sold-out
lives for the living, loving God”…

Other California universities participating in the 40-day prayer initiative include: University of California at San Diego, Point Loma Nazarene University, California Baptist University, University California at Los Angeles, Vanguard University, Biola University, University of California at Irvine, California State University, and University of California at Berkeley…

Calvin College participates in 40 days of prayer
“In concert with the rest of the nation, Calvin students will be lifting up their voices in prayer to God as part of The Burning Heart Contract which started at Azuza Pacific University. Since then, prayers, confessions and a plethora of experiences with God…”
[Notice heart in hand logo.]

March 23, 2006

Burning Heart, Generous Spirit:
Identity, Mission, and Stewardship by Eleazar S. Fernandez
(former Global Ministries/Wider Church Ministries board member)

Thank you so much for this privilege to share with you some of the ideas that are starting to kindle a fire in my heart. As you may take note of the title of my presentation, the central metaphor is “heart,” more particularly “burning heart.”…

The Thrust: Seeking to Be a Church with a Burning Heart and a Generous Spirit.—on Global Ministries for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ) site.

May 12, 2006

Liquid Fire Vision, May 12, 2006
Liquid Fire is a resource network connection to facilitate ministries and empower individuals to flow as ‘liquid fire’ from the heart of God so we can become that impassioned bride whose heart is exploding with desire. We’re being pressed to develop our character even as the heat is being turned up in our circumstances.

September 11, 2006

To All Friends of Todd Bentley and Fresh Fire Ministries,
Todd had radiating chest pain on Saturday night in Uganda, Africa, after preaching at the last night of the miracle festival. He was taken to the hospital where he had another bout of chest pain. He is presently resting in a hospital in Kampala, Uganda, where he continues to undergo various tests.

The doctors have diagnosed his condition as Angina Pectoris, which is chest discomfort or pain which radiates to the right or left arm, back, neck or jaw. Angina occurs when part of the heart muscle is not receiving enough blood and oxygen to meet the immediate need…

September 12, 2006

To All Friends of Todd Bentley and Fresh Fire Ministries, 
We just received the final diagnosis from Todd’s doctors in Uganda. According to their tests, Todd did not actually have a heart attack. They have diagnosed his condition as Angina Pectoris and their tests indicate that he has no permanent heart damage.

God’s WORD

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
—1 Thessalonians 5:21

“They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”—Psalm 14:3

“But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”
—1 Timothy 6:11

“Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.”
—Philippians 1:11

3 D Part 8 Hearts burning, souls on fire: December 2006 to November 2008

God’s Word or Man’s Words and Experience 3D Part 6 Burning hearts and souls afire

areyouaware — Wed, 14 May 2008 03:40:54 +0000

3 D Part 5 Hearts burning, souls on fire: 1934 to 1952

God’s WORD

“Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.”—John 6:68

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”—John 6:63

“But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy,
and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”—Matthew 9:13

Note: You may be interested in reading the first part of 3D Part 5 which includes some information pertaining to 3D Parts 5-9.

1958

The Summit Lighthouse
The Summit Lighthouse is an organization founded by Mark L. Prophet in 1958, and was later joined by his wife Elizabeth Clare Prophet. Their followers believe they are messengers of the Ascended Masters.

The organization encompasses branches of Church Universal and Triumphant, Summit University, Summit University Press, and Montessori International.

“The flame is the spiritual fire within your heart—a divine spark that is your own portion of Spirit. Nurturing and developing this flame is key to your soul’s eternal union with your Higher Self…”—Summit Lighthouse, tsl.org/aboutus/keeper.asp

1963

Mark and Elizabeth Prophet are married
Mark and Elizabeth Prophet built on a system of rhythmic, rhyming spoken prayers called “decrees,” which originated in the I AM Religious Activity…The first section of one of the rhyming degrees reads:

“Violet fire, thou love divine, Blaze within this heart
of mine! Thou art mercy forever true, Keep me always in tune
with you.”

1963

Burning Monk—The Self-Immolation
“On June 11, 1963, Thich Quang Duc, a Buddhist monk from the Linh-Mu Pagoda in Hue, Vietnam, burned himself to death at a busy intersection in downtown Saigon, Vietnam…

“Thich Quang Duc had prepared himself for his self-immolation through several weeks of meditation and had explained his motivation in letters…

“…Following his death, Thich Quang Duc was cremated and legend has it that his heart would not burn. As a result, his heart is considered Holy…his self-immolation is seen as a “religious suicide” and…justified based on Chinese Buddhist texts written between the fifth and tenth centuries C.E.

1976

“Creation in Christ, Unspoken Sermons”
by George MacDonald (1824 to 1905)
edited by Rolland Hein, first published in 1976

“The fire of God, which is his essential being, his love, his creative power, is a fire unlike its earthly symbol in this, that it is only at a distance it burns—that the farther from him, it burns the worse, and that when we turn and begin to approach him, the burning begins to change to comfort, which comfort will grow to such bliss that the heart at length cries out with a gladness no other gladness can reach…” (p 86)

“Endless must be our terror, until we come heart to heart with the fire-core of the universe, the First and the Last and the Living One!” (p 89)

“…It is not that fire will burn us if we do not worship
thus; but that the fire will burn us until we worship thus;
yea, will go on burning within us after all that is foreign
to it has yielded to its force, no longer with pain and consuming, but as the highest consciousness of life,
the presence of God.” (p. 158, 159)

1982

Carl Lundquist
“After Dr. Lundquist retired as President of Bethel College and Seminary [1982], he became the founder and president of the ‘Evangelical Order of the Burning Heart,’ a ‘lay retreat ministry’ which encouraged a life of devotion and prayer among Christians…”

“…Lundquists’ consistent encounter with God in prayer, silent retreats and meditative Bible study allowed him to experience a heart that had ‘burned within him.’

“…Those who have experienced the burning heart, Lundquist concluded, are more willing to take risks with God. They are more likely to value the disciplines necessary to a journey toward a mature faith. They understand well that Christian spirituality is a living relationship with Jesus Christ nurtured by spiritual disciplines and shared with a soul friend.”

“The Burning Heart became symbolic of Dr. Lundquist’s interest in Christian spirituality and the Lukan implications that Christians be led into devotion to Christ through prayer, study, and the practice of spiritual disciplines.”

“The symbol of the Burning Heart, carved in cherry wood, dons the door of the Flame Room, Bethel Seminary’s extensive collection of devotional classics…”
Information from The Baptist Pietist Clarion Vol 3 No. 1 July 2004

1984 “The Burning Heart” Newsletter, Carl Lundquist

“Early in 1984, Carl Lunquist penned the first issue of ‘the Burning Heart,’ a quarterly newsletter prepared as a follow-up for individuals who had participated in one of the Burning Heart retreats he and his wife Nancy were beginning to lead with Bethel Seminary students and across the country.”—Hansen, “A New Vocabulary: Christian Spirituality in the Life of Carl Lundquist”

Issue #3, “The Burning Heart”
Understanding Christian Spirituality by Dr. Carl H. Lundquist
“Christian spirituality is a living relationship with Jesus Christ nurtured by spiritual disciplines shared with a soul friend.”

Issue #18, “The Burning Heart”
“The Spiritual Discipline of Silence” by Dr. Carl H. Lundquist
“…And what will we discover when we come quietly into God’s presence? Something about God and His holiness. Something about ourselves and our self-centeredness…

“The flame of love for Christ burns more brightly. We join Moses on the mountain, Jesus in the desert and Paul in Arabia. We discover that Thomas a Kempis was right when he taught the Brethren of the Common life 450
years ago that all of us can learn to love solitude and silence.” [For a bit more information click on link at end of post.]

1984

“Hearing God:
Developing a Conversational Relationship With God”
by Dallas Willard, published 1984
Epilogue: The Way of the Burning Heart
[First published as "In search of Guidance."]

1991

Shepherds of Christ Ministries
“On Dec 17, 1991, My Son gave to my messenger a vision of His Sacred Heart on fire, ablaze with love for men…This is the purpose of these letters—to draw hearts to the ardent on fire love of Jesus.”

“Jesus” speaks: “Open your heart to the fire of God’s love. He is ablaze in your heart.…Love God, yourself and one another and experience the fire set aglow in your heart
and experience the warmth of His love.”

1993

“Passion for Jesus: Growing in Extravagant Love for God”
by Mike Bickle
chapter 7 “Igniting Holy Passion”

“Jesus knows how to spur the human heart to the hot desire of extravagant, fiery bridegroom love…God transforms our spiritual identity into one of a cherished, lovesick bride. The bridal identity brings us to a unique understanding of ourselves; and it is this revelation that ushers us into the fellowship of the burning hearts.”—Mike Bickle

1994

“With Burning Hearts:
A Meditation on the Eucharistic Life”
by Henri J. M. Nouwen

1995

“Setting Your Heart on Fire”:
Seven Invitations to Liberate Your Life by Raphael Cushni

God’s WORD

“Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would
love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither
came I of myself, but he sent me.

“Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye
cannot hear my word.

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father
ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode
not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and
the father of it.

“And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

“Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

“He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear
them not, because ye are not of God.”—John 8:42–47

3 D Part 7 Hearts burning, souls on fire: 1997 to September 2006

Note for 1982 and 1984 Carl Lundquist and Burning Heart:
Information from The Baptist Pietist Clarion Vol 3 No. 1 July 2004
Carlson, “Carl H. Lundquist’s Contribution to Baptist Pietist Spirituality”
Hansen, “A New Vocabulary: Christian Spirituality in the Life of Carl Lundquist”
Lundquist, “Understanding Christian Spirituality”

Carl Lundquist was ordained in 1944 and was the President of Bethel College in Minnesota from 1954 to 1982. From 1982 to 1991 he held the presidency of the Christian College Consortium.

Dr. Lunquist along with a number of major evangelical leaders such as Tony Campolo, Ted Egstrom, Roberta Hestenes, David and Karen Mains and Calvin Miller served as Board of reference to Renovare.

God’s Word or Man’s Words and Experience 3 D Part 5 burning hearts and souls afire

areyouaware — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:32:03 +0000

3 D Part 4 Hearts burning, souls on fire: 1897 to 1932

God’s WORD

“and a great and strong wind rent the mountains…

“but the LORD was not in the wind:

“and after the wind an earthquake;

“but the LORD was not in the earthquake:

“And after the earthquake a fire;

“but the LORD was not in the fire:

“and after the fire a still small voice.
—1 Kings 19:11, 12

“As it is written, There is none righteous,
no, not one:”—Romans 3:10

These next posts (3D Parts 5–9) include not only people and organizations
with obviously pagan beliefs, but Evangelicals and organizations that use
some of the same language as those from the kingdom of darkness.

I am not judging whether these Evangelicals are Christians. But we must
be diligent to compare what is said (including myself) to what the Bible
clearly states.

Christians’ sin is covered by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and in accepting Jesus as our Saviour and Lord we are declared righteous. To shift this focus to anything else, including purifying fire, experience, or good works in order to secure God’s favor or power is not Biblical, as it nullifies Jesus’ finished work, and replaces faith in God’s Word with our own efforts.

God’s WORD

all the counsel of God.

“…and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”—Acts 17:11

“And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while
he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?“—Luke 24:32

“Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.“—Job 22:22

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”—John 5:39

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every
one that believeth.”—Romans 10:4

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth…he shall testify of me:“
—John 15:26

“But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.“—Ephesians 2:13

“But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”
—2 Corinthians 10:17

1934

Ascended Masters of Theosophy
The term Ascended Masters, first introduced by theosophists in 1934, was further popularized by other theosophist books and organizations such as The Summit Lighthouse, 1958, and The Temple of The Presence, 1995.

Adherents of the Ascended Master Teachings believe that each person is an incarnation of an “Individualized Presence” of the
“Most High Living God”—the “Mighty I AM Presence…”

“The Magic Presence”, Godfre Ray King,
Saint Germain Press 1935
“The ‘Almighty God Flame,’ breathing within Itself,
projects Two Rays into the ‘Great Sea of Pure Electronic Light.’
…Each Ray has all the Attributes of the Godhead within It…
The Individualized Flame sends down into each Ray
a Focal Point, or Spark, forming a Heart Center upon which gathers the ‘Electronic Light Substance’…”

“Within the ‘Pure God-Flame’ is a Breath that pulsates constantly. This `Great Fire-Breath’ is a Rhythmic Outpouring of Divine Love…”

1935

“My Utmost for his Highest”
by Oswald Chambers 1874-1917
“My Utmost for his Highest,” first published in 1935, was taken
from notes that Oswald Chamber’s wife compiled of his messages.

March 22 The Burning Heart
“Did not our heart burn within us?” Luke 24:32

“We need to learn this secret of the burning heart. Suddenly Jesus appears to us, the fires are kindled, we have wonderful visions, then we have to learn to keep
the secret of the burning heart that will go through anything.
It is the dull, bald, dreary, commonplace day, with commonplace
duties and people, that kills the burning heart unless we have learned the secret of abiding in Jesus.

“Much of our distress as Christians comes not because of sin, but because we are ignorant of the laws of our own nature. For instance, the only test as to whether we ought to allow an emotion to have its way is to see what the outcome of the emotion will be. Push it to its logical conclusion, and if the outcome is something God would condemn, allow it no more way. But if it be an emotion kindled by the Spirit of God and you do not let that emotion have its right issue in your life, it will react on
a lower level…”

1947

Fellowship of the Burning Heart
Richard Riss records that these Forest Home College Briefings done by [Henrietta] Mears et al were the result of a simultaneous vision experienced by four young men (Bill Bright, Richard Halverson, Louis Evans and John Franck) and Henrietta Mears on the night of June 24, 1947, in which “fire fell” from heaven (p. 25) and they “received a vision to have a conference for college students from throughout the nation.”
—herescope.blogspot.com

“Halverson…wrote what later became known as the four commitments of The Fellowship Of The Burning Heart…devotion, holiness, evangelism, and surrender…Halverson shared these commitments with Henrietta Mears and those who had attended the cabin prayer session, thus forming The Fellowship Of The Burning Heart for that era.”—excerpt from Set My Heart On Fire, by Catherine Martin, 2007

excerpt from Fellowship of the Burning Heart
By Bill Bright (1921–2003)
In 1947, I had a unique, life-changing experience with the Holy Spirit. It happened in a little cottage at Forrest Home, California. Henrietta Mears, Lou Evans, Jr., Dick Halverson, and I were
forever changed when the Holy Spirit came upon us in a super-
natural way…Out of that experience, before the night was over, we formed what we called the Fellowship of the Burning Heart.

We committed ourselves to make Christ the Lord of our lives and live expendably for Him. We made an impossible list of do’s and dont’s to keep, and it wasn’t long before we all violated them all…We set a very high standard for ourselves. To be a member of the Fellowship, one had to spend an hour every day in the Scriptures and in prayer. He had to witness to someone every day and follow other very rigid rules.

We were willing to pay the price of discipleship, but soon most of us had broken those standards and had failed to measure up to our high resolve…We had begun to operate in the energy of the flesh in order to fulfill the work of the Spirit, and it doesn’t work that way…While the Fellowship of the Burning Heart no longer exists, my heart is still burning. Copyright (c) 2002, Bill Bright.

1948

Aiden Wilson Tozer 1897 to 1963

Excerpt from the preface to The Pursuit of God by Tozer

“This book is a modest attempt to aid God’s hungry children
so to find Him. Nothing here is new except in the sense that it is
a discovery which my own heart has made of spiritual realities most delightful and wonderful to me. Others before me have gone much farther into these holy mysteries than I have done, but if my fire is not large
it is yet real, and there may be those who can light
their candle at its flame.”
A. W. Tozer
Chicago, Ill.
June 16, 1948

To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox
of love, scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionist,
but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart.—Chapter 1 of The Pursuit of God, p. 9

1951

Campus Crusade started by Bill Bright

from Campus Crusades’ current site:
Fire is contagious, provided it has material to consume. The more logs you add to the fire, the healthier and more massive it becomes.

Evangelistic fire is the same way.

No matter the method, a fire always starts the same
way. One spark that turned into a flame, which, when it consumed enough of the wood around it, turned into a raging fire.

“Prayer on the Porch” brings with it a spark that, when
it touches the people around you who have a heart for ministry, turns into a flame capable of igniting a fire
of outreach that can burn in the collective heart of your entire church.

1952

Vance Havner (1901 to 1986)
In addition to preaching in many of America’s most influential churches, Dr. Havner was a highly sought speaker for conferences
at places such as Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. He frequently
spoke at both state and national meetings of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Vance Havner, “Hearts Afire” (published 1952)
“But if instead of trying to work up carnal enthusiasm and whip our poor jaded nerves with religious excitement, we took time out to really get ourselves a burning heart we would accomplish more in a day than we get done in a year without it.” (p. 13)

“It is better to wake up five hundred Christians than to convert five hundred sinners, for if five hundred Christians really wake up, they will win more than five hundred sinners.” (p. 51)
—Hearts Afire by Vance Havner

We are not going to move this world by criticism of it nor conformity to it, but by the combustion within it of lives ignited by the Spirit of God.—Vance Havner

God’s WORD

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

“Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!”—Isaiah 5:20, 21

“For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.”—Ecclesiastes 5:7

“For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”—Jeremiah 2:13

3 D Part 6 Hearts burning, souls on fire: 1958 to 1995

God’s Word or Man’s Words and Experience 3 D Part 4 burning hearts and souls afire

areyouaware — Sun, 11 May 2008 22:46:51 +0000

Intro Part 1 Part 2 3 D Part 3 Hearts burning, souls on fire: around 1557 to 1905

God’s WORD

“The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.”—Psalm 37:31

“I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within
my heart.”—Psalm 40:8

“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:”—Acts 17:30

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he
shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;”
—Titus 3:5,6

1897

Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII on the Holy Spirit May 9, 1897
“…We earnestly desire that, as a result, faith may be aroused
in your minds concerning the mystery of the adorable Trinity,
and especially that piety may increase and be inflamed
towards the Holy Ghost…

“…Moreover, God by grace resides in the just soul as
in a temple, in a most intimate and peculiar manner.
From this proceeds that union of affection by which
the soul adheres most closely to God…and enjoys God
in all fullness and sweetness…”

1908

Blessed Sacrament Church [see 1175 AD]
Blessed Sacrament Church founded in 1908, completed and dedicated in 1925.

In the chapel south of the main sanctuary is a sculpture group, representing the Blessed Mother making a presentation of
the rosary to St. Dominic…St. Dominic holds lilies…

He is also accompanied by a dog with a flaming torch in
his mouth. St. Catherine wears a crown of thorns and
holds a burning heart…a symbol related to that of
the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The globe at Mary’s feet symbolizes the world to be enlightened, “set afire” by the preaching of the Gospel
by the Dominican Order.

1909

Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas
by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Bahá’í 1909
“O ye who are set aglow with the fire of God’s Love!…”
O thou loving torch, flaming by the fire of the Love of God!
O thou who are enkindled by the fire of the Love of God!
O thou who art drawn unto God and kindled by the Fire which burned on Mt. Sinai!
O thou who art set aglow with the Fire of the Love of God!”

“…I ask God to augment thy faith…that thus thou mayest be a cause for enkindling the fire of the love of God in the hearts of the maid-servants of God.

Note: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (1844–1921) was the son of Bahá’u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith.

1918

Padre Pio
On July 27 of 1918, Padre Pio offered himself as a victim for the end of World War I which was still going on at that time.

“…between August 5 and August 7, Padre Pio had a vision in which Christ appeared and pierced his side.[8] As a result
of this experience, Padre Pio had a physical wound in his side. This occurrence is considered as a “transverberation” or piercing
of the heart indicating the union of love with God.

“While I was hearing the boys’ confessions on the evening of the
5th [August] I was suddenly terrorized by the sight of a celestial person...He had in his hand a sort of weapon like a very long sharp-pointed steel blade which seemed to emit fire…
I saw that person hurl the weapon into my soul with all his might.
I cried out with difficulty and felt I was dying…This agony lasted uninterruptedly until the morning of the 7th.

“I cannot tell you how much I suffered during this period of anguish. Even my entrails were torn and ruptured by the weapon, and nothing was spared. From that day on I have been mortally wounded. I feel in the depths of my soul a wound that is always open and which causes me continual agony…”
— Padre Pio’s letter dated August 21, 1918

“On the morning of the 20th of last month, in the choir, after I had celebrated Mass I yielded to a drowsiness similar to a sweet sleep. [...] I saw before me a mysterious person similar to the one I had seen…The only difference was that his hands and feet and side
were dripping blood.

“This sight terrified me…I thought I should have died if the Lord
had not intervened and strengthened my heart which
was about to burst out of my chest. The vision disappeared
and I became aware that my hands, feet and side were dripping
blood. Imagine the agony I experienced and continue to experience
almost every day. The heart wound bleeds continually…”
—Padre Pio’s letter, dated October 22, 1918

1920 to 1941

The Roerichs from Russia write “Agni Yoga”
Agni Yoga is a spiritual teaching transmitted by the artist
Nicholas Roerich and his wife Helena Roerich from 1920.

The initial steps of Agni Yoga resemble those of Raja Yoga: purification, striving, study, and mastery of prana, the life force…Special emphasis is placed on the fires in the
heart center and the Chalice, or the Anahata chakra,
which is behind the heart.

Agni Yoga is not merely a matter of kindling the centers with a “Kundalini experience,” but involves years of “fiery transmutation” by which the feelings, thoughts, and sensations are refined, eventually allowing the
Yogi to function in his or her subtle body, and later the still more sublime and powerful fire body.

“Agni Yoga is a synthesis of all Yogas. In all the ancient Hindu scriptures the approaching Fiery Epoch has been predicted. It is said that Agni—the Fire that is found in varying degree at the foundation of all Yogas—will saturate the atmosphere of our planet to a tremendous degree, and all the branches of Yoga will be fused into a fiery synthesis. Truly, Agni Yoga is a fiery baptism.”
—Letters of Helena Roerich I p. 411, 12 March 1935.

1921
Martinus “The Road to Initiation”

Martinus was a Danish writer who was born and lived in a small Danish town until he was ninety. When Martinus was thirty years old he borrowed a spiritual book from a man. In his book, “The Road to Initiation,” Martinus writes about his experience in March, 1921:

The golden baptism of fire.
“… The divine fire vibrated within me and without, above and below…the “fire”…this very fire blazing in front of my own eyes, vibrating in my own breast, in my own heart, enveloping my whole being. I felt as if bathing in an element of love…It was as if I was resting at the bosom
of the Almighty Deity…was one with the Father of all.”

1927 to 1993

Yogi Swami Vishnu Devananda 1927 to 1993
When you start a fire, how do you start it? You start
with small little twigs and … Initiation means using the mantra as a way to enlighten your heart …”—The Yogi: Portraits of Swami Vishnu-Devananda by Gopala Krishna 1995

1931

burning bush definition: Metaphysical Bible Dictionary

The angel of Jehovah, the flame of fire, and the bush, are all within the consciousness of man.

The bush is a nerve center through which the universal life energy runs like electricity over a wire, making a light but not consuming.

In mental activity there is a vibratory process that uses up nerve tissue, but in the wisdom that comes from the heart this “bush” or tissue is not consumed.

The light of intuition or flame of fire burns in the heart, yet there is no loss of substance. The angel is the presiding intelligence always present in every life action…

“…The forces of Spirit at the center of man’s body are so intense that the outer consciousness cannot stand the current and hold itself together.

Absolutely pure in essence, this inner fire must be approached by pure spiritual thought…Divine life, spiritual
fire, does not consume; it purifies and renews substance.”
—p. 133, Metaphysical Bible Dictionary, Charles Fillmore, 1931

1932

Signs of Agni Yoga Heart
written in 1932 by Helena Roerich. [see 1920]

After our daily labors, let us gather to discourse about the heart. It will lead us beyond the domains of Earth toward the Subtle World, in order to bring us closer to the sphere of Fire.

“…Creativeness encompasses the fiery potentiality, and is impregnated with the sacred fire of the heart…Hence, each consummation, each union, each great cosmic unification is achieved through the flame of the heart….Thus the arcs of consciousness are fused by the flame of the heart.

56. …Thus also your fires glow according to necessity—the Eye of Brahma, or the wings, or the rays from the larynx, or the other principal twenty-one fires—it is necessary to permit them to be kindled according to their natures…

God’s WORD

“Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!”—Isaiah 5:21

“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which
I say?”—Luke 6:46

“But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.”—Jeremiah 7:24

“And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant…and his testimonies…and they followed vanity, and became vain,
and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.”—2 Kings 17:15

“To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”—Acts 26:18

3 D Part 5 Hearts burning, souls on fire: 1934 to 1952