The storm might last for several days. He leaned back and stretched his legs under the table. The coffee was strong, black, and hot.”
–Louis L’Amour (The Riders of High Rock)

“I worked for you through the scorching heat of the day and through cold and sleepless nights.”
–Genesis 31:40 (NLT)
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“Why do you run and hide from life, to try it just ain’t smart
Why can’t I free your doubtful mind and melt your cold, cold heart.”
–Hank Williams

Brrr, it was cold outside last week. Not only that, it was cold inside as well. One of the natural gas stations here in Cleveland had a malfunction last week when it was 17 degrees. Yep, you guessed it, no gas–no heat, no stove, no fireplace. On top of that the water in the pipes froze and two of the pipes burst. Yep, it was downright cold. Now, I’m not making excuses, but I fully planned on sending out one more Echo last week before we headed for Lake Conroe, but it was cold.
It reminded me of a few folk that ventured through my life from time-to-time. Maybe you’ve come across folk like that; those with a cold heart. Those who dredge through life, whining, complaining and thoroughly disgusted with people and life in general. At Christmastime we refer to them as a “Scrooge”, but they can be seen in other seasons of life as well. Some folk just seem to have that “bah-humbug” attitude.
These folk need something cheery; something to warm their cold, cold hearts. They need a touch from the fire of the Holy Spirit to touch their lives. I just happened to read the following in my devotions yesterday morning and thought I’d pass it along. It’s from A Charles Dickens’ Devotional by Jean Fischer; this section was simply titled “Fire.”

“The man looked at Nell again, and gently touched her garments, from which the rain was running off in little streams. ‘I can give you warmth,’ he said, after a pause; ‘nothing else. Such lodging as I have, is in that house,’ pointing toward the doorway from which he had emerged, ‘but she is safer and better there than here. The fire is in a rough place, but you can pass the night beside it safely, if you’ll trust yourselves to me… See yonder there–that’s my friend.’
‘The fire?’ said the child.
‘It has been alive as long as I have,’ the man made answer. ‘We talk and think together all night long.’
The child glanced quickly at him in her surprise, but he had turned his eyes in their former direction, and was musing as before.
‘It’s like a book to me,’ he said…’and many an old story it tells me. It’s music, for I should know its voice among a thousand, and there are other voices in its roar. It has its pictures too. You don’t know how many strange faces and different scenes I trace in the red-hot coals. It’s my memory, that fire, and shows me all my life.’
The child, bending down to listen to his words, could not help remarking with what brightened eyes he continued to speak and muse.
‘Yes,’ he said, with a faint smile, ‘it was the same when I was quite a baby, and crawled about it, till I fell asleep.'”
–The Old Curiosity Shop

On a cold, wintry day when the temperature drops to below the chill line, a nice warm fire is a comforting sight. I can remember many a time coming in from a cold day at work when the warmth of a fire woke up the bones that were chilled.
It is important for us to understand that our God is a consuming fire (Heb 12:29). One of the most common symbols of God and the Holy Spirit is that of fire. The altar is also an important symbol and on an altar is placed the sacrifice to be consumed by fire. We are to have our hearts consumed by the Holy Spirit–dead to self, alive to God.
“God’s wrath and scorch and burn, if He so desires, but His love and mercy also provide us with comfort and warmth” (Jean Fischer) Let not the fire of God be a stranger to you. Let Him thaw out that cold, cold heart and free your doubtful mind.

Hard to believe that here in South Texas we are experiencing our second snow of the winter. Times and seasons seem to be changing. Now, I no longer care for the cold weather, but there are really few things more beautiful than a field of fresh fallen snow, one that is undisturbed, pristine in its beauty. No matter what the earth looked like underneath, it is now white. It could have been a pasture, or a field of dirt, but now all that is seen is the clean, whiteness of snow.

“Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;
I want Thee forever to live in my soul;
Break down every idol, cast out every foe—
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
–James L. Nicholson

The idols may be there; the foe may attack and try and thwart our lives. But if we let the Lord perfect us we shall be like that pristine snow that has fallen. I’ve always thought it amazing that the red blood of Jesus washes whiter than the snow. It brings the holiness of God into our lives to drive out all temptation and evil. It cleanses the sin that darkens our heart and soul.

“Lord Jesus, let nothing unholy remain,
Apply Thine own blood and extract every stain;
To get this blest cleansing, I all things forego—
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Coming from Colorado, I grew up with snow. The winter months were sure to have snow; actually anytime from September through April there could be a snowstorm. Funny thing, I don’t remember having “snow days” back then, and we sure had some doozy storms. My hometown of Boulder is very well known for its wind; add that to snow and there is a blizzard. Snow can drift because of the wind and pile up. Maybe that’s what needs to happen with some of the darkened souls out there. They need a good pile of “snow” to land on that darkness.

“Lord Jesus, look down from Thy throne in the skies,
And help me to make a complete sacrifice;
I give up myself, and whatever I know—
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, for this I most humbly entreat,
I wait, blessed Lord, at Thy crucified feet,
By faith for my cleansing, I see thy blood flow—
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

I can remember playing outside until my hands would ache. It’s a wonder that I never had frostbite. The ears were kept warm with a sock-hat, but in a snowball fight, or playing “king of the mountain,” or sledding, the gloves could get wet. When that happened the fingers would start to go. Of course, my worst enemy, even as a kid was cold toes. When the toes hurt, it was time to come in from the snow, no matter how much fun we were having.
Then there was the job of shoveling the snow off the walks. That quickly became my job. Most of the time, if you stayed at it and didn’t let it accumulate it wasn’t so bad. I’ve heard of many, over the years, who have had heart attacks while shoveling snow. One thing a person doesn’t have to fear when being washed whiter than snow is cold ears, fingers, or feet. They won’t have a heart attack, nor even a cold heart, because the only affects will be a new heart that is now whiter than snow.

“Lord Jesus, Thou seest I patiently wait;
Come now and within me a new heart create;
To those who have sought Thee Thou never said’st “No”—
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

The blessing by faith, I receive from above;
Oh, glory! my soul is made perfect in love;
My prayer has prevailed, and this moment I know,
The blood is applied, I am whiter than snow.”

Notice that the beginning and ending of each verse are pretty much the same. Nothing can help us much until we accept the fact that Jesus is Lord. When He become “Lord” of our life then the dark stain is removed. When He washes us with His precious blood we are made whiter than the snow. Now, ponder that for a minute. I have never seen snow, when it falls, in a darkened stage. After sitting on the ground with all the elements and when it begins to melt then it may get dirty and sooty. But that fresh fallen snow, laying in a field, is white. Tell me then, what can be whiter than the snow? The life and heart that has been cleansed by the Lord Jesus.

“Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow,
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Can you see it? Can you feel it? That freshness, that beauty, that clean, wonderful air that is present when the snow falls. Can you see it? Can you feel it? That freshness, that clean-feeling of a heart that has now been made whiter than the snow.

But the way must be long, and as there were the thorns and rocks for his feet, so must there be bruises to his spirit.”
–Zane Grey (Wanderer of the Wasteland)

“But if you fail to drive out the people who live in the land, those who remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land where you live.”
–Proverbs 33:55 (NLT)
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“Any nation at any time–however spiritually alive–is always potentially only a generation away from paganism and mind-defying evil.”
–Ravi Zacharias

I was reading the story of the birth of Moses and his early life on Sunday. It’s hard, I know it’s hard to get that magnificent film of Cecil B. DeMille’s out our one’s mind when thinking of Moses. Look with me for a bit at Moses and the situation in which he came into the world.
The Hebrews were in slavery, bondage to cruel taskmasters. The Egyptians had gained their country back from the rule of the Hyksos and were determined not to be ruled by foreigners, hence they placed the Hebrews in bondage.
The people cried because of their oppression; they sought, prayed for, and begged for deliverance. One thing was missing–to have deliverance you must have a deliverer. On the scene–God.
It is important to remember that Satan always, has always, and will always try to destroy God’s people, whether it be with Israel or Christians. In Egypt, the order was given that all baby boys were to be killed; they were to be thrown into the sacred Nile River, there drown and food for the crocodiles and fish. Notice, they were to be drowned in the religion of the society (ponder that). The purpose was to destroy a generation of men. After a generation the women would be forced to intermarry and thus the people would lose their identity. Look at society today with abortion, the downgrading and demasculization of men, and the gender confusion, or as C.S. Lewis puts it, “men without chests.” (Ponder that as well.) A generation or two and where are the “men”?
Moses, when he was born was supposed to have been thrown in the Nile, but was instead hidden in the Nile. Get this picture, Pharaoh’s daughter hears him crying and secures him. A side-note, God’s work and deliverance often begins with tears. His name was Moses. There is some interesting thoughts here: Moses in Hebrew means to “to draw out,” while in Egyptian it means “child” or “son.” Now here is something else to ponder. The Nile represented deity to the Egyptians and Moses was hidden there, and drawn from the water, therefore, he could be considered a gift from the Nile god. Ahh, but he was a gift from Yahweh, just waiting for the right time.
Being the son of pharaoh’s daughter he was being trained for leadership. He learned all the wisdom of the Egyptians and became mighty in words and deeds. Subjects he would have known would have been engineering, mathematics, astronomy, and religion. Soon he would learn the ways of the wilderness. He knew he was a Hebrew, and one day seeing an Egyptian and a Hebrew fighting he became a “deliverer.” Because of this deed he had to flee for his life to the land of Midian. One of the first things that happens to him there is that he again becomes a “deliverer” by defending the daughters of Jethro. From that point on he learns the ways and laws of the wilderness; he is being equipped and prepared for the special ministry that lay before him. A good point to ponder is that God doesn’t immediately thrust people into ministry.
Forty years of learning, developing leadership in the halls of Pharaoh’s realm, and now forty years of learning, developing leadership in the great temple of God called the wilderness. The people of Israel were in bondage and needed a deliverer; God prepared and sent Moses. Mankind is in even deeper bondage to sin; God sent His Son, Jesus. The problem is that many prefer to remain in bondage.