“…I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long. But if I say, ‘I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,’ his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” Jeremiah 20:7-10

In the middle of Jeremiah’s incredible ministry, he has an honest complaint to God. It was simple. The words of God had brought him ridicule, insult and reproach all day long. Things start getting hot when you start preaching the word! Indeed, Jesus aptly summed it up when he said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind it hated me first” (John 15:18). Jesus knew how it felt to be hated by the world because of his commitment to God’s message. Jeremiah knew how it felt. Our first century brothers knew how it felt. If we truly desire to follow Jesus, then we will receive the same persecution he received. Every disciple of Jesus Christ must be willing endure hardship in order to preach the word.

Christianity that pushes the limits is rare in our religious world. For far too many, Christianity is about rules and regulations, what you can and cannot do. Real Christianity is about having an intimate relationship with our Creator and because we love him, we obey his commands. Interestingly, children are much the same way. A child obeying only out of obligation is destined to rebel. On the other hand, a child who loves his father will obey him even when there is no obligation to do so. In Jeremiah 20 , the prophet passionately says, “his word is in my heart like a fire…” and “I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” Jeremiah was inspired by his relationship with God, consumed by his mission and captivated by his purpose. The world needs more men & women on fire for God!

Unfortunately, our world and especially singles today are consumed with themselves. Before becoming a true disciple my life was consumed with self, self, and more self. I went to church every Sunday and sadly, looked for immorality at nightclubs every Saturday. What I spent my money on, who I dated and how I spent my time was centered on me. Christianity at that time was more cultural than anything else. I wanted the best God had to offer and the best our world had to offer. Obviously, in my sin, I wasn’t on fire for God. For me, half-hearted Christianity was a powerless, hopeless & lifeless religion. I desperately needed someone to confront me on my heart. Elijah, knowing the dangers of wanting the best of both worlds, confronted the Israelites with this same sin. He said, “How long will you waver between two opinions…” (1 Kings 18:21). On a personal level, God wants us to be totally committed to him every single day. Thankfully, that doesn’t mean He expects perfection. If that were the case we could never please God. Being totally committed does mean giving God all of our heart. God has made us in such a way that total commitment to him is the only thing that will fulfill us. Sex, careers, hobbies and the other things our world offers pale in comparison to the fulfillment & joy given to us in Christ Jesus. I constantly thank my God because in my ignorance he sent someone who, using the Bible, called me to a full life through total commitment to Jesus Christ.

In the first century following the Lord’s resurrection from the dead, persecution and thus total commitment were normal for a Christian. At first, Roman authorities of the first century ignored Christianity, but when Christians refused to worship the ancient deities of Rome, intense persecution followed. Many experienced horrific deaths during this time. Some were stoned or set ablaze, while others were sawed in two or fed to the animals. To force husbands to recant, wives were burned. To force mothers to recant, sons and daughters were tortured. As a result, many Christians showed themselves faithful even to the point of death. From the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 7), Christians knew teaching what Jesus taught could cost them their very lives!

Excitingly, it was this basic level of commitment to Jesus that changed the world. Our first century brother Paul states, “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing… This gospel has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven” (Colossians 1:6, 23). A movement of churches composed completely of totally committed disciples can win the world! Unfortunately, Christianity today is far from the kind of commitment it takes to save our own souls much less this world. I know this to be true because I have attended countless churches and I was never called to this kind of commitment. For us today, every one of us must count this cost. “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…” (2 Timothy 3:12). We must know that we also will be persecuted for our radical stand for Jesus Christ and our refusal to bow down to the gods of this world. Similarly, it is only when we become part of a ministry where every person is called to this basic level of commitment that will we ever win the world for God. Today, Christianity is in desperate need of restoration!

With this same heart and spirit, we the Downtown Singles of the Chicago International Christian Church, announce the start of a new ministry called the FIRE Ministry. The Acronym FIRE stands for Fervor for International Restoration & Evangelism. In this ministry we will be committed to:

1. Restoring first century Christianity through the study of scripture & prayer.

2. Igniting an intimate relationship with God through total commitment to Him.

3. Consuming the singles in the city of Chicago & the world through evangelization.

Chicago has always been familiar with fire. In fact, one could say the city of Chicago was built because of fire. In 1871, Chicago was burned in the Great Chicago Fire. What started as a small fire eventually spread as hot winds carried fire from house to house decimating the city and only leaving five public buildings intact. The wood buildings of the time assisted in spreading the fire. After the fire, citizens of Chicago were determined to rebuild Chicago. The first, skyscraper was erected during the coming years and many would follow. Miraculously, between 1870 and 1900 Chicago grew from a city of 299,000 to nearly 1.7 Million, the fastest growing city in human history!

Although, the fire had consumed everything in its path, Chicago would become one of the most influential cities in the world. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we too are to spread the gospel to everyone in our path and prayerfully, more and more will be filled with the fire only God provides. Let’s start another fire that reaches the ends of the earth for our God!

Let’s do it for God and let’s do it for the kingdom,
Anthony Franklin

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