The Letters from Roscoe

The Three Torches

When I was a young kid a friend of mine found a box of matches.  These were the small wooden matches and on the label was the name and design, Three Torches.  There were three crossed torches burning brightly as the illustration on the box. 

There were three of us boys playing together that day, and while I remember who had the matches (I’d tell you who he was but he would probably get in trouble.) I don’t remember who the third kid was.  That’s strange . . . but not really important.

Anyway, we decided to form a club and the name of the club was ‘The Three Torches’.  We thought because there were three of us, that together we would be stronger and more powerful.  I think maybe the life of that club may have lasted for that one afternoon.  I don’t really recall any other time where we convened an actual meeting of the ‘Three Torches Club’.

But the idea that was behind that club is important.  And the use of matches to illustrate that idea is equally important and presents a much clearer understanding of something that everyone should be practicing . . . pardon the pun . . . religiously.

Going to Church.

You see, we all need to go to Church.  And we should do it religiously.  We need to surround ourselves with other believers.  We need to feel the spirit of God working within us and the cleansing power of worship and thankfulness that comes with a visit to God’s house.    

Remember what Christ said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”  (So maybe that third kid was important after all.)

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Matthew 18:20 KJV

Yes, I understand that you may already believe in God, you may already believe in the resurrection, you may already believe in Jesus and the promise of an everlasting life.  But you still need to attend and be involved in Church.

If you stay at home and never attend or join in the Church you are like a match that is pulled out of that ‘Three Torches’ box and lit inside of a dark room.  You may flare brightly for a moment, but then quickly you settle down to just a small flame and eventually you die out.   No matter how fervently you pray or how strongly you believe, unless you go to a place where you can share your Christian spirit with others you will most likely never kindle that spirit in others causing them to ignite for Christ.  Your spiritual fire cannot ignite an idea in others that may need the spiritual help and direction that only you and your unique experiences may be able to provide.  All of your time and your energy will have been spent.

Now I want you to think about this.

You take that match, you light it and then place it back in the box with the other matches and watch what happens!

Your match touches another and it lights off!  The flames keep leaping from match to match as more and more matches are ignited!  In seconds the whole box of matches is burning brightly and blasting the shadows away!  The box burns brighter and brighter reaching further and further into the dark before it too finally burns its fuel away and fizzles out.

Wow!  A lot more powerful right?

Now I want you to think of those matches as people.  OK?

That very first person is filled with the Holy Spirit they begin to burn with the light of Christ.  The person or people next to them begin to see the spirit of Christ within them and the fire jumps from one to the other.  Over and over this cycle repeats until there is a blazing conflagration.  Everyone is filled with the Spirit and a burning desire to worship and follow our Lord.

But do you know where the story changes from the box of matches?  With the box of matches, the fire having spent all of its fuel, always goes out.

But when you have people filled with the Holy Spirit that fire never goes out.  It never runs out of fuel. 

People come and go.  They may move from Church to Church.  New people come in and receive the Holy Spirit for the very first time burning strong and bright.  Their newly kindled spirit reignites those flickering older flames around them.  Sermons are preached, Sunday school lessons are taught.  All of this activity renews that supply of fuel.  By staying in Church and attending regularly we are constantly renewing our spiritual fire and renewing the spiritual fire of others!

So there you have it.

To put it simply and in terms that relates strongly to this topic here are two rules to live by:

First, ‘Don’t play with matches because you’ll get burned!’ and second, ‘Attend Church regularly to prevent burning!’