Kaleo San Diego Church

By Stephen Trout

Tina, a dear friend and sister from the East coast and one of millions who watched the San Diego firestorm unfold on national TV, wrote me an e-mail asking this great question: "Steve, how have you seen Jesus in the fire?" She was thinking of course of that scene in Daniel 3, when Nebuchadnezzar squinted into his super-heated furnace (after sacrificing a few soldiers to the intense heat and raging flames so that they could throw in three God-worshippers named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) and saw a fourth guy walking around in the flames with them. Four guys, walking around. Unlike Arthur in Python's Holy Grail, this king had no problem counting higher than three. And because he could count, he was incredulous.

I imagine that Nebuchadnezzar's eyes nearly fell out of his head, for he blurted out in shock and surprise the Babylonian equivalent of "What the ...?" A better question would've been, "Who the...?" Here, thousands of years after the fact, I find it easy to say "Relax, its just Jesus, dude. Don't you get it, king? It has to be, ‘cause only Jesus can take the heat. Of course when you're asked to go through the fire, you want the God-man (the very One who designed fire) with you. Talk about a first responder!" Yes, that's easy for me to say. But in this latest fire, I did find myself at points wondering what God was up to.

But why is it that we might be tempted to doubt God's purposes in fiery trials, or remove God from natural disasters, or not see his redemptive dealings with pagan kings? God is not actively involved, we think, unless He is smoteing someone... ("hmmm, does he even do that anymore?") And so we don't really need prayer as much as we need C-130's to drop water from the sky, or FEMA to be here yesterday, or "the Governator" with his imposing presence to promise everything will be alright, and "I'll be back."

But it doesn't work to divorce God from any aspect of the fire. (He walks around in fires, remember? I'm reminded that He once spoke to Job out of a whirling tornado (Job 38), but that's another story.) And so here is my bold assertion: The San Diego firestorm of 2007 is part of God's plan to bring about the redemption of the world. How could this be, you ask?

Let me suggest that the answer has to do with my friend Tina's question. How have we seen Jesus in the fire? To answer that, you need to know what kind of things Jesus does. (I know the question is similar to "What Would Jesus Do?," but the truth is, we don't exactly know what he would do because Jesus is often wildly and wonderfully unpredictable. But we can safely trust certain things to happen based on what Jesus did for hurting, broken people, as recorded for us in Scripture):

1. Jesus prays for us. We remember how Jesus prayed for His disciples in John 17, and then, quite wonderfully for us, as future believers: "My prayer is not for them alone, I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one...that the world may believe that you have sent me." We know Jesus prayed for us then, so that others - even in San Diego and around the globe - would believe in Him through our unity, but what about right now, today, this moment? Speaking of Jesus (and us), Hebrews 7:25 says "...He always lives to intercede for them," meaning those who come to God by grace through him. In other words, he prays to the Father right now for you. Think of it! The stress of this fire may have brought out in you fears and doubts and even unbelief that you never expected. But there is Good News for even you! You have an Advocate! And right now He speaks to the Father in your defense, showing the Father his wounds, and declaring that you were bought and paid for (I Jn.2:1). You are forgiven. You are loved. You are His, forever. Neither fire nor your sin can ever separate you from Him.

But then another verse sheds even more light, telling us that the Spirit (who is the Spirit of Christ) actually groans in prayer with us and for us: "...the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express (Rom.8:26)." Did you ever imagine that Jesus would groan for you, and with you? I don't know about you, but that is a unique and tender comfort to me. He understands. He sympathizes. He suffers with me, as the True Wounded Healer.

So, how have I seen Jesus in the fire? I've seen Him with the eyes of faith praying for me, defending me, groaning for and with me, and even sensed His Spirit helping me pray in my weakness (see also I Jn.4:13). But I've also seen Jesus in my brothers and sisters in the Kaleo family, other churches, and in my friend Tina and others who were (and are) praying for us, and for each other.

2. Jesus rescued us, and is rescuing us still. I am continually amazed how Christ's suffering and hellish cross becomes an open door for other sufferers to get "up close and personal" with a suffering Savior, and to meet their Redeemer perhaps for the first time. C.S. Lewis was right when he said that "God whispers to us in our pleasures, but shouts to us in our pain." The cross is our ultimate rescue, and we are secure once and forever in Him.

Now, in a sometimes unique and mysterious sense, but also in simple acts of love, we as the physical body of Christ on earth actually bring Christ to hurting people by being there "in the fire" of a person's struggle with them - listening to them, loving them, crying with them, and surrounding them with loving, giving community. In this way we become as Paul Tripp says, "the look in His eyes, the tone of His voice, and the touch of the Savior's hand." The Kingdom grows as seeds are planted in the ashes, watered with our tears, and nourished with Gospel hope. All of this is Jesus. Strange as it may seem, uncommon beauty grows in such ashen soil, just like Calvary.

Yes, we were rescued in an earthly sense as we were relocated from our home. Those fire-fighters, leaders, Red-Cross workers, and neighbors were all a picture of Christ to us, because Christ cares about our physical persons as well as our hearts. And we were "rescued" from discouragement and fear by "Christ in us, the hope of glory"(Col. 1:27), and by His interceding Spirit reminding us of His many promises as He prayed for us. But we also heard the "voice of Christ" in the phone calls of concern, felt the "touch of Christ" in the hugs of others, and witnessed "the provision of Christ" in the many offers of tangible help and shelter. Heartfelt thanks to all of you who were Christ to us, and to each other.

3. Jesus is setting me free to love. Sharing in the suffering of others uniquely grows our character. Speaking for myself, in such times of trial and suffering I learn what it is to love in practice, rather than "I Corinthians 13 theory." The example of Christ - whose person and work is the embodiment of the Gospel - breaks in like a true firestorm to my cold heart: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends (Jn.15:13)." As a result, I pray more for others, (and not just me!), I mourn more, and learn to enter the "house of mourning" with others, realizing so much more about God and the seasons He brings (see Eccles.7:3,4; also 3:4), and I give myself away more. I even have opportunity to rejoice more as I see God's grace shine like diamonds against the dark cloth of suffering. In short, I am reminded why I am on the earth in the first place: I am here for God and neighbor. I become a better lover, like Jesus. My inherent narcissism, thank God, can be burned up in the flames.

So I ask myself, "Did I love others like Jesus in the "Firestorm of 2007?" I hope in some small way I did. I'm also painfully aware of how far short I fell, which is why my ultimate hope is not in me, but in the Gospel. Yes, there are more folks I could've called, or visited, and provided tangible aid, comfort, and counsel to. Perhaps in the coming days we'll all have the opportunity to do more, as some will undoubtedly be suffering with post-traumatic stress and the reality of loss, and many will need our care (see my forthcoming blog at www.kaleocounseling.com for more thoughts on PTS). I look forward to all of the "open doors" that are now being made. Jesus is still walking, amazingly, in the flames and ashes.

These are just some of the painfully beautiful ways the Kingdom advances. And it does advance, precisely because King Jesus- along with His people- advances into burning furnaces, burning fields and houses, and even more amazing, cold-as-stone hearts, promising a greater hope: Himself. Greater love, greater security, greater joy than any earthly promises can deliver. So in these coming days, let us continue to see Jesus in the Fire, as well as all our individual "fires," and rejoice in hope of the day when we'll not look up to see smoke attempting to blot out the sun, but rather the True Son coming on the clouds to rescue us finally and fully: "...there before me was one like the son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven...He was given authority, glory, and sovereign power...His dominion is an everlasting dominion, that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed (Dan. 7:13,14)." And in the meantime may "every heart prepare Him room, and let heaven and nature sing!" And by the way, thanks for asking, Tina.