On Fire for the Lord
- Richard Selke
- May 6
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 3
May 7, 2025
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I was in jail in Marble Falls – just visiting!
I was waiting on some paperwork that would allow me to enter Gatesville Prison with Kairos Prison Ministry, where we would be sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with incarcerated men, most of whom were serving life sentences for murder.
While waiting, I met a young pastor who was with a local church. I asked him the name of his church and, with a smile, he replied, “Smokin’ for Jesus.”
The name, which is drawn from Revelation 3:16 (KJV), made me smile: “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” This church, however, is anything but lukewarm. Their story is a parable of listening to God’s voice, following Him through storms and trusting His leading even when the road ahead is uncertain.
Smoking for Jesus Ministries was founded in New Orleans in 1996. In August, 2005, as Hurricane Katrina was approaching the Gulf Coast, the entire congregation decided to evacuate the city – together. A caravan of approximately 200 people in over 40 vehicles began what they thought would be a three-day journey. Instead, it turned out to be a spiritual pilgrimage that lasted nearly forty days and continues today.
They drove about 300 miles to a Christian retreat center in Lumberton, Texas. While there, they sent scouts back to New Orleans to access the damage. Based on their reports, the church decided not to return en masse – at least not yet. After three weeks in Lumberton, they had to flee again, this time from Hurricane Rita. Some members chose to return to New Orleans, but most continued their journey together. They traveled to Longview, then Dallas, then Austin, all in a span of a few weeks – always staying together, always worshipping the Lord, always praying for guidance.
Eventually, a decision was made: they would not return to New Orleans. They would trust God to lead them to a new home.
That home turned out to be Marble Falls. A newly completed apartment complex had just opened, with enough available units to house most of the congregation! Not long after, the church purchased an existing church building and surrounding acreage. What started as an evacuation became a divine relocation. Smoking for Jesus Ministry permanently settled in the Texas Hill Country.
Before meeting the pastor, I had stopped several times at The Real New Orleans Style Restaurant which was located in a truck stop in Round Mountain. The Cajun cooking, especially the chicken sausage gumbo, was outstanding – almost as good as Treebeards (no okra.) And I had wondered, “How in the world, did this restaurant end up in Round Mountain?”
Now I knew.
While in New Orleans, Smoking for Jesus Ministry had started businesses to support the church and spread the Gospel. They brought the same spirit of enterprise and outreach to Marble Falls, opening a beauty salon, a car wash, a lawn care service and the Cajun restaurant. They were building not just a church, but a Christ-centered community.
Eugene Peterson, in The Message, paraphrases Revelation 3:15-17, the passage that inspired the name “Smoking for Jesus”: “I [God] know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re not hot – far better to be either cold or hot! You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, ‘I’m rich, I’ve got it made, I need nothing from anyone,’ oblivious that in fact you’re a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless.” Revelation 3:15-17, The Message.
That’s a fair description of where many Christians find themselves today, though few will admit it. The story of Smoking for Jesus Ministry is a testimony of what it looks like to live by faith, to trust in God even when the road is long and uncertain, and to stay spiritually on fire. Founding Pastor Willie Monnet reflected on the lesson he and his church learned from Katrina and Rita: “You may never know where or why or how God might lead you, but you must trust in Him.”
REMEMBER & BELIEVE
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
In the meantime, the Lord walks with us through all of the twists and turns,
wrong ways and dead ends, relocations and redirections of life.
He is Immanuel, God with us. Trust Him!
QUESTIONS
Where are you right now – spiritually, emotionally, physically? Are you following the crowd or following Christ? Is Jesus your Guide, or are you relying on your own strength and wisdom?
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, we don’t want to live lukewarm lives. Set our hearts ablaze with love for You. Teach us to trust You, especially when we don’t know the way. Lead us through storms, and help us to follow You step by step. We want to be on fire for You – burning with hope, faith and love.
Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil and the evil one. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
Amen
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (NRSV)
God bless you!
Richard
Christ Worshipper | Disciple Maker | Hope Giver
Welcome to In the Meantime. I'm glad you're here! We are living in the time between Christ's ascension into heaven and His promised return to earth. In the Meantime is a collection of stories about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and His presence, love, mercy and grace in my life. In the Meantime, Jesus is Lord! Hallelujah!