“Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt-sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.” 1 Kings 18:38
Dear Ones:
There is a big difference between the fire that comes from heaven, and man who tries to light a fire on this earth. Concerning the former, the Heavenly Fire is an all-consuming fire, and this because of its purpose and power. The latter is a meager attempt to create the same power, but for lesser purposes. This particular fire from Heaven is sent to consume an offering, a sacrifice, that which was offered to God, the dramatic consumption of which, was to demonstrate that the Lord was indeed God. It must be grasped that the fire of God is just that, Heavenly Fire by the Holy Spirit. It’s origin and essence is Divine, and not of this earth.
How does the subject of the fire of God apply to us? It has been said that, “…the fire of God only falls on a sacrifice.” When we look at the Lord Jesus the day of His baptism, we find the Holy Spirit coming upon Him in a particular way to enable Him to accomplish His ministry and mission. Thus He would come into Galilee “in the POWER of the Spirit.” On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, demonstrating that the fulfillment of the consequent promise of the Father had come. When Paul would write to the Corinthians, he would declare: “…my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” (1 Cor. 2:4) Again, we see the power of God. What is it that distinguishes a life upon which the fire of God resides, a life which is more than just a “profession” of faith. It is rather a possessing of Christ, and His power. The individual believer who knows something of this fire from heaven, has come to see that there is nothing in and of himself that he can trust in other than Christ. This believer is that one who has come to grips with the truth that he must HAVE God, and God must have him.
Dear Father, grant that Thy blessed Spirit fill us. As the hymn-writer wrote: “..Burn up the dross of base desire, and cause the mountains to flow.” Blessed Spirit of burning, come and burn up that which is not of Christ, and give us Thy zeal, controlled and deliberate…to see the Father glorified by the doing of His will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad