Revival

Revival Fire | How Can I Spread the Fire of God?

Fire on the day of Pentecost

The purpose of the Holy Spirit’s fire can be vividly seen in the account of the day of Pentecost. John the Baptist had promised that Jesus would “…baptize…with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). Jesus promised this baptism of the Holy Spirit to the disciples immediately before He ascended to heaven. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…” (Acts 1:8). He commanded His disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit.

The disciples were waiting and praying in an upper room for many days. “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:1-4).

What seemed to be flames of fire rested on the head of each disciple! This fire was the visible manifestation of the presence of the Holy Spirit. One hundred twenty disciples were instantly empowered to begin spreading the fire of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus told the disciples they would become witnesses to the ends of the earth when they received the Holy Spirit! He declared, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Fire must spread! The Holy Spirit’s fire gave the disciples the power they needed to take the gospel around the world. This heavenly fire gave the uneducated fisherman, Peter, the boldness to stand up in front of a huge crowd and begin preaching.

Peter began preaching with fire! Peter, quoting from the prophet Joel, proclaimed, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days…” (Acts 2:17-18). Joel also tells us that one of the signs of the last times will be fire (Acts 2:19).

Peter preached the good news that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21). He told the crowds, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off…” (Acts 2:38-39).

Three thousand people were saved as a result of Peter’s fiery sermon that day (Acts 2:41). The story of Acts is the story of the spread of the Holy Spirit’s fire. The fire inside of the individual disciples quickly became a wildfire no one could contain. The religious leaders of Jerusalem tried to stop it, but they failed. The Romans tried to stop the fire and they did no better than the priests. The fire spread and spread until the entire Roman Empire had heard the Word of the Lord.

Fire gave the disciples a boldness to witness. This same fire will also give you the boldness to be a witness. When you are filled with God’s fire, there is no need to be timid in sharing your faith.

The Bible promises that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. In addition, everyone who repents and is baptized, will be filled with the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit fills you, He will come with fire. This fire will begin to spread to the people around you. You will begin to see people saved, healed, and delivered as they come in contact with your fire.

The purpose of being filled with the Holy Spirit is to be a witness. It is vital to spread the fire once you have caught it. Fire must spread or it will go out. Fire will give you urgent, burning compassion to save the lost.

How Revival Fire Spreads

Every substance has a temperature it must reach before it will burst into flames. Firemen call this temperature “flashpoint.” Every substance on this earth has a flashpoint. There is nothing on the face of the earth which can not be marred, altered, or changed by fire. Every substance will burn at some temperature.

When any substance reaches its flashpoint, it will begin to burn. Paper ignites at 200-210 degrees Fahrenheit. Wood has a higher flashpoint. Steel and concrete must be extremely hot before they burn. Something hard (like steel) is more difficult to ignite than something soft (like paper). Every material will burn if it is hot enough.

Every natural substance has a flashpoint. In the spiritual world, everything has a flashpoint too. There is a point when the revival fire of God will cause a wildfire to break forth. Every individual heart has a flashpoint. Every city has a flashpoint. Every nation has a flashpoint. A spiritual flashpoint is the supernatural temperature a spirit must reach before it will burst into flames.

Every Christian has the potential to be the spark which will start a mighty revival! For a fire to start where you are, you need to be burning hotter than your area’s flashpoint. The passion inside of your life can suddenly cause your home or city to burst into flames.

Different places have different flashpoints. In the same way that a soft substance burns easier than a hard material, a soft heart will reach its flashpoint and start burning much quicker than a hard heart. This is why it is important to keep your heart soft toward God.

The Bible often describes people with hard hearts. Some hearts are hard and some are soft. Some areas are spiritually sensitive and some areas are cold. Some places only need a spark to set a fire going, and some places are going to need a blowtorch.

It is possible for a single, passionate, sold out, follower of Christ, to change the entire spiritual climate of an area. One pastor can change a city! One family member can turn an entire family towards God. One church can change the world if they would only fan the dying embers into red hot flames!

Revival fires will only burn to the degree that spiritual temperatures have surpassed the flashpoint. The key to changing the temperature from a lukewarm Christianity to a raging fire is prayer! Prayer always precedes the Holy Spirit’s fire. Before the day of Pentecost occurred, the disciples prayed intensely in the upper room. Revival is going to require massive amounts of prayer from the saints.

Every fire burns hotter if it has more fuel. Every Christian who begins to pray for revival, tosses a new log into the fireplace. This is why we can not rely only on our leaders to seek God, we must seek Him ourselves. For the wildfire to spread across the world, every Christian must be burning hot!

The more prayers prayed, the hotter the Christians saying the prayers will burn. The more you pray, the more fire you will experience. If you want to burn as hot as the flashpoint in your area, you must pray, pray, pray!

Total, consuming, unquenchable Revival Fire

In some forest fires, fire will spread slowly through the underbrush. But if the wind picks up and begins whipping up the flames, the fire quickly changes. It begins to leap from treetop to treetop. It almost instantly becomes a roaring wall of flame which can move faster than a man can run and suddenly the forest fire consumes everything in its path.

The Holy Spirit appeared like a rushing, mighty wind on the day of Pentecost. He blew heat into the fires which had been started in the disciples lives. They suddenly became an unbelievable force which could not be stopped. A gust of the Holy Spirit’s wind in your1ife will do the same thing. Once a fire starts burning strong nothing can stop it from spreading.

Firemen know they only have a limited amount of time in which it is possible for them to stop a fire. Once a fire has reached a certain point, firemen can only attempt to contain the fire and hope it runs out of fuel. Flashover is the term firefighters use to explain this phenomenon. Once a fire experiences flashover it becomes impossible to quench.

It is time for the church to experience flashover! Fire will consume, cremate, and incinerate every work of the devil. Once the church stops smoldering and starts blazing, it will accomplish great and mighty deeds for God.

Do you remember the nuclear meltdown in the Russian powerplant at Chernobyl? The meltdown was caused when some plutonium accidentally overheated. The plutonium will burn for thousands and thousands of years. In an effort to extinguish the burning, radioactive material, the Russian army poured over 300,000,000 tons of concrete over the burning nuclear fuel but the plutonium is still burning. Basically it will burn for thousands of years. It is impossible to quench.

It is impossible for Satan to quench a burning Christian. The fire of God should continue to spread from person to person for thousands of years. The only one who can prevent the spread of the Spirit’s fire is you. I exhort you, in the words of Paul, “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire”! (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

Ignite Genuine Passion for Jesus and a Revival Fire in Your Heart as you read Daniel King’s book on the Fire of God.

Revival Fire | How can I Keep the Fire of God Bright in my Life?

Once upon a time, there were a bunch of monkeys living in a forest. When men came to the forest, the monkeys were intrigued by the fires the men built. As the men sat around their campfire, the monkeys would longingly watch the beautiful, sparkling fire. When the men went to bed, the monkeys would sneak down from the trees and sit around the fire to warm up in its glowing. The monkeys enjoyed the fire, but they did not know how to put logs on the fire to keep it going. Even though there was plenty of firewood available, the monkeys would allow the fire to slowly die out. How many Christians enjoy the fire of God, but they fail to do what it takes to keep that fire going?

We must preserve, maintain, tend and protect the hot, intense, burning, all consuming power of God. We can only keep the fire by staying in God’s presence.

I thank God for my parents, Robert and Susan King. They are the reason I have kept the fire of God. Many teenagers have a period of rebellion in their lives when they stray from their godly upbringing. I was blessed by not having to experience the pain of backsliding. Ever since I was a child, I have loved and served God with everything within me. I attribute this to my mother’s dedication to a practice we called “Morning Praise and Worship.” Every morning, my mother would wake me and my brothers and sisters up and we would spend time worshiping God, praying, and listening to powerful sermons on cassette tape. These daily times of worship kept the fire burning bright inside of me.

In the midst of busyness, tiredness, self-pity, discouragement, worry, or distractions; we must maintain our fervor for the things of God. This is accomplished by spending time praying, reading the Bible, praising God and associating with people who are on fire for God. Here are four logs we can throw on the fire to keep it burning bright.

Prayer keeps the fire bright

Prayer always precedes fire! Before the fire fell on the disciples on Pentecost, they had spent many days in prayer. “They all joined together constantly in prayer…” (Acts 1:14). Every great revival began when a core group of believers began to pray. Prayer always sparks divine intervention in human affairs.

No prayer equals no fire. Prayer is the link which allows us to commune with God’s Spirit. To be on fire is to be in prayer continually. We are exhorted to be “faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12). If you want to catch on fire for God, first you must pray. If you want to stay on fire for God, you must continue to pray.

When one stops praying, it is like putting a stop to breathing. Your physical man must breathe in order to stay alive. In the same way, your spiritual man must pray in order to survive. Praying should be an automatic part of life. Prayer should come as easily as breathing. Without contact with God, the spirit man begins to die. Jesus instructed the disciples to “always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1). Paul also instructs us from across the centuries to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). How long would you survive if you decided to take a couple of days or even a couple of minutes off from breathing?

Someone once asked the powerful minister Smith Wigglesworth how much time he prayed each day. Mr. Wigglesworth regularly saw unbelievable miracles occur in his services and he raised several people from the dead. This man wanted to know the secret to Wigglesworth’s success. He probably wanted to discover the magic number of hours Wigglesworth spent in prayer each day. Wigglesworth surprised the man by saying, “I never pray for more then fifteen minutes at a time. . . but I never go more then fifteen minutes without praying.” In other words, Wigglesworth had a continual relationship with God.

It has been pointed out that, “It is better to pray a little bit a lot, than it is to pray a lot a little bit.” I believe the essence of being on fire involves being aware of God all the time and developing the habit of consulting Him about the little details of our lives.

Jesus is looking for followers who pray. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus was deeply distressed about His upcoming crucifixion. He asked His disciples to pray, and instead they fell asleep. “Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Mark 14:37-38).

Without prayer you will never stay on fire for God. Prayer is important at every stage of spiritual fire. Always remember the door to your prayer closet is also the door into the throne room of God. Prayer is the key to keeping the fire.

Reading the Word keeps the fire bright

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). When the psalmist wrote this verse there were no electric flashlights. The light he was referring to was a blazing, fiery torch and the lamp was a clay dish filled with oil which gave off light as the wick burned. God’s Word is the fire that leads and guides us on the path of righteousness.

“…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 20:9). Imagine a steam engine. An engineer builds a fire under a large boiler full of water. As the water heats, it begins to boil. As it boils it begins to build up huge amounts of pressure. If the steam is not released, the fire will cause the boiler to explode.

“’Is not my word like fire,’ declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:29). Jeremiah was so full of God’s Word, he felt like a pressure cooker. He absolutely could not stay quiet any longer. The Word was in his heart like a fire. Hearing the Word builds up faith inside. “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).

God’s Word will build up inside of a Christian, until he is burning hot! This heat causes the Word of God to literally explode out of an on-fire Christian. When a person has enough of God’s Word built up inside, the Word will begin to be spoken. “…For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34).

The Lord told Joshua, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8). Joshua was successful in everything that he did because he meditated on the Word day and night. He was a mighty man of valor who relied on God’s Word to lead a million people across the Jordan River in order to take the land of Canaan. Joshua declared, “…as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15). Joshua had the faith to declare this because he was full of God’s Word. He knew the value of keeping the fire.

Praising God keeps the fire bright

Two men were thrown into prison even though they had done nothing wrong. They were cruelly whipped until their backs bled. Their feet were forced into stocks. These discouraging events were enough to damper anyone’s fire and leave them disillusioned and depressed.

Despite their troubles, the two men would not allow their fire to be puffed out so easily by the devil. Instead of despairing, they began to praise God. Even though they were chained up, surrounded by guards, and in a situation that looked hopeless, they rejoiced in God’s goodness. “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25). The prisoners were not the only ones who heard, God was also listening to them sing praises and when God heard their songs, He began to tap His foot along with the beat. When God began to tap His foot, it caused an earthquake. The earthquake shook the chains right off of Paul and Silas. “Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose” (Acts 16:26).

The Bible tells us that the jailer and his entire family were saved that night. If Paul and Silas had not praised God, the jailer would not have been saved. When they began to praise God, it stirred the fire within them. In the midst of terrible circumstances, praising and worshiping God will keep the fire burning.

Praise prepares our hearts for fire. It will also rekindle a fire that has started to cool off. When we tell of the great and mighty things which God has done, it changes our attitude. We stop thinking about ourselves and we begin thinking of God’s greatness. Praise enables us to keep the fire of God burning bright.

Being around people who are red-hot keeps the fire bright

Have you ever been around someone who throws water on your wood? The people you associate with will determine the level of your passion for God. Lukewarm people are often critical of radical followers of Christ. They attempt to bring people down to their level of indifference and mediocrity. As Billy Joe Daugherty says, “Lukewarmers are not overcomers.” If you want to be an overcomer, stay away from those who are lukewarm. The fire of God has no fellowship with icicles.

The best way to stay on fire for God is be around people who are zealous for God. Fire is contagious. It is like an infectious disease that people can catch just by being near someone who enthusiastically serves God.

If you hang out with people who are always talking about reaching out to the lost and worshiping God, you will be motivated to act like they do. On the other hand, if you keep company with people who are cussing and watching bad movies, you will begin to imitate them. Your life will become a reflection of the people you spend time with. Do you want to be around people who light your fire or who wet your wood? You must make a choice.

Paul commanded the believers in Philippi, “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you” (Philippians 3:17). A joining together of Christians will produce a synergy which will increase the temperature of the entire group. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…” (Hebrews 10:25). A group of believers joined together will accomplish great things for God.

Being in the presence of Jesus will definitely keep the fire bright. After his resurrection, Jesus walked with two men on the road to Emmaus and explained the scriptures to them. Afterwards, they asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32).

You will become like those you are around. Stay near people who have fervency, energy, intensity, and enthusiasm for God and you will be on fire as well. Praying, reading the Bible, praising God, and mingling with fired up Christians are all essential ingredients for remaining in God’s presence.

Ignite Genuine Passion for Jesus and a Revival Fire in Your Heart as you read Daniel King’s book on the Fire of God.

Revival Fire | How does Satan Attack an On-Fire Christian?

How Satan tries to put out the fire

Satan will attack the on-fire Christian with everything in his arsenal. If outright trials and tribulations do not work, he will employ subtle distractions and excuses to slowly quench the original fire. Here are some of the tricky techniques Satan will use to try to quench your sensitivity to the Spirit.

Busyness If Satan can not make you bad, then he will make you busy. Sometimes people get so entangled in the web of life, that they stop spending time with God. Working, shopping, making dinner, going to soccer practice, and watching TV can make your life so hectic, that it is impossible to keep the fire burning. If you want to keep the fire hot, make God your first priority. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).
Tiredness I have a friend who was once on fire for God. He regularly went out witnessing, and he was excited about being a Christian. Sadly, he is now living in sin and never goes to church. When I asked him why he was no longer serving God, he told me, “I was tired of resisting all the temptations.” Some people become tired of going to church or of reading the Bible. This attitude produces apathy. “…never tire of doing what is right” (2 Thess. 3:13).
Self-pity When things begin to go wrong, Satan quickly attacks the emotions by whispering thoughts of insignificance and inferiority. As the on-fire Christian begins to listen, self-pity wells up and quickly strangles the fire. Self-pity occurs when someone removes their eyes from Jesus and starts focusing on their problems. Don’t feel sorry for yourself. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).
Discouragement A newly, born again Christian enthusiastically begins to share the gospel with others. When there is little or no response, it is easy to get discouraged. The original fire begins to go out, leaving nothing but a memory of the first fervor. Do not be discouraged, Jesus is with you. He promised, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
Worry What am I going to eat tomorrow? What am I going to wear? Am I going to have enough money? These tiny, everyday questions can act as a fire extinguisher. Stop worrying, God will take care of you. “…Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear…” (Matthew 6:25).
Distractions The world around us demands our attention through cell phones, e-mail, television, music, newspapers, and advertisements. It is all too easy to be distracted from spending time with God. These distractions can quickly snuff out one’s enthusiasm for serving God. Keep your eyes on Jesus instead of on distractions. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:2).
Strife Jealousy, envy, and fighting – such is the currency of the devil’s realm. Since the beginning of time, Satan has been stirring up strife. Wars, murders, and church splits all stem from this deadly disease. The fire of God can not fall when people are bickering with one another. The solution to strife is to walk in love with those around you. “For where envying and strife is, there is every evil thing” (James 3:16 – KJV).
Unforgiveness, Bitterness, and Hate Your spiritual passion for God can not coexist with your unforgiveness towards others. An old saying tells us that love is blind, but I think hate is even more blind. Hate can actually prevent you from seeing reality. When you build a wall of bitterness around your heart, it cuts you off from God’s blessings and guidance. Unforgiveness blinds you to what life is really like. If you walk in unforgiveness, you walk in the dark. “Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him” ( I John 2:10‑11).

How to resist Satan

How can we resist these cunning strategies of the devil? First, we must recognize what the great deceiver is attempting to accomplish. Each of these potential fire extinguishers take our minds off of Christ and place the focus on ourselves. So, the solution is to be continually focused on God. If we submit to God and resist the devil, the Bible promises that the evil one will flee from us (James 4:7).

Second, we must be fervent in the Spirit. “Never lag in zeal and in honest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11 – Amplified).We should never be lax in our relationship with God. We should maintain the same zeal we had for God when we were first saved. We must always keep our first love for God by glowing and burning with the Spirit.

Third, we need to remember that God’s presence is precious. Esteem and value the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Strive to never do anything that would quench the fire of God. There are several things we need to do to remain in God’s presence. In the next chapter we will examine several keys to keeping the fire bright. These include: prayer, Bible reading, praise, and staying around those who are on fire.

Ignite Genuine Passion for Jesus and a Revival Fire in Your Heart as you read Daniel King’s book on the Fire of God.

Revival Fire | Have you Lost the Fire of God?

Some like it hot, some like it cold…

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16). Jesus, the faithful and true witness, spoke these words to the church in the city of Laodicea. Apparently, the church had once been on fire for God, but they had cooled off. They had allowed the embers to chill, and the flames to die out.

Jesus condemned them harshly for forgetting his power. Someone who loses the fire of God is worse in God’s eyes than someone who never even experienced the fire of God. This is because they have had a taste of God’s fire, and they have lost it. Anyone who returns to the bland diet of the world after tasting the magnificence of God’s glory deserves to be spit from God’s mouth. This type of person has a form of godliness, but they deny the power of God. They talk about what God has done in the past, but they never see God move in the present.

Jesus goes on to tell them, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire…” (Revelation 3:18). Even though the Laodiceans had become lukewarm, there was a solution. Those who have lost the fire of God can find it again. If you have become lukewarm, it is easy to burst into flames again. Jesus will meet you where you are, and reignite a flame in your heart. Jesus promised, “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

It is vital to keep God’s fire burning hot in your life. As long as a hot air balloon stays hot, it continues to rise. However, if the air inside the balloon begins to cool off, it will start to sink. The cooler the air, the faster it descends. If a balloon gets lukewarm, it will never fulfill its purpose. Keep the fire burning!

Fan God’s gift into flame

Paul urged Timothy, “…I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6). Notice, the fire originally came from God when Paul laid his hands on Timothy, but now Paul is instructing Timothy to make a conscious effort to keep the fire burning. If the fire of God is neglected, it will slowly wane and eventually be quenched.

After a fire is started it needs to be nurtured. Paul’s imagery suggests a tiny flame which must be blown until it is burning strong. Fanning a flame provides oxygen which causes the fire to burn hotter. This oxygen is the breath of the Holy Spirit, blowing away cobwebs and causing dying embers to glow once again. The more a fire is fanned, the hotter it will burn.

Do not quench the fire

“Do not put out the Spirit’s fire” (1 Thess. 5:19). It is possible to lose the fire of God. This can be a slow, deadly process which begins with apathy, proceeds to stagnation, and ultimately ends with the ashes of spiritual indifference. The King James Version says, “Quench not the Spirit within you.” Quenching the Spirit of God causes lukewarmness. Keeping the fire burning bright is the result of a decision we make to maintain our relationship with God. The Spirit is quenched when we take our eyes off Jesus, and begin to focus on the lies of Satan.

Ignite Genuine Passion for Jesus and a Revival Fire in Your Heart as you read Daniel King’s book on the Fire of God.

Revival Fire | How is God Like a Fire?

Throughout the Bible, fire is used as a symbol to portray God. As I was writing this, I asked myself, “Why is fire used to represent God?” After thinking about the question, I realized that God reveals Himself in the physical world as a fire, because the hot, intense, burning of a fire expresses, in a poor way, God’s true awesomeness. Just as a flickering fire mesmerizes the imagination, God staggers the thought processes of mankind.

There are two different ways the fire of God is used in the Bible. First, God’s fire can symbolize the power, the presence, and the anointing of God. Second, fire can also represent God’s judgment on those who are wicked. We will be exploring the judgmental aspects of fire in a later chapter. Here we will examine some of the places in the Bible where God revealed His presence as a fire. Each occurrence of the fire highlighted in this chapter has a lesson for those hungry for the fire of God, so pay close attention as you read.

Adam and Eve saw the fire of God in the form of a flaming sword which flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. This flaming sword was defending the garden because of the sin of Adam and Eve. God’s fire protected the first man and woman from eating from the tree of life, which would have caused them to live forever in the midst of their sin. God’s fire will protect a Christian from sin.

Abraham saw God as a smoking firepot and a blazing torch. The Lord desired to make a covenant with his servant. He instructed Abraham to prepare a sacrifice of a heifer, a goat, a ram, a dove, and a young pigeon. These animals were to be a symbol of an eternal covenant between man and God. In the ancient Middle East, when two men made covenants, they would sacrifice these animals and then they would walk between the pieces to symbolize their covenant relationship. Abraham obeyed God by cutting the animals in half, and God appeared to Abraham. “When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram…” (Genesis 15:17-18). God’s fire sealed the covenant between Abraham and God. Today God still makes covenants with mankind through Jesus Christ; these covenants are sealed when the fire of the Holy Spirit comes to burn in our lives.

Moses saw the fire of God within a burning bush. Moses was out in the middle of a desert, watching his father-in-law’s sheep, when suddenly he saw a fire. “There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, ‘I will go over and see this strange sight — why the bush does not burn up.’” When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’…” (Exodus 3:2-4). Moses found his destiny when he discovered God’s fire. You will find your destiny when you discover God’s fire.

The children of Israel saw the Almighty as a pillar of fire which led them by night (Exodus 13:21). This pillar was like a huge nightlight. God’s fire led the children of Israel for forty years in the desert. The same fire that led the Israelites will lead us today.

The children of Israel also saw God come down on Mount Sinai as a fire. After a three day period of consecration “…Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently” (Exodus 19:17-18). When the people saw God’s fire, they trembled in fear. There was thunder, lightning, and a loud trumpet blast which frightened them. They stayed as far away as possible and they told Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die” (Exodus 20:19).

The people did not want to hear the voice of God. Even though they were interested in what God was saying to Moses, they did not want to hear God themselves. Later, Moses chided them when he said, “The LORD spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain. (At that time I stood between the LORD and you to declare to you the word of the LORD, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain…” (Deuteronomy 5:4‑5).

The people were content to stay in the valley. They did not want to ascend to the top of the mountain of Sinai. “To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain….” (Exodus 24:17-18). The Israelites saw the glory of the Lord, but only Moses experienced the glory of the Lord. Some people are content to sit in the valley and hear stories about what God is doing, instead of climbing to the mountaintop to visit with God themselves. It is possible to see God’s fire and to hear reports about it without actually experiencing the fire.

After the Israelites heard the voice of God, while the mountain was still ablaze with fire, they came to Moses and wailed, “The LORD our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if God speaks with him. But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer. For what mortal man has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived? Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then tell us whatever the LORD our God tells you. We will listen and obey” (Deuteronomy 5:24‑27). The Israelites were scared they would die if they listened to the voice of God, and in a sense this is true. Today if we want to experience the fire of God, we must die to self, so Christ may live within us.

Here are some more encounters Moses had with the fire in his lifetime:

* Being in the presence of God’s fire left Moses with a radiant countenance (Exodus 34:29).

* Moses discovered God is a consuming fire (Deut. 4:24).

* God spoke to Moses from the midst of fire (Deut. 4:36; 5:24).

* God commanded Moses to destroy idols with fire (Deut. 7:25; 9:21).

* God promised Moses that His fire would go ahead of the Israelites to destroy their enemies (Deut. 9:3).

* God proclaimed the ten commandments to Moses out of the fire on the mountain top (Deut. 9:10).

The psalmist, while proclaiming the glories of the Lord exclaimed, “Fire goes before him…”(Psalm 97:3). The Almighty is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Fire still precedes the arrival of God.

Elijah the prophet saw the fire of God fall from heaven (1 Kings 18). He had challenged the prophets of Baal to produce fire by building an altar and calling upon their false god to send fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice. For several hours these false prophets danced, cut themselves, and prayed for fire to fall, but Baal did not answer. Elijah taunted them by asking if their god was asleep or on vacation. After they grew tired, Elijah set up an altar to the Lord and placed a sacrifice on it, and then he had people drench the altar with twelve huge jars full of water. When Elijah prayed, God answered with a bolt of fire. God’s fire consumed the sacrifice and the altar, and it left a huge hole in the ground. False gods can not bring fire down from heaven. Only God Almighty can answer His people with fire. God’s fire is what sets the true God apart from fake gods. Others may claim to have fire, but they are only putting on a show by dancing around their altar. In contrast, our God is real. We worship the God who answers with fire!

Elijah was also taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:8-11). This came at the completion of Elijah’s ministry. The fire accompanied Elijah during his promotion to glory. God’s fire will take you up to a new level.

Isaiah prophesies Jesus (the Light of Israel) will become a fire which will burn away all thorns and briers. “The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers” (Isaiah 10:17). In a single day, Christ can burn away years of filthiness, contamination, and pollution in someone’s life. His fire is the solution to pollution.

Isaiah the prophet, in a moment of trouble, called for God to come down like fire. “As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you!” (Isaiah 64:2). When one is in trouble, it is time to call for the fire of God to fall like never before.

John the Baptist baptized with water but he promised that someone was coming who would baptize with fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). Jesus was the fulfilment of this promise. When we invite him into our lives, he will baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Jesus proclaimed, “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49). Jesus brought the fire of God down to earth in a tangible form. Through Jesus everyone can experience the fire of God.

On the Day of Pentecost, the fire Jesus longed for was ignited by the Holy Spirit in the upper room in the lives of one hundred and twenty disciples. Tongues of fire came to rest upon their heads. That same day, almost three thousand people were saved. Signs of the Holy Spirit’s arrival are fire and changed lives.

Saul, the persecutor of Christians, was on the road to Damascus when suddenly he saw a bright light from heaven. The light was so bright, it blinded him. Was this light a tiny glimpse of God’s fire? Whatever it was, it changed Saul’s life forever. Saul became the man we know as Paul, who wrote the majority of the New Testament. In the same way, God’s fire will change our lives.

The servants of God are like a fire. “He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire” (Hebrews 1:7). The servants of God literally become infused with the fire of God and they shine bright like the sun. Those who serve God become flames of fire.

John the Apostle saw a vision of the risen Christ (Revelation 1:12-16). In the vision, the eyes of Christ were like a blazing fire and his face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. It is this same Christ who will return in the clouds, coming like a wildfire, sweeping the earth clean.

Get ready

As you can see, God has repeatedly revealed Himself to mankind as a fire. This earthly metaphor illustrates how intense and powerful He really is! When God reveals Himself as a fire, lives are changed. Get ready for the fire of God.

Ignite Genuine Passion for Jesus and a Revival Fire in Your Heart as you read Daniel King’s book on the Fire of God.

Revival Fire | Are You Spreading the Fire of God?