“And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.”
“The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.”
The believer, particularly the ordained priest is commanded in scriptures to be on fire always Lev. 6:12-13.
Why Fire?
Our God is a consuming fire, one cannot be in touch with Him and not be on fire Heb. 12:29; Amos 3:3.
Our labor in the kingdom will be ultimately tried by fire before we can qualify for rewards 1Cor. 3:13-15. When we are on fire, we have the guarantee that our work will endure the test of fire.
Fire devours anything in its path, every beast run at the sight of fire Acts 28:3-5 ; 1Kgs. 18:38.
Fire is very relevant; it is source of illumination in world of darkness, and heat in a cold world Mat. 5:14-16. It makes the believer a salt to his world Mk. 9:49-50. Our relevance as individuals will define our success and greatness. Our relevance as a church will determine our impact on our community, and consequently our growth.
Just as fire dispels evil, in the same way it attracts good Isa. 60:1-3. We this vividly in the natural, we see insects drawn towards the fire, but they will not attempt touching the fire.
What is Fire?
Fire is the manifestation of God person in the life of the believer Heb. 12:29. From the scriptures we see God manifest as fire in many places Exo. 3:2-4; Acts 2:2-3.
How Ignite fire on one’s life.
Sin is an enemy of fire, it will quench the fire of God on one’s life Isa. 59:1-2. The choice against sin is vital to ignite and maintain the fire of God as a servant of God.
God’s word is the spiritual wood for igniting the fore of God Pro. 26:20; Lev. 6:12. Every priest that desires to be on fire must make the scriptures his best companion, this is study, reading, searching for encounters.
This is intentional and prolonged thinking on scriptures, by which we release the fire in the word Jer. 23:29; Psa. 39:3. Many believer including pastors don’t read the bible themselves consistently, and few out of those that read take time to meditate on scriptures. This is why many lack fire on their lives.
The prayer altar is the place of generating fire 1Kgs. 18:37-38. It is the place of prayer that we set the word of God which is the wood on fire. To become a man of prayer:
Fasting is the expression of desperation of the believer unto God, which makes God committed to instant response Psa. 63:1-2. When the believer engages in a true fast, there will be fire outbreak in his life Isa. 58:6-8. When fasting becomes a lifestyle, the believer carries the fire of God perpetually.
Worship is the expression of reverence and adoration to God Psa. 34:1. When we do, we endear God the consuming fire towards our lives, thereby becoming ignited with His fire Jms. 4:8.
In conclusion, John Wesley was asked the secret the great crowd he gathers and his response was “I will set myself on fire and people come to watch me burn”. In essence, the secret to impact ministry is being on fire for God, which is a personal responsibility of every priest.
Prayer.
Father in the name of Jesus, I accept the responsibility to be on fire for God, release the grace for a fire-filled life on me now 1Cor. 15:10.