2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
What does it really mean to be a new creation? What is the experience like? When Jesus said to Nicodemus that he needed to be born again. He must have asked Jesus this similar question. What does it mean?
Leviticus 6:12-13
12 And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order on it; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. 13 A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.
On the 23rd of November 2021, at about 2:48am, I was woken up by the smoke alarm in my house. As I opened the door to go into the kitchen I called out to my wife and asked if she was still cooking at this time of the night. To which she replied “NO”. There was no smoke or fire in the kitchen, so I decided to go down the stairs and check the garage to see what was going on and as I opened the door, there I saw a flame from the back of the tumble dryer. I shut the door I called out to my wife and asked her to get our youngest daughter down and asked my son to call the fire fighters. This was not a fire you want to burn continually; you definitely want this fire out.
Over the weeks, as I have meditated or tried to recollect what happened, I realised that weeks before the fire, I had been asking the Lord for the theme for the year 2022 and I believe the Lord had laid on my heart. “Keeping the fire burning”.
Our God is a speaking God, the Bible supports this statement in many ways, that our God is a speaking God. Today we live in a world where we give little attention to our speaking God, yet God is still speaking.
Just like God reminded the priest to keep the fire on the altar burning continuously, I believe God is also speaking to the Church to keep the fire on the altar burning continuously. The fire that morning, for me was a reminder that God wants us to rekindle the lost fire in the church.
Why is it so important that we keep this fire burning?
Fire is an important aspect of a believer’s life, the word picture for the Holy Spirit is “FIRE”.
Hebrews 1:7
7 And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits
And His ministers a flame of fire.”
The saints of God are flames of fire.
Believers in Christ must keep that fire burning in their lives, we cannot afford to allow that fire to go out. For us to remain relevant in the sight of the Lord and man, and be overcomers on this earth, we cannot afford to let the fire go out.
Leviticus 9:24.
The fire was so important because it was started directly by God:
“Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown”
The fire on the altar, therefore, served as a constant reminder of God’s power. On the day Pentecost we are told that the Holy Spirit came on the apostles like tongues of fire.
Acts 2:2-4
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The fire also represented God’s presence; it represented the glory of the Lord. We are also told that the children of Israel were led by a cloud of fire by night in their journey through the wilderness.
Exodus 24:17
And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountaintop in the eyes of the Israelites.
The fire was a perpetual reminder of God’s presence
The continuous fire symbolised daily worship
It symbolised the continual need for atonement
Paul tells us in the book of Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
The continual burning of the fire also signifies God’s desire to accept what is offered to Him. God desires to accept us, and He accepts us by burning away every dross in our lives. The more the Lord burns, the more acceptable we are to Him. Sacrifices are always placed on an altar.
What is an altar?
An altar represents a place of consecration, a place of sacrifice, a place upon which an offering is made and also represents a person’s desire to consecrate their lives fully to God.
The instructions to the priest were - And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning. This was meant to be every morning stoking of the fire; the fire was to burn 365 days a year.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:19 Pauls exhorts the Thessalonians not to quench the Spirit, but before that statement. He uses the words always – which means continuously and at all times
He also says without ceasing – this also means continuously
1 Thessalonians 5:16-19
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit.
Paul gives us an idea of how to keep the fire on the altar burning continually, by telling us to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in everything.
These are very key elements in the life of a believer to keep the fire burning continuously, especially in today’s world when anything goes.
Many believers are losing their fire, faith and passion. If anything, this pandemic has shown us how fickle, how easy it is for believers to lose the faith, fire and passion for the things of God.
God’s message to its Church today is to keep the fire burning. The fire must not go out, keep the fire burning, keep the flame glowing.
The world must see us burn for Him.
