Have you ever ordered a lukewarm cup of tea on a cold winter day? How about a tall lukewarm glass of tea with your dinner? I don't think so. If my tea is not piping hot or ice cold, I am likely to spit it out of my mouth. Gross, but true. I just refuse to drink tea that is lukewarm.

Well, God is the same way when it comes to the condition of our heart. He is not satisfied with hearts that have "holy smoke" where the fire used to be.

In Revelation 3:16 we are given a strong warning to stay hot for Him while we are in this world. "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." God is looking for hot hearts that are ablaze with fire from Heaven.

Paul wrote to Timothy:
That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination]. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear) but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

So you, my son, be strong (strengthened inwardly) in the grace (spiritual blessing) that is [to be found only] in Christ Jesus.
(2 Tim. 1:6-7, 2:1 AMP)
The Apostle Paul wanted Timothy to know that he had a responsibility to be strong by continually stirring up the inner fire that was placed in his life by God. He had to walk by faith and daily rekindle the embers, fan the flame and keep burning in order to fulfill the call of God on his life.

John Wesley knew that to be true in his own life. When asked how he got the huge crowds that came to hear him preach he replied, "I set myself on fire, and the people come to see me burn."

John G. Lake told about the anointing that fell on him during his first missionary trip to South Africa in 1908. It was far beyond his wildest imagination and astounded even Lake himself. He described it as "liquid fire" pumping through his veins.

I have noticed that fire is often used as a symbol of God's presence in the Bible. In Exodus 3:2, God spoke to Moses from the burning bush. The fire of God came down on Mt. Sinai to speak to the children of Israel in Exodus 19:18. And in Acts 2:3, tongues of fire sat on the disciples in the upper room and spoke through them to all that were in Jerusalem that day. It is no wonder that Hebrews 12:29 reveals our God as a consuming fire.

Sacrifice Accepted
Throughout the Old Testament we see examples of the fire of God falling when a sacrifice was acceptable. In Genesis 15:17 we read about Abraham offering the sacrifice required by God and that it was shown to be acceptable by a flaming torch.

And in 1 Chronicles 21:26 we know that David built an altar to God "and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the Lord; and He answered him by fire from Heaven upon the altar." There was no mistaking it, God was pleased with David's heart and his sacrifice was clearly accepted by the God of Heaven.

One of my favorite examples of the fire of God is the one about Elijah on Mt. Carmel. I just love the way he mocked the false god, Baal, and declared before all the people that his God was the one true God. 1 Kings 18:38-39 bears record of how God accepted his sacrifice for the people:

"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. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God" (1 Kings 18:38-39 AMP)!

Elijah wanted them to know that he served a God that answers by fire!

The Bible also tells us in 2 Chronicles 7:1 that "When Solomon had finished praying, the fire came down from Heaven and consumed the burnt offerings and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house" (AMP).

Are you ready for the glory of the Lord to fill your spiritual house and set your heart on fire? All you have to do is offer a sacrifice that is pleasing to God. I'm not talking about the Old Testament way, Jesus' blood thoroughly satisfied all of Heaven's requirements and forever redeemed all of mankind from sin.

According to Romans 12:1, the sacrifice that is required by God today is a life that is totally devoted to God.

Let YOUR Sparks Fly
While speaking on this subject, the Lord showed me just how parched the world around us really is. They seemed to me like kindling that is dry, cracked and highly combustible. I knew that once they come into contact with a life that is burning for Jesus they would also ignite with the fire of God. All it takes is one spark to change a dry, empty life into a fulfilled life! So, let your sparks fly and ignite the world!

We need to realize that our souls are ripe and ready for harvesting into the kingdom of God. All we need is a spark from one life that was on fire with the power and presence of God.

How often has this happened in our churches? How many people have gone away unchanged because we neglected the fire of God in our own life? Each day you and I meet people that are hungry for Christ. The one you encounter may have put on their best outfit and fixed their hair.

Everything may look "perfect" on the outside, but they are spiritually dead inside. You must not allow them to leave as empty as they came. With your help, they can awake out of their sleep and their dryness can be saturated with the refreshing living water that comes from Heaven.

That reminds me about a congregation that adopted a great motto for their church: "Wake up, sing up, preach up, pray up and pay up, but never give up or let up or back up or shut up until the cause of Christ in the world is built up."

I think that church must have followed Paul's advice to Timothy and decided to continually "...stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you" (2 Tim. 1:6 AMP)

You can fan the flame and rekindle the embers of your heart by prayer and meditation on God's Word. That's what Jeremiah did. He compared the Word to a fire that was shut up in his bones and could not be contained. Even in the midst of great persecution, the Word of God spilled out like burning lava to his generation. He burned with God's Word and left sparks everywhere he went.

John the Baptist was the same way. He preached hell so hot that you could smell the smoke when he came near by. Yet as on fire as he was, he told his followers that one was coming after him (Jesus!) that would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

On the day of Pentecost, the people witnessed the fulfillment of this great promise and after hearing Peter preach the Word.

The Lord is inviting you to come to Him and receive this awesome gift of God that will ignite your heart with holy fire. Once you devote your life to God as a living sacrifice, it won't be long before you will be spreading a few sparks of your own.

Jesse Duplantis Ministries
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