Rekindle the Altar Fire: Welcome God's PresenceSample

Keeping the Fire Burning

The fire of God in heaven is never extinguished. Sometimes on the earth, we quench that which should remain burning.

Here is the problem: Without the altar, there is no place for sacrifice. Since God’s fire consumes the sacrifice, it follows that there is no fire without a sacrifice. It follows further that without the fire of His presence, there is no glory. When the fire on our altars dies, worship becomes a ritual; love becomes self-serving and spiritual life simply becomes religion.

There are several reasons why the fire goes out. One of the first is neglect. We are busy attending to our personal interests. We see this in Scripture when the people of God returned from captivity to rebuild the Temple of God and grew preoccupied with building their own houses. The Lord sent His prophets to challenge their priorities. Today, if we want the fire of revival, we must do as Jesus said and seek His Kingdom first.

A second reason the fire goes out is because we worship false gods.

This was one of the main sins of God’s people in the Old Testament and caused great ruin. Every time we exalt persons, spiritual gifts, programs, or activities above the things of God, we put out the fire. Our God does not share His glory. When we attempt to lift others or ourselves into glorifying roles, we must repent and praise the only One who deserves it.

A third reason the fire goes out is because sometimes we offer a sacrifice for the wrong reason.

King Saul lost his kingship because he offered a sacrifice he was not authorized to make. When he saw his soldiers begin to scatter in the face of war with the Philistines, he made an offering in panic. How many times do we decide we cannot wait any longer? God has not appeared on our timetables; therefore, we move on—and we move out of His will. Fear and unbelief are enemies of true worship.

Let us be diligent not to neglect the fire, worship false gods, and not be ruled by fear and unbelief.

Questions to Ponder: Why is it important to keep the fire on your altar burning? Do you feel as if you need to pay more attention to keeping the fire of God burning?