Keeping the Fire Burning (Part 2)

Echoes of Truth 

January 2nd

Theme: Keeping the Fire Burning

 “As long as there is a sacrifice, the fire will come, and as long as there are woods, the fire will never go out.”- Gbile Akanni 

Also Read

Borrow More Vessels for the Overflow

Wholehearted: The Kind of Heart God Cannot Ignore

When Elijah was going to host the fire of God in the Old Testament, the Bible says He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood…Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench (1 Kings 18:33,38).

The fire of God requires a sacrifice laid on the altar ready for it to fall. God Himself is that fire, the Bible says He is the consuming fire. Yes, what God falls as a consuming fire upon an altar prepared for Him, He consumes, and refines. He becomes the Potter that shapes the clay. He becomes the Shepherd leading His sheep who knows His voice and follows Him.

In the New Covenant, you and I are the altars; we are also the sacrifice laid on the altar. What we sacrifice on the altar of our heart is the sacrifice of our bodies, self-will. Daily, we sacrifice our will/choices and choose to deny self (Romans 12:2).

However, the fire can go out when the clay begins to resist the Hand of the potter and doesn’t want to be sent to the furnace. The fire dies out when the sheep chooses to follow another voice that is not the voice of the Shepherd.

To keep the fire burning, only one thing matters. Like Jesus said to Martha, Mary has chosen just that thing- sitting at the feet of Jesus, living a surrendered life, a life that is absolutely dependent on every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Such a fire is sustained by consistent devotion to Christ alone as Lord, prayers, obedience and consecration. As long as these remain, the fire will never go out. 

To continually host the presence of God, dear sisters, we must remain surrendered on God’s altar. Many times, we are fond of deviating from the hunger for God that got us to our current height in Him.

This time around, seek to stay glued to the altar whatever it takes this year.

Also watch this short sermon:

Let Us Pray:

 Father, help me to stay committed to Your work in my life. May I not deviate from the consecrations You have called me to keep. Help me to always surrender to You in Jesus name. Amen.