What a powerful time we had today as the fire of God fell in our midst. It is so important that we keep the revival fires burning. In Leviticus, the Lord told Moses that the fire on the brazen altar was to never go out. This Holy fire that was sent from God as that first offering was laid upon the altar. And of course it points to the final offering, Jesus Christ, that would be placed upon the cross and lifted for all men to see. The coals from that altar in the OT were the coals placed upon the Altar of Incense, representing the prayers of the saints. How important it is to have the fire of God burning in our life. John the Baptist prophesied that the one coming after him would baptize in the Holy Spirit and in Fire (Mt 3:11). We so often hear much about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but where is the fire?
Revival is about the fire of God coming to a church, community or nation that needs to be “re-lifed”. Evan Roberts of the Welsh revival says , “Revival is God bending down to the dying embers of a fire that is just about to go out, and breathing into it, until it bursts into flame.” We need the revival fires of God breathed upon us once again. Many churches today have no fire or life. Many churches have a form of godliness, but no power. Many churches have substituted programs, gimmicks and entertainment for the Presence and Power of God. This is no different than the false fire that the priests Nadab and Abihu placed in their censers, resulting in a death sentence from God. The only fire acceptable by God is the fire that He has started, not man made fire that has no lasting power.
The NT does not speak of revival, because the NT church is revival. Reading the book of Acts will show us what the church is supposed to look, act, talk and walk like. The NT church is a church alive with the Presence and Fire of God. On the day of Pentecost, God once again poured out a fire from heaven on the church letting them know the sacrifice of Jesus was acceptable and approved by God. The NT church stayed on fire until it became institutionalized in the 3rd and 4th centuries and has since gone through numerous cycles of revival experiences, none of which has lasted as God desires.
Jesus paid an incredible price for us. Three times in Matthew 26, Jesus asked if there was any way to let the cup of suffering of Calvary pass from Him. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was required to look into that cup of suffering that He was to drink because He must willingly take the suffering upon Himself as atonement for our sins. He saw the agony associated with the cup, yet He still willingly chose to drink from that cup for you and I. Never would we have to experience what He experienced as He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”. Jesus bore the incredible wrath of God that was due the sin He bore in His own sinless body. Jesus bore the separation from God that sin brings and paid the price for our sins and has made us free from the penalty of sin by His blood. Is it any wonder that heaven’s entire focus is upon Him, Revelation 5:11–12 (AMP) — 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels on every side of the throne and of the living creatures and the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin], and they numbered ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, 12 Saying in a loud voice, Deserving is the Lamb, Who was sacrificed, to receive all the power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and majesty (glory, splendor) and blessing! How awesome is our Lord and Saviour.
Jesus fully embodies the fire of God. John records in Revelations 1:14 His eyes were like a flame of fire.
Jesus is the baptizer of the Holy Ghost and fire. Let’s cry out for the fire of revival!
