September 3 Holy Fire

1 Kings 18:36-38 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." 38 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.

GOD had arranged this contest between evil idolatry and himself. His purpose, of course, was to show Israel he and he alone is the God of all things seen and unseen. In the fiery demonstration he shows his people he is the same God who came to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3). He is the same God whose fiery countenance on Mt. Sinai: Exodus 19:18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder.  

    Centuries later God would demonstrate his power in the fire of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. On that day God began a movement from Jerusalem that would extend into all the world, even to your doorstep and to your heart. His Spirit would come upon countles numbes of people to consume their hearts with his holy fire of repentance and to deliver them from evil. His Spirit would awaken minds to know of the Father's will to save, the Son's death to save and the Spirit's power to save.

    Remember that Jesus taught us to often pray for God's power to come. We say in the Lord's Prayer, "Deliver us from evil for yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever." With these words, we confess we need protection. We acknowledge God can protect us. And we praise him that his kingdom power is above all powers.

    Decidedly the Holy God has shown to us through the Bible and through our lives that in his glory he comes with a fiery power to save us from evil. Worship such a god as this. Destroy the idols in your life that keep you from him.

Prayer: Lord God, you are mighty to save. Come with fiery power against the evil in our hearts and in our nations. Deliver from evil those in my family who have yet to receive you as Lord and King. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.