The Anatomy Of The Fire

Monday, March 3



1 Kings 18:30-36 (NKJV)
“Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water. And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.”
Devotion

Elijah gathered the children of Israel to Mount Carmel to make a choice. “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, follow him” (1 Kings 18:21). This was an intense scene, where God ultimately sent down a burst of Heavenly fire proving that He is the true God. In Pastor Franklin’s sermon yesterday, he asked the Church to consider their relationship with God and if they truly have the fire of the Holy Spirit active in their life. Using today’s passage, Pastor Franklin identified some key elements to the anatomy of having the Holy Spirit's fire:

Firstly, when Elijah started building the fire he laid a foundation of stones for the altar. These weren’t new age stones, crystals, tarot cards, or horoscopes. They were 12 stones representing the tribes of Israel. Today, there is one stone, the Cornerstone and foundation, which is Jesus.

Secondly, Elijah put all the wood “in order” on the foundation. This represents that one’s
priorities must be in order. One can’t have one foot in sin and one foot in the Church, yet expect God’s full presence. The things of the world will pass away, but the worship, praise, fasting, and tears are eternal. Recall, the Lord expects dedication. “ So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:16).

Thirdly, Elijah brought a sacrifice. To be clear, Jesus is the Church’s one eternal sacrifice: “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). But still, God expects personal sacrifice through obedience and good fruit. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1). Further, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26).

Lastly, Elijah prayed fervently. Prayer should be fervent, having intensity and expectation.
Scripture is clear that “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).

Today’s Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for revealing to us the anatomy of the fire through Your Word. Just as Elijah prepared the altar with order and obedience, help me to lay the right foundation in my life, Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone. Set my heart ablaze with the fire of Your Holy Spirit, align my priorities with Your will, and help me to live as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable in Your sight. Lord, let it be known in my life that You are God. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Apply It Today

Take time today to examine the state of your spiritual altar. Is your foundation truly built on Christ, or have you allowed worldly distractions to take priority? Identify one area where you need to realign your focus, whether it’s restoring your prayer life, deepening your worship, or surrendering a specific habit. Make a commitment to put things in order so that the fire of the Holy Spirit can burn brightly in your life.

Resources

  • If you missed yesterday’s message, “Turn Up The Fire”, watch it today, and be encourage to fan the flames of the
  •  If you need prayer for the Lord to baptize in the fire of the Holy Spirit, submit your Prayer Request today.