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Altar of Fire

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1 Kings 18:24, 36-39 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the One Who answers by fire, let Him be God. And all the people answered, It is well spoken.

At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and that I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You, the Lord, are God, and have turned their hearts back [to You].38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust, and also licked up the water that was in the trench.39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and they said, The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God! (1 Kings 18:24, 36-39 AMPC)

It’s no coincidence that the Lord distinguished the prayers of Elijah from those of the idol worshippers of Baal with fire. Scripture records that our God is a Consuming Fire (Hebrews 12:29); that He came down on Mount Sinai in fire (Exodus 19:18); and that the Glory of the Lord appears to be a Devouring Fire (Exodus 24:17). Just as the Lord distinguished Elijah’s prayers from the idol worshippers of his day, so the Lord distinguished the prayers of the 120 followers of Jesus who found themselves waiting in prayer. Acts 2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all assembled together in one place,2 When suddenly there came a sound from heaven like the rushing of a violent tempest blast, and it filled the whole house in which they were sitting.3 And there appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were separated and distributed and which settled on each one of them.4 And they were all filled (diffused throughout their souls) with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other (different, foreign) languages (tongues), as the Spirit kept giving them clear and loud expression [in each tongue in appropriate words].(AMPC)

As the 120 climbed the steps to the upper room the eyes of their heart were fixed on the Promise – the Promise of the Holy Spirit and Power. John the Baptist, and Jesus spoke of this Baptism of Fire. Thus Jesus’ disciples climbed the mountain of God through their prayers as Moses ascended Mount Sinai centuries before. As bowed at the Throne of God they made that room of disappointment, and sorrow an altar of loud cries, and tears. It didn’t take long until God answered with Fire. From the Altar of God’s Holy of Holies lives were transformed into living altars of His Presence. Through their ascent the reign of Jesus’ Kingdom was ushered in by the outpouring of the Spirit. It is no coincidence that when Elijah confronted the idolatry of his day he went on the promise of rain: After many days, the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth. (1 Kings 18:1)

In our spiritual drought of plague, fear, locusts, fire and famine may the people of God be found making themselves an altar of prayer crying out for Jesus’ Reign to come with a fresh outpouring of the Water of Life – His Holy Spirit. May we cry out with Michael W. Smith, and all the other singers, musicians and levites, “Let It Rain! Open the Floodgates of Heaven!”

Poverty of Spirit

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John 20:21-23 Then Jesus said to them again, Peace to you! [Just] as the Father has sent Me forth, so I am sending you.22 And having said this, He breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit! 23 [Now having received the Holy Spirit, and being led and directed by Him] if you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained. (AMPC)

A good-looking society woman was invited to an expensive fund-raising dinner in New York City. She was seated next to a wealthy lawyer. During the meal, they had a chance to get to know each other and were having a good time. When the meal was finished, the lawyer leaned over and asked the woman if she would go to bed with him for $10,000. The woman blushed but said that she would. The man then asked her if she would go to bed with him for $10. The woman was shocked and said, “What kind of a woman do you think I am?” The man responded, “My dear, we have already established that. Now we are merely deciding on the price.”

In John 20:22 is a brief, but profound statement: Receive the Holy Spirit! For the first time in the history of mankind, the Spirit of the Lord had not simply come upon a person to empower them for a task. This time the Holy Spirit actually came inside of the person’s spirit, building a home for the Godhead. What many Bible scholars have failed to explain to my satisfaction are the passages that accompany this encounter. Consider the following: Luke 24:49 And behold, I will send forth upon you what My Father has promised; but remain in the city [Jerusalem] until you are clothed with power from on high. (AMPC)

Acts 1:4-5,8 And while being in their company and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised, Of which [He said] you have heard Me speak.5 For John baptized with water, but not many days from now you shall be baptized with (placed in, introduced into) the Holy Spirit.…. But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth. (AMPC)

Since the Disciples of Jesus had already received the Spirit following the Resurrection of Jesus – before His Ascension into Heaven – why, did Jesus command them to wait for the Baptism? Numerous explanations have been offered to explain these two ideas, but none completely resolve the problem. Some have suggested that it was a new dispensation, or era, in the salvation of God among men, and that it is no longer necessary. Others have countered that this simply was an alternative account in the eyewitness necessary. But both explanations discount the fact that not only did a change take place in the Disciples and those attending the Upper Room Prayer Meeting, but this dramatic shift has continued to occur throughout the history of the Church. Ultimately it is a demonstration of one of Jesus’ beatitudes. Matthew 5:3 Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven! (AMPC)

Those who have experienced this encounter since the days of Pentecost have had one thing in common with those early followers of Jesus: they were aware of their poverty in the Holy Spirit. They were willing to pay whatever price it took to fill the emptiness in their souls with the Power of the Holy Spirit. That statement alone shines light on probably the biggest problem the Body of Christ has been facing in Western Christendom. We are disconnected from the Third Person of the Trinity. What makes matters worse is that we justify this disconnection through the doctrines of men. Leading to smugness, and ignorance in our carnality. I suspect that the number one issue troubling those who attempt to read the Bible is that they cannot relate to much of what it gives testimony too. Rather than confronting our poverty in the things of the Holy Spirit we ignore them. Rather than seeking Him for a solution we turn to our carnal nature to provide us with solace. Yet we fail to see that seeking to live by the carnal nature is hatred towards God. Why does God consider that hatred? Because we fail to live from the Resurrection Life that Jesus secured for all born-again believers. That Resurrection Life is only lived by and through the Holy Spirit. Carnal Christianity exposes how hard our hearts have become, and how naked we truly are before the crucified Jesus. Our ignorance, apathy, and indifference mock His crucifixion all over again. We have crucified Him again and again, as we ignore the poverty of our spirits. As Jesus rebuked the Laodiceans when He said: I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth! 17 For you say, I am rich; I have prospered and grown wealthy, and I am in need of nothing; and you do not realize and understand that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. (Revelation 3:15-17 AMPC)

In the opening illustration the rich lawyer quickly discovered how much it would cost for the woman to surrender her virtue. The same is true of your poverty in the things of the Spirit. What’s your price? What would it take to cause you to sell out to the Holy Spirit? We already know who we are. We are sinners who have been saved by faith in Christ. None of us is immune to sinful behavior. Question is, Are you aware of what a pauper you are in regards to the Holy Spirit? What price are you willing to pay to secure what is deficit in your spiritual life? The 120 of Pentecost were willing to climb some stairs, pray, and wait. The Laodiceans were contented to leave Jesus out of their worship service, and continue on in lukewarm service to the God of Consuming Fire. Which do you identify with?