Fired Up for God!

1,990. Yes, it’s been 1,990 years since the day of Pentecost in 28 A.D., when the Christian church began. And that’s something to get fired up about!

Acts 2:1,3,4:
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Why did God give the twelve apostles in the Temple that day a vision of cloven tongues “like as of fire”? Fire is used in the Bible to show cleansing and purifying. At times God sent fire to show that He accepted an offering or sacrifice.

When Moses completed the tabernacle and Solomon dedicated the Temple, the glory of the Lord filled those structures and God showed Himself by fire. Jesus Christ came to baptize with the holy spirit and fire. On the original day of Pentecost, the twelve were living sacrifices.

Romans 12:1:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Let’s look at some of these fire-filled events.

God’s Fire: Accepting Man’s Gifts

God has always desired to dwell with His people. In the Old Testament, altars were built to worship God and show His presence. Fire was used to burn up offerings. After the flood, “Noah builded an altar unto the Lord…and offered burnt offerings on the altar” (Genesis 8:20).

The Lord appeared to Abram (later Abraham) between Bethel and Hai. Abram built an altar there (Genesis 12:7,8). He returned to that altar to worship the Lord after sojourning in Egypt (Genesis 13:4). After moving on, Abram built another altar in Hebron (Genesis 13:18). God accepted Abram’s offering by fire between the pieces of the sacrifice he offered.

Genesis 15:17:
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

When Elijah stood against the prophets of Baal and their false sacrifice, God accepted Elijah’s sacrifice by fire.

I Kings 18:33,36-38:
And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood….
And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said….
Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

God had Moses build a tabernacle so that He could dwell among His people. God gave Moses the pattern, which included the ark of the Lord and an altar.

Exodus 25:8,9:
And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

When Moses completed building the tabernacle and its court, God showed His glory by fire.

Exodus 40:33-38:
And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.
Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:
But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.
For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

Solomon, built the Temple, the house of the Lord, at Jerusalem where the Lord had appeared to his father David. Solomon built a brazen altar and then brought the tabernacle to where the new Temple was built. The Temple would be a new place to worship the Lord.

II Chronicles 3:1; 4:1; 5:2-5:
Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.

At the dedication of the Temple, Solomon prayed that God would dwell among His people in the Temple. As with Moses in the Tabernacle, God answered Solomon’s prayer and showed his presence in the Temple with His glory and fire. Then all the children of Israel worshipped and praised the Lord.

II Chronicles 7:1-3:
Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house.
And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house.
And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

Jesus Christ Brings Spiritual Fire

John the Baptist spoke of what Jesus Christ would do.

Matthew 3:11:
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.

Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption by his life, death, resurrection, and ascension. A few days later on the day of Pentecost, Peter and the eleven apostles who were with him saw a vision of fire, they were born again–filled with the gift of holy spirited, and they manifested that gift by speaking in tongues. Peter told those present that they too could be born again and manifest that gift of holy spirit by speaking in tongues!

Acts 2:38:
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive [into manifestation] the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Today, we who are born again can “stir up the gift” and build up ourselves as we pray “in the spirit” by speaking in tongues (Jude 20). Let’s speak in tongues much and stay fired up for God!