A Burning Heart -- February 7, 2009

A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.
Leviticus 6:13

It is our job to keep the spiritual aspect of our life going. Our lives are to be centered on sacrifice to the Lord. It is imperative to keep the fire burning in the altar of our hearts so that we can live a life of repentance. Whenever we sin, the fire needs to be ready to cleanse us in forgiveness. Repentance is a habit desirable in Christian lives. Quickness to admit sin is the way to remain fired up for Jesus.

This seems to be one of the most difficult commandments to carry out in the priestly laws. It can be disobeyed by doing nothing. It can be disobeyed by not paying attention. It is easy to let the fire die. This dwindling happens when we lose our focus on daily time with Jesus. I am not talking about the daily discipline of reading and meditating on scriptures. I am talking about checking in with the Lord personally. Even on the busiest time for Him is not optional. I don’t know how much time. I don’t know exactly when it will be best in each person’s life, but I know it has to be daily.

The other disciplines are important, but they are not the essential starting point. The fires that we keep have to be initiated by God. Here in the Leviticus record God ignites the fire on the altar to begin the spiritual life of a nation. Aaron’s sons offered “strange” fire and were consumed by God’s holy fire. It is not enough to know the forms of religion we must be tending fires lit by the Lord. So our daily time with Him is the required starting point for our ministry as well as our personal life.

God ignited the fire in Solomon’s temple on its inauguration too. His Presence was so powerful that none could enter the house of God. On the day of Pentecost, tongues of fire fell on the church to initiate them into powerful ministry. On the day I received Jesus into my heart He started a fire. The same is true for you and all other believers. It is up to me to keep it burning. It us up to you to keep the fire He started in you hot and ready for sacrifice and service to others.

Always on fire,

Pastor Jason