Leviticus 6:12-13
THE FIRE ON THE ALTAR MUST BE KEPT BURNING; IT MUST NOT GO OUT. EVERY MORNING THE PRIEST IS TO ADD FIREWOOD AND ARRANGE THE BURNT OFFERING ON THE FIRE AND BURN THE FAT OF THE FELLOWSHIP OFFERINGS ON IT. 13 THE FIRE MUST BE KEPT BURNING ON THE ALTAR CONTINUOUSLY; IT MUST NOT GO OUT…
Unlike the fire on the altar, which was a picture of the presence of God, the Holy Spirit is the supernatural presence of God, which forever marks one as God’s own possession. And that marking must never be allowed to die for God has purchased you as his own. Give the Spirit fuel to work with in your life. Feed the Spirit, instead of quenching it.
- Let the Spirit bring conviction of sin, that is fuel.
2.Let the Spirit bring words of instruction and guidance. The Spirit is alive. He is still speaking to us today. It is one of his main jobs in our life. In the Exodus story God appears to Moses to give him direction from a burning bush. Next the fire of the Spirit appears as a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night in which the people of God are given a guiding light in order to lighten a darkened world. And as the Egyptian Army is about to be destroyed, we are told that the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion (Exo. 14:24). One gets the sense that the pillar of fire is the abode of God from which protection and direction comes to the people of God.
3.Listen to the words of the Spirit and put them into practice; that too is part of keeping the Fire burning.
4.God’s people are to keep the fire of the Spirit fueled by a constant study of the Word of God applied to every area of life
5.Unceasing life of prayer for ourselves and others
6.An evangelistic heart preaching the gospel message to the world – this is the wood that is to be fuel on the fire morning and evening. This is how the Spirit will grow the fire of his presence in our lives each day!
7.As a people of God we are called to come before the altar of our God in penitent worship and joyous sacrifice.
8.We must never fail to render to God what is his due – all praise, honor and glory. We must offer sacrifices of praise, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
9.We must confess our sins and receive his freely given pardon in Christ.
10.We must read his Word and feed the Spirit’s fire in our hearts so that our minds are purified and renewed.
11.We must love one another, pray for one another and good deeds.
We must not grieve the spirit, as one throws water on a fire, but instead must submit to the leadings and prompting that the Word of God and his Spirit place upon our hearts. We must feed the fire of devotion by the corporate and private practice of living in God’s kingdom. For when one person lights a fire, it can grow large, but when the whole town turns out to stoke the coals and pour forth fuel, then a bonfire results which burns with intensity and both warms all those in its presence as well as serving as a light to this dark world showing where the love of God is to be found. So stoke the fire with prayers, scripture study, song and deeds. This is what it means not to quench the Spirit but to keep the fire burning continuously on the altar.
It is God who kindles the fire and it is he who carries it to completion. It is God who is both the one fueling our lives and it is his Son, Jesus, who is the final offering. God is our guide and the one who restores our souls. Without God there could be no fulfilling of the command, “The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously, it must not go out.”
Prayers for Kenya 