Last Sunday, we welcomed back our Pastor Gaby Salloum, who delivered the message. It was the first of a series of four messages on “Keeping the Fire Burning”:

– Keepers of the Fire

– Strange Fire

– Fire Extinguishers

– Passion for God

Leviticus 6:8-14 tells us that God has designated people (us) to keep the fire burning. The priest was to ensure every morning there was enough firewood, and check the fire in the altar hearth didn’t go out at all times. Everyone has fire in them (2 Timothy1:6) once connected with God because this fire is from God. In many places in the Bible, we read about fire emanating out of God (e.g. the burning bush). All we have to do to make it burn always is to keep fanning it into flames.

The altar (fire from God) is more important than the offering. After we have placed our worries on the altar of God we need to surrender (“step down” as in Leviticus 9:22-23 and allow God to do His work); pray (like Elijah did in 1 Kings 18:36-39, when God answered his prayer with fire and consumed the offering, also James 5:16, 2 Chronicles 7:14), and testify (a testimony can stir our spirit to recognize things we would otherwise not recognize, Luke 24:32).

If we don’t step down completely we implicate that we will do part of God’s job in taking care of our problems ourselves. We need to completely surrender and trust Him to take over.