Fire has been used for generations to refer to God, both as the manifestation of His person and His very own being. The challenge given on Carmel from Elijah was that the God that answers by fire should be God and worthy of worship and service must still be the criteria. God has gone on record through time as being a God who is both fire and acts in fire, but today the substance has been replaced by a symbol with stories of yesterday that have nothing to do with today.

Moses experienced the burning bush in the wilderness; a cloud of fire watched over the people, Mount Sinai burned with fire when God descended to give the law. Fire has been the token and symbol of God but remember the symbol got its power from substance, not just from some story. In Lev. 9:24 the fire fell on the very sacrifices accepted and the same thing happened in I Chronicles 21:26; fire proved that God had burned His wrath on the sacrifice and also showed His acceptance and satisfaction.

The descent of supernatural fire has been the glorious token provided to man by God, not just theory but actual fire that Hell could neither duplicate nor stop. That is why Elijah could be so bold in challenging the fakers; he knew his God would answer by Holy Fire.

Jesus promised that the Gift of God would be the Holy Ghost and Fire, that a real supernatural experience would accompany each and every conversion. Today we are facing folks in various church circles that have traded symbol for substance. They do believe that fire was the symbol for God, yet do not believe fire is a present day substance.

I am very concerned that many of this church do not have any inward fire to assist them living the holy life. Their fire has either burned so low or just gone out. They have no burning within about loyalty, dedication, sacrifice, prayer, worship, separation, or souls. Attendance without fire is sad. May God help us to experience a fresh fire of substance, not just a symbol.