Why Don’t We Have the Fire?

Part 1

In many cases, we don’t have the fire of God because we don’t think we need it. We are content to live without it.

The Israelites didn’t think they needed fire. They thought they needed water. They focused on their felt need, while being blind to their real need. But once the fire came, then the rain came.

For the most part, our nation, churches, homes, and lives today are devoid of the glory and power of God. But when asked to state our needs, we speak of needing bigger buildings, more money, more volunteers, better staff, more equipment, etc.

Why can’t we see that our real need is for God Himself?

We have sinned against God and He has withdrawn His manifest presence from us. But our eyes have grown accustomed to the darkness. We have gotten used to functioning in our own effort.

Hardly anyone questions the authenticity of our results. Someone has said that if the Holy Spirit were taken out of the average church, 95% of the program would just keep right on going.

We have become blinded to our true spiritual condition and need. Like the Laodicean church, we think we are “rich, increased with goods, and have need of nothing.”

I hear Christian leaders today speak of how Christianity is flourishing. Others insist we are in the throes of revival.

If that is the case, then why is every form of moral impurity rampant in our evangelical, Bible-preaching churches? Why is the divorce rate as high in the church as it is in the world? Why do the vast majority of Christians never introduce anyone to Christ?

Why do people laugh their way down the aisle to make a “decision”? Why are our churches loaded with people who want a part-time, convenient, weekend Christian experience and who show no serious interest in spiritual growth?

Why do pastors have to twist people’s arms to give, to serve, to get involved in the work of the ministry? Why are church splits so common? Why are so many professing Christians barren, empty, hurting, confused, and in spiritual bondage? Why is the world so utterly disinterested in what we have to offer?

As long as we think we’re doing all right, we will never be motivated to cry out to God to send fire from heaven.

Why Don’t We Have the Fire?
Part 2

I believe another reason we don’t have the fire is that we really don’t want it. Oh, we say that we do. But what too many of us really want is the kind of “fire” that will draw attention to our church, pack our auditoriums, increase our offerings, and solve all our problems.

We don’t want the fire that will consume, destroy, expose, root up, burn, and hurt. We’re afraid of what might happen if God appeared on the scene. We want a tidy religious experience that we can control.

Furthermore, we don’t want the kind of preaching that precedes revival. I have found that many people want nothing but encouragement and “love” from the pulpit. They don’t want the truth!

Preaching on sin, repentance, holiness, brokenness, or confession is considered negative. I wish we were half as concerned about people having a proper view of God as we are about people having a proper view of themselves!

Deceived by the world, our egocentric theology has become more concerned about self-image than about God’s image.

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