Catching on Fire

Early Christians were on fire for Jesus. They went forth with a boldness they'd never experienced before. They knew the importance of their mission, and they would not be extinguished. They hit the streets to deliver the gospel message and tell the good news of Jesus. The Apostle Peter preached, and 3,000 men were saved (Acts 2:41). It also happened earlier to the prophets. Jeremiah became discouraged and wanted to quit preaching, but he wrote that God's Word " was like a fire in his bones and he could not be silent (Jeremiah 20:9).

 The fire of God brings holiness. 1 Peter 1:16 tells us, "Be ye holy, for I am holy, says the Lord." We are called to pursue holiness, letting the fire of God purify us. When Isaiah saw the Lord, he recognized his sinfulness and cried out, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" (Isaiah 6:5). An angel took a hot coal from the fire on the altar and touched it to his lips to make him clean.

The fire of God brought about many miracles. Ailing, afflicted people were healed because the apostles were empowered to do the same miracles that Jesus had done. But miracles didn't end in biblical times; many have occurred since then. One often-forgotten example happened in the 1920s and 30s. Missionaries and Chinese Christians shared the gospel message and experienced what became known as the Santung Revival. In one year, about 3,000 people were saved. One church went from 50 members to 1000. Six hundred girls and 900 boys from the mission school accepted Jesus. Revival spread.  A missionary's eyes were healed as a result of prayer and the anointing of oil. A woman paralyzed for 28 years was healed. A man who knew he was dying had already purchased a coffin and grave clothes, but after being healed, he sold them and donated the money to the church. When their sponsor back in the United States became skeptical and sent someone to investigate, the report came back urging them to leave the missionaries alone and let the fire of God continue its work. Books are full of other accounts where God worked great miracles through his faithful, fire-filled servants.

What about today? Is it still possible to have the fire of God? A pastor I know well reports on a missionary couple he personally knows who have a growing ministry. In 2025, over 360,000 people accepted Jesus through their work, and more than 1000 new house churches were opened.

So why don't more churches in the United States see this kind of miracle-working power? Is it that we are too skeptical? Do we really believe in the power of God working through his followers today? Do we fail to receive because we fail to believe? Perhaps we need the fire of God to heat us up from lukewarmness and set us ablaze again, sending us out to spread the gospel message and tell others about Jesus. What a difference we could make then!

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