The Pillar of Fire
by Eric W. Lucas
25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven 26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God is a consuming fire. (KJV Heb 12:25-29)
Recently in a message entitled “The Full Price,” I spoke about the “answer by fire” that fell upon David’s altar at the threshing floor of Ornan (1 Chr. 21:26). I posed the question, “where is heaven’s answer by fire upon the altars of today’s church?” My point was that heaven’s fire falls upon the altar that is built upon the grounds of “full price.”
Of course the church’s altar of full price is none other than the cross. But honestly, I was seeing this fire primarily in terms of answered prayer—for example, the fire of God falling to consume cancer or addiction. We need that kind of fire for sure, but this past Sunday morning near the end of worship, I perceived another visitation of fire in the form of a pillar. I will call this experience an “impression” from the Lord since this was something I was “seeing” on the “inside” rather than outwardly with my physical eyes.
The pillar of fire seemed to be 10-12 feet tall and was wider at its base and narrowing in its height. It seemed to stand front and center in the altar area of the church just in front of the platform. The Lord Himself was standing in the fire, and the fire fully enveloped Him. The fire was mostly hiding Him from my sight, but I could clearly see His arms extended outwardly from the blaze toward the people.
This impression did not pass quickly, and for that reason I gathered that it was the Lord speaking to us at Cornerstone Fellowship. It seemed to me that His extended arms reaching forth from the midst of fire were a sign of invitation to walk into His embrace. But I also knew that this would mean stepping into the fire, and this was a bit frightening.
Normally I would run into His arms without hesitation, but in this case I could sense the cost of doing so. It was obvious that anything that was not of Him that entered this place of fire would be wholly consumed—it could not pass through the fire. To dare enter this place of fire would take courage. The wood, hay and stubble of earthly strongholds could not bear its intense heat. Yet His arms were outstretched—and just the thought of My Lord reaching out for me seemed to fuel the necessary courage.
Our God is a consuming fire, but His perfect love casts out all fear—and compels us to draw near. Heaven’s answer by fire is none other than the man of fire Himself—the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the answer to our every need. He deserves lives that are willing to blaze with His indwelling life.
May Cornerstone Fellowship step into the fire.