A storm with strong winds recently passed through Indiana leaving uprooted trees in it’s wake. I woke up the morning after to find tree branches laying idly in the yard. I decided I was going to pile and burn these branches. This I did, enjoying the scenery as my bonfire grew larger and larger, shooting burnt leaves into the dark sky. All of a sudden, panic set in, what if this fire grew so big, that it set the entire neighborhood on fire? A gentler thought followed, “look how that fire is raging, each time you put in leaves, it rages.  But the moment you throw in water, it dies”. The fire department was called on me, and I was forced to put my little bonfire out by throwing water on it. Sad!

I learned through this experience, what it means to rage for Jesus, to be on fire for Jesus? Your fire, your anointing can either be fed or killed. It is either growing or dying – never stagnant. Left to itself in infancy, it will die out, but if fed constantly by leaves (the word of God), it grows into a ravenous fire. It grows in so much that it ignites everything within its path. People will come from miles out to see this blaze. News organizations will show up to report on this. The fire department will be called to come and see it. You may be ridiculed or slighted but you and your fire, certainly cannot be ignored.

When the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles on the day of Pentecost, it came down like fire.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.- Acts 2:3

The apostles were ignited. They could not keep this secret in any longer neither could they any longer be ignored. Out of windows and doors, they went proclaiming the gospel. Sickness could not stand them as scores of sick people were healed instantly.  Threats could not deter them as they preached to multitudes against all odds. The disciples were raging on a well fed fire. It’s hard to start a fire and be ignored. I’ve heard many a modern revolution started when someone set himself/ herself on fire – literally. That’s the way to cure obscurity. That’s the way to cure complacency. That’s the way to cure sin. That’s the way to cure fear. Set yourself on fire and then feed that fire. As John Wesley well said: “Set yourself on fire with passion and people will come for miles to watch you burn”.