Fire is a purifying agent; fire is a light that shines in the darkness; fire is heat during the cold seasons; fire consumes; fire demands you take notice of it. I love how God describes Himself in Hebrews 12:28 as an all consuming fire. Fire burns fields so the next harvest can come in. Oh how I love the power of a fire. If you have ever sat by a fire the bigger it gets the further back you move. The flames dance, the colors change and the delight it brings to those of all ages is obvious when you sit around it. Fires bring friends together to sit outside and chat; it brings families together at campgrounds where no phones or iPads are needed. I love the imagery of a fire as a picture of our God.

I was reading the prophet Obadiah this morning and it says, “The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame.” A fire is a group of flames. Jacob was the father of twelve sons, by two wives. Joseph was the first born son by the second wife, who was supposed to be the first wife. I love how the Bible does not leave out the scandals that happened in families. The idea of Jacob, the father being a fire and the first born son of the second wife being a flame, is such a picture of how God takes all his children and makes them flames, so together we can be a fire with our Father in heaven.

Psalm 104:4 says, “He makes winds His messengers, flames of fire His servants.” And in Acts 2 it says, “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.” From Obadiah to the Psalms to the book of Acts, to Hebrews, we see throughout the word of God, when flames gather a fire is there.

As you go to church this morning, remember you are a flame who is joining with other flames to become the fire on earth as your Father in heaven is an all consuming fire. Let’s turn the heat up in worship this morning as we the flames of God join together with God who is the fire!