Fire Spreads

“And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us (Luke 24:32)?”

One of the worst disasters of the nineteenth century was the Great Chicago Fire, which occurred in 1871. This fire was responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and claimed over 200 lives. How did such a terrible fire start? It began in the barn of Patrick and Catherine O’Leary, when one cow allegedly kicked over a lantern. This burned down the barn and the flame spread throughout much of the city. Amazingly, one cow had such an impact. Why? Because fire always spreads!

An example of this took place after the resurrection of Christ. His disciples did not yet know that He had risen from the dead, and two of them were walking on the road down to Emmaus. Jesus joined them and began explaining the Scriptures to Him. They did not know who He was until He prayed, and He then vanished from their sight. After He was gone, they commented, “Our hearts burned as He explained the Scriptures to us!” The fire of the Holy Spirit that burned inside of Christ spread to His disciples as well.

The very nature of fire is to spread. Any flammable material will be overtaken by the flame. The same is true in the spirit; if we are burning with the fire of God, we will spread it to others. The fire of God, that passion for His presence and zeal to win the lost, is contagious. So do you want to see change in your home, in your cell group, among your friends? Do you want to see increased passion in those around you? The answer is to burn yourself.

So instead of looking at others and waiting for them to burn, let’s ask God to send revival and start with us. Let’s cry out for another Pentecost, for a fresh baptism of fire that will overtake and envelop us. Then let’s take this fire to the world. It will spread, and we will see a generation changed, one fire-carrier at a time.