Those of us living in the northwest part of the United States have been surrounded by massive wildfires all summer. Just two days ago, a new fire erupted south of the Oregon border and north of Redding, California. It exploded in size and became so dangerous that a section of Interstate 5, the main north-south freeway on the west coast, had to be closed. The freeway has been shut down for the last two days.

This morning, I read an article where a professor of Fire Science said a moving fire preheats the vegetation in its path as it pushes through steep canyons. When the fire reaches a new fuel source, it explodes as drought-dried trees, brush, and grass ignite. These fires are challenging to fight and contain in mountainous terrain.

In my travels, I minister in churches where people talk about the fire of God. This is a fire of holiness and purity that consumes all the things that stand in the way of our ability to receive the love of God. This fire of the Spirit is only destructive to those things that want to destroy us, and our relationship with God. The flame of this fire is always empowered by love.

If the fire of God has been ignited in your life, get ready for this Spirit-empowered fire to accelerate the speed of its burn. The wind of the Spirit is directing this fire to strategically consume each point of opposition in your life and calling. God wants to set you on fire so that He can burn through all the religious and relational underbrush that has accumulated over time. This underbrush, if left unchallenged, can choke the life out of your relationship with God and His Kingdom. Invite the fire!