Our goal is to ignite a flame of worship throughout Pell City that will bring glory to God and spread like a consuming fire through this State and ultimately this great nation.

Sounds good, right?

Only if you aren’t familiar with your Bible!

Deut 4:24 For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. KJV

Deut 9:3 Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee. KJV

Num 16:21 Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. KJV

Num 16:26 And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins. KJV

Num 16:35 And there came out a fire from the Lord , and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense. KJV

Num 16:45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces. KJV

Ps 59:13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah. KJV . ESV

Heb 10:26-2826 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries

See the context of these verses! The Lord is a consuming fire destroying those that sin deliberately.

And the people of “Ignite ‘08” are praying to have the area consumed?

The full story of Numbers 16 is about Korah and his rebellion. God opened the earth and swallowed them and their houses and households. Then a fire from the Lord came out and consumed 250 more men! Then when the people grumbled and complained against Moses the Lord sent a plague and another 14,700 died.

What is even more interesting is the fuller context of the story. Korah as a descendent of Levi was jealous of Moses. Korah felt that he could decide how to worship God just as well as Moses.

Hebrews 12:28-2928 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

Look closely at the phrase “we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” First of all this shows that there is acceptable service (worship) and thus there must also be unacceptable service (worship).

It is therefore the task of the student of the Bible to determine what constitutes acceptable worship and what constitutes unacceptable worship. Note that this is not a decision that can be made on personal opinion. It is not what is acceptable or unacceptable in the sight of man, it is what is acceptable or unacceptable in the sight of God.

How then, should we worship God?

In spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).

Decently and in order (1 Corinthians 14:40).

With holy hands lifted up (1 Timothy 2:8).

All these are available through even the most cursory reading of the Bible. Yet we must still delve deeper in the Word. What is to be the object of our worship? What is to be the role of modern culture in our worship? These questions are just as readily answered in a careful study of the Bible.

2 Cor 6:14-7:1
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.(KJV)

In terms of the culture, we are called to be completely separated from the culture. It is not acceptable to import the ways of the world into our worship of God. We must come before God with worship that is not in any way defiled by the methods of the world, or we will be rejected by God.

This is clearly seen in the story of Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron. They thought that they worshipped God in an appropriate manner, but not as God had prescribed.

Lev 10:1-3
10 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not.
2 And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.
3 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace. KJV