“What fire is this that warms my soul?...O fire that burns forever, and never dies, kindle me! O light which shines eternally, and never darkens, illumine me…How sweetly do you burn!” AugustineFire. There are many pictures used for God in the bible – rock, water, wind, fortress, refuge, etc. But the similitude which outstrips all of them is one that we probably wouldn’t expect. It is that of fire. Over ninety times God and His presence are likened unto fire. “For our God is a consuming fire.” writes the author of Hebrews and both the Old and New Testaments camp heavily upon this blazing portrait. However, God is not only a fire on the outside; He is equally a fire on the inside. And were that not true; I would not have recorded these meditations. Let me explain.These audio meditations are founded upon one central, bedrock conviction - There is a permanent, inextinguishable fire in every believer’s soul. A God-birthed fire…a Spirit-sustained fire…a Christ-adoring fire. It is a holy fire; a gifted fire for which we can take no credit. Its flames can never be fully doused; regardless of the amount of sin, rebellion, confusion, or idolatry in our lives. This fire yearns to enflame every facet of our being but will not go where it is not invited. It is a gentle fire. It is a kind fire. But make no mistake; it is also a jealous fire. A fire that violently protests every vestige of sin in our lives while deeply delighting in our every small, faltering movement towards the Lover of our souls.This fire is the living, breathing, actual presence of the living God in the deep recesses of our being. In reality it is a Him, not an it. As Dante put it, we are “ingodded”. The God whose presence set ablaze a desert bush when He spoke to Moses, is the same God Who has taken up fiery residency within us. Therefore, our calling as fire-indwelt saints is not to work to keep the fire lit. The fire is here to stay; as incapable of going out as God is of dying. We are permanently “sealed by the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption.” as the apostle Paul writes. But every fire needs kindling. Every flame needs a boost now and again. And that my friend, is exactly what these meditations are all about.Kindling for the Fire. The title pretty well conveys what my hopes are for this work. It is simply firewood for the fire within. If you have entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through trusting in Him alone for the forgiveness of your sins, then you are on fire. You are not only assured of eternity in heaven, you are equally assured of permanent indwelling on earth. Permanent indwelling by the very Author of the universe, the very Son of God, “very God of very God” as the Nicene Creed puts it. On your very worst days you are no less indwelt and on your very best days you are not one iota more indwelt. There is a heavenly fire within you, my friend, which is not going anywhere. And until we hit heaven, this fire will not rest content until we are wholly swallowed up in His joyous, holy, strong conflagration. These audio devotions are simply designed to add some fuel to the fire that is already burning within you. They are not logs, they really are kindling. What I mean by this is that they are intentionally short. My underlying philosophy in communicating can be summed up in nine words – “Get in quick. Leave something substantial. Get out quick.” I hope that I’ve accomplished this in at least some measure. This album is volume one in a two volume series. It is divided into six sections, each focusing on a different aspect of fire. Many of these devotions are intended to encourage. Some to provoke deeper self-examination. Others are given to challenge widely held paradigms that may need to be re-examined. And still others are devoted to simply equipping. But all of them are recorded with the highest hopes that the Spirit of Christ will use these words to draw you into His arms more deeply, to cause you to feast on His presence more passionately, and compel you to depend upon His resources more desperately. That they will indeed serve as spiritual kindling for the Great Fire within. And that this heavenly blaze will find its way through you to the many who need your same gifted fire. God bless you my friend, as you journey through this album.