When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. 2 Chronicles 7.1

When we meditate on the fact that it was the burnt offering and the sacrifices that caused the fire to come down and the glory of the Lord to fill the temple, like we have been learning about during these past days, we can understand why the Universal Church makes a difference throughout the world: because it has one fire, one Spirit, one faith.

It is not the magnificence of the cathedrals, it is not the network of communications, it is not the ability to gather large crowds; it is the mere fact that a man, who knows the Lord Jesus, gave his life on the altar as “a living sacrifice, which was holy and pleased God”. This caused the fire to come down upon the bandstand, at the funeral home in Abolição, in Duque de Caxias, in Padre Miguel, in Brazil and throughout the world.

Today, this man does not necessarily need to be physically present in a specific place in the world for the fire to come down from heaven. Concentrations of faith are led by other pastors and bishops, but because they also present the “living sacrifice” of remaining on the altar, the fire comes down and the glory of God can be seen.

We should be the same way, because if we are the “living sacrifice”, the material condition of our churches will not matter, because the fire of the Lord will come down there and everyone will see His glory through salvation, people being born again, healings and miracles in people’s lives. It is not because of our charisma or our abilities, but because our lives have been sacrificed on the altar. This is, its pointless to be in a cathedral, a state or a country and have the best conditions, if we are not a “living sacrifice”. The fire will not come down, nor will the glory of God be seen in this place, and who is going to suffer? The people.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12.1

Let us all follow these examples, if we are a “living sacrifice”, we will see the glory of God in our ministry, wherever the sole of our foot treads. If we are not a “living sacrifice”, we will not see the glory of the Lord in our ministry or in any area of our lives.

God bless you!