Rev. A. J. Ogden

I recently went to the Liberty Drug Store to pick up a medicine prescription.

The store has a coffee room in the back were mostly men gather each day for coffee and chatter. I’m sure many of the world’s political, social, and spiritual problems are solved in the room, but the world just hasn’t as yet heard about their solutions.

Occasionally I drop in and share a few minutes with the coffee room gang. On this trip to the store I visited for a few minutes. Most of the gang had by that time departed to other places of interest. The Alabama church burning were brought up and someone questioned me as to what I thought was behind the burnings,to which I replied, “It’ll be interesting to find out why they are being burned.”

Someone remarked that a news paper article stated the fires started in the pulpit area. I couldn’t help but respond, “Haven’t we been praying for that to happen…for a fire to start in the pulpit?” One of the fellows looked at me with a question mark in the eyes, then smiled as my words seem to become clear. “Of course”, I continued, “we’ve been praying for a “spiritual fire” to be kindled in the pulpit, not the kind of fire in Alabama.”

While driving home, that thought kept resonating through my mind. “Fire in the pulpit.” When the pulpit blazes with spiritual fire the pews will be set afire and the news will be talked about in coffee rooms, in homes, in places of business, and on the street corners. Radio, television, and newspapers will report the fires to the nation. So, perhaps our prayers for fire in the pulpit should be intensified.

Our beloved nation has problems which are humanly insurmountable. Politicians, Wall Street, and the average “Joe” on the street are scrambling to find answers to our nation’s dilemmas. It seems potential answers have side effects which leads one to wonder, “Are there any solutions?”

I believe there are answers but their roots lie not in political strategies, nor Wall Street sessions, and not with the average “Joe” on the street. Their roots are hidden deep in the spiritual soil of the Lord’s church. And the doorway to releasing those roots for growth are the pulpits of America’s local churches. The church has news nations need to hear. But when the fire in pulpits goes out, everyone is more interested in denominational protocol than in spiritual fire which can consume the evil intents of the masses.

“Fire in the pulpits?” The greatest need without question for the nation of America is spiritual revival. Before evangelism becomes important to local churches, revival inside the churches must first take place. We need real revival to fall upon us, not more false fire which is so commonly seen today.

How can the church possess the answers for our nation’s dilemmas? Simply this!

A spiritual fire in the pulpit ignites a fire in the pews. The people in the pews, with renewed spiritual hearts move into the class rooms, the seats of government, the governor’s homes, the White House, and Wall Street. Laws, rules, and business standards will then be set by men and women of prayer and God will reveal the answers which are good and perfect. Then, and only then, will this truly be “One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Yes, we need fire in the pulpit. Not the kind which consumes wood but the kind which burns away sinful pride, selfishness, arrogance, hatred, porn, the gambling habits, and wicked minds. We need fire which turns hearts and minds to God through Jesus Christ.