The flame of passion - Set apart or consumed?

Every day we offer our lives on the altar of God. The altar is the place of sacrafice, the place where we offer up our works to him from earth and he recieves or rejects them. Throughout the old testament the altar was the place of communication between God and man. It has always been a place of sacrafice, a place we we offer up a sacrafice to God. Abraham offered sacrafices of animals and fire, David offered sacrafices of rams, Jesus was the ultimate sacrafice, offering his life to God. What is your sacrifice? What is your life bringing to God on the altar? What fire, or passion, is burning within you as you live your life as a daily offering? Is it an offering that is pure and pleasing to the Lord? Or is it a stench in his nostrils? An insult to all he has given you?


Genesis 4 Read This Chapter
4:4
while Abel brought several choice lambs from the best of his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his offering,


Hebrews 11 Read This Chapter
11:4
It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. God accepted Abel's offering to show that he was a righteous man. And although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us because of his faith.

Greek renders this word as thusiasterion [qusiasthvrion], "a place of sacrifice."

As disciples of Christ it is our duty to ensure that the passions and flames burning within us offer up a pleasing incense to heaven. It is our duty to ensure that we keep ourselves "unmixed" and "free" from that which would take away from his call and purpose for our lives. On that day the Word says (insert verse) we will have to give an account for all that we have done and it will be tried by fire. I want to live my life in a way that I will arrive with the precious good works in hand, ready to receive my reward. I don't want to to be left wanting, having produced wood, hay, and stubble - things that are of little value. Things that will be burned in the fire.