No Fire Just Fog
Dear Firebrand Generation,
We are in April the fourth month of the year, and if there is one thing I know, it is this: We are living in a time of spectacle over substance.
Conferences are multiplying. Stages are expanding. Flyers are catching eyes. But why does it feel like the presence of God is being pushed further to the margins? Why do we gather, shout, cry, and fall… But leave unchanged?
– Have we mistaken a full auditorium for a full altar?
– Have we traded fire for fog machines?
– Have we begun chasing platforms instead of His presence?
Have We Replaced Fire with Fog?
We’ve learned how to fill a room, but forgotten how to fill an altar. We’ve mastered the look of revival but lost the weight of it. We’ve become experts at hosting people, yet novices at hosting God.
“People know you know gatherings… but do they know you know God?” Let’s be clear this isn’t a critique for clout or a judgmental callout.
This is a sounding alarm , a wake-up call to the body of Christ worldwide. If you feel a holy discomfort as you read this, lean in. Because what comes next isn’t to shame you it’s to stir you.
The Tale of the Conference That Changed Nothing
A young believer saved up the last of his money to attend the biggest Christian conference of the year.
The room was electric. Thousands of people. Lights flashing. Music booming. Preachers preaching. People dancing, shouting, weeping.
Everything screamed revival. But when she left…
– His addiction still gripped him.
– His depression lingered.
– His soul still felt empty.
He had an experience, but no encounter. He got caught up in the performance, but never entered His presence.
How Many of Us Have Been There?
We attend events for the hype… but did we leave with Him?
We lifted our hands in worship… but did we lay down our hearts?
We fill venues… but are heaven’s books recording transformed lives?
The Consequences of Performance Over Presence
– False Fire – We confuse emotional moments with divine encounters, but God is not in the noise, He dwells in the secret place.
– No Transformation – If there’s no change, there was no true move.
– Flesh on Display – Lights, music, and production can be beautiful but not at the expense of the presence of Jesus.
– Generation – We’ve become masters at church lingo but strangers to kingdom living.
God is not a brand. He is not a logo. He is not a side act to be scheduled into our programs. And if Jesus is not center stage, the entire gathering is a performance, not a move of God.
Bulletin: Are We Building Altars or Just Stages?
This is not about perfection. It is about posture. It’s a heart check for all of us.
1. Am I Chasing Crowds or Christ? Would I still serve if no one clapped? If the lights were off, the camera unplugged, the applause silenced, would His whisper still be enough?
2. Am I Prioritizing Performance Over Prayer? We prepare worship sets, craft sermon outlines, design stage visuals… But how much time have we spent on our knees?
Exodus 33:15 – “If Your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”
If God is not in it, we do not want it.
3. Are We Just Loud… or Are We Truly Lit? You can be loud and still lack power. You can create movement but carry no momentum.
The prophets of Baal danced and shouted all day no fire. Elijah whispered one prayer and heaven responded. There is a difference between noise and anointing. One entertains. The other transforms.
So How Do We Guard Against Fog?
Let us be clear: This is not a call to eliminate structure, excellence, or creativity from our gatherings. Those things matter. But if Jesus is not the center, we have missed the point.
Here is how we can spiritually prepare:
✅ Consecrate before we create.
Do not just plan pray first. Set the tone spiritually before setting the tone visually.
✅ Prioritize intimacy over image.
Spend more time with God in private than you perform in public.
✅ Slow down to listen.
Ask the Holy Spirit what He wants to do not just what will “wow the room.”
✅ Leave space.
Give God room to move beyond your run sheet.
Reflection Challenge: Bring Back the Fear of God
Take 10 minutes and ask yourself:
– Have I replaced presence with performance?
– Am I building for likes or for legacy?
– What can I do this week to invite God back to the center?
Write it | Pray it | Live it
Quote of the Month
If the altar isn’t burning, it’s not revival. It’s rehearsal.
A Prayer for the Firebrand Generation
Father,
We repent for every time we prioritized appearance over Your presence. For every event we planned without praying. For every moment we made it about us. Forgive us for choosing fog over fire. Strip away the show. Silence the noise. Bring us back to the secret place. Let us be carriers of real glory. Let us hunger again for the real thing. Let Your fire fall again. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Wrapping It Up
Dear Firebrand Generation,
This is not the time for polished appearances with no power. This is not the hour for curated crowds with no consecration. God is raising a remnant not performers, but priests. Not those who chase stages, but those who chase surrender. The remnants do not want fame. They want faithfulness. The remnants do not want to be seen. They want to see His glory. The presence of God is too holy to be managed casually.
It was never meant to be background noise at our gatherings. It is the very reason we gather.
So…
Let us stop hosting events that forget to host Him. Let us stop confusing emotional hype for sacred holiness. Let us stop settling for performance… when we have been invited into presence. This is the dispensation of Firebrands Not Entertainers. Not influencers. But intercessors, worshippers, revival carriers. And the world is waiting for us to burn again.
Until next time stay bold, stay faithful, and keep the fire burning. The stage may be crowded. But the altar still has room. He is calling us back. Let us respond.
Key Takeaways
✅ “A full room doesn’t equal a full move of God.”
✅ “A gathering without consecration is just a concert.”
✅ “Firebrands don’t chase platforms, they build altars.”
✅ Revival begins at the altar, not the stage.
✅ Emotion is not encounter.
✅ If there is no presence, there is no point.”
✅ Firebrands don’t perform, they posture themselves at the altar.”
✅The presence is the point. The fire is the proof.”
So good! Slowing down to hear the voice of the Lord and His plan for what He wants to do … ESSENTIAL!
Absolutely! There’s so much clarity, peace, and strategy that comes when we slow down and actually listen. #PresenceOverPerformance #StillnessIsStrength
Great write up . Thanks for sharing this thought provoking insights and revelations.
Thank you so much MOG ! That means a lot. It’s truly an honor to share what God places on my heart.
Reading this made me pause. It felt like someone finally said what has been sitting in my spirit for a while. We have gotten so good at doing church, creating moments, and chasing crowds but how often do we leave truly changed?
My mother always told me that God should be my first audience in everything I do. That came back to me while reading this. This was not just a call out. It was a heart check. And honestly, I needed it. I do not want fog. I want fire. I do not want hype. I want Him. It is time to get back to the presence for real.
Let’s return to the presence for real… no performance, no pretending. Just pure pursuit your mom put it in great words! let God be your first audience
This was such an edifying read. Made it a point not to miss any of these. Bless you for such an uplifting blog.
I’m so glad it spoke to you and that you’ve been following along! Thank you for reading!
That’s real good! One key takeaway for me is the “False Fire” and how we often confuse emotional moments with divine encounters, forgetting the fact that God is not in the noise, rather He dwells in the secret place like you rightly stated. I pray the Firebrand generation will seek the secret place encounters rather perfectly staged performances that simply stir up emotional moments and responses.
Whew, yes! You nailed it. That “False Fire” is so real and it’s such a subtle trap . May the firebrand generation choose presence over production, depth over display, and real fire over flashy fog.
Good message Dora. Most of us know of God but we don’t fully know God. Hence the reasons why we continue to live our lives the way that we do. We say that we’re believers yet we only believe what is convenient for us. What a sad world that we live in. May God continue to have mercy on ALL of us. Blessings.
Awareness is the first step toward Awakening. I join you in that prayer: may God have mercy on us, and may He draw us back to a place of reverence, surrender, and genuine relationship. Not just belief, but obedience. Not just knowledge, but intimacy. Blessings to you too, my friend.