Building altars unto the Lord. Vol 1. No 3 by Clinton David

When the altar is broken

The subject before us is very crucial if we must actually raise altars that will bring down the fire of God upon our lives and nations. That God seems not to be speaking in some places may not be unconnected to ‘broken altars’. And it is more grievous if you do not know whether your altar is broken as you would not do something about it.

‘And, behold there came a man of God from Judah by the word of the Lord unto Bethel; and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense’. 1kings 13v1

‘The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord’. 1kings 13v5

The city of Bethel had a long history with great encounters of God and was recorded in scripture how men like Jacob had built an altar unto the Lord, so Bethel I would say was the place of God. Infact, when it came to a time that Jacob needed spiritual rejuvenation, he moved the entire family to the land of Bethel. So a visit to the altar in Bethel was like a visit to God. Here however, Jeroboam had turned the place of Bethel to a worship of idols. The altar of God has become an altar of Baal. The place kept holy for the Lord has become desecrated with all manner of pollutions that glorify Baal. That such a drift could befall Bethel may not have been envisaged. But see her falling into muddy waters and without leaders to save her. This becomes the story behind many a great altars that once carry the presence of God. Such places have now become the den of harlots and fornicators, and they will never be touched though you preach many sermons because the fire is gone. A broken altar cannot bring down fire from heaven. And you too are gradually falling into same muddy waters, as your heart slowly drifts away from God. That your room or abode was God’s altar is a far cry, as you too have forgotten when last a prayer left that abode to heaven, and though it may have been a mere vocalizing of words, you too know that the fire is gone. And beloved would you not arise and do something about your Bethel than to allow it languish away in the hand of the devil. Some young believers, because of the seeming pressures of our time to belong to a certain class, have turned their altars to cinemas and studios, to which visitors from all sorts will adhere from morning till night just to satisfy their carnal lust, and this may continue until darkness sweeps them away. Also the convener is not spared himself as that polluted atmosphere will drown him until he suddenly sees himself falling so deep as to even become the leader of that group, and this I tell you is the story of many young believers.

As I ponder on the issue of ‘broken altars’, I see why winning a new convert to Christ becomes a mountainous task to many believers, even some professed Christian parents cannot give any little testimony of salvation of their children. Though many sermons would be preached from those so called family altars, it cannot save a wretch. This has become the greatest stumbling block to Christianity and how my heart yearns for a turning, O’ praying that it would come swiftly.

‘And he said I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away’.1kings 19v10

What kind of coldness could make a man to forsake his altars? What should make a brother to throw down his altar? Why should a servant of God withdraw from God’s presence? How did your holy oracle become the harbor of evil beast and hell bound fellows? These are the many questions that seem to plaque my thoughts. And as I look closely into your life dear brother, these issues seem to contend strongly with my heart.

That the places weary pilgrims once sought repose have become deserted, brings up an issue before us. To such places will some remain till the breaking forth of a new dawn. Some had stood on such altars until heaven came down. Most great testimonies of ancient times were birthed in such places. Some cities were turned to Jesus as such men who stood at those altars did so at the peril of their lives, night and day until God himself came down. But these places are now forsaken and broken down…and little wonder that darkness seems to thrive around you. That even your own home is the abode of Satan and his angels, points us to broken altars. Some have forsaken their altars and turned them to football fields; some turned theirs to beer parlours; and some to an abode of political analysts. No more the praying men. And these can go on in such places for a full day without a prayer offered to the God of heaven, and at night you are looking forward to a new dawn of change, transformation and great salvations, to which you never labored for. And I tell you, that if the life you live now was the life of the ancient saints, hell must have let loose her terror upon us all many centuries ago.

Some of you now parade around saying ‘Oh I have been too busy in my office’, ‘I have got meetings to attend’,’ I need visit brother Timothy’, ‘I must attend that seminar’, ‘I must watch that movie’, ‘Oh work here, work there’, and while these prevails, the altar is gone. Bible would bring us to the story of that King who said ‘I was busy here and there and my servant was gone’. Any work that takes God away from you will surely bring you down to hell, and any man who takes God away from you shall bring you to eternal ruin.

The song writer says:

Make no longer vain excuses,

Jesus calls, and calls thee now;

Come, for everything is ready:

Weary soul, why waitest thou?

‘And Elijah said unto all the people, come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down’. 1kings 18v30

Sequel to the ongoing, we have seen how those Baal worshippers had prayed so vehemently and yet without an answer. When the altar is broken, no spiritual progress would occur. It would be but a waste of effort for any spiritual input. Shouting aloud in prayer can bring no result when the altar is broken. And I tell you a broken or backsliding Christian life, is itself a broken altar. Your altar is automatically broken when your life is not correct, and building spiritual treasures upon such a life is mere futility.

I have for many years been in the practice of organizing training meetings for believers who want to grow spiritually, and one thing always stands out. No matter the number of months or years invested in some lives, nothing much seems to come forth, and I knew they were incorrect lives. It’s like taking a duck for a bath, or trusting that a stray dog would find a home. However, with some, just an hour of encounter sends them burning for God, and up until this moment that I am writing this, they have become a flame upon their little abodes. May God do same in your life in Jesus name.

So you can see from the foregoing that as long as the altar was broken the fire could not come. Note therefore in the scripture above that the word ’broken’, did not mean that the altar got broken following the several attempts employed by the Baal worshippers to get fire down, neither did that word mean to portray a physical illustration of something being broken. But the word was deliberately used to depict the spiritual state of the altar of God (see 1kings 19v10). Note again that Elijah repaired the altar was rather a physical and a spiritual dimension of raising an altar. He did actually build a proper altar in the sense of the physical, and did also repair the broken altar because his life was in right standing with God. And because his life was correct, he beyond the realm of ordinary sight repaired the broken altar. It is also pertinent to tell you that the broken altar in the foregoing was not Elijah’s altar but rather the altar the whole of Israel resort to, therefore he with a correct life can actually repair it. I therefore mean to say that when your altar is broken, it can only be rebuilt when your life is now right before God. Attempting to raise one when you are still living in sin will only delude you, as such altars cannot fight sin and wickedness, moreso when you are the architect. I have often times seen sinners and men whose lives are laden with all manner of error, praying against wickedness and asking for change, such prayers will not be answered. An oppressor asking for the rod of oppression to be broken is futility. A fornicator asking for salvation for his house is nonsense. If you try to repair that broken altar when your life is still incorrect, it will become one of those abandoned projects, and I tell you the building work will not finish. This is what I see some people doing, holding morning devotions and preaching sermons that do not portray their lives, and the results are worst everyday- no salvations and no penitence from sin. The aftermath of the altar that was repaired was discussed earlier in previous studies (see, Fire on the altar).

I shall now go on to look at a very crucial area in this study series, especially as it bothers on us and our generation, and if we must preserve a legacy for generations to come. May God open your eyes at this hour that you may bring great results to our Lord.

Prophetic Altars

The issue before us is so important if we must affect our generation for God. There are men whose lives became a spectacle and a road map even long after they are gone. Their instructions and pattern of life became an example for the younger generation. Such men were able to turn their house to follow the Lord, and for them who had worked in an institution or such the like, the foundation of those places, in the course of time became built and fortified around their lives. Some of such holy men became the foundation stone for some nations to which they legally belonged or had once visited. Also some children of darkness had in their time done just as the above, pouring that poison of adder into the blood of their successors and their admirers, to whom now belong the dominion of darkness and will go on to infect all around them, and moreso an entire city.

This however, is never a menace to the believers as there is no time since the foundation of the world that evil triumphs over neither righteousness, nor darkness over light, nor lies over truth. And putting this fact before you beloved, shall the matter of raising prophetic altars become to you a matter of honour and praise to our Lord. You have seen from the previous discourse how King Ahab reared altars for Baal, and this he did consciously to see that those evil altars prospered. And if your altars shall become prophetic, then you shall build it consciously, not as one beating the air. If the matter be to you an urgent and relevant issue, knowing that your years on earth are but few, you shall declare your Christ to the people around you whether they be Baal worshippers or men who are against our Christ. Falling into the trap of hiding your faith in that house or office and being ashamed of our Christ, shall be discarded. Those evil beasts who understand foundational altars, knew that such would speak for many generations and thus they would publish their doctrine on the mountains, go from one person to another if peradventure they will have a new disciple, and erect their altars in high places. But the sons of light are hiding and languishing away in a world begging for help. Some acclaimed followers of Jesus are not known as believers in their homes nor offices, and for such, raising a prophetic altar is a far cry. And if your generation and that after you must serve the Lord, then shall your zeal for the Lord burn more vigorously. God speaking concerning Abraham said ‘I know he would command his children after me’. This is the highest regard God could have for a man. There was no such trust ever expressed by God to man. That this man of whom this scripture was written had got great accolades from the God of all flesh speaks great volumes. And if such unbroken trust of character or total allegiance to God is expected of his children, to which God himself testifies of them without a piece of doubt, speaks of the perfect disposition of the man to whom it was written. This goes on to affirm that though he were dead, shall his life still speak from the grave. And this however was true as the life and times of this man became a common tale amongst the children of Israel, seen as a reference point all through the people of the Old and New Testament.

Those altars built by Abraham still speak even after he was gone. The children of Israel constantly pursued as an obligation, total service to God. And though some of them may slide away from this path for a while, the guilt and sorrow of such a consequence stands before their eyes until they make a comeback to their God. These altars became covenant points to which their lives were built upon. And to these children belonged the pursuit of holiness, righteousness, goodness, truth, and all the good things that heaven portrays; and placing before their eyes anything other than these, is to them but idolatry and wickedness against their God. And though some would forget, a spokesman would arise from nowhere to remind them. This became the practice up on till today.

The issue of raising prophetic altars is so fundamental if your Christianity must last and if the people around you, as well as the generations after you would serve our God. Some so called believers would have their labours and their houses wiped out by the flood of darkness after they are gone. And sorrow shall your lot be if this happens while you still tread the earth.

There is a solemn call from this altar from where these words were written to you dear believer to arise and cause the light of God to break forth in that corner where you are. The song writer says:

Brighten the corner where you are!

Brighten the corner where you are!

Someone far from harbor you may guide across the bar,

Brighten the corner where you are.

 Oh that your places of abode will not be handed over to the devil and woe betide you if you hand it over to him with your own hands. It is the hour to make landmarks for Jesus and leave behind a holy legacy that would speak for the centuries to come. The children of Jonadab, the Rechabites could not be swayed by the words of that prophet even Jeremiah though he claimed to speak for God. Though drinking wine to that generation was not in error, yet a little persuation from that holy prophet could not change their minds. Though father Jonadab was dead many years ago yet his descendants kept his estate and denied themselves all the pleasures of the world, in honour of him. Some disciples of yours or children so to speak can out rightly deny your words and God even before you, much less when you are gone. This goes on to say that men with weak lives cannot succeed in raising prophetic altars. The question is: do you believe in your course? Do you believe that righteousness wins? Do you believe all the words of the holy writ?, If your response is in the affirmative, then shall your zeal for the Lord go aflame today until that corner burns for Jesus. The hour has come, and I say to you, go and set your altars and cause them to burn.