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The mystery of altars – Part 6

By Rev. Theodore Effiong
02 September 2018   |   3:10 am
No man is greater than his altar.  Show me your altar and the commitment you make therein, and I will tell you whom you are. Who you are today is a direct reflection of the altar you have raised.

Rev. Theodore Effiong

Altars could be classified into four, mainly:

No man is greater than his altar.  Show me your altar and the commitment you make therein, and I will tell you whom you are. Who you are today is a direct reflection of the altar you have raised. Your speed in life depends on the power of your altar. If you don’t raise your own altar, you’ll become a victim of another man’s altar. What makes one man more powerful than another is the quantity and quality of sacrifices he offers consistently upon his altar. What makes one man of God supersede another can be traced to his personal altar life. Quite evidently, those families that take their altars seriously live more notable lives and stand out in the community. This, therefore, lends credence to the fact that one’s personal altar is the taproot of his spiritual life. The deeper this taproot, the taller your life grows; the more resilient you get, the more you boom and flourish, and the more relevant you are to your world – just like the palm tree.

Finally, we learnt that it is sacrifice that makes an altar. Without sacrifices, an altar is powerless. There’s no access to the spiritual that costs nothing! This is why spiritual men like David said; “I cannot appear before God empty-handed.”

I think one of the most distinct symbols of Abraham’s life was this thing called an altar. On four distinct occasions at four distinct stages in his pilgrimage, we are told that Abraham responded to God by building an altar. You read about the first one in Genesis, chapter 12:7 at Shechem. And then the next verse between Bethel and Ai. Then in chapter 13:18 at Hebron, he built another altar to God. And then the fourth time on a mountain called Moriah, this man, who was called the friend of God, built yet one more altar. And I want us to notice that all of those earlier altars of sacrifice and surrender and faith, each one of those had been preparing Abraham for the moment when he would be called upon to make the supreme sacrifice.

And so, when Mount Moriah came, Genesis 22, Abraham had a track record with God and that’s what enabled him to step out in faith and surrender. And, likewise, each small step of surrender you take, it may be just getting out of bed in the morning, when the alarm clock goes off and getting up in time to spend some time with the Lord in His Word and in prayer.

You see, altars speak of sacrifice, of devotion, of surrender, of being consumed. They speak of a life that is wholly given up to the One for whom the altar is built.What sacrifices are you laying upon your altar? Your altar is the place you first dedicate your offerings, tithes, and your seeds to God before taking them to church. How seriously do you take your altar? The place you first lay out your plans ever before embarking on any project; the place where covenants are cut and vows are made.
Rev. Theodore Effiong
Assemblies of God Church, Calabar Or Prayer To All Nations (PTAN), Prayer City, Calabar. CRS
Email: theoeffiong@yahoo.com
Phone – +234 9030012007, +234 7031921770

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