TOPIC: Repair the altar

TEXT: Psalm 68: 15-20; 2Chronicles 7:14

INTRODUCTION: Last week we talked about arising from sleep and that the main means of rising is prayer. A person that is spiritually asleep has no connection with  the spirit realm and hence cannot perceive anything from the spirit realm. They perceive mainly in the physical realm. Prayer is the means by which communication is enabled between the realms, so that help can be obtained from the spirit realm. An altar is a place of communion, a landing pad for the spiritual entity from the spiritual that bring solutions. For communication to take place between the realm a sacrifice must be made by the human. Every altar that is set up has a supervising spirit that manifests when the sacrifice is pleasing and acceptable. The highest and most powerful altar is the cross of calvary and Jesus is the supervising spirit. He has been given a name that is above all other names. This is why no one can go to the father except through Him. “if you ask the father anything in my name I will do it”  Jesus shed His blood on the cross of Calvary as a pleasing sacrifice unto God. On this basis, God saved and forgives all who will come to that altar and releases benefits to them as a consequence. Without that sacrifice, no man would have been acceptable to God. For any one who is asleep, their altars have broken down and they need to repair it. It is only then that they will be re-awakened to perceive from the spirit realm. When we put God in His desired placed where He wants to dwell, He reawakens us and grants us total deliverance. May the Lord stretch forth His hands again to save.

1.The acknowledgement of fault: The events of 2 Samuel 6:2-18 are echoed in the song of David Ps.68 whereby David executed the return of the Ark of Covenant to Jerusalem from the house of Obededom. The Ark  had been recovered from the Palestinians became a problem. The procedure of conveying it back was wrong and Uzzah lost his life. David and he had to re-educate himself so that more lives would not be lost. There was a miscommunication at the altar and so there needed to be a reset.  Most of us take God for granted in our execution of His will and this is displeasing to God.  We must admit we have been walking contrary to His ways. Israel most times abandoned God and even had audacity to accuse God of not answering their prayers, when God told them that He would if they obeyed Him. We have to humbly acknowledge our mistakes that made the altar to fail and confess that God is right in whatsoever judgment resulted from our taking Him for granted. “If my people who are dedicated to me shall humble themselves and pray, God promises to hear and raise from sleep 2Chr.7:14). God has chosen a place where He would reign and meet His people. Let nothing tamper with it (Ps.68:15-20)

  1. The Seeking of God’s face: Not only must we acknowledge our faults, but we must also seek His face to know the right things to do. Most times, people are blinded and think they are doing the right thing. However, only God can show us clearly where we have missed it. David had to learn anew the procedure God put in place for the movement of the Ark. The Hebrew word for “face” in the Old Testament is often translated “presence.” When we seek the face of God, we are seeking His presence. Seeking God’s face is with the whole heart and soul (Deut4:29) in love, honor, reverence, intelligently and sincerely, adoring His perfections, thinking of God right, delighting in Him, in obedience. Whenever love fills the heart, it seeks expression in acts of service. Love without fear relaxes; fear without love enslaves and leads to despair (J. Gerhard). We want to be in the presence of the person we love always. We have to clean our hands and purify our hearts and not having any idols in our hearts. We need to develop intimacy with Him in prayer, praise, worship, and the word (Ps.63:1-3). When some seek the Lord, they still indulge in sins and trust in idols (Ps.24). Seeking His face means desiring to know His character and wanting Him—His presence—more than any other thing He can give us.
  2. The Turning from Faults:  It is our duty as believers to continuously confess and forsake our sins so that they will not hinder us (Heb. 12:1). The first step toward turning from our wicked ways, is finding out what God has defined as righteous and wicked. Repentance is turning away from abandoning God for idols and returning from idols to Him God is jealous and cannot tolerate any of His created work to replace Him in His chosen place of rest. God created man to be His chosen place of rest on the earth. He does not rest in a Temple built with human hands. When we abandon God, it means we have abandoned all His judgments and standards and adopted some other standards. It means He cannot rest on His throne in our hearts where we have allowed another spirit to occupy. Repentance is going back to God’s standards (Ps. 51) and allowing Him to reoccupy His throne in our hearts.
  3. The Response from Heaven: The benefits of repairing the altars starts with God inclining His ears. God loves to fellowship with man and so when man takes a step, He takes notice. He has promised not only to hear but forgive. One of the sweetest songs in the ears of God is a sinner coming to repentance. Jesus made us to know that there is joy in heaven over a sinner that repents God does not despise a contrite heart but does not hear or forgive unrepentant sinners (Ps.66;18). When sins are forgiven, there is no grounds on which the effects of sin can stand. Healing results from such mercy of God to the repentant sinner.

Are you asleep spiritually, you need to check your altar. Lack of solution to problems, prayerlessness, sickness, poverty, and lack of the many blessing of salvation are some pointers to this. You need to put your altar in order so that the desired fellowship and solutions can resume.