Rekindle the Altar Fire: Welcome God's PresenceSample

What Is an Altar? An altar is a place of relationship between a holy God and you, a place where He can meet with you, and His fire can fall—the fire of blessing, renewal, revival. In the Old Testament, the altar was related directly to the spiritual and material blessings God intended for His people. It was established so they could be restored to fellowship with Him by bringing sin, guilt, and fellowship offerings. In God’s plan, the altar is the place for expressing lasting love: At the altar, we give, and we receive. Restoring an altar for fresh fire today is not about building a physical structure or maintaining a natural fire. Rather, the altar God desires is a heart that is fully committed to Him. Remember, the Old Testament altar gave a foreshadowing of what was to come through Christ Jesus. The altar stood at the core of God’s plan of salvation because it pointed to the cross of Christ, which is the source of all God’s blessings. The altar, then, is where worship of God almighty originates. Worship is acknowledging God as Creator and Redeemer, the beginning and the end. It means not only making Him first but also starting everything and finishing everything for Him and with Him. The only way we can build an altar and bring the sacrifice of worship that honors God is by making Him Lord of everything. As we live by the principles of His power and authority, it becomes very natural and desirable to be in right standing with the One we worship. In fact, without an altar of worship, spiritual progress and lasting change are not possible. Worship means placing God first. And this can be done only in the context of a right-standing relationship with God. It means loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; it means submitting to His authority fully; and it means walking in the holy reverence of His majesty. At the altar, you will see the fulfillment of your desires, vision, and purpose. Questions to Ponder: What does the word altar mean to you? How can you more clearly visualize a spiritual altar as a place of renewal in God’s presence?